LEGO Education Mindstorms NXT 2.0 — Specs & Review
Specifications
| Brand | LEGO Education |
|---|---|
| Model | Mindstorms NXT 2.0 |
| Year | 2009 |
| Category | Educational |
| Autonomy | programmable |
| Environment | indoor |
| Connectivity | USB, Bluetooth |
| Country of origin | DK |
Key features
- ARM7 processor brick with Bluetooth
- NXT-G graphical + Java (leJOS) + C (NXC) programming
- Ultrasonic, colour, and touch sensors
- FIRST LEGO League competition heritage platform
- Historically significant — introduced millions to programmable robotics
- Discontinued 2013, succeeded by EV3 and SPIKE Prime
- Second-hand market only
What is it?
The Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is LEGO Education's second-generation programmable brick robot system, released in 2009 as an update to the original NXT (2006). It introduced a colour sensor (replacing the original light sensor), updated firmware, and improved sensor compatibility — remaining otherwise similar to the first NXT generation.
Who is it for?
This listing serves primarily archival and reference purposes for the Geppetto directory, capturing a historically significant educational robot platform. Buyers: NXT 2.0 is only available on the second-hand market. Schools and individuals researching the history of educational robotics platforms, or maintaining existing NXT equipment, are the relevant current audience.
Key specs
- Processor: ARM7 @ 48MHz
- Ports: 3 motor (output), 4 sensor (input)
- Included sensors: Ultrasonic, colour/light, 2x touch
- Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth
- Programming: NXT-G (graphical), leJOS (Java), NXC (C-like), RobotC
- Status: Discontinued 2013, succeeded by EV3
- Origin: Denmark
Historical significance
The NXT generation (2006-2013) coincided with the rapid global expansion of FIRST LEGO League and WRO competitions, bringing programmable robotics to millions of students. The NXT brick's ARM7 processor and open Bluetooth protocol enabled a rich third-party software ecosystem (leJOS Java VM, NXC, RobotC) that introduced many current professional roboticists to embedded programming.
Limitations
- Discontinued 2013 — hardware only available second-hand
- ARM7 processor severely limited vs EV3 (ARM9) and SPIKE Prime
- NXT-G software discontinued; community support only
- No Wi-Fi support (Bluetooth only)
FAQ
Is LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 still available?
LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 was discontinued in 2013. It is only available on the second-hand market. LEGO Education SPIKE Prime is the current educational robotics platform.
What is the difference between NXT 2.0 and NXT 1.0?
NXT 2.0 replaced the NXT 1.0 light sensor with a colour sensor, updated the firmware, and improved sensor cable compatibility. Otherwise the hardware architecture is essentially identical.
What programming languages work with NXT?
NXT supports NXT-G (LEGO's graphical language), leJOS (Java JVM for NXT), NXC (a C-like language), and RobotC (C-based). Most third-party NXT software is now unmaintained.
What succeeded the NXT?
The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 (2013) succeeded the NXT with an ARM9 Linux brick, more sensors, and improved software. The EV3 was itself discontinued in 2022 and succeeded by LEGO Education SPIKE Prime.