Rei Vilo's fischertechnik Corner
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    • 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

Unboxing

Unboxing is always a critical moment. The out-of-the-box process is key  on the user's experience.

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Content

Big boxes
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The box contains plastics bags with the elements. There is no container.

The set requires buying another box to keep the elements and avoid from loosing the small parts.
The box packs all the elements in plastic bags inside two containers in light plastic.

One of the two containers has specific cavities for the controller, the camera, and two motors. 
Left, the only protection is for the 3V3 controller.
Right, one of the 2 containers is specific.
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The box stipulates the components are made in Denmark, Hungary, Mexico, China, Indonesia and the Czech Republic.
The box promotes a "Made in Germany" on a silver circle.

Printed Manual

The box contains one printed manual but for one model only, and a environmental document. There is no warranty document.

The box contains one printed manual with the building instructions for all the models, one CD-ROM with the application and additional documentation in PDF, and a warranty document.

​ CD-ROM

There is no CD-ROM. All the tools and documentations need to be downloaded. An internet connection is thus compulsory.
The CD-ROM contains
  • the RoboPro application, 
  • the user manual for the RoboPro application,
  • all the building instructions for all the sets of the Robotics line,
  • a technical document on the controller,
  • and a didactical manual introducing robotics and the components included in the set.​​

Websites

The Lego website ​is available in many languages and provides
  • the building instructions for the 5 remaining models as PDF documents, plus 12 other models from fans, 
  • the Mindstorms application and its user's manual,
  • ​links to the iOS and Android applications,
  • the firmware for the EV3 and additional sensors,
  • and an extensive technical documentation on the controller and the peripherals, including the schematics, and on the communication protocols.
The fischertechnik website is available only in German and English, and provides
  • the updates for RoboPro, which includes the update for the controller firmware,
  • ​the circuit diagrams for the computings sets with the Robotics TXT,
  • a technical reference on Linux root access, a C/C++ programming package and a tool-chain, with some documentation in English.

​An additional website, the fischertechnik eLearning Portal, is available in many different languages and provides didactical material. The printed manual provides a code  to get access.

iOS and Android Apps

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There are many iOS and Android apps!
  • A simplified version of the programming Mindstorms application (iOS and Android),
  • A robot commander app (iOS and Android),
  • A 3D builder app for the 5 additional models, powered by Autodesk (iOS and Android), and
  • A game (iOS and Android).​​​
Actually, the iOS and Android apps exist, although they aren't mentioned on the website.
  • TXTCamdroid for Android and TXTCamControl for iOS provide a  remote control of the Robotics TXT with a live video feed.

Forum

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Lego has an official forum for the Mindstorms community, operated in English.

There are many external forums in any language.
fischertechnik has no official forum, but the ft:c forum acts as the reference forum, although almost exclusively in German. It is operated by the fischertechnik community, which publishes a quarterly review, ft:pedia, also in German.

Conclusion

When fischertechnik includes a printed building instructions manual for all the models and a CD-ROM with the application and documentation, Lego provides as little as possible and thus makes the internet connection compulsory. I don't understand this policy.

​Lego offers all the technical documentation for both the hardware, including the schematics of the controllers and peripherals, and the software, including the protocols used.

fischertechnik is shyer about technical documentation and openness. The collaterals (forum, review) are only on German.

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