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[A quick side note: I'm pretty sure Gene Brown was reviewing the Robo Pro Tutorial -- rather than the software -- with his previously posted review. I am reviewing the actual Robo Pro Software]
If you want to program fischertechnik computing equipment, you've basically got three choices (that I know of).
Microsoft has a fairly new Robotics Studio environment that supports some (but not all) fischertechnik hardware, and comes ready to support one or two of the fischertechnik sets, as far as the physical models it's built to handle. The price is right (free for non-commercial use), but the learning curve is steep and using the package can be a little painful. For instance, much of modern Microsoft programming consists of connecting together various XML text files to "point" to one another (and your actual code) in order to keep everything generic. That means a lot of set-up and nonsensical support work in order to get down to work. The advantage of this approach is that the learner is invested in a programming environment that works across a myriad of robotic platforms, so the software skills learned will translate to other hardware. Microsoft's support of fischertechnik also speaks very highly of the quality and community respect that fischertechnik has garnered among robotic afficionados.
Fischertechnik supplies a free C compiler for creating code as well. If you are a knowledgeable programmer, especially someone who is used to textual languages, this might be your route. It also has the advantage of low cost, but also has a steeper learning curve. Your language support will likely be limited, and for support you'll likely be on your own.
The Robo Pro Software is going to be your third route, and would be the one I would most recommend for most users. The price is excellent for what you get. The functionality rivals that of much more expensive, professional visual development environments, and so the knowledge gained with this package will continue to transfer to "real-world" programming environments. Because it IS visual, it's a great beginner's language, as well as being a fairly intuitive approach to programming that should appeal to non-programmers as well (many professional industrial-control applications are done with visual languages, rather than programmer-centric text-based code). Multi-tasking, a feature that's often difficult to grasp and implement in most systems, is completely straightforward here and simply works: no muss, no fuss.
In addition to being an easy to grasp and use programming environment, it also provides industrial-control simulation features, where you can create your own simulated "front panels" for your software, with switches and readouts that act as a physical device might, to interface to your program. While this feature requires that you keep the Robo Interface connected to a PC the entire time it runs (the simulated "front panel" appears graphically on the PC screen), it saves you a tremendous amount of time (and work) because you don't have to design and build a physical interface (such as input buttons) just to test your computing apparatus, and it provides output devices (such as simulated gauges) that aren't available physically in the fischertechnik assortment. This allows you to concentrate on your computing and mechanical systems, keeping them separate from your input panel.
The environment provides a full debugging environment when needed, and then you can "install" the program to the interface device for "untethered" use when you're ready. There's also a REALLY handy "test" dialog that shows all inputs and outputs and their values "live" so you can make sure that all wiring and connections are working as expected. Prototyping with this system is quick and easy, and rapid application development is more than a catch-phrase here; it defines the process.
There are sample programs supplied for (what looks like to me) every computing set of the past 10 years, many of the LLWin examples were rewritten and appear here. For one of the Pneumatic Robots programs I found an area where an input switch wasn't being handled at all in the code. By reading the description of operations in the manual, I could see that it was pretty much a "dead man's swtich", which would allow the program to be paused while physical adjustments could be made to the model to "re-sync" it physically with where the program "expected" things. I was able to upgrade the program to work as designed in less than 5 minutes, with very simple, straightforward changes. And I was confident with those changes on the first try; not something you can often say when programming.
Needless to say, I am most impressed, and recommend this purchase highly. Normally, you might expect a reaction of "it's all there is, you take it or leave it," but fischertechnik is so flexible and powerful that there are multiple choices available. For ease-of-use, powerful debugging facilities, and a rock-solid product that will teach you real-world skills that will carry over to the "real thing", Robo Pro Software is my top recommendation.
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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