Robotc For Mac

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The ROBOTC Intermediate Programming for VEX IQ software includes videos, animations, and step-by-step lessons designed to learn text-based programming using the VEX IQ hardware and ROBOTC 4.x for VEX Robotics

Mac

Knowledge of RobotC is required to go beyond the sample programs. Virtual Playfield mat with virtual QEV3Bot model. Mac users can access the software through an emulator such as Parallels, as I did, and this worked well enough.

Designed for Students and Instructors – Designed to encourage independent learning and problem-solving in pursuit of a goal. All lessons are self-contained, require a minimum of instructor supervision, and include many built-in opportunities to self-assess progress.

Overview

The ROBOTC Intermediate Programming for VEX IQ Curriculum is a curriculum module designed to teach core computer programming logic and reasoning skills using a robotics context. The curriculum consists of two basic chapters (Motion and Sensing) and three Challenge Chapters (Pipeline Explorer, Barcode Scanner, and Automated Car Park) Each chapter is broken into units that teach key robotics and programming concepts. Additionally, there is a huge amount of support for teachers competing in Robotics Competitions for the first time included in the teacher’s guide.

Each project comprises a self-contained instructional unit in the sequence, and provides students with:

• An introduction to a real-world robot and the context in which it operates

• A VEX IQ – scale version of the problem to solve with a VEX IQ robot

• Step-by-step guided video instruction that introduces key lesson concepts (e.g. Loops) by building simple programs that progress toward the end of unit programming challenge

• Built-in questions that give students instant feedback on whether they understood each step correctly, to aid in reflection and self-pacing

• Semi-guided “Try It!” exploration activities that expose additional uses for and variants on each robot behavior

• Semi-open-ended Mini-Challenges which ask students to use the skill they have just learned to solve a relevant small portion of the final unit challenge

• The Unit Challenge based on the original robot’s problem, for students to solve in teams as an exercise and demonstration of their mastery of the concept

Topics

• How to control basic robot movements

1. Robot configurations

1. Basic robot motion

2. Sequences of commands

• Sensors and how they work

1. Touch sensor, sonar sensor, gyro sensor, and color sensor

• Intermediate concepts of programming

1. Program Flow Model

2. Wait Until Commands

3. Conditionals

• Loops

• If/Else

• Repeated Decisions

4. Variables

5. Functions

6. Arrays

• Teach troubleshooting strategies and engineering practices

1. Problem-solving strategies

2. Teamwork

When should I use the curriculum?

ROBOTC Intermediate Programming for VEX IQ is well-suited for use at the beginning of a robotics class, as it will allow students to engage immediately and begin building core programming and problem-solving skills before undertaking more ambitious open-ended projects later in the course. This curriculum module should take approximately 6 weeks.

Learning Objectives

• Basic concepts of programming

• Commands

• Sequences of commands

• Intermediate concepts of programming

• Program Flow Model

• Simple (Wait For) Sensor behaviors

• Decision-Making Structures

• Loops

• Switches

• Variables

• Functions

• Arrays

Robotc For Mac

• Engineering practices

• Building solutions to real-world problems

• Problem-solving strategies

• Teamwork

How do I use the curriculum in my class?

ROBOTC Intermediate Programming is designed for student self-pacing in small groups, preferably pairs. Each pair of students should work together at one computer, with one VEX IQ robot.

Curriculum tasks are designed to involve some – but not extensive – mechanical consideration, so that hands-on design tasks may remain authentic without becoming logistically difficult.

Solutions will not require parts in excess of those included in the VEX IQ Core set, so it is sufficient to leave each team with one kit (although access to additional parts may allow students to construct more creative solutions to problems).

A typical plan for an Introduction to Programming chapter is:

1. View the introductory video as a class, or in individual groups, then review the challenge task for the unit

• In a group, identify and note key capabilities the robot must develop, and problems that must be solved in individual engineering journals or class logs (e.g. on sticky paper posted on the walls)

2. Groups proceed through the video trainer materials at their own pace, following the video instruction directly, and constructing solutions to the Try It! and Mini-Challenge steps as they go

3. Each group constructs its own solution to the Unit Challenge

• Groups may be asked to document their solutions in journals or logs, and especially to explain how they overcame the key problems identified at the start of the unit

4. Assign the Reflective Question for the chapter

• Students answer the Reflection Question for the chapter individually, as an in-class or homework assignment

• Reflection Questions for each chapter can be found in the Reproducibles section of this Teacher’s Guide

The ROBOTC Development Team is excited to share our latest official update with you, ROBOTC for VEX Robotics 4.54, which includes new features, functionality, and bug fixes. A full list of changes and improvements appear below (including an awesome sale for 3.x users), but here are the highlights:

Create Graphs from your Datalogs

Want to know what running your robot into a wall looks like to your accelerometer? Curious about how ambient light intensity varies throughout the day? Datalogging now supports (live) plotting of incoming data gathered on the robot brain. Science experiments involving sensor and motor data can be displayed. You can easily find out by gathering the data and having ROBOTC plot the data for you, as it comes in.

