Mindstorms Technical Support FAQ from LEGO

Tech Support FAQs


  Will MINDSTORMS NXT run under other operating systems besides Windows XP Professional or Home Edition?
  Technical support will not be provided for previous versions of Windows.

  Why does my NXT just sit and make a soft clicking or beeping sound?
  How can I personalize my NXT?
  Sometimes it can be very hard to pull the small connector pins out of the beams. How do I get them out easily?
  What are the capabilities and limitation of the Ultrasonic (US) Sensor?
  How does more than one Ultrasonic (US) Sensor work in a room? How would the NXT know if the “echo” it hears is its own, or some other US sensor?
  Won’t more than one Ultrasonic (US) Sensor working in a room lead to chaos? How would the NXT know if the “echo” it hears is its own, or some other US sensor?
  How does the NXT use Bluetooth (BT)?
  Does the standard programming environment run on both PCs and Macs?
  The NXT motors look so big. How are they to build with?
  How hard is it to build “studless”?
  Can user programs control the LCD screen or the buttons?
  Does the NXT still run a VM (virtual machine) with similar limitations as the RCX standard firmware has? Will I be able to program in C straight “out of the box”?
  Are there any other programming languages available for the NXT? Besides the supplied programming software in the set?
  Will Bluetooth work in a classroom, where I have multiple NXT bricks & Computers?
  Will other people be able to reprogram, or control MY NXT via Bluetooth, at a competition?
  Can I swap batteries on the NXT without losing the firmware and the programs?
  How many programs can the NXT hold at once?
  I’ve heard that the educational software that came with the RCX had the ability to “Datalog”: record a series of numbers to a file that can later be uploaded to the computer. Can I do this on the NXT?

  On some occasions, my firmware will not download into my LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT. Do you have a software update or patch for this?
  How is the Compass Sensor used with the MINDSTORMS NXT set?
  How do you program the Compass Sensor?