After I had completed creating LightsOut in Python, I was going to make it again with a GUI. I started this process but it sort of fizzled out (though I am sure I will go back to it).
I decided in my great wisdom to make a complete recreation of the game physically. The reasons for this are many, but overall I would like to achieve the following:
- Roughly design it
- Have it use Batteries
- Be able to charge it
- Possibly have an additional display
- Add sound?
- Create the circuit
- Create the PCB (and have it manufactured)
- Write the software (ESP32)
- Creating a housing (maybe send off for 3D printing)
It's quite a lofty ambition, maybe not if you're experienced which I certainly am not, but I do hope to achieve it.
This table will be updated as and when
| Qty. | Item | Price | Arrived |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | SK6812 5050 RGB LEDs | £5.00 | Yes |
| 30 | Gateron Switches Green (SMD Variant) | £9.45 | Yes |
| 1 | 15m Cat5e Cable (solid core) | £8.99 | No |
| 4 | Various pin connectors | £6.15 | No |
| 12 | 18650 Battery Holder | £6.99 | Yes |
| 5 | 1A/5V MicroUSB Li-Ion Battery Module | £6.99 | Yes |
| 1 | 60/40 Solder 100g | £6.37 | Yes |
| 1 | 1L Isopropanol 99.9% | £9.49 | Yes |
| 50 | 0.1uF 1206 SMD Capacitors | £2.30 | No |
| Total | £61.73 |
| Item Name | Length | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| SK6812 5050 RGB LEDs | 5 | 5 | 1.6 |
| Gateron Switches Green (SMD Variant) | 15.8 | 15.6 | 18 |
| 18650 Battery Holder | 75.9 | 20.9 | 18.5 |
| 1A/5V MicroUSB Li-Ion Battery Module | 28.7 | 17.3 | 3.5 |
| PCB | TBD | TBD | 1.6 |
| Capacitors | 3.2 | 1.6 | 1 |
So I am starting to play around with the circuit idea. As I have never used addressable RGB led's before, I thought best to use an online simulator whilst I was waiting for them to arrive. (I will be using an ESP32 based board, however as I am just experimenting I am using an UNO online)
I have also done some rudimentary code along side this in the simulator to get a feel for how it works. So far I am just reading the colour of the LED, reporting it, and then changing it to another colour, rinse and repeat. I only plan to use green and red for this project.
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#define PIN 13
#define N_LEDS 25
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(N_LEDS, PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
//int req = 0;
//String hexer = "";
uint32_t red = strip.Color(255, 0, 0);
uint32_t green = strip.Color(0, 255, 0);
uint32_t active = green;
void setup()
{
strip.begin();
strip.show();
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop()
{
//(strip.Color(255, 0, 0)); // Red
//(strip.Color(0, 255, 0)); // Green
//(strip.Color(0, 0, 255)); // Blue
strip.setPixelColor(2, active);
strip.show();
delay(1000);
if (strip.getPixelColor(2) == green) {
Serial.println("It's Green!");
active = red;
strip.show();
}
else {
Serial.println("it's Red!");
active = green;
strip.show();
}
Next, in terms of software, I am going to work on the switch matrix and see how I can use them as a matrix.
I have also done a rough draft of what I think it will look like (completely not final). Obviously, there is a lot I need to change, but this was just to have an idea of where I am heading.
So I have been working on this a lot behind the scenes, but there has nothing of note really been done so far. Just a load of idea's on how to approach this. Thankfully some of the parts arrived today, so I have been able to measure and imagine how large the pcb needs to be etc. On top of that, I have also been working on a few PCB ideas.
I think I have figured out the best way to approach it (Capacitors got in the way of progress there) and have two switches plotted and wired up below:
The blue traces are on the underside of the board. I have managed to put all of the traces for the LEDs on this side, which will make routing the row and columns for the switches (red traces) much easier.
So I have finally made the first PCB. It took far too long, but it isn't something I am a professional at. This is of the button pad (which was the hardest to design (I think)), and I know I probably made so many errors, but I completed it. I have sent it off for manufacture at just over £7, so I am not too worried if it doesn't work. At least I will have something physical and then I can progress from there. I think I will leave it here for today.
A lot of progress has been made today in terms of software. I have successfully managed to get it to the point of playing a level (displaying through the Serial Monitor), at the same time displaying what "button" has been pressed on a small screen. I am currently just joining assigned rows and columns together with a wire to simulate the button. So far the software can:
- Set up communications between it and the OLED display
- Read a level array and load it into its working array
- Calculate the sum of all "lights" that are on
- When that sum = 0, move out of the loop and on to the next level (need to populate those, yet)
- Display the "button" that was pressed on the small display
- Out put the board to the serial console (no light array yet)
I have decided to include the Arduino code into this repository now, so I don't forget to add it later. I'm really quite happy with how far I progressed today.
