Software Setup Tutorial

  

1.   Installing USB Tower

2.  Installing BricxCC

3.  Installing NQC

4.  Placing Firmware on a RCX

 

 

USB Tower

1.        Place the Mindstorms CD (came with your Lego Kit) in your drive.  When the window pops up asking if you want to install say no.

2.       Goto My Computer and right click on the CD drive and choose Explore.

1.        Now double click on ReinstallUsbTower.exe, this will install the drivers necessary to use your USB tower.  If you do not have the Mindstorms CD, download this file. You may save it to your desktop. A compressed file was created during the download process (named LegoTower.zip).  The file will need to be uncompressed before using it.

 

You will need to download WinZip from www.winzip.com to decompressed the file. You may also download this program from the WSU software download center (skip to step 5 if you already have WinZip on your computer).

 

2.       Double click on the winzip icon and simply follow the dialog boxes for a successful installation.  Restart your computer after installation.

3.       Right click on the LegoTower.zip file and click on Extract to Folder ... This will decompress all the files, so that they may be used.

4.       Now you should see a folder on your desktop called LegoTower. 

5.       Double Click this folder to get inside. You will see a file called Setup.exe. Double click on it to install the driver for USB IR Tower.

Now your IR tower is ready to transmit data.

 

Installing BricxCC

You can go to the course web site to download BricxCC or you may just click here. 

Right click on the bricxcc.zip file and click on Extract to Folder ... This will decompress all the files, so that they may be used.

Now you should see a folder on your desktop called bricxcc. Move this folder to your  C: drive.  The .exe file in this folder is what you need to run the Command Center (the application that will allow you to communicate with the RCX, via the IR Tower, and download NQC programs).

Now you need to download and unzip the NQC software as described in the next step.

 

Installing NQC

You can go to the course web site to download NQC or you may just click here. 

Right click on the nqc-win-2-5-r3.zip file and click on Extract to Folder ... This will decompress all the files, so that they may be used.

Now you should see a folder on your desktop called nqc-2-5-r3.  Open this folder and copy (or move) the nqc.exe file to the C:\bricxcc folder.

If your RCX does not have the firmware downloaded yet (for example if the batteries are removed from the RCX for few minutes or longer and then replaced), then you will need to download the firmware to the RCX as described next.

Downloading the Firmware

        To understand programs and other information the RCX needs firmware, which is the equivalent to an operating system (think Windows on a computer). 

 

1        Download:  Download this file by right clicking  then selecting "save target as." After "Save as" dialog box pops up, Select  C:\bricxcc for the "Save in" field. Then click Save. Now your "C:\bricxcc" folder should have a file called firm0328.zip. Unzip this file to get the file firm0328.lgo.  Move this file to the bricxcc folder.

2        First Usage:  If this is the first time you have used your RCX you will need to install the firmware on your RCX. 

3        Tower:  Connect your Lego Tower to your computer using the serial cable.

4        RCX & Tower:  Place your RCX in front of the tower (Infrared ports facing each other), turn the RCX on.

5        Open the Command Center: Double click on bricxcc.exe to establish communication between the RCX and your PC.

6        Goto Tools, Download Firmware, then locate the firmware file on your computer ( C:\bricxcc\firm0328.lgo) and press ok.  This will take up to three minutes. The firmware will stay in Brick's RAM as long as the batteries are not dead.

 

You are now ready to program your RCX !