1. Install the Scratch Offline Editor
2. Install the Robot Coding software
3. Connect the Hamster to the PC
4. Learn more on the Hamster School
Specific software is required to make the Turtle robot to move.
Before connecting the Turtle robot to the PC and turning it on, you must install the software.
- Enter the following address in the address bar of your web browser. (Scratch download page)
https://scratch.mit.edu/scratch2download - Download and install the Adobe AIR and the Scratch Offline Editor in order.
- Enter the following address in the address bar of your web browser.
http://turtle.school - Select the Download menu and download the installation file for your PC’s OS.
- Without the USB dongle to the USB port on your PC , double-click the downloaded installation file to install it.
- The Robot Coding Software is installed in the following folder by default. You can move it to another drive or other folder after installation. C:\RobotCoding
- When the Robot Coding Software is installed, the device driver of the USB dongle is also installed. If you have already installed the device driver, you do not need to click the No or Cancel button to reinstall the device driver.
The device driver must be installed before plugging the USB dongle into the USB port on the PC.
See Installing Device Drivers .
When you purchase a Hamster robot, the Hamster robot and USB dongle are not paired .
When using for the first time, you need to pair the Hamster robot with the USB dongle.
- Plug the USB dongle into the USB port on your PC.
If the Bluetooth dongle light on the USB dongle flashes in blue slowly, it is normal.
Where is the Bluetooth connection indicator on the USB dongle?
- Enter Bluetooth mode to connect the computer. (Head light color : blue)
- Bring the Turtle robot closer to the USB dongle. If the Turtle robot beeps and the robot and the USB dongle is connected.
- This process is called pairing.
- After pairing, one Turtle robot and one USB dongle are paired each other.
- Pairing only needs to be done at the first time you connect the Turtle robot to the USB dongle.
- The paired Turtle robot remembers the paired USB dongle, so it does not matter if the PC changes.
More Information
- Using many Turtle robots and USB dongles at the same time in the classroom is not a problem because the Turtle robot and USB dongle are paired only when they are close to each other (within 15 cm).
- Pairing or connection between a Turtle robot and a USB dongle is by hardware and therefore not software related.
- The reason for plugging the USB dongle into the USB port on the PC is to supply power to the USB dongle.
Pair your Turtle robot with your USB dongle before class and put the number stickers on them to make your class easier.
When reconnecting with PC : connect robot and USB Dongle
→ If it’s already paired, you don’t need to pair it again, just plug the USB dongle into the PC’s USB port and power on the Turtle robot.
(1) Plug the USB dongle into the USB port on your PC.
If the Bluetooth dongle light on the USB dongle flashes slowly in blue, it is normal.
(2) Enter Bluetooth mode to connect the computer.
If the Turtle robot beeps and the robot and the USB dongle are connected.
- Paired Turtle robots and USB dongles do not need to be paired again.
- Just turn on the Turtle robot and it will connect even if they are apart. (Within 15 meters)
- The USB dongle finds and connects only paired Turtle robots, so there is no problem using a large number of Turtle robots simultaneously in the classroom.
Change pairing
- Turn off the power switch of the paired Turtle robot previously.
- Plug the USB dongle into the USB port of your PC. If the Bluetooth dongle light on the USB dongle flashes slowly in blue, it is normal.
- Enter the Bluetooth mode of the Turtle robot to be paired and bring it closer to the USB dongle. If the Turtle robot beeps and the USB dongle stays lit blue or flashes rapidly, this is normal.
- The USB dongle remembers only the most recently paired Turtle robot.
- If the USB dongle is connected to another Turtle robot, you cannot pair it with the new Turtle robot. In this case, you must power off the Turtle robot that is connected to the USB dongle before disconnecting the new Turtle robot.
(1) After pairing, run the Robot Coding program.
(2) Run the Robot Coding program and connect the Turtle robot as shown below.
(When connected, the dongle and Turtle’s Bluetooth indicators will begin to blink quickly.)
(3) After connecting the Turtle robot, press “Scratch Online” to go to “Scratch Online” page.
(Click Scratch Offline to open the Scratch Offline Editor.)
(1) Open the Scratch Online and select the Hardware tab.
(2) Then the blocks related to the Turtle robot are displayed.
(3) Use additional Turtle Hardware blocks.
