A common question that we are receiving the last couple of weeks:
EV3 Software – How do you get it?
For those that purchased the Education Version for FLL Teams :
In your emailed invoices there would have been a license code and the link to go download the software. For the educational version you have to login and use your license code in order to download it.
The consumer version of the software is available now for free download. User Guide
What’s the Difference – not sure as yet.
Here is one website’s summary:
Software
The software for the education version is sold separately to the core set. As well as the programming software, includes datalogging tools, and a firmware version that allows on-brick datalogging.
There is also a difference regarding sensor support: only the education version provide blocks to manage ultrasonic and gyro sensors included in that version. NXT temperature sensor and Energy meter are supported too. And of course, models being different between edu and retail versions, the building instructions that are included in the software are different.
And this note on FW:
http://thenxtstep.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-update-your-ev3-firmware.html
There are 2 versions of firmware:
- “EV3 Firmware V1.03E” is the Education version.
- “EV3 Firmware V1.03H” is the Home (retail) version.
And this one on backward compatibility: http://www.legoeducation.us/eng/Competitions/EV3Competition.cfm
LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 for cool play at home
LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 for teaching in the classroom and after school.
The LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 solution will offer new and improved hardware and software.
LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 is backward compatible with the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT platform. This enables the NXT programmable brick, sensors, and motors to be used with the EV3 software