Ticket #43 (closed feature request: wontfix)

Replying to mmccolga:

I have some ideas on how to use the Vernier sensors with the NXT and Matlab. I'm able to do this with Robolab, as they have developed functions for third party sensors and Vernier is included in their library. Do you have any plans to support the Vernier sensors?

No, we neither have any plans on that, nor do we own any of the Vernier sensors for testing. So this has absolutely no priority for us, sorry.

Do you have any advice on how I may be able to use them now? I assume I can start creating files similar to your sensor m files and call NXT_GetInputValues.m. I would appreciate any advice about this.

Yes, you'd have to write your own "high level" comfort functions, like GetLight, GetSound and so on. You can use NXT_GetInputValues only if the connected sensor is analog. I don't know wether this is true for Vernier sensors. I would've guessed they're digital (like most HiTechnic products, for example), but this post seems to indicate they're in fact analog:  http://www.robotc.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1712&p=7373

So, a wrapper around NXT_GetInputValues is the way to go for analog sensors, and for digital ones (using the I2C protocol) we've got a very comfortable helper function: COM_ReadI2C. Equipped with this tool, you only need to know the registers of the sensor. Vernier should be able to supply you with them. For simple examples see GetAccelerator or GetUltrasonic, or a more complex example is GetRFID. It's all not that difficult.

We'd be happy to include your functions for more external sensors if you manage to get them working. Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask further questions.

(I'm moving this ticket to the correct place in our Trac system).

Linus

Since nothing new has been going on here, I'm closing the ticket…