Program your VEX IQ in Python for FREE with Robot Mesh

[RobotMesh]

We've just released the Beta 2 of our Python programming language http://www.robotmesh.com/project and it's free!

Use now: http://www.robotmesh.com/project
API documentation: http://www.robotmesh.com/docs/vexiq-...tml/index.html

Many more examples, videos and curriculum will be coming soon!

Thanks,
Anthony

anthony@robotmesh.com
http://www.robotmesh.com

[lyncas]

Thanks for posting this !
I'm glad to see PyMite is making its rounds into an open-source tool to write Python on Robots running ARM processors.
I've found that teaching new students Python is much easier and more intuitive than C.

Can you walkthough the connection process? I'm a bit confused on how to connect and load a program on the IQ brain

[RobotMesh]

Here's a simple set of instructions for VEX IQ. We'll be publishing some more videos soon:

1. First, ready your VEX IQ Brain by downloading and installing the most recent VEX IQ firmware from www.vexiq.com/firmware. Robot Mesh Python requires version 1.10 or later.
2. In order for your web-browser to connect to the Brain, you will need to download and install the Robot Mesh Connect plug-in from http://www.robotmesh.com/project/install. We currently support the latest Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer on Windows (Mac support will be coming soon). Refresh http://www.robotmesh.com/project/install after installing the plug-in to verify it's installed correctly.
3. Open the simple One Touch LED project (currently top of the Featured Projects list at http://www.robotmesh.com/project) or directly at http://www.robotmesh.com/project/113.
4. Make sure that your VEX IQ Brain is connected via the USB cable.
5. Look at the top where there is the Port: drop down. Choose the COM port to which the VEX IQ Brain is connected (e.g. COM10 VEX USB). If the port is not listed, click the Refresh button to refresh the devices listed in the drop down.
6. Connect a touch LED to port 1 of the VEX IQ Brain.
7. Now that the port is selected, click Build and the python program will be saved, compiled and downloaded to the VEX IQ,
8. The program will then run immediately, so touch the Touch LED and see that it turns on, also note the "LED on" is printed in the status panel at the bottom of the browser window.

Now, to create your own python program:

1. Return to http://www.robotmesh.com/project and click Create a New Project
2. Enter a new project name and select VEX IQ Python-Project and click Create.
3. Connect the VEX IQ brain to the USB port.
4. Choose the correct port from the Port: drop down.
5. Connect the devices (sensors/motors) to the VEX IQ brain.
6. Click Connect at the top of the right-side panel. This will connect to the brain.
7. Click Detect Sensors and this will fill-in the sensors/motors in the right-side panel. The sensor values will be shown in real-time. And the motors can be tested by clicking on the value. Clicking the drop down arrows to the right of the sensors/motors allows further selections to be made (e.g. calibration of the distance sensor, or reversal of the motor direction).
8. You can now name the sensors/motors in the text fields in the right-side panel.
9. All chances in the right-side panel are written into your Python program within the #region comments
10. Use of the right-panel makes it very easy to setup your program with the objects for the sensors/motors.
11. Now continue to write your python program in the main pane.
12. Click Save to save the program to the Robot Mesh cloud storage.
13. Click Build to compile, download and run on your VEX IQ.

Python API documentation is here: http://www.robotmesh.com/docs/vexiq-...tml/index.html

Note that downloading a Python program to your VEX IQ brain will clear any program stored in slots 1 - 4.

You're welcome to ask specific programming questions here. Or in the Robot Mesh Python forum at http://www.robotmesh.com/forum/python-for-vex

Yes, we used the fantastic PyMite embedded runtime as the basis for this project. We've made several major enhancements to the runtime, including using flash for static objects which allows large python programs to be written for the VEX IQ brain. Our terms of service can be found here: http://www.robotmesh.com/projects-terms

Thanks,
Anthony

[TomP]

I'd love to be notified when MacOSX support arrives. Is there a mailing list I could subscribe to?

Tom

[RobotMesh]

Hi Tom. We don't have a mailing let yet. Our forum over at http://www.robotmesh.com/forum/python-for-vex will include details of when MacOSX support becomes available.

[RobotMesh]

We've just released the Beta 3 which includes faster downloads (by only downloading differences in the compiled program) and we've added the Python math module (which includes trig functions).

Use online now at http://www.robotmesh.com/project

Thanks,

Anthony
anthony@robotmesh.com
www.robotmesh.com

[RobotMesh]

Just released our support for Mac OS X. We now support Mac OS 10.9 and 10.10 in the Chrome Browser. Go to http://www.robotmesh.com/project/install to install the plugin and extension for Mac!

[Foster]

Will there be a stand alone version of this? There are lots of places that I end up that don't have an open wi-fi connection.

Thanks!

[RobotMesh]

Yes, we're about a week away from release (PC Windows only to start with). I'll announce here when it's available.

Thanks,
Anthony

[Foster]

Any update on the standalone version?

Thanks!

[RobotMesh]

Yes. We'll be announcing pricing for the standalone version at Worlds next week. The standalone version will be released at the beginning of May (Windows only to begin with).

[enauman]

The Python and Blockly VEX environments look great! Do you have a release date for the standalone version for Mac?
Also, in the Blockly version, I wonder why there is no if/then/else logic block?

[enauman]

Regarding my second question, I found the if/then/else block, hidden in the star!

[enauman]

One more question, if anyone knows, why is there no Python (and thus Blockly) class for programming sound on the VEX?