LEGO.com MINDSTORMS Overview

All the tools to take your LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT to the Extreme!

The tools on this page are intended for the advanced MINDSTORMS user and are not supported by our technical support service.

NXT Firmware Open Source
You can now start developing your own LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT firmware version. By acception the "LEGO Open Source License Agreement" below, you will be able to look over the shoulders of our firmware developers. This will enable you to change the functionality from the very lowest hardware abstraction level to the user interaction level within the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT. The Open Source files include all the source files needed for the ARM7 ATMEL microcontroller and the 8-bit AVR ATMEL microcontroller.

Source files

	Software Developer Kit (SDK) Includes the NXT driver interface specification and necessary tools for creating third-party programming environments: Download Driver SDK (fantomSDK1.0.2f0.zip 2.21MB) Includes documentation for interfacing with the MINDSTORMS NXT driver on the PC or Mac. Download Executable File and Bytecode Reference (LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Executable File Specification.zip 1.16MB) Includes documentation for the executable file format on the NXT. This document also describes how the NXT firmware's virtual machine (VM) executes the files.

	Hardware Developer Kit (HDK) Includes documentation and schematics for the NXT and related sensors. The documentation enables you to design and develop your own sensors and actuators that can interact with and control the NXT through the various digital and analog interfaces. Downlolad HDK (3.30 MB)

	Bluetooth Developer Kit (BDK) Documents the communications protocols to the intelligent NXT brick, enabling you to create applications for various Bluetooth devices to communicate with MINDSTORMS NXT robots. Download BDK (3.78MB)

Looking for Building And Programming Inspiration?

Programming environments using LEGO MINDSTORMS firmware

LabVIEW Graphical Programming http://www.ni.com/mindstorms
NBC (Next Byte Codes) http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/
Microsoft Robotics studio http://msdn.microsoft.com/robotics/
Gostai URBI for LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT http://www.gostai.com/lego.html
More to come!

Hardware Resources

HiTechnic Products http://www.hitechnic.com
Codatex RFID sensor http://www.codatex.com
More to come!

Competitions

FIRST LEGO League http://www.firstlegoleague.org
The FIRST LEGO League (FLL) - Developed in collaboration with the LEGO Company, FLL is a Robotics Tournament for children ages 9-14 that combines hands-on, minds-on challenges with a sports-like atmosphere using the LEGO MINDSTORMS Technology.