Summary

Disclaimer

This work is not sanctioned by LEGO. I am an enthusiast who could not wait for official procedures to be made known. There may be other features hiding in the Micro Scout that LEGO has not yet even hinted at. In particular, only 29 of the 127 possible VLL opcodes are documented. The undocumented codes, alone or in a prescribed sequence, may remove any or all observed limitations. I am just assuming they do nothing until LEGO informs us otherwise.

Background

The Droid Developers Kit is the first and only MindStorms set that many of us have either because is was cheap or because it offers R2D2. After playing with the toy programs built into the brick, the mysterious P mode cries out yearning to be discovered. The manual tells us to check the web site for more information but the web side declines to comment stating: check back in Fall 2000.

Fortunatly the Scout SDK has an appendix that shows the codes understood by the Micro Scout and ties these in to bar codes understood by the Code Pilot. Analysing the bar codes was the first step.

A second set, the Dark Side Developer Kit, is a follow on that made an AT-AT using the Micro Scout.

Understanding VLL

VLL is a binary bar code comprised of: Start bit, Checksum, Data, Stop bit. A simple example shows encoding VLL message 0 (Motor Forward for both the Code Pilot and the Micro Scout):

#_##_##_##__#__#__#__#__#__#__#_###

A VLL code is 35 time intervals in length. The start bit is 1 unit wide, the stop bit is 3 units plus the space before it. The checksum and data are binary digits with 0 being two spaces and a bar while 1 is a space and a double width bar. The checksum is 3 digits and the data is 7 digits. The data is the VLL code from 0 to 127. To determine the checksum for VLL code n in C or Perl: 7-((n+(n>>2)+(n>>4))&7)
In BASIC: 7-(n+int(n/4)+int(n/16)) mod 8
This formula was derived from analysis of about 30 bar codes for the Code Pilot.

Talking VLL to the Micro Scout

If you have a Scout, the easist way is to get the SDK and have the Scout talk to its little brother. Skip on to the next section to take the easy way out.

The first step is to determine light and dark. This easiest done by running the built in Seek Light program (3.) I could not get white paper to register as light so I photocopied the bar codes onto overhead transparencies. Ok, I could get a code to register if I held the piece of paper 4 inches away from a 60 watt light bulb and then, it would only register once of every dozen scan attempts. I had the best results when placing the MicroScout on a table directly under a bright light bulb (point source) and passing the transparency directly over the sensor.

Note that the Micro Scout uses the light level when it is first powered on to indicate darkness. Ensure the sensor is getting a view of what you are trying to call black when powering on the Micro Scout to ensure proper calibration of the bar codes you wish to scan.

The Code Pilot has a standard bar width of 1/32 of an inch. My Micro Scout could not decode these. I expanded them up to 1/8 inch. This allows 3 large codes per transparency. Future eperimentation may prove a smaller bar code will suffice. I chose to print the codes 2.5 inches high to ensure the sesnor is registering the bars and not the white above or below the code. For now, grab a copy of my Postscript program which prints all 29 documented codes the Micro Scout on 10 pages and try it out for yourself.

Print Your Own Micro Scout VLL Transparancies

Chose either the original Postscript program or a distilled PDF file.

If you have no transparancies handy or no printer for that matter, try cutting a piece of paper into strips and sealing them inside of plastic wrap or wax paper.

The next step for me will be to bring an old computer out of retirement and let it control an LED directly (emulating the scout) so I do not have to keep all the transparencies around. One thing I assume will be required is a period of light before the start bit. This will remain theory until I have time to experiment further or someone else beats me to it.

UPDATE: It is true as can be read in the comments of the RCX 2.0 tools from LEGO. In RCX2VLL.h we find "VLL output must be ON for at least 400mS (wait 40) before vll_start" and we further discover the base time unit to be 20ms (wait 2) for a thin bar and 40ms (wait 4) for a thick bar. My transparencies, including the rate at which I moved them, were apparantly within tolerance of this.

Writing a Program

First turn the Micro Scout on and place it in P mode. Remember that it calibrates its light sensor for darkness when first turned on.

Flash one of the 17 scripting codes at it. You just started a new program. Any previous program was erased. Flash some more scripting codes to create a longer program.

Execute the Program

The Run button executes the current program. The script is completed. If you want to add to a script once it has executed, you have to reenter it from the beginning. This is not too bad since the longest program you may enter is only 15 instructions. The VLL code Run performs the same function as the Run button.

General Obervations

Analysis of Built in Programs

Leave the Micro Scout in P mode and have access to the build in programs.
  1. One Direction Motor actions always play a beep sequence before moving. This program is functionally identical to the built in one.

  2. Two Directions Motor actions always play a beep sequence before moving. This program is functionally identical to the built in one.

  3. Seek Light

  4. Light Control

  5. Keep Alive

  6. Alarm This sequence beeps between movements. The built in Alarm program does not. It would be real nice if we could find a way to turn the motor in a program without having to wait for or listen to the beep every time.

  7. Code

Tips

Daniel Reynolds writes:
In case you're interested, I found that if you use a laser pointer for the light source then you can use regular white paper for the barcodes (the paper just has to be directly in front of the light sensor), and I can get it to register the barcode about fifty (or higher) percent of the time.

FAQ

Q1: Can I scan the barcode on my computer screen?
A1: No. A typical computer display scans the entire screen 60 to 85 times per second with a very bright light, much faster than you would move the Micro Scout across the screen. The refresh rate of the screen is very close to the bit rate of the Micro Scout (50 bars per second at the nominal 20ms per bar rate.)

A good introduction to the principles of TV (and why you cannot scan it) may be found at How Stuff Works.

Newer flat panel monitors suffer the same refresh issues of the older vacuum tube sets. The TFT LCD display refreshes the screen at a very fast rate to prevent blur with fast moving objects. If you have an old 486 laptop (the kind where moving the mouse causes a tail that takes 4 seconds to fade away) you may be in luck. These never were popular for home displays as they were expensive and terrible for FPS gaming. Newer displays (Pentium and up) have fast decay and fast refresh leaving a screen that looks solid but in reality, it is blinking so fast your brain cannot dectect it.

WARNING: Scanning your screen with the Micro Scout may scratch it! If you ignore what I just said and try to scan your screen anyway, please protect it with a piece of clear plastic first. Remember, some plastic wraps are so thin scanning could rip them. Take care..

Q2: Can the RCX speak VLL?
A2: The 2.0 firmware upgrade allows this. Get it from www.lego.com.

Q3: What do the build-in programs do?
A3: If you lost the manual or recieved a second-hand Micro Scout without a manual, you may get a copy from the authorized site for redistribution of older LEGO manuals: Brickshelf.com. The built-in programs are described on pages 7 to 9.

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