Spybotics
Spybotics is a MINDSTORMS sub-line (2002) of four sets: 3806 Gigamesh G60, 3807 Snaptrax S45, 3808 Shadowstrike S70, and 3809 Technojaw T55. Each is a pre-built robot with a fixed programmable computer, controlled over modulated 76 kHz infrared.
Sensors & optical I/O
Core: 2 motors, a touch sensor, a light sensor, two IR sensors, and several light emitters. The IR sensors + emitters let spybots detect and target each other and the IR controller — combat/mission gameplay over infrared.
I/O (now confirmed from the CD's
Spybot.h): 2 motors, touch, light sensor, two IR detectors + directional IR emitters (front-left / front-right / back / high-power), an LED array, and a VLL output (IR command type0x70,led[iVLL]) — so a Spybot can also command a Micro Scout. Spybotics therefore sits in both the 76 kHz IR family and the VLL family. Full decoded protocol → Spybotics IR protocol. (orionrobots also reports a VLL input; that part is still unconfirmed.)
Programming
- CD-ROM software (visual/mission-based) over a PC cable. Per orionrobots the PC plugs into a socket on the back ("a VLL socket… two half-pins + a triangle polarity lock"); a DIY build of that serial/RS232 cable is the
xtGJei70cAgvideo below. - Languages: MindScript and NQC (treated similarly to an RCX-class target).
- 10 built-in missions + a "Special Operations" custom-mission editor. Extra missions: see pbrick.info.
Remote & inter-brick comms
- The handheld remote has 3 modes (per orionrobots): Secure (pick a channel, broadcast to P-bricks), Control (buttons drive a P-brick or a Lego Manas), Game (codes for CD-ROM challenges). The first two channels match the Manas channels; a Spybot also talks to an RCX and to other Spybotics.
- From an RCX: an NQC example (
rcx2spy_remote.nqc, via pbrick.info p=35) has the RCX send remote-control IR messages on a channel with forward / reverse commands (high TX power for range), driving up to 3 Spybotics on separate channels, 2 motors each, giving the RCX extra motors over IR. (Exact NQC symbol names are as summarised from that page; check the.nqcfile for the literal API.)
Optical angle for this KB
The main optical channel is modulated 76 kHz IR for two-way robot↔robot and controller comms — now fully decoded (commands, directional channels, ping/world model, send + receive): see Spybotics IR protocol. Closer to RCX IR protocol than to baseband VLL, but a Spybot can also emit VLL (command 0x70).
- 76 kHz carrier (not the 38 kHz of Power Functions RC (IR)) — see 76 kHz IR family, shared with Bionicle Manas, RC Nitro Flash, DUPLO RC Dozer and the early RC Train (IR).
- Full command tables (send + receive), decoded from the CD-ROM → Spybotics IR protocol. Physical-layer RE + Arduino (IRLib2)/LIRC generators: github.com/JorgePe/ir-spybotics.
Related
Links
- Sets 3806–3809 (2002) — Rebrickable · доп: Wikipedia (overview). See Sets & bricks index.
- orionrobots — Spybotics — overview + the I/O write-up (single source for the VLL claims above).
- pbrick.info p=35 — driving a Spybotics from an RCX (NQC).
- Video demos (YouTube captions weren't machine-readable — listed as topical references, not quoted): DIY Spybotics→PC RS232 cable · RCX setup with BricxCC + NQC · RCX ↔ Spybotics · Spybotics.