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EV3Dev Intro

This document provides instructions for setting up the ev3dev operating system on a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 brick along with the Visual Studio Code IDE. The 8 step process includes downloading ev3dev, writing it to an SD card, booting the brick, installing VS Code on a computer, downloading a sample Python project, installing Python, connecting VS Code to the EV3 over USB, and running code on the brick from VS Code or directly on the brick.

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Luiz Bez
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16 views14 pages

EV3Dev Intro

This document provides instructions for setting up the ev3dev operating system on a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 brick along with the Visual Studio Code IDE. The 8 step process includes downloading ev3dev, writing it to an SD card, booting the brick, installing VS Code on a computer, downloading a sample Python project, installing Python, connecting VS Code to the EV3 over USB, and running code on the brick from VS Code or directly on the brick.

Uploaded by

Luiz Bez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EV3Dev Lessons

Introduction to EV3Dev:
Setup with Python
Objectives
■ Learn how to install ev3dev on an EV3
■ Setup Visual Studio Code IDE

■ Prerequisites: none

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 2


Materials
■ EV3 brick
■ USB Download Cable
■ Micro SD card (between 2gb and 32gb,
preferably class 8+)

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 3


What is ev3dev?
■ ev3dev is a Debian Linux-based operating system that runs on the
LEGO® MINDSTORMS EV3
■ ev3dev allows you to program in different languages (eg. Python, C++)
■ This will also cover installation of Python IDE (Integrated Development
Environment)
– Note that an IDE is not required to write or run ev3dev or Python code on
the EV3
– While you can edit Python code in any editor, an IDE simplifies various
aspects of developing and managing your code.

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 4


Step 1: Download ev3dev
■ Download the latest version of EV3dev for EV3:
https://www.ev3dev.org/downloads/
■ Download ev3dev-stretch beta as that is what is needed for usage with
the IDE
– For a detailed explanation of the differences between ev3dev-jessie and
ev3dev-stretch, see the next slide
■ Remember where you downloaded the file

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 5


ev3dev-jessie vs. ev3dev-stretch
■ ev3dev-jessie:
– Programs (and motors, sound, etc.) don't stop when you press the back
button (unless you write your program in such a way that it does this, which is
not exactly easy to do right)
– Doesn't work with VS Code extension
– Battery monitor does not automatically turn off the brick to prevent battery
damage
■ ev3dev-stretch:
– Programs (and motors, sound, etc.) should stop when you press the back
button.
– Does work with VS Code extension.
– Battery monitor automatically turns of brick when it reaches too low a voltage
– ev3dev2 python package is available, which is easier to use (e.g. it has move
steering/move tank type functions)
■ Stretch is recommended for FIRST LEGO League teams because of the
support for the IDE and the ev3dev2 library

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 6


Step 2: Write Image (Windows, Mac,
Linux)
■ If you have a favorite tool writing
images to SD cards – use that.
Otherwise, we recommend that
you download and install
Etcher: https://etcher.io/ for
your OS
■ Select the downloaded file for
writing
■ Insert the Micro SD card into
the computer
■ Write to your SD card (in device
dropdown)

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 7


Step 3: Boot ev3dev
■ Put the SD Card in your EV3 and power
it on.
■ At first, you will see the MINDSTORMS
boot screen and the red LEDs will be
on. This is immediately followed by the
ev3dev boot screen and the LEDs
changing to orange.
■ The LED button lights on the EV3 brick
will blink to indicate SD card activity.
■ Tip: The SD card can be hard to pull out.
Create a little tab out of tape. (Remove
tape prior to an FLL tournament.)

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 8


Step 4: Install Visual Studio Code
(VSC)
Download and install VSC from
https://code.visualstudio.com/
for Mac, Windows, or Linux.

This is the IDE that you can use to


manage your programs.

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 9


Step 5: Download Sample Project
■ Download and extract the following zip
file: https://github.com/ev3dev/vscode-
hello-python/archive/master.zip

■ Open the folder in VSC

■ You will see an alert “This workspace


has extension recommendations” →
Press “Install All”. You might afterward
be prompted to install pylint → click
install

■ Optional: If you want software versioning


control, you can also install Git. VSC
integrates with Git nicely.

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 10


Step 6: Install python 3
■ Download and install python3 from: https://www.python.org/downloads/
■ You won’t be running python on your desktop but the IDE setup needs this

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 11


Step 7: Connect to EV3dev
• Click on File Browser

• Then click “Click here to


connect to a device” under
EV3dev Device Browser

• Plug in your EV3 via USB


and you should be able to
click on your brick in the new
dialog

• Note: if you connect your


EV3 using WiFi or Bluetooth,
you can connect to the brick
by choosing “I don’t see my
device” and entering an IP
address

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 12


Step 8: Running Code
• You can click on any file (or create a
file) in the left pane to edit it in python

• To run a program, click the debugger


icon on the left-hand pane and press
download and run

• Programs can also be run directly on


the brick under the “File Browser →
ev3dev” on the robot’s Brick Manager

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 13


CREDITS
• This tutorial was created by Sanjay Seshan and Arvind Seshan from EV3Lessons
• More lessons are available at www.ev3lessons.com
• Credits: David Lechner, ev3dev.org, for the valuable feedback and information
used in the ev3dev-jessie vs stretch slide

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-


NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Copyright © EV3Lessons 2018 (Last Update: Aug. 9, 2018) 14

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