The PBrick library provides a API for bidirectional IR communication between the palm computing platform and the lego mindstorms RCX controller. Possible applications for this library range from simple emulation of the lego remote control to lego robots extended with an on-board palm device using the RCX as an intelligent IO controller and the palm As the central processor of the robot.
Important: The pbrick library is not compatible with PalmOS 5 based devices. This is due to the fact, that the pbrick library does some very nasty things to the irda hardware of the palm and hence directly accesses the irda hardware. PalmOS 5 based device use a completely different hardware and thus require a complete rewrite of pbricks.
The PBrick Library provides:
- IR communication: No additional hardware required, no mindstorms IR tower needed, just place your palm in front of your RCX and you are done. You can even make the palm being part of you mindstorms creation. If you think your palm does not fit into the lego world take a look at the lego palm.
- Bidirectional communication between palm and RCX: Commands can be sent to the RCX and e.g. sensor values can be read back into the palm.
- Extensibility: The PBrickLib is open source. Feel free to add all the cool features you need and extend it however you want.
- Free of charge: The PBrickLib is free, just download and use it.
More information is available here.