Since we have a choice between three very good software programs, I decided to make a table to compare the programs. I hope this will help other teams choose a program, as well as our team.

When it says “optimized firmware” in the RobotC Firmware section it means that RobotC uses a faster and, in some ways more developer friendly, firmware option that replaces the default firmware. This does not mean that you can not go back to default if you decide you want to use another language.

When in says VPL it means Visual Programming Language, which is just what it sounds like: A programming language with a drag and drop type interface.

A “Real-time Debugger” at the bottom of the table is a feature that allows you to look at what is being executed and when. I do not know if this would be useful or not. It could be that all it is useful for is watching your program crash with no clue on how to fix the error.

To learn more about these tools goto these websites:

RobotC:

http://www.robotc.net/

NXT G:

http://www.ortop.org/NXT_Tutorial/index.html

Lab View

http://www.ni.com/labview/