[IAEP] python versions

Tony Anderson tony_anderson at usa.net
Fri Sep 28 00:23:17 EDT 2012


Hi,

Python 3 is a dialect of Python which is sufficiently different that 
some programmers consider it a different dialect, analogous to C and 
C++. However, the current Sugar is based on Python 2.7. Earlier versions 
have installed Python 2.5 and 2.6. For purposes of learning Python, it 
shouldn't matter if the course is using Python 2.6 and the student is 
using 2.7.

Tony


On 09/27/2012 10:39 PM, iaep-request at lists.sugarlabs.org wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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>     1. Re: [Butia-list]  XO robotics (Tony Anderson)
>     2. Re: [support-gang] Have You Heard From The Machine? (Kevin Mark)
>     3. Re: [Butia-list]  XO robotics (Caryl Bigenho)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:24:56 -0400
> From: Tony Anderson<tony_anderson at usa.net>
> To: Jorge<xxopxe at gmail.com>
> Cc: Proyecto Buti?<butia-list at fing.edu.uy>,	Yama Ploskonka
> 	<yamaplos at gmail.com>, iaep at lists.sugarlabs.org,	Christoph Derndorfer
> 	<christoph.derndorfer at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [IAEP] [Butia-list]  XO robotics
> Message-ID:<5064B618.5010602 at usa.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Hi,
>
> I would love to see you at the SF meeting to explain Butia to that audience.
>
> It was my understanding in Montevideo, that the robot is controlled
> directly from Turtle Art. For me, the really great thing you have done
> is to strap the laptop on the robot platform. This is not for cute
> pictures, it is really exciting for the student to see the robot obeying
> his or her instructions (right or wrong). The fact that the laptop is
> riding on the robot vehicle means that its movement is not limited by an
> umbilical cord.
>
> As Yama states, we really need (for me, in English) a parts list and set
> of instructions for building the robot so that it can be done by any
> deployment. I had hoped that such a session would be conducted in SF as
> I would dearly love to be able to set up a robot at the Saint Jacob
> school in Kigali in December. Naturally, we will also need some lesson
> plans for use of the robot to further the mandated curriculum in Science
> (and mathematics).
>
> My example would be to have the student program the robot to approach a
> wall as closely as possible without touching it. This would involve some
> understanding of the ratio of the wheel diameter to its circumference,
> the number of degrees the wheel advances for each forward step, and
> whole lot of other interesting concepts. For example, such a contest
> could lead to the issue of feedback; how to use a sensor so the robot
> knows when it is close. Should this be visual (camera) or acoustic or
> the bending of a wire or ....
>
> Tony
>
> On 09/27/2012 02:08 PM, Jorge wrote:
>> On 27/09/12 13:35, Yama Ploskonka wrote:>  1) I wouldn't say better...
>> rather, complementary, and certainly
>>   >  cheaper. Visiting the Buti? pages, the only picture I see showing an MCU
>>   >  http://www.fing.edu.uy/inco/proyectos/butia/images/pistaButia.jpg is
>>   >  showing an Arduino. Add a motor driver, and we are well above $30, plus
>>   >  shipping. The USBButi? board is maybe cheaper IF done in quantity by
>>   >  experts (then add labor).
>>
>> Besides the microcontroller the USBButi? board provides standard
>> connectors for attaching sensors. It allows autodetecting what sensor
>> you connected and were (something like the NXT brick, but with a wider
>> spectrum of attacheable stuff, more connectors, easier to hack, and
>> plug&play).
>>
>> We sidestepped the motor driver issue using digital servos.
>>
>>   >  MSP430 + (L293D OR some darlington array) can be "free" if you get them
>>   >  as samples from TI, or less than $5 when purchased, /plus shipping/, the
>>   >  old bane. the advantage of using a darlington driver is that then you
>>   >  may use plain DC motors, which can be free if lucky with old electronic
>>   >  parts (beautiful gear system available in old CDROM drives)
>>   >
>>   >  2) yop - the XO "drives" the vehicle with the MSP430 option also. Now, I
>>   >  put quote marks as I have no idea - yet - on how to send data direct
>>   >  realtime from the XO to the robot, bypassing the MCU. What seems to be
>>   >  happening is that Buti? depends on sending code/program to the Arduino,
>>   >  and the the 'duino does the brains of the robot.
>>
>> Nop, the control runs fully on the XO. MCU only interfaces
>> sensors&motors and supports the plug&play functionality. No user logic
>> runs on the MCU.
>> The user programs on the XO access sensors/actuators connected the MCU
>> and whatever the XO provides (mic, cam, accelerometer if there is one)
>> transparently. The most frequent programming environment is TurtleArte
>> (kisds already know it), but there are also Python and Lua environments
>> for when the problem or the user outgrows Turtle Art.
>>
>> In my opinion, what MCU is used is not actually important. What is