Datalogging is no longer restricted to just Full ROBOTC, we’ve added easy to use blocks that allow you to access the same functionality in a simple manner.

Additionally, logged data can even be exported for further analysis in a spreadsheet application of your choice.

ROBOTC Graphical Variable Support

You can now use variables in ROBOTC Graphical, as well as perform various operations on them. You can add, subtract, divide, multiple, whatever your program requires. You can use variables in loops, motor blocks, you name it!

ROBOTC Graphical Break and Continue

We’ve added two new program flow blocks, break and continue. This was a much requested feature from our more advanced users of ROBOTC Graphical. You can now create more complex programs without creating work-arounds or having to switch to ROBOTC Full.

Beta Channel Access

Want to have a front row seat when it comes to upcoming features in ROBOTC? Subscribe to the beta channel through ROBOTC’s preference menu and you will be notified when a preview build (such as this one), is released. Try out new and exciting features before we release them to the general public and provide us with feedback. Help make ROBOTC better!

Support for VEXos Utility for VEX IQ

VEXos is a robotics operating system that harnesses the flexibility and power of VEX hardware for the rigors of competition and the diverse needs of education. This operating system, written completely by VEX Robotics, uses real-time processing for repeatable operation at the fastest possible speeds. The “VEXos Utility” program simplifies updating VEX IQ hardware, and is compatible with Windows 7-10, and Mac OS X 10.8 and greater. Find out more about VEXos here!

Other changes and bug fixes

New features – VEX
  • Compatible with the VEXos Utility for VEX IQ
  • You can control an LED on the VEX EDR from Graphical and Natural Language using the new setLED block or command.

Changes and Improvements – General

  • The default colors in the Assembly window (F9) have new defaults for increased readability.
  • Function tooltips have been revised and corrected where applicable.
  • License error messages have been improved. A short explanation of the error codes is now provided.
  • #info has been added to the list of support #pragma statements, such as #error and #warn
  • The start and stop buttons on the datalogging control have been merged into a single button.
  • Deleting a file from the File Utility was not possible, this has been fixed.
  • We’ve made some visual changes to ROBOTC Graphical including new colours for enhanced readability.
  • Internal improvements to the datalogging system have been made that resolve possible data corruption and inability to disable polling for a specific data series.
  • Saving a New User Model in the Motors and Sensor Setup has been fixed.
  • Various float conversion related issues have been fixed.
  • NaN (Not a Number) detection has been fixed.
  • Sscanf with more than 7 arguments could crash the VM, this has been fixed.
  • Overloaded deprecated function no longer cause warnings.
  • A discrepancy between the compiler and VM regarding the maximum number of tasks has been fixed.
  • An issue with ROBOTC crashing due to a recursive macro has been addressed.
  • The RVW package manager now shows the correct informational icon.
  • Opening the RVW package manager no longer causes an exception under certain circumstances.
  • An issue with the debugStream window background refresh causing a hang when communications with the robot was lost, has been remedied.
  • The Program Debug window no longer crops the status line.
  • You can now use displayInverseString() in combination with a char *.
  • drawInvertRect and drawInvertEllipse were not deprecated correctly, this has been fixed.

Changes and Improvements – VEX

  • The VexIQ LCD screen has been added to the #debuggerWindows #pragma.
  • A bug in the macro parser prevented the use of the VEX EDR platform when a PLTW license was active. This has been fixed.
  • An issue with debugging and using sscanf on the VEX IQ has been addressed.
  • VEX IQ getGyroRate and getGyroRateFloat return incorrect values, this has been fixed.
  • Starting a new task on the VEX EDR no longer clears the screen.
  • Using drawTextCenteredInUserScreenArea function will no longer throw an exception on the VEX IQ.
  • An issue with the start of flash file system not showing correctly in communication debug message has been fixed.
  • The VEX EDR competition template now sets the platform correctly.

Download ROBOTC for VEX Robotics 4.54 here!

And let us know what you think of the new updates.

And are you still using ROBOTC 3.x?
 If so, you can upgrade today for 50% off!

Robotc Macro

Email customerservice@robomatter.com to upgrade your license today! (Note: You must provide your existing ROBOTC LicenseID to confirm eligibility.)

Robotc Vex For Mac

Happy Programming!