Tutorial: Installing Gyro and Ultrasonic Sensor blocks in EV3 Home Edition

gyro-ultrasonic
You can use the Ultrasonic Sensor and the Gyro Sensor with the EV3 Home Edition Programming Software.

When you buy a LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Set, you can choose between the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Home Edition and the EV3 Education Core Set (learn more about the differences here). The selection of sensors you get with each kit is slightly different. For example, the Home Edition set includes an Infrared Sensor and an Infrared Beacon, while the Education Core set comes with an Ultrasonic Sensor and a Gyroscopic sensor.

The EV3 brick in both sets is the same, making it possible to use any of these sensors regardless of which base set you have. However, the free LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Home Edition software does not come with programming blocks to control the Ultrasonic Sensor and the Gyroscopic sensor by default. Fortunately, LEGO offers these blocks as a free download from their website. These steps demonstrate how you can install these programming blocks in order to add full support for all your sensors.

In this example, I’ll demonstrate how you can install the Gyro Sensor block. Repeat the procedure to install additional Sensor blocks, such as the Ultrasonic Sensor block, the Temperature Sensor block, and the Sound Sensor block. You can follow the same steps to install blocks from third party sensor manufacturers, such as HiTechnic, Mindsensors, and Dexter Industries.

Step 1: Download the Block File

Download the block you would like to install:

Save the file (in our example, Gyro.ev3b) to your computer, and remember the download location.

Step 2: Import the Block

  • Launch the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 software
  • Navigate to Tools, and click Block Import, as shown in the figure below.

gyro_install_2

  • Click Browse, and select the file you downloaded earlier.
  • Select Gyro.ev3b in the dialog, as shown in the figure below.

gyro_install_3

  • Click Import.

gyro_install_4

  • Close and restart the EV3 software when prompted.

Step 3: Use the new Block

Once the software has restarted, you should be able to control the Gyro Sensor just like your others sensors, using Wait, Loop, Switch and Sensor blocks. In the following example program, the EV3 begins by playing a sound. Once you rotate the Gyro Sensor by 90 degrees, you’ll hear another sound and the program ends.

sampleprogram3

48 Responses
  1. Access Academy

    for some reason I was only able to install the gyro block after clicking the + button to create a new program and only THEN was I able to import the block. Small hiccup for me but your guide saved me nonetheless.

  2. eduardo

    Thanks for all the instructions.
    I get a message “ERROR” when I try the program, with no explanation. If I disconnect the cable to the HYTech Gyro, I do nt get the error (but of course, it is then useless).
    I installed HTGyro.ev3b from the new distribution, downloading block.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  3. J.T

    This not really helpfull to me because I have the mac version and on the mac it dosen’t work like that. Can you post adding EV3 gyro and ultrasonic sensor for mac please.

    1. G

      To get to tools, you bring your mouse to the top of the page.
      Also, you have to press plus and have the editor page open for it to let you click “Block import”.

  4. Max

    Ich habe ein halbes Yahr dran rumprobiert, diesen blöden Block in meine Software zu kriegen!Ich war kurz davor den Sensor zurückzuschicken!Du warst die Rettung!Danke!

  5. SupermanON

    HI!
    Hope, you’ll be able to help me out…
    I followed all the instructions above, but when I get to “import the files” I selecte “Ultrasonic.ev3b”, I get the message : “Completed with errors’, and even though I restart EV3 home Edition, it doesn’t import the block. What could I do about it! Thanks for your help…

  6. The_Paradoxian

    For some reason my software is not allowing me to import the block did you have the brick plugged in to your pc or is there something I’m missing

  7. Thanks for the info… alas, I cannot seem to find the missing gyro block. Any idea where I might find the programming block… I’m running EV3 programming 1.2.2 on a Windows 10 PC. Thanks again.

  8. Li yong

    I am from China.I try to download these block file.But it doesn’t work.Is that why I don’t have permission to open the page? I need your help.Thank you.

  9. AnneMieke

    thank you so much i really needed this ad I have a mac and the education version of this block programming is not available

  10. Anonymous

    Honestly, might just be my computer, but not helpful at all… lol still good job, since there are a lot of people who found this helpful

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