To accommodate the special needs of robotics applications, MSRS uses a service as the key object. Each Web-based service contains the code needed to perform one or more functions, such as reading data from a single sensor or sending an output signal to an actuator. The service can also be used to communicate with another service or external software. A robotics application consists of multiple services that work together to achieve a common task—operating the robot. For example, Figure 2-1 is an application diagram that represents the services used to operate a LEGO Mindstorms NXT.

Figure 2-1. Multiple services work together to support the operation of a LEGO Mindstorms NXT.

Tip

In addition to the material in this chapter, the reader should review the step-by-step service tutorials provided with MSRS. The latest version of the tutorials can be found online at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/library/bb483065.

Note

This chapter will not repeat the steps found in the tutorials, but it will instead serve as a guide to understanding the concepts demonstrated through them. None of the tutorials requires robotics hardware.