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UPDATE 12 APRIL 2011
Important! I have been made aware of a problem with the circuit board design with respect to the two push buttons. In order to get the buttons to work properly you need to connect them to the expansion port instead of the designated player select and mode button connections on the circuit board. Connect them to PIN D and PIN E on the expansion port. You will then need to connect a resistor from PIN D to GND and then another resistor from PIN E to GND. Finally, you will need to connect the other side of each button to VCC. This will make sure that when the buttons are not pressed, that you have a logic 0 at the microcontroller input (for that button) and then you will get a logic 1 when the button is pressed. If there are any hassles, just post a message here.
Okay scratch that - I have updated the circuit board and everything is working as advertised (and as written on the circuit board) Boards can be purchased direct from iteadstudio for $3 - link is in the instructable.
UPDATE 12 APRIL 2011
The circuit boards are now for sale direct from the manufacturer. They are $3 each. Also, the manufacturer is looking into how much it would cost to sell the boards with all pcb components as a kit. I will keep you updated. You can find the link to purchase a circuit board in STEP 1. Otherwise you can still make your own because all files are included in this instructable.
UPDATE 11 APRIL 2011
I have just received an email from the PCB manufacturer (iteadstudio) to let me know that the first batch of Super Pong Table circuit boards is complete and will be available for purchase very soon. They will be around $3 each from their website (I will provide the link once I have it)
UPDATE 10 April 2011
I have just released the sourcode for the 'Knockout' version of this game. This new version sees players battle it out to keep in as many balls as possible. There are no points for hitting a ball BUT you do lose a point for missing a ball - if you miss 20 balls, you are knocked out of the game and your 'bat' is replaced with a solid wall. The remaining players are then left to battle on. The last player standing wins!
You can download the latest version of the sourcecode in step 1.
Hello and welcome to another Bradsprojects instructable.
Are you tired of your old boring coffee table? Do you dream of a coffee table that allows you play games as well as keep your coffee cup off the ground?
Well dream no longer - because such a coffee table is here and you can build one for yourself.
Introducing Super Table Pong. no doubt you have seen the many variations of the classic game 'Pong', well this coffee table takes that game just that little bit further by allowing you to play up to four players at once with 5 balls on the screen at a time. It's a fast paced - action packed game of mayhem!
Here is a short youtube video of the game in action. (I have removed the top glass for video clarity)
Knockout Edition (This version is more fun than the original. A player is knocked out of the game if they miss 20 balls)
The Game
Each player uses an old atari paddle controller to move their respective 'bat' to the left and right of screen. The game starts with five balls in the middle of the screen moving outwards towards the players bats. Each ball moves at a different speed and at different angles to one another. When a ball approaches a player, that player needs to move their bat in order to intercept the ball and make it bounce back in the opposite direction. If the player does not get their bat there in time and the ball happens to go past the player, then that ball will re-appear in the center of the screen.
So how do you win?
If the player hits the ball, they are awarded one point, however if the player misses a ball, they lose one point. The first player to reach 20 Points wins the game and they will be presented with a 'YOU WIN' fireworks animation.
Technical Details
The game is powered by an 8-bit microcontroller (PIC18f4550) running at 8MHz. The display consists of 900 LED's arranged in a 30 x 30 matrix. (I originally designed it to have 1024 LED's, which would make it a 32 x 32 LED matrix. The LED's on each outside edge would have been a different color I.E. one side would have been green, then blue, white and orange) Long story short, the extra LED's that I ordered didn't arrive in time which has restricted mt to just 900 red LED's.
The four controllers are analog controllers taken out of the old Atari 2600 game system. You twist them clockwise / counter-clockwise to move your respective bat on the LED display. The circuit requires very little power and can be run off 4 AA batteries for more than 2 months if played for 30 mins each day.
Future Updates
I would like to say a huge thankyou for all of your comments and suggestions. I do have plans to improve on this project to make it into a much more enjoyable game. I am currently updating the circuit board design and schematic to include an expansion port which will allow for all manner of future improvements such as extra buttons and an LCD display for each player.
