LEGO Powered Up basic tutorials - 01 - Introduction & history

This is the first episode of my basic tutorial series about LEGO Powered Up. Before opening the app I would like to clarify some concepts and naming conventions, and also include a little history lesson with a comparison to the Power Functions system.

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[ThinkCleverAndSmart]

This is the closest to a good official documentation we can get. Thanks for making these!

[shilpaprajapati]

This series will be the best videos of thus channel, that's for sure...🙃

[robinbrowne]

Thanks for explaining the various types of Lego systems. Because of Lego's confusing naming, I find it easier to actually program in Powered Up than to figure out what stuff is compatible with what. But your videos and website helps. Thanks 👍

[tobiaslegofan]

I have used power functions since it got released and using the powerd up stuff now. It has so many new possibilities and i would love to learn how to code it to make great automatic MOCs. Im looking forward too thiz programming series

[deyonbisram]

Finally something on YouTube that is useful about lego

[CoolStuffOrigami]

This is a really useful series! Thanks a lot!

[technoandrew]

Your videos on Powered Up are always very useful, thank you for providing them. I look forward to the next part of the series. In the app custom controller mode, I have no idea what the ‘Instant Reset’ does for the sliders.
One of the big drawbacks of PU for me is how different motors behave differently when using the remote control, with the app being the only way to choose between ‘bang bang’ and speed control.

[KennyMinigun]

There is currently one more drawback of the Powered Up: the motors are less powerful. This is illustrated by the BuWizz 3.0, where max continuous current for PU is 2A while PF has 4A. As we know from elementary physics voltage * current = power. Since voltage is pretty much fixed to what batteries can supply the current is making the difference.

However, as you said, hardware "arsenal" might expand and we may get more powerful motors and/or energy sources/hubs.

[kostasf]

Powered up is way more expensive than the previous version !

[kingofherdaz]

Finally! the video series I've needed

[gewinder]

Basic turtorial 2.0 is welcome.
Keep up the good work and and happy new year 🙂🙂

[Nightswimmer]

Great idea this series! Thank you very much and keep on doing great!

[Dadudi]

Very interesting series, I will watch it entirely! I am sure it will be very usefull for lots of users😉

[Ziplock]

I started with the 6V system from the end of the 1970's and always wanted the slightly better 9v system that looked 'professional' lol. Years later, Mindstorms RXC 1/1.5 system. Since then there's been so many different power systems and robotics system that are not compatible with each other. Lego took the piss with this IMHO. Anyway, I've re-invested in Power Function recently as the parts are ultra-cheap from China. Like £23 for 6 motors and wires delivered to the UK. You video shows Lego made it even more of a mess with each of those.

[bami]

What you missed as downside to Powered Up is that there is significant latency with bluetooth low energy compared to the IR controls of Power Functions.

I also feel like Powered Up is still a public beta.

The app has only recently got support for the technic hubs (and thus finally allowed end-users creative building with them), but programming in the visual interface is very cumbersome and most things you want to do are very repetitive to set up every time.
Buwizz and BrickController2 offer sort of a solution, but it's still very kludgy and I don't really like having to screw with my mobile phone.

However TLG published the specifications to the bluetooth communication protocol (LWP) for this entire generation of hardware and 3rd party libraries already exist that either allow you to communicate from a PC/laptop to it, or like pybricks flash new firmware onto it that allow you to run your own code.

As a software developer the liebherr excavator gave me all the tools to have a great time, but if I received this as a kid I would've been severely disappointed in what is currently possible from TLG and even including 3rd parties. It's mostly just software limitations though, the hubs and motors are pretty solid and have a lot of things going for them, they're just not utilized to their full potential in the app.

I've written some desktop software now to work essentially like BrickController2 but from a PC, so I can control rc cars and other nonsense I built over the past few months and I wonder if people would be interested in something like this made properly instead of hacked together like I have for personal use.

[gkline]

another major con for Powered up is that the hub... I'm guessing is the battery box and if so is many times higher in price than the old Power functions battery box. For train collectors this is a huge blow, especially since another con is that they can discontinue the software support at any time making all these parts worthless.

[RogueTransformations]

Great video and very helpful, thanks!

[HYYeung-ozcd]

I prefer Power Functions, its simplier and straightforward. Not really interested on Powered Up system personally, since it requires dedicated app and smart device support. Besides, code editing is not everyone's taste.
In my opinion, Lego is meant to be played manually. Power Functions is excellent for extra playability, Powered Up is only good for STEM purpose.

Edit: Powered Up *seems better* for STEM purpose.

[idotic_kid]

I'm pretty sure that the BuWizz 3 has Power Functions _and_ Control+/Powered Up ports. This way, you can use both systems.

[isaiahsaavedra]

this was actually very helpful, thank you