Wiki / Devices
Micro Scout
The Micro Scout is a tiny all-in-one programmable brick with a built-in motor, light sensor, and speaker, used in the Star Wars Droid Developer Kit (9748) and Dark Side Developer Kit (9754). Its light sensor receives VLL commands, making it the central device of this wiki.
Optical input
- A top-mounted light sensor is the only input. It both senses light and receives VLL commands.
- The sensor is IR-sensitive (no IR-cut filter) and decodes a full VLL frame over infrared: an IR LED driven with the plain on/off (baseband) VLL timing programmed a Micro Scout at 30–40 cm — confirmed on-device 2026-07-19. (LEGO's own tower sent VLL on a visible-red LED because its ~940 nm IR is reserved for the RCX 38 kHz serial channel — a modulated carrier VLL can't use. A baseband IR LED is what works, which is why the old IR-only serial tower never talked to the Micro Scout.)
Built-in programs
7 fixed programs selected with the on-brick button (One Direction, Two Directions, Light Follower/Seek, Light Control, Standby, Alarm, Handshake/Code) plus a "P" slot. (Slots 3 = Seek Light and 7 = Code are verified against elecbrick; the middle names are the commonly-cited set.)
- The P slot is a blank program you fill over VLL. LEGO reserved it for a "future application (fall 2000)" delivered via RIS 2.0 — see LEGO FAQ — P program & IR tower.
- The Droid Developer Kit CD (_ddk.exe) itself never programmed it — there is no VLL code on the disc.
How to control it today
Flash light at the sensor with the VLL timing:
- Phone torch (Flash Force) — easiest, zero hardware.
- FTDI DTR + LED, Arduino · ESP32 + LED, IR LED (invisible VLL) — hardware-grade timing.
- Commands: VLL opcode table.
Flash Force fills the P slot over VLL from a phone.
Links
- Sets: 9748 Droid Developer Kit (white) · 9754 Dark Side Developer Kit (grey) — see Sets & bricks index.
- Part: 32344c01 (Rebrickable).
- Project: Adafruit Bluetooth remote for the Droid → learn.adafruit.com/bluetooth-remote-for-lego-droid.
- Build-it-yourself kit models (PDF instructions): Buildable models (DDK & DSDK).