>> important is the programming environment, how it interfaces with
>> whatever your robot offers, and the mechanism you provide for adapting
>> your robot for solving different problems.
>>
>> Jorge
>> .
>>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:08:37 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Kevin Mark<kevin.mark at verizon.net>
> To: "Community Support Volunteers -- who help respond to \"help AT
> 	laptop.org\""<support-gang at lists.laptop.org>, 	IAEP SugarLabs
> 	<iaep at lists.sugarlabs.org>,	OLPC SoCal<olpc-socal at laptop.org>
> Subject: Re: [IAEP] [support-gang] Have You Heard From The Machine?
> Message-ID:
> 	<1348790917.51108.YahooMailNeo at web84503.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> The version of python on the Mac, Fedora, XO, etc. while they might not be the same, should be similar enough that all people learning the language should find 99% of their program code function the same. There is that 1%, but my estimation is that you would have to use more advanced or esoteric functions to find a difference. There is the transition to Python 3 but I'm not up on that difference. So.. dont worry about any issues until there are issues and then just ask someone with more python skill to explain.
> -Kev
>
>
> ________________________________
>   From: Janissa Balcomb<janissa at silverstar.com>
> To: Community Support Volunteers -- who help respond t<support-gang at lists.laptop.org>; IAEP SugarLabs<iaep at lists.sugarlabs.org>; OLPC SoCal<olpc-socal at laptop.org>
> Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 2:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [support-gang] Have You Heard From The Machine?
>
>
> Network Email
> hi caryl&  other python students,
> ?
> caryl - you put a burner under my butt with this email. i had gotten the
> class email, but it had no links, so i didn?t even think to find the materials
> or download python yet. when you say you downloaded the textbook, were you
> referring to the lecture notes, or is there an actual textbook?
> ?
> i plan to use my windows laptop running python, not the xo laptop, but i
> thought maybe if we have an xo laptop team, we could discuss how to use what
> we?re learning in this course for practical use with the xo?s.? i seem to
> remember reading somewhere that they were talking about small teams of up to 10.
> ?
> do you know how to find out what version of python the xo?s run?
> ?
> janissa
> ?
> ________________________________
>   ?
> From: Caryl Bigenho
> Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 9:20 AM
> To: Community Support Volunteers -- who
> help respond t ; IAEP SugarLabs ; OLPC SoCal
> Subject: [support-gang] Have You Heard From The
> Machine?
> ? Hi Janissa and others,
> ?
> If you are signed up for the M-MOOC Python class, read on.... If you aren't
> signed up but think you might want to be, see the "P.S." below.
> ?
> I am signed up and I know several others from the so-cal and iaep lists are
> as well. I don't know how large the teams are supposed to be. If you looked at
> the resource from "The Machine" yesterday, it appears they had teams of 2
> for the original MIT class. Maybe this will be different. We shall see.
>
> They also used a specific version of Python,
> 2.6.x. The version on the XO may be different. I would rather do mine on my Mac,
> but we can probably work on a team anyway.
>
> I have downloaded the textbook and Python
> 2.6.6 and have bookmarked the two MIT OCW classes described in yesterday's
> message from The Machine.
>
> Caryl
>
> P.S. You can probably still sign up. The
> class starts October 15, but there is some prep work and orientation going on
> already. If you want to be a part of this experiment, here is the link: http://info.p2pu.org/2012/08/21/its-alive-the-mechanical-mooc-offers-gentle-intro-to-python/
> ?
>
> ________________________________
>   From: janissa at silverstar.com
> To: support-gang at lists.laptop.org
> Date: Wed,
> 26 Sep 2012 23:42:46 -0600
> Subject: Re: [support-gang] FW: Tonight - A True
> History of the MOOC
>
>
> I signed up for the Python class.? They mentioned that people can work
> in small teams.? Is there anyone taking the class who?d like to form an XO
> laptop team?? Janissa
> ?
> ________________________________
>
> ________________________________
>   _______________________________________________
> support-gang mailing
> list
> support-gang at lists.laptop.org
> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/support-gang
>
> _______________________________________________
> support-gang mailing list support-gang at lists.laptop.org
> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/support-gang
> ________________________________
>   _______________________________________________
> support-gang mailing
> list
> support-gang at lists.laptop.org
> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/support-gang
>
> _______________________________________________
> support-gang mailing list
> support-gang at lists.laptop.org
> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/support-gang
