Re: Direct control of NXT mindstorms

["Alex R. Mosteo" <alejandro@mosteo.com>]

Alex R. Mosteo wrote:

> Jeffrey Creem wrote:
> 
>> Alex R. Mosteo wrote:
>>> Hi people,
>>> 
>>> I'm studying the options for Ada direct control of a NXT brick from an
>>> external computer using the USB connection (as opposed to flashing a new
>>> firmware, which is the way that GNAT for Mindstorms does). After looking
>>> for what's available out there I've come to the following options:
>>> 
>>> a) Pure Ada library, would require binding to libusb.
>>> b) Binding to some of the other libraries out there. I couldn't find a
>>> C/C++ one that has USB implemented, so next good candidate seems Python
>>> or OCaml. c) Completing the libnxtc (the one in C) with the missing USB
>>> bits.
>>> 
>>> Probably the less work is b) or c), and then bind to it from Ada if
>>> wanted. Anyway, just for the sake of completeness, I'd like to ask the
>>> group for any related experiences or missing bits. More precisely:
>>> 
>>> p) I'm missing some approach in the above?
>>> q) Are there any Ada bindings to libusb already? Not according to my
>>> googling, and only some early efforts in old threads that didn't get
>>> reported here afterwards.
>>> r) Experiences in binding to Python/OCaml? I guess a C glue layer is the
>>> way?
>>> 
>>> Kind regards,
>>> 
>>> Alex.
>> 
>> I never finished it but another approach with a start that is present is
>> at http://nxtada.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/nxtada/trunk/
>> 
>> This controlled it from a computer over bluetooth essentially using a
>> serial API and a bluetooth virtual serial port.
>> 
>> Suggested as another initial source of ideas and approach.
> 
> Thanks, that's interesting. Actually I explicitly don't want to use
> bluetooth, but I've seen devices attached to linux boxes where they appear
> as a serial line. I must check if this is the case with the NXT, since
> this would make unnecessary (I guess) the use of libusb. In this case I
> could jump right into continuing with your code...

I just tried and there are two new devices when I connect the NXT:

/dev/bus/usb/005/003
/dev/char/189:514

I have no idea if I can directly open one of these to start writing commands 
to it... don't think so?