(Click here for larger image)The "Coding4Fun" area of its Microsoft's MSDN developer site has just published a pair of articles, with associated downloads, that enable the use of Visual Studio 2005 "express edition" to program the RIS. Programs can be written in any of the four languages supported by the .NET Framework -- C#, C++, Visual Basic, and J#. Additionally, the "express" versions of Visual Studio 2005 (and related express tools) are now
available at no charge from Microsoft, via download.
The
Mindstorm RIS contains an array of building blocks, motors, sensors, and a central controller, known as the Lego RCX, a microcontroller that interprets commands sent via infrared from a PC. The .NET Interface for Lego Mindstorms lets developers write programs to a high-level class library that closely resembles the physical model of the robots, according to one of the two articles, "Introduction to Programming Lego Mindstorms." The .NET Interface includes classes for the RCX, as well as classes for the motors and sensors.
The article describes in detail the classes in the .NET Interface for Lego Mindstorms. The second article, "Tips and Tricks for Lego Mindstorms Programming," takes users step-by-step through the process of setting up both the Lego software and the components required to use the .NET Interface.
The Lego Mindstorms section of Coding4Fun is located
here.
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