Rei Vilo's fischertechnik Corner
  • About
  • Blog
  • Reviews
    • How to Start?
    • Controllers >
      • Robotics TXT
      • TXT 4.0 Controller
      • Bluetooth Smart Beginner Set
      • Interface Boards for fischertechnik Models
      • Didacta Advance Pi-F5 interface board
    • Sets >
      • Technical Revolutions Set
      • Pneumatic Power Set
      • Automation Robots Set
      • Electro-Pneumatic Set
      • Starter Set for micro:bit
      • Bluetooth Smart Beginner Set
      • Robotics TXT Smart Home Set
    • Exploring the Lego World >
      • Purchasing
      • Unboxing
      • Installing
      • Building
      • Programming
      • Connecting
      • Playing
      • Expanding
      • Concluding
  • Models
    • Back to the 70's
    • Micro Models
    • New Magasin >
      • Magasin releases 1, 2 and 3
      • Long X-Axis
      • Moving Desk And Y-Axis
      • Compressed Air And Vacuum For Z-Axis
      • Pictures
      • Specifications
    • Power Saving White LED
    • Flipper with I²C LCD Panel
    • Celebrating 50 Years!
    • ft Convention 2013
    • ft Convention 2014
  • Sensors
    • Interfacing an Arduino to a Robo TX Controller >
      • Analog Interface
      • Digital Interface
      • I²C Interface
    • Standard Sensors >
      • Playing With Accelerometers
      • Proximity Sensor
      • Pressure Sensor
    • Advanced Sensors >
      • Industrial Colour Reader
      • Stepper Motor Controller
      • DC-Motor with Quadrature Encoder Controller
    • smartDevices >
      • smartColours
      • smartRFID
      • smartLED
      • smartHub
      • smartControls
      • smartMeter
      • smartCamera
      • smartNewCamera
      • smartWiFi
      • smartBLE
      • smartNode
      • smartIMU
  • RoboPro
    • Value Operations >
      • Min and Max Functions
      • Signal Management With Median
      • Modulo Function
      • Map Function
    • Standard Modules >
      • Software Managed Compressor
      • Self-Calibrated Colour-Reader
      • Standard Conveyor Belt Routine
      • Management Panel
      • Encoder-Motor Position Management
    • Variable Types >
      • CSV List Management
      • Queue Function
    • Program Structures >
      • Parallel Processing
      • Multi-Tasking End Management Procedure
    • Tutorials >
      • Setting Bluetooth LAN with Multiple TX-Cs
      • Dealing with Very Large Models >
        • Getting a General View
        • Defining User's Functions
        • Elaborating the Modelisation
        • Defining the Processes
        • Setting the Messages
        • Going Further
        • References
      • Program Error 2 Message
  • I²C
    • How to Connect an I²C Device to the Robo TX?
    • How to Connect an I²C Device to the Robotics TXT?
    • How to Manage an I²C Device?
    • How to Use an I²C Driver?
    • List of I²C Drivers for Sensors >
      • I²C Real Time Clock DS1307
      • I²C LCD screen 4 lines of 20 characters LCD03
      • I²C Triple Axis Accelerometer ADXL345
      • I²C Red-Green-Blue LED BlinkM
      • I²C Two Axis Compass HMC6352
      • I²C Triple Axis Magnetometer HMC5843
      • I²C True Colour Sensor ADJD-S371
      • I²C Stepper Controller AMIS-30624
    • List of I²C Drivers for smartDevices >
      • I²C True Colours Smart Sensor smartColours
      • I²C RFID Smart Sensor smartRFID
      • I²C 4-Digit 7-Segment LED Display smartLED
      • I²C Screen With Touch and SD-Card smartControls
      • I²C Smart Sensor smartCamera
      • I²C Smart Sensor smartNewCamera
      • I²C Remote WiFi Interface smartWiFi​
      • I²C Remote Bluetooth Interface smartBLE​
      • I²C Remote Interface smartNode​
      • I²C New LCD Screen 4 x 20 characters smartLCD
      • I²C Inertial Measurement Unit smartIMU

TXT 4.0 Controller

Announced early 2021 at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, the TXT 4.0 Controller is the last iteration from fischertechnik, actually the 5th. After the Intelligent Interface, the Robo Interface (which I didn't use), the RoboTX and the Robotics TXT, this is the 4th generation I play with.

It comes with a new development environment, Robo Pro Coding, with blocks and Python, and powerful IoT tools, with MQTT and Node-RED.

