Wiki / Other software
Brick Automation Project
Software that runs a whole layout from a computer rather than a model from a phone. It speaks the Powered Up protocol from a desktop Bluetooth adapter, and the adapter rather than the app sets how many hubs it holds at once.
What it reaches
| Capability | State | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Drive several hubs at once from one computer | works, untested here | the limit is the Bluetooth adapter, not a fixed number of slots |
| System and Train hubs, Move hub, Technic hub, WeDo 2.0 hub | works, untested here | the full Powered Up family of its era |
| Run trains on a schedule, with anti-collision | works, untested here | what the project exists for: automation rather than driving |
| Multiple units — several motors driven as one | works, untested here | |
| Throw points and react to events in your own code | works, untested here | event-driven, which is what separates it from a controller app |
| Run with the computer switched off | out of reach | the hubs hold no program; the connection is the product |
| Anything optical | out of reach | Bluetooth only |
Where it sits
Three third-party routes to Powered Up, and they answer different questions:
| what it is | the computer | |
|---|---|---|
| this | a layout automated from a desktop | must stay connected |
| BrickController2 | a model driven by hand from a gamepad | phone, must stay connected |
| Pybricks | a program living inside the hub | not needed once flashed |
Automation and hand control both keep a link open; only replacing the firmware lets the model leave the room. The bridge in this project takes the same route from the other end, holding the layout itself in five slots.
Links
- Powered Up — the hubs it drives
- LWP (Powered Up BLE) — the protocol underneath
- Pybricks · BrickController2 — the other two answers