Yes, I am fully aware that there is probably a much better way to handle the simple task I am trying to accomplish. I am not trying to copy anyone's ideas though, so I am just trying to make it work in what would make logical sense to me.
| Col/Row | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | B | C | D | E |
| 2 | F | G | H | I | J |
| 3 | K | L | M | N | O |
| 4 | P | Q | R | S | T |
| 5 | U | V | W | X | Y |
Level: 1
00000
00000
00000
10101
10101
U //'button' pressed
Going into routine
Level: 1
00000
00000
00000
00101
01101
Tot. On: 5
W
Going into routine
Level: 1
00000
00000
00000
00001
00011
Tot. On: 3
Y
Going into routine
Level: 1
00000
00000
00000
00000
00000
Tot. On: 1
Level Complete!!!
Level: 2
00000
00000
00000
10101
10101Seeing as I really now need to wait for my board to be manufactured until I can go any further, I decided to use this time to experiment a little.
I managed to find an active speaker in with a bunch of random parts, so I decided to play around with the idea of adding sound. Turns out if all you want is a basic tone, it's quite easy with a built in Arduino function tone(). I have made some awful sounds with it, but my end goal is to have some sort of sound effect by playing several tones in quick succession. I will continue to play with this.
Never just blindly follow something you believe to be true.
Turns out, I wired the PCB completely wrong. I thought VSS was the positive polarity. In the back of my mind I did doubt this as I had seen VDD much more in the past, but I trudged on ahead as if I knew it all. I didn't!
Luckily, my PCB should be somewhat salvageable. I can cut the trace to the data in pin, then wire the LED the opposite way to the wires, and hook the data in from the bottom. This does mean I will also have to fix the sequence in code as I have been writing that assuming I was correct. I should just be able to reverse the data that I am sending through in theory, but it's still not ideal.
I will fix the PCB in the future, as well make it obvious where code will need to be omitted should it get wired up correctly in the future. Well, that was fun. Still, continue on I suppose.
After much waiting ( which felt much more than last time, but was only 2 days longer), my PCBs finally arrived! I immediately started putting one together that afternoon, and...
I was quite amazed. My soldering wasn't the best, but it worked out very well. The tolerances on the holes for the LEDs was perfect as it fit them very snug and was able to keep them in position whilst I soldered them in. All in all, I am very happy with the way it turned out. You will notice that I did have to cut the trace for the data line, so I could add a bodge wire to fix my mistake from the top, around the buttons and soldered to the data-in of LED 25.
Back (Soldered)
Front
On Wednesday, I managed to implement the code to write data out to the LED string. This worked quite well, but I was too tired to continue once I had got it to work.
Today (Friday), I have worked solely on the software and have made quite the improvement. I have added 50 levels, implemented use of the screen to show what level you are on and how many moves you have made, and have done a massive clean-up of the code and added many comments (something I end up neglecting in the past). I'm quite excited to see how this goes going forward. There is still so much to do, though.
Close up of Display
Demo
I actually haven't done much with the project over the last week or so. Though I have been looking into how I can power the game. The original power modules I had purchased didn't output 5V like expected, just what ever the battery voltage was. I know I could make my own power circuit, I thought that would end up being far more work than it is worth. So I decided to buy a cheap power bank. I looked in the local Poundland and they didn't have any under £5, so I hunted around the town centre. I could not find anything until I got to CeX where I was able to purchase a pre-owned one for £0.75. So I have pulled this apart and will be using this to power the device.
I have just taken the time today to fix the schematic and PCB. The code to reverse the output to the LEDs will remain in my code until I can get the new PCB manufactured. I wasn't going to do this, but thought maybe it would be for the best as I can design the housing around the new one (which also has mounting holes), and if anyone wanted to build one it would be an easier process. So I think I am going to go ahead and do that.
Overall, I am still happy with how the progress is going with this, and looking forward to see what is next.
- 31/04/2021
- Initial Creation
- Added price list
- 01/05/2021
- Added Intro
- Added battery holders, power boards and misc to price list
- Added Dimensions table
- Software notes
- Design Notes
- 05/05/2021
- Added PCB ideas
- Items arrived
- Added Capacitors to price list/dimensions
- 06/05/2021
- Finally completed a PCB (1 of n) and sent off for manufacture
- 07/05/2021
- Added software and made great progress!
- 10/05/2021
- Added info about sound
- Made an awful error which could have screwed the project
- 28/05/2021
- Added info about PCB and software
- 11/06/2021
- Added info about Power
- Added new (fixed) PCB design