The TXT 4.0 Controller was sampled by fischertechnik.
Picture

Hardware

The TXT 4.0 Controller keeps the same form-factor as previous RoboTX and Robotics TXT and adds 3 servo outputs to the existing 8 universal inputs, a combination of 4 dual outputs for motors or 8 single outputs for lamps, and 4 faster counter inputs. The IR receiver has been removed.

It keeps a microSD-card slot, a USB port for the camera, two extension ports and turns the touch screen from resistive to capacitive.


The new controller keeps the same multi-core configuration with a processor and a controller, common for industrial applications.
Picture
From left to right: power jack plug, mini-USB for PC,
​microSD-card slot, USB for camera
The screen has the same size with a redesigned menu system, with a better organisation of the options and a more modern look. Now capacitive, the touch is very responsive.

However, the interface is hard to read. The fonts are really small and the contrast is rather limited, with light gray text on dark grey background. Using bold face and white-on-black could easily improve the experience. 
Picture
There's also a 6-pin expansion port, with power and I²C bus.

An adapter is available for the I²C bus to use previous generation sensors with 10-pin connectors, like the environmental sensor.

Despite the same 6-pin form-factor initiated by the RoboTX, the new I²C plug is not compatible. The new I²C plug features a different pin-out and operates at 3.3V instead of +5V. 

Software

Apart from the incremental hardware update, the software inaugurates a brand new development environment, named Robo Pro Coding. The software runs now on all platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.


​It features two programming modes: a graphical mode based on blocks, and a text mode. The underlying language is Python.

When creating a new project, the first step consists on selecting the environment:

  • block-based graphical mode or
  • Python text-based mode.

​​

Blocks

On the graphical mode, the main window shows four areas:
  • the central area displays the blocks,
  • the left pane list the parts of the projects,
  • the right pane provides the translation of the project into Python,
  • and the bottom pane provides a console and debugging tools.​
​
Picture
The first step is to select the controller and configure all the inputs and outputs, including I²C devices, camera and servos.

Then writing the program can start. The blocks are grouped by functions with dedicated colours.

Two paradigms are accepted: procedural programming and event-based programming.

Here, the same application, a flip-flop light, is performed using a loop and using an event.
​
Even with the block editor, complex calculations can be performed in Python inside dedicated blocks, as in MatLab and LabView.

​This is something I have been asking for for a long time.

​A special tab allows to draw the screen with multiple read-to-use widgets.

A console is also available. Debugging offers breakpoints, variable monitoring and call stack.

Python

The Robo Pro Coding displays on the right pane the translation of the program into Python.

However, I couldn't find any documentation about Python and most importantly, about the underlying libraries and SDK.

Ready for IoT

I discovered that the TXT 4.0 runs an MQTT broker and a Node-RED server natively.

This is the perfect IoT configuration to design a dashboard and control a model.

In the example shown here, the dashboard displays the value of the slider, controls the lamp, and sends the date and time.

​The screen on the TXT 4.0 displays the date and time received, and sends the value of the slider.

Voice control

Another interesting option is the voice command through a smartphone.

It requires to install the Voice Control application on an Android or iOS smartphone, define key words with the on command received block on a Robo Pro Coding project, and connect both to the TXT 4.0 controller. 

In the example shown, three words are defined: 'on' to turn the external LED on; 'off' to turn it off; and 'exit' to quit.

​Now, the process is rather slow.
Picture
Picture

Cloud services

No modern solution of hardware and software is complete without cloud services. 

​fischertechnik offers at least three cloud services:
  • ft cloud, already inaugurated with the Robotics TXT Smart Home set,
  • ft documentation, albeit almost empty and mixing English, French and German,  
  • ft GitLab, to save, share and retrieve programs and projects.

However, I've experienced some issues trying to connect to each of those services. 

The main fischertechnik website also provides an complete e-learning section devoted to the TXT 4.0.

Conclusion

With the new Robotics TXT 4.0 controller, the Robo Pro Coding software and the cloud services, fischertechnik brings an integrated and consistent system. 

This new iteration ​addresses most of the comments and includes many ideas done on the previous generations.
​

As the Robotics TXT 4.0 has just been launched, documentation is not yet fully available. I hope fischertechnik will provide very soon a full documentation of the Python libraries, and a programming expert kit as it did for the RoboTX and the Robotics TXT controllers.

I'll update this review when the new resources are available.
Picture

Pros

  • Consistent system
  • Powerful controller
  • Built-in IoT tools
  • Adapter for previous sensors

Cons

  • ​Screen readability
  • Some early features to be polished

Wrap-Up

  • Powerful controller with sophisticated features

Links

  • fischertechnik website
  • TXT 4.0 page

Posted: 27 Dec 2021
Updated: 02 Jan 2022
Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.