LEGO Mindstorms EV3 User manual

LEGOeducation.com/MINDSTORMS
COMPUTER SCIENCE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING MATH
USER
GUIDE

LEGOeducation.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
+Welcome ................................................... 
EV3 TECHNOLOGY
+Overview ................................................... 
+EV3 Brick ................................................... 
Overview ................................................... 
Installing Batteries ......................................... 
Turning On the EV3 Brick ................................... 
+EV3 Motors ................................................. 
Large Motor ................................................ 
Medium Motor .............................................. 
+EV3 Sensors ............................................... 
Color Sensor ............................................... 
Gyro Sensor ................................................ 
Touch Sensor ............................................... 
Ultrasonic Sensor .......................................... 
Infrared Sensor ............................................. 
Remote Infrared Beacon ................................... 
Temperature Sensor ........................................ 
+Connecting the EV3 Technology ........................... 
Connecting Sensors and Motors ........................... 
Connecting the EV3 Brick to Your Computer ............... 
+EV3 Brick Interface ........................................ 
Run Recent ................................................. 
File Navigation ............................................. 
Brick Apps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Settings .................................................... 
EV3 SOFTWARE
+Minimum System Requirements ........................... 
+Installing the Software ..................................... 
+Lobby ...................................................... 
+Project Properties and Structure .......................... 
+Robot Educator ............................................ 
+Programming .............................................. 
+Data Logging ............................................... 
+Hardware Page ............................................ 
+Content Editor .............................................. 
+Tools ........................................................ 
TROUBLESHOOTING
+EV3 Software Help ......................................... 
+Software Updates .......................................... 
+Firmware Update .......................................... 
+Resetting the EV3 Brick .................................... 
USEFUL INFORMATION
+Sound File List ............................................. 
+Image File List ............................................. 
+Brick Program App—Assets List ........................... 
+Element List ................................................ 

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INTRODUCTION
LEARNING POWERED BY LEGO®MINDSTORMS®EDUCATION
Since the beginning of this century, LEGO
®
MINDSTORMS
®
Education
has led the way in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
Education, inspiring users to engage in fun, hands-on learning. The
combination of LEGO building systems with the LEGO MINDSTORMS
Education EV3 technology is now offering even more ways to learn
about robotics and teach the principles of programming, physical
science, and mathematics.
The heart of LEGO MINDSTORMS Education is the EV3 Brick, the
programmable intelligent brick that controls motors and sensors,
as well as providing wireless communication. Choose what motors
and sensors you wish to use and build your robot just like you want
it to be.
Enter the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 Software to find
everything you need. The EV3 Software Lobby gives you easy
access to content, programming, data logging, digital workbooks
and more. You can for example choose to follow the Robot Educator
and you’ll be able to create, program, and run a robot before you
know it. The intuitive icon-based programming is full of challenging
possibilities and the data logging environment provides a powerful
tool for scientific inquiry and experiments.
LEGO Education offers a growing number of EV3-based curriculum
packages developed by experienced educators. We are committed
to responsive customer support, professional development, and
continuing education for teachers using MINDSTORMS robotics in
their classrooms.
Want to work like real scientists and engineers? Enter the LEGO
Education-supported FIRST
®
LEGO League and World Robot
Olympiad—and gain invaluable knowledge, life skills, and increased
self-confidence!
We hope you enjoy the journey!
Welcome

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EV3 TECHNOLOGY
Overview
Color Sensor
+Recognizes seven different
colors and measures light
intensity.
Gyro Sensor
+Measures how fast and how far
your robot is turning.
Touch Sensor
+Recognizes three
conditions—touched,
bumped, and released.
Rechargeable Battery
+Economical, environmentally
friendly, and convenient power
source for your robot.
Large Motor
+Lets you program precise and
powerful robotic action.
Medium Motor
+Maintains precision, while
trading some power for
compact size and faster
response.
Ultrasonic Sensor
+Uses reflected sound
waves to measure
distance between
thesensor and any
objects in its path.
EV3 Brick
+Serves as the control center
and power station for your
robot.




 
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EV3 TECHNOLOGY
EV3 Brick
Overview
The Display shows you what is going on inside the EV3 Brick and
enables you to use the Brick Interface. It also allows you to add
text and numerical or graphic responses into your programming or
experiments. For example, you might want to program the Display
to show a happy face (or a sad face) for a comparison response or
to display a number that is the result of a mathematical calculation
(learn more about using the Display Block in the EV3 Software Help).
The Brick Buttons allow you to navigate inside the EV3 Brick
Interface. They can also be used as programmable activators. For
example, you might program a robot to raise its arms if the Up button
is pressed or to lower them if the Down button is pressed (for more
information, see Using the Brick Buttons in the EV3 Software Help).
Wireless Connection Status icons
(from the left)
Bluetooth enabled but not
connected or visible to other
Bluetooth devices
Bluetooth enabled and visible
to other Bluetooth devices
Bluetooth enabled and your
EV3 Brick is connected to
another Bluetooth device
Bluetooth enabled and visible
and your EV3 Brick is connected
to another Bluetooth device
Wi-Fi enabled but not connected
to a network
Wi-Fi enabled and connected
to anetwork
Battery level
USB connection established
to another device
Brick Buttons
 Back
This button is used to reverse
actions, to abort arunning
program, and to shut down
theEV3 Brick.
 Center
Pressing the Center button says
“OK” to various questions—to shut
down, to select desired settings,
or to select blocks in theBrick
Program App. You would, for
example, press this button to
select a checkbox.
 Left, Right, Up, Down
These four buttons are used to
navigate through the contents of
theEV3 Brick.
Brick Name