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 19:39:53 -0700
> From: Caryl Bigenho<cbigenho at hotmail.com>
> To: Tony Anderson<tony_anderson at usa.net>,<xxopxe at gmail.com>
> Cc: butia-list at fing.edu.uy, "yamaplos at gmail.com"<yamaplos at gmail.com>,
> 	IAEP SugarLabs<iaep at lists.sugarlabs.org>,	Christoph Derndorfer
> 	<christoph.derndorfer at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [IAEP] [Butia-list]  XO robotics
> Message-ID:<SNT112-W631C017526A87D729BC1A6CC820 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
>
>
>> Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:24:56 -0400
>> From: tony_anderson at usa.net
>> To: xxopxe at gmail.com
>> CC: butia-list at fing.edu.uy; yamaplos at gmail.com; iaep at lists.sugarlabs.org; christoph.derndorfer at gmail.com
>> Subject: Re: [IAEP] [Butia-list]  XO robotics
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I would love to see you at the SF meeting to explain Butia to that audience.
> +1 Caryl
>>
>> It was my understanding in Montevideo, that the robot is controlled
>> directly from Turtle Art. For me, the really great thing you have done
>> is to strap the laptop on the robot platform. This is not for cute
>> pictures, it is really exciting for the student to see the robot obeying
>> his or her instructions (right or wrong). The fact that the laptop is
>> riding on the robot vehicle means that its movement is not limited by an
>> umbilical cord.
>>
>> As Yama states, we really need (for me, in English) a parts list and set
>> of instructions for building the robot so that it can be done by any
>> deployment. I had hoped that such a session would be conducted in SF as
>> I would dearly love to be able to set up a robot at the Saint Jacob
>> school in Kigali in December. Naturally, we will also need some lesson
>> plans for use of the robot to further the mandated curriculum in Science
>> (and mathematics).
>>
>> My example would be to have the student program the robot to approach a
>> wall as closely as possible without touching it. This would involve some
>> understanding of the ratio of the wheel diameter to its circumference,
>> the number of degrees the wheel advances for each forward step, and
>> whole lot of other interesting concepts. For example, such a contest
>> could lead to the issue of feedback; how to use a sensor so the robot
>> knows when it is close. Should this be visual (camera) or acoustic or
>> the bending of a wire or ....
>>
>> Tony
>>
>> On 09/27/2012 02:08 PM, Jorge wrote:
>>> On 27/09/12 13:35, Yama Ploskonka wrote:>  1) I wouldn't say better...
>>> rather, complementary, and certainly
>>>   >  cheaper. Visiting the Buti? pages, the only picture I see showing an MCU
>>>   >  http://www.fing.edu.uy/inco/proyectos/butia/images/pistaButia.jpg is
>>>   >  showing an Arduino. Add a motor driver, and we are well above $30, plus
>>>   >  shipping. The USBButi? board is maybe cheaper IF done in quantity by
>>>   >  experts (then add labor).
>>>
>>> Besides the microcontroller the USBButi? board provides standard
>>> connectors for attaching sensors. It allows autodetecting what sensor
>>> you connected and were (something like the NXT brick, but with a wider
>>> spectrum of attacheable stuff, more connectors, easier to hack, and
>>> plug&play).
>>>
>>> We sidestepped the motor driver issue using digital servos.
>>>
>>>   >  MSP430 + (L293D OR some darlington array) can be "free" if you get them
>>>   >  as samples from TI, or less than $5 when purchased, /plus shipping/, the
>>>   >  old bane. the advantage of using a darlington driver is that then you
>>>   >  may use plain DC motors, which can be free if lucky with old electronic
>>>   >  parts (beautiful gear system available in old CDROM drives)
>>>   >
>>>   >  2) yop - the XO "drives" the vehicle with the MSP430 option also. Now, I
>>>   >  put quote marks as I have no idea - yet - on how to send data direct
>>>   >  realtime from the XO to the robot, bypassing the MCU. What seems to be
>>>   >  happening is that Buti? depends on sending code/program to the Arduino,
>>>   >  and the the 'duino does the brains of the robot.
>>>
>>> Nop, the control runs fully on the XO. MCU only interfaces
>>> sensors&motors and supports the plug&play functionality. No user logic
>>> runs on the MCU.
>>> The user programs on the XO access sensors/actuators connected the MCU
>>> and whatever the XO provides (mic, cam, accelerometer if there is one)
>>> transparently. The most frequent programming environment is TurtleArte
>>> (kisds already know it), but there are also Python and Lua environments
>>> for when the problem or the user outgrows Turtle Art.
>>>
>>> In my opinion, what MCU is used is not actually important. What is
>>> important is the programming environment, how it interfaces with
>>> whatever your robot offers, and the mechanism you provide for adapting
>>> your robot for solving different problems.
>>>
>>> Jorge
>>> .
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
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