Arduino Led Dice

This instructable will show you how to create a dice using Arduino and few components. It's an easy and fun project, suitable for beginners and those who want to start with Arduino; it also requires a minimal amount of components.
This explaines how to create it in the breadboard, how to solder it and how to make some changes.

Step 1 What is Arduino?

Arduino is a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than your desktop computer. It's an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board, and a development environment for writing software for the board.

Arduino can be used to develop interactive objects, taking inputs from a variety of switches or sensors, and controlling a variety of lights, motors, and other physical outputs. Arduino projects can be stand-alone, or they can be communicate with software running on your computer (e.g. Flash, Processing, MaxMSP.) The boards can be assembled by hand or purchased preassembled; the open-source IDE can be downloaded for free.

The Arduino programming language is an implementation of Wiring, a similar physical computing platform, which is based on the Processing multimedia programming environment.

Why Arduino?

There are many other microcontrollers and microcontroller platforms available for physical computing. Parallax Basic Stamp, Netmedia's BX-24, Phidgets, MIT's Handyboard, and many others offer similar functionality. All of these tools take the messy details of microcontroller programming and wrap it up in an easy-to-use package. Arduino also simplifies the process of working with microcontrollers, but it offers some advantage for teachers, students, and interested amateurs over other systems:

• Inexpensive - Arduino boards are relatively inexpensive compared to other microcontroller platforms. The least expensive version of the Arduino module can be assembled by hand, and even the pre-assembled Arduino modules cost less than $50
• Cross-platform - The Arduino software runs on Windows, Macintosh OSX, and Linux operating systems. Most microcontroller systems are limited to Windows.
• Simple, clear programming environment - The Arduino programming environment is easy-to-use for beginners, yet flexible enough for advanced users to take advantage of as well. For teachers, it's conveniently based on the Processing programming environment, so students learning to program in that environment will be familiar with the look and feel of Arduino
• Open source and extensible software- The Arduino software and is published as open source tools, available for extension by experienced programmers. The language can be expanded through C++ libraries, and people wanting to understand the technical details can make the leap from Arduino to the AVR C programming language on which it's based. SImilarly, you can add AVR-C code directly into your Arduino programs if you want to.
• Open source and extensible hardware - The Arduino is based on Atmel's ATMEGA8 and ATMEGA168 microcontrollers. The plans for the modules are published under a Creative Commons license, so experienced circuit designers can make their own version of the module, extending it and improving it. Even relatively inexperienced users can build the breadboard version of the module in order to understand how it works and save money.

How do I use Arduino?

Step-by-step instructions for setting up the Arduino software and connecting it to an Arduino Duemilanove:

• Windows
• Mac OS X
• Linux

(All this part was taken from the official website of Arduino)

Comments

[WakeUpWolfgang]

Very nice instructable it was easy to fallow along and do. I love it! Now I will try to make a shield for it, I will post photos of the shield when I get parts to make the shield.

[Davuzz11]

Great idea, and thank you for the interest! Ask if you need some help

[WakeUpWolfgang]

I got the rest of the parts for it yesterday but we had to use my soldering room for some people to stay over but I should have it done some time this week I will post photos of it when its done.

[Davuzz11]

Ok, if you want i can add your photos in the instructable...and Merry Christmas!

[FinalTrigger]

Sorry for the noobish question, can someone explain to me whats the significance of :
randomSeed(analogRead(0));
and
ran = random(1, 7);

Much appreciated. By the way this is a fantastic project to learn with.

[Davuzz11]

Sorry for the waiting!
" randomSeed(analogRead(0)); " is needed for have a correct randomness (without it, the arduino will use the same sequence every time).
" ran = random(1, 7); " set the variable "ran" equal to a number from 1 to 6, that is the result.

[{Havoc}.Goliath]

With my limited programming experience im guessing "randomSeed(analogRead(0));" is preparing the program to create a random number and "ran = random(1,7);" is setting ran (a variable?) equal to a random number valued 1 through 7

[crob09]

Very nice!! Just wondering if I can quote you and have some of this information on my website http://www.whatisacnc.com I found this very informative, thank you regardless of your decision.

[Davuzz11]

Sure you can quote my instructable! Thank you for the interest, and happy Christmas :D !

[kloptops]

Nice design, however i decided to make the display routine a bit more interesting with it showing a "random" sequence before displaying the final result.

Thanks for the great starter project.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7992054/arduino/Dice.pde

[fwanderwrwr]

Great improvement! :)

[Paul Smith]

How do you overcome the fact the the random function in the arduino always uses the same sequence of random numbers, thus making it predictable?

[anand-patel]

ftp

[Davuzz11]

You can overcome this fact simply putting in the Setup function this line code:
randomSeed(analogRead(0));

However, this line code is already present in the complete code of the instructables.

[mazmoiz]

Hi, can you plz tell me the name of the software in which you have created this schematic ? thanks alot, Maz

[Davuzz11]

The software that i use is Fritzing, you can download it here: http://fritzing.org/download/ .
It also has the stardard layout of the arduino!

[cdousley]

if i programmed an atmega with arduino then removed the atmega from the arduino board and hooked it up would it work or do i need to hook up a crystal to it.

[Davuzz11]

Yes, if you detach the atMega (be careful) you can use it in a breadboard, but every time you need to program it, you have to reinsert the atMega on the Arduino board. However, here is explained how to do it: http://www.instructables.com/id/Standalone-Arduino-ATMega-chip-on-breadboard/

[cdousley]

ok thanks for your help.

[BenStep42]

I'm new to the microcontroller game, but arduino seems to be the best fit for what I want to do as far as controlling led patterns and such.. Can the arduino set up a continuous lighting sequence for led's and then be disconnected and run the same?  I mean can I program a sequence for a project and have the led's remember the code without the arduino still connected?

[cdousley]

you cant do that but for your idea you could use an  atmel atmega(the mictrocontroler on the arduino) the arduino is best for prototyping once you get it made you can use the armega

[NXTreme]

Another really great easy to program microcontroller is the PICAXE. If you just want to blink a couple LEDs a 08M would be perfect. While the Arduino is probably more powerful ect. the PICAXE is really easy to program and they are super cheap. Just an idea.

[Davuzz11]

Sorry for the waiting!
However, you cannot run the sequence of led's disconnecting Arduino, simply because the sequence is done by the Arduino.
If your problem is keep attacking Arduino to your computer, you can connect a 9 volt battery and make Arduino "portable".
If you want to program the sequence without Arduino because it occupies too much space, you can use another microcontroller, like Picaxe or Atmel, which are very small and they can be used in the breadboard.

[darkesthour]

 The Microcontroller itself has to still be on the board. But you can disconnect it from your computer and power say with a 9 volt battery or wall wart of sorts.

[cdousley]

This is great! this is my first arduino project and it worked perfectly the numbers were random and it rolled great.

[electronics4you]

Hi Everyone,
I built this project today and came across an error in the code. According to the circuit diagram, the pin configuration should be this:
int pinLeds3 = 7;
int pinLed4 = 8;
It's written the other way around in the downloadable pde of this instructable.
Hope this was helpful..!

[crzy engineer]

Perfect!

[Axaj]

Dice is plural, die is singular.

[Davuzz11]

Thanks to all!

[oscarthompson]

brilliant!... Im just beging the kind of stuff (thanks to Maplins™, the electronics specialist!)

[LuminousObject]

Awesome. I like the shaking dice one.