FantomTalk is a new package developed by Gregory Gutt to control the LEGO Mindstorm NXT.

FantomTalk is simple NXT terminal program based on the Fantom API, provided by LEGO. FantomTalk supports all documented “Direct Command” communication between a Windows PC and a single NXT via Bluetooth or USB.

Below is a portion of the readme file:

FantomTalk LEGO Mindstorm NXT Terminal Program

Version 1.0, 12/2006, by Gregory Gutt. greg@mymailbox.org

Files in this package:

* Readme.txt (this file)
* FantomTalk.exe  (Windows console executable program for FantomTalk)
* FantomTalk.cpp (C++ source code for FantomTalk)
* Mcontrol.rbt  (NXT motor control program.  See FAQs on usage)
* FT Screenshot.jpg (screenshot of FantomTalk)

What is FantomTalk? FantomTalk is simple NXT terminal program based on the Fantom API, provided by LEGO. FantomTalk supports all documented “Direct Command” communication between a Windows PC and a single NXT via Bluetooth or USB. For reference see the LEGO documentation:
http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/NXTreme.aspx (in the Bluetooth developer’s kit).

Instructions:

1) Unzip the FantomTalk package and place in an appropriate directory, or on your desktop.

2) Turn on one NXT. Connect a USB cable to your Windows PC (or enable Bluetooth). If you are using Bluetooth, it is assumed that you have a compatible Bluetooth device and the windows drivers are properly installed and configured. In either case it is assumed that you have installed your Mindstorm CD on the computer you are using (various drivers are from this CD are required by FantomTalk).

3) Double click on the FantomTalk.exe program to execute. 

Inputs to Fantom Talk are two byte sequences in Hex format (0-F). For example: 00 11; This example requests the name of the currently running program on the NXT. Inputs can come in two forms: keyboard or file. For keyboard entry, simply type in the byte sequence (separated by spaces), press enter and view the response. (On my computer running Windows XP, up-arrow and down-arrow work for re-entering previous commands).  Here is another example that makes the NXT beep:  00 03 00 18 10 00; (Note the semicolon terminator).

File inputs allow for remote control of FantomTalk from almost any other program. The idea is that there are a lot of people that want to control their NXT, are able to understand the Direct Command documentation but do not really know how to compile and use Fantom. By using FantomTalk in file mode almost any program can communicate with the NXT by using simple text file “mailboxes”. The input mailbox file is FTin.mbx
(FantomTalk responds with output mailbox file: FTout.mbx.) The input format is as described above, one line of hex sequences. **A semicolon is required** at the end of the line in file mode (the semicolon is optional for keyboard inputs). Once an input file has been read, it will be renamed FTin.old as a means of “clearing” the inbox.  FantomTalk
continuously scans its current directory for new FTin.mbx files.

There are three special hex codes that are parameters for FantomTalk.

1) FF  - Terminate FantomTalk
2) F0  - Reset communication in Bluetooth Mode (USB is the default)
3) F1  - Reset communication in USB mode