nxtrc - Man Page

nxtrc [-s]

nxtrc [-a ADDR] [-v] command

NXTRC (NXT Remote Command) is a small program that allows to send various commands to a LEGO Mindstorm NXT Brick. It uses the Bluetooth protocol through the Bluez libraries.

The option -s starts a scan to find BlueTooth devices. If a BT address is given in the command line or is in the Environment Variable BTADDR it connects to the NXT and performs the task specified in <command>. The first time you connect with a device you need to exchange a password, this task is usually done by the Operative System BlueTooth Management (as Kbluetooth under KDE).

-a

BlueTooth Address of the NXT, required if BTADDR Environment Variable is not set to the address

-b

Get Battery Level

-d  FILE    

Delete FILE frome NXT

-h

display a short help text

-i

Get info on NXT brick

-k          

Stop a program running on NXT

-l[PATT]

List files on NXT brick matching PATTern if present (e.g. -l*.rxe) N.B. No spaces between -l and PATT! see at the end the patterns allowed

-m  FILE    

Play sound file FILE once

-M  FILE    

Play sound file FILE indefinitely

-n  NAME    

Set NXT name to NAME

-p  FILE    

Run Program FILE on NXT

-r  FILE    

Read FILE frome NXT and save it in the working directory if FILE is already present ask for permission to overwrite

-v

Be verbose. This is the only option that can be given with another command. It's not always very useful....

-w  FILE    

Write FILE on NXT, If FILE is already present ask for permission to overwrite

-W  FILE    

Same as -w forcing overwrite if FILE exists

-z          

Stop Sound Playback

On the NXT File names are of the form "Name.Ext" with max 15 characters for the Name and 3 for the Extension. When asking a listing with the -l command you can give a specific file name to see if it's on the NXT and list its size, or a Pattern using widlcards. Due to the limitation of the NXT API patterns are limited to the form "*.ext", "Name.*" or "*.*" this last one is the default and can be omitted.  

scan for devices
   $ nxtrc -s
    00:10:20:30:40:50  NXT1
    00:01:01:02:03:04  NXT2

set up Environment Variable for connection with NXT1 and ask for info
   $ export BTADDR=00:10:20:30:40:50
   $ nxtrc -i

load program Prog.rxe on  NXT1 and run it
   $ nxtrc -W Prog.rxe
   $ nxtrc -p Prog.rxe

nxtrc returns a zero exit status if it succeeds. Non zero is returned in case of failure.

Gian Piero Puccioni (gianpiero.puccioni (at) isc.cnr.it)