LEGO MindStorms RCX Startup Guide

There are 80+ projects to explore, but where to start?

You would like to program using…	Your computer type…	Suggested Project	Project Description
Visual Icons	Supports Java	VisualNQC	An iconic programming tool offering functionality similar to LEGO’s original Robotics Invention System software
An IDE with Debugging Support	Windows	RobotC	A full-featured Windows IDE offering the only support at this level for comprehensive, real-time debugging
A Multi-Platform IDE	Windows / Mac / *nix	BricxCC	A multi-platform IDE that supports writing NQC code
A Java Environment	Supports Java	HaikuVM	A leJOS successor for programming the RCX using Java
An Environment for Open Source Firmware	Windows / Mac /*nix	BrickOS-Bibo	Offers lower-level control of the RCX and supports multiple programming languages

For the more technically inclined, or for more further educational scenarios, we strongly encourage reviewing the numerous other options available across this organization’s repositories.

Important Prerequisites

IR Tower Support Status

Linux: Lego USB tower drivers have been included, so either the serial or USB IR tower may be used, regardless of CPU architecture or bitness
- A Raspberry PI can be used, which educational scenarios in particular might find advantageous
Windows: The short and simple—
- 32-bit: Either the serial IR tower or—after installing the drivers—the USB IR tower may be used
- 64-bit: Only works with the serial IR tower; if your computer does not have a serial port, you will need to use a USB-to-serial adapter

Source Code Version Control

For projects hosted within this BrickBot organization, GitHub is used for version control.

Conversely to the driver issue, there is not currenly a version of GitHub Desktop for 32-bit Windows. For those wanting an alternative to GitHub Desktop that also provides a 32-bit distribution, the open source GitAhead project is suggested.