Labview 2010 Student Edition with NXT Plugin

[dnaughton]

Is the Lego NXT 2.0 plugin compatable with the student version of Labivew 2010?

If so, is there an free student edition available like in version 7.1?

I am currently teaching a bunch of 5th graders Labview with the 7.1 student edition, and the plugin for that version does not support all the new Lego sensors.  Is this 2010 Student Edition with the plugin the best option?

Thanks for your help

[Peñata]

Hi dnaughton,

Unfortunatley the LabVIEW Toolkit for LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 is not compatible with LabVIEW 2010. Starting with LabVIEW 2009, we released a formal software module that can be installed as an add-on to LabVIEW. This new module is now known as the LEGO MINDSTORM NXT Module. The 2010 version of the module can be downloaded here (follow the Download the Module link toward the bottom). This module will allow you to deploy LabVIEW code to the NXT brick.

If you have any questions or issues, feel free to post back. Thanks!

Aaron P

National Instruments

Applications Engineer

http://www.ni.com/support

[dnaughton]

Thanks Aaron,

I downloaded the module, but it needs Labview 2010 installed to work (at least that's what the installer said when it failed).

So do I need to buy (and have all my 5th graders buy) Labiew 2010?

Thanks

[Peñata]

Hi dnaughton,

I was under the impression that you were using LabVIEW 2010 Student Edition. What options do you and your students have when it comes to LabVIEW?

Aaron P

National Instruments

Applications Engineer

http://www.ni.com/support

[dnaughton]

I'm not sure what you mean.  The labview version the children were using was 7.1.  I'm pretty sure it was a student version, becuase the evaluation versions would have timed out by now.  But I don't think there is a downloadable student version of anything later that 7.1?

I think my only option is this 7.1 version with this old NXT toolkit for 7.1 that doesn't support any of the newer sensor types?  I'm not sure what other options I have.  I can't tell the kids parents to buy a $1400 Labview Base program for an 11 year old that's going to use .001% of the functionality for his toy robot 🙂

Is there something similar to the 7.1 version updated to 2010 that the children should use?

[Peñata]

dnaughton,

Unfortunately, in order to get the newer NXT Module, you would need a newer version of LabVIEW, such as LabVIEW 2010. To get this newer version of LabVIEW. you would either need to purchase it or download it and run it in evaluation mode for 30 days.

I apologize for the incovenience. Please let me know if there is any other way I can help.

Aaron P

National Instruments

Applications Engineer

[dnaughton]

Thanks for the response Aaron,

I think we are going to stick with version 7.1 for this year.  Labview is a pretty expensive program for a 12 year old to buy to control his lego robot 🙂  The newer sensors (color sensors, compass, gyro, etc) are not allowed in the contest anyway, so we'll just leave those sensors in the box.

That downloadable 7.1 version seemed like a good idea - get children to grow up learning how to use it, and they will then want to use when they get jobs one day (and then they can pay for it).  Sort of like the Apple approach with using Macs in the schools.  There is a program called RobotC that looks pretty interesting for $30 sponsored by Carnegie Mellon.  But it's not allowed in the contest either.

Anyway - thanks for your help.

Dan

[Peñata]

Hi dnaughton,

Out of curiosity, what contest are your student competing in?

Aaron P

National Instruments

Applications Engineer

http://www.ni.com/support

[dnaughton]

It's the First Lego League for 9-12 year olds:

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/default.aspx?id=968

Dan

[Peñata]

Hi Dan,

Very cool, I'm actually mentoring an FLL team in the Austin area. Good luck!

Aaron P

National Instruments

Applications Engineer

http://www.ni.com/support