FEZ Mini Robot Kit - How to start

NETMF & Gadgeteer
1

Hi All,

Recently I found in my closet, new FEZ Mini Robot Kit which was never used.
I would like to start play with it so please tell me where can I found the necessary libraries for C#.

I have installed:

and would like to run some samples from here:

http://old.ghielectronics.com/downloads/FEZ/Mini/

but the namespace: using GHIElectronics.NETMF.Hardware can’t be found, so I am not able to use FEZMini_Robot and others, what else do I have to install?

Best

2

In the project properties, have you updated your target framework to .NET Micro Framework 4.1? It defaults to 4.3 or 4.4 depending on what you have installed.

3

but I have a problem with this namespace: using GHIElectronics.NETMF.Hardware not with .NET Micro Framework, I have to probably add some kind of *.dll lib or NuGet package but which? and from where should I get these.

4

You’ll have to add a reference to the appropriate assembly. Make sure you selected the 4.1 SDK to install when you installed the 2016 R1 SDK.

5

John_Brochure thank you, I am software developer from over 10 years and I know that I need some kind of assembly to deal with this namespace and objects from it, but where I can find this assembly which contains this namespace? is it available for download somewhere?

6

It is in the GHIElectronics.NETMF.Hardware assembly that is in the NETMF 4.1 SDK that you can optionally select to install when you install our 2016 R1 SDK in the link in your original post. Once you do the assembly is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\GHI Electronics\GHI NETMF v4.1 SDK\Assemblies\GHIElectronics.NETMF.Hardware.dll assuming you didn’t change the install path. You can add it directly or just use the pre-populated assembly list when you go to Add Reference in Visual Studio.

7

Thank you, I am feeling I am moving forward, yes I have installed GHI NETMF v4.1, I also have these assemblies you mentioned, I have added assemblies:

GHIElectronics.NETMF.Hardware.dll
FEZMini_GHIElectronics.NETMF.FEZ.dll

but I still can’t run such simple program as:

using System;
using Microsoft.SPOT;
using GHIElectronics.NETMF.Hardware;

namespace MFConsoleApplication2
{
    public class Program
    {
    public static void Main()
    {
        FEZ_Components.LED OnBoardLED = new FEZ_Components.LED(FEZ_Pin.Digital.LED);
        OnBoardLED.StartBlinking(100, 500);

        for (int i = 1000; i < 10000; i += 100)
            FEZMini_Robot.Beep(i, 10);

        while (true)
        {
            FEZMini_Robot.MoveRamp(-100, 100, 10);
            FEZMini_Robot.Beep(6000, 1000);
            FEZMini_Robot.MoveRamp(100, -100, 10);
            FEZMini_Robot.Beep(6000, 1000);
        }
    }
}
}

the objects like FEZ_Components and FEZMini_Robot are not in any of these assemblies.

8

A number of classes can be found in old.ghielectronics.com/downloads/FEZ/Component/ and http://old.ghielectronics.com/downloads/FEZ/Mini/

They weren’t part of the SDK itself.

9

@tkowalczyk… I remember there was a bug on the Fezmini hardware design; were the default example code won’t run the robot as expected, because the way the motor pins were designed you couldn’t run a PWM directly on the motors or something like that. The default example code may blink the LED, and the buzzer, but not the motors. Currently I’m going through my old files to find the revised example code that does make the motors work, but if I can’t find them then I’ll have to look for the forum archive’s under my name from 2008/9 era for the code. Hopefully I can find it on my old sub flash sticks and I will share the code.

10

Did a quick search on the archive’s for the updated motor code and it looks like there not there… I hope there in my old usb flash drives.

11

Thank you all, I am going to play with this old robot and let you know about the effect.

12

@tkowalczyk… FYI this robot was known as the POP BOT series back in those days ( overseas ) most of the info regarding this series is gone; all the Arduino code and Basic Stamp SX code that came with it… from just about all vendors, I don’t think you’ll find anything… I hopefully have something like that on my old flash drives. I have found unrelated Kinect code for Microsoft Robotics Studio R3 / R4 versions but I’ll keep looking, for Fezmini info.

13

I got good news and bad news… good news… found Fezmini files, about 171mb size file with Visual Studio 2008 off line installation with the GHI software that goes with it. … Bad news is can’t guarantee it’s what your looking for and I don’t know how to send it to anybody; don’t know which website to use or stuff.
If your interested in it let me know, also let me know how to send it to you.

1 Like
14

@Console_WriteLine_A

Use gdrive / dropbox / skydrive or github

15

@Console_WriteLine_A big thanks or maybe use https://wetransfer.com/

16

hey @Console_WriteLine_A any chance to look at your code?

17

@tkowalczyk… I think I’m going to use Google’s gdrive thing to share the files, just let me figure it out since I don’t use Google software other than YouTube. Any guide lines or instructions by anyone will be appreciated.

18

@tkowalczyk… one more thing, the codes worked on Visual Studio 2008 C# express edition, you probably have to update them to VS 2015 or 2017 to use them.

19

Just login on gmail with google chrome on upper right side you have different app and click on gdrive

Compress your code as an zip file and with drag n drop put there

After share it with option can view (no with can edit)

20

@valon_hoti_gmail_com… Ok, thanks