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EV3 TECHNOLOGY
The Brick Status Light that surrounds the Brick Buttons tells you
thecurrent status of the EV3 Brick. It can be green, orange, or red
and can pulse. Brick Status Light codes are the following:
+Red = Startup, Updating, Shutdown
+Red pulsing = Busy
+Orange = Alert, Ready
+Orange pulsing = Alert, Running
+Green = Ready
+Green pulsing = Running Program
You can also program the Brick Status Light to show different colors
and to pulse when different conditions are met (learn more about
using the Brick Status Light Block in the EV3 Software Help).
EV3 Brick
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
FOR THE EV3 BRICK
+Operating System—LINUX
+300 MHz ARM9 controller
+Flash Memory—16 MB
+RAM—64 MB
+Brick Screen Resolution—178x128/Black & White
+USB 2.0 Communication to Host PC—Up to 480 Mbit/sec
+USB 1.1 Host communication—Up to 12 Mbit/sec
+Micro SD card—Supports SDHC,
Version 2.0, Max 32 GB
+Motor and Sensor Ports
+Connectors—RJ12
+Support Auto ID
+Power—6 AA batteries/
rechargeable
Brick Status Light – Red Brick Status Light – Orange Brick Status Light – Green

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EV3 TECHNOLOGY
Input Ports
Input Ports 1, 2, 3, and 4 are
used to connect sensors to
theEV3 Brick.
PCPort
The Mini-USB PCPort, located
next to the D port, is used
to connect the EV3 Brick to
acomputer.
Output Ports
Output Ports A, B, C, and D
are used to connect motors to
theEV3 Brick.
Speaker
All sounds from theEV3 Brick
come through this speaker—
including any sound effects used
in programming your robots.
When thequality of thesound
is important to you, try to leave
thespeaker uncovered while
designing your robot.
Check out thecool sound files
that can be programmed within
theEV3 Software (learn more
about using theSound Block in
theEV3 Software Help).
SD Card Port
The SD Card Port increases
theavailable memory for your EV3
Brick with an SD card (maximum
32 GB—not included).
USB Host Port
The USB Host Port can be used
to add a USB Wi-Fi dongle for
connecting to a wireless network,
or to connect up to four EV3
Bricks together (daisy chain).
EV3 Brick

+
7.4V Rechargeable
-




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EV3 TECHNOLOGY
Installing Batteries
With LEGO®MINDSTORMS®Education EV3, you have the choice of
using normal AA batteries or the EV3 Rechargeable Battery pack
included in the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 Core Set.
If you experiment with both, you will find that each option has
characteristics to consider when constructing your robots. For
instance, six AA batteries weigh more than theRechargeable Battery,
and the EV3 Brick with the Rechargeable Battery installed is slightly
larger than the EV3 Brick with six AA batteries.
The EV3 Rechargeable Battery is a convenient and economical
alternative to using AA batteries. It can be recharged while inbuilt in
a model, saving you the trouble of disassembling and reassembling
a robot to replace batteries.
To install the Rechargeable Battery on the EV3 Brick, remove
thebattery cover on the back of the EV3 Brick by pressing thetwo
plastic tabs on the side. If there are batteries in the EV3 Brick,
remove them. Insert the Rechargeable Battery in the slots that held
the battery cover in place and snap the battery in place.The battery
cover is not used.
If it is your first use of the battery—or if the battery is completely
drained, let the battery and the EV3 Brick charge together for
minimum twenty minutes.
Using the enclosed power adaptor cord, connect the Rechargeable
Battery to a wall outlet. Make sure to keep the transformer cord and
battery where they will not be tripped over or get wet.
When you plug the uncharged battery into a wall socket, a red
indicator light will be lit. When charging is complete, the red light
will go out and the green light will be illuminated. The recharging
process will generally take three to four hours. If you use the EV3
Brick while the battery is charging, it will take longer. Before you start
to use the Rechargeable Battery for the first time, it is recommended
that it is fully charged.
EV3 Brick
EV3 Rechargeable Battery

AA, 1.5V x 6




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EV3 TECHNOLOGY
EV3 Brick
The EV3 Brick requires six AA/LR6 batteries if the EV3 Rechargeable
Battery is not used. Alkaline or rechargeable Lithium Ion AA batteries
are recommended. The AA batteries option is a good choice when
a little more weight is desirable in your robot.
To install the AA batteries, remove the battery cover on the back of
the EV3 Brick by pressing the two plastic tabs on the side. After you
have inserted the six AA batteries, attach the battery cover again.
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BATTERIES:
+Never use different kinds of batteries together
(including mixing old and new).
+Remove batteries from the EV3 Brick when not in use.
+Never use damaged batteries.
+Use the correct battery charger under the supervision of
anadult.
+Never attempt to recharge batteries that are not rechargeable.
Note: If your batteries are weak, theBrick Status Light may stay red
after you press theStart button, while theDisplay continues to say
“Starting.”
POWER-SAVING PRACTICES
+Remove batteries between use.
Remember to keep each set of batteries in its own storage
container so they can be used together.
+Reduce Volume.
+Adjust Sleep Setting.
+Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use.
+Avoid unnecessary wear on the motors.
Low Battery Power Indicator

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EV3 TECHNOLOGY
Turning On the EV3 Brick
To turn on the EV3 Brick, press the Center button. After you press the
button, the Brick Status Light will turn red and the Starting screen
will be displayed.
When the light changes to green, your EV3 Brick is ready.
To turn the EV3 Brick off, press the Back button until you see theShut
Down screen.
The Abort X will already be selected. Use the Right button to select
the Accept check mark, then press the Center button for OK. Your
EV3 Brick is now turned off. If you press OK while the X is selected,
you will return to the Run Recent screen.
EV3 Brick
Starting screen
Shut Down screen