I'm still waiting NXT hardware, and so there isn't too much to report on this week. I'll keep it short: while I have the interconnect between the NXT and ChipKit laid out, I ran into the issue of not being sure how I'm actually going to physically connect the two together. It is possible to simply take a sensor cable and cannibalize it to expose the necessary outputs, and in all likelihood what I'll do for my purposes, however making a bunch of these connectors for classroom use is probably going to be a hassle and less reliable than a more...manufactured approach. Ideally I feel an RJ12 breakout would be the most suitable option, especially given that the class will implement any custom sensors on a breadboard.
To be completely honest I spent a good deal of time experimenting with EAGLE-CAD fashioning a connector to attach directly to the ChipKit. However for the sake of usable results here is a link to an open-sourced NXT connector breakout kit, with assembly available for an extra cost.
https://store.wayneandlayne.com/products/bricktronics-breakout-board.html