Thoughts for future updates:
Okay scratch that - I have updated the circuit board and everything is working as advertised (and as written on the circuit board) Boards can be purchased direct from iteadstudio for $3 - link is in the instructable.
UPDATE 12 APRIL 2011
The circuit boards are now for sale direct from the manufacturer. They are $3 each. Also, the manufacturer is looking into how much it would cost to sell the boards with all pcb components as a kit. I will keep you updated. You can find the link to purchase a circuit board in STEP 1. Otherwise you can still make your own because all files are included in this instructable.
UPDATE 11 APRIL 2011
I have just received an email from the PCB manufacturer (iteadstudio) to let me know that the first batch of Super Pong Table circuit boards is complete and will be available for purchase very soon. They will be around $3 each from their website (I will provide the link once I have it)
UPDATE 10 April 2011
I have just released the sourcode for the 'Knockout' version of this game. This new version sees players battle it out to keep in as many balls as possible. There are no points for hitting a ball BUT you do lose a point for missing a ball - if you miss 20 balls, you are knocked out of the game and your 'bat' is replaced with a solid wall. The remaining players are then left to battle on. The last player standing wins!
You can download the latest version of the sourcecode in step 1.
Hello and welcome to another Bradsprojects instructable.
Are you tired of your old boring coffee table? Do you dream of a coffee table that allows you play games as well as keep your coffee cup off the ground?
Well dream no longer - because such a coffee table is here and you can build one for yourself.
Introducing Super Table Pong. no doubt you have seen the many variations of the classic game 'Pong', well this coffee table takes that game just that little bit further by allowing you to play up to four players at once with 5 balls on the screen at a time. It's a fast paced - action packed game of mayhem!
Here is a short youtube video of the game in action. (I have removed the top glass for video clarity)
Knockout Edition (This version is more fun than the original. A player is knocked out of the game if they miss 20 balls)
The Game
Each player uses an old atari paddle controller to move their respective 'bat' to the left and right of screen. The game starts with five balls in the middle of the screen moving outwards towards the players bats. Each ball moves at a different speed and at different angles to one another. When a ball approaches a player, that player needs to move their bat in order to intercept the ball and make it bounce back in the opposite direction. If the player does not get their bat there in time and the ball happens to go past the player, then that ball will re-appear in the center of the screen.
So how do you win?
If the player hits the ball, they are awarded one point, however if the player misses a ball, they lose one point. The first player to reach 20 Points wins the game and they will be presented with a 'YOU WIN' fireworks animation.
Technical Details
The game is powered by an 8-bit microcontroller (PIC18f4550) running at 8MHz. The display consists of 900 LED's arranged in a 30 x 30 matrix. (I originally designed it to have 1024 LED's, which would make it a 32 x 32 LED matrix. The LED's on each outside edge would have been a different color I.E. one side would have been green, then blue, white and orange) Long story short, the extra LED's that I ordered didn't arrive in time which has restricted mt to just 900 red LED's.
The four controllers are analog controllers taken out of the old Atari 2600 game system. You twist them clockwise / counter-clockwise to move your respective bat on the LED display. The circuit requires very little power and can be run off 4 AA batteries for more than 2 months if played for 30 mins each day.
Future Updates
I would like to say a huge thankyou for all of your comments and suggestions. I do have plans to improve on this project to make it into a much more enjoyable game. I am currently updating the circuit board design and schematic to include an expansion port which will allow for all manner of future improvements such as extra buttons and an LCD display for each player.
Thoughts for future updates:
- Balls moving at more random speeds and angles
- ability to select the number of balls on screen at once
- computer player
- scores will be displayed on an lcd display
- add an arcade style button for each player giving them the ability to 'shoot' other players to take points off them
- different color LED's for the players bats (rather than just red)
- if a player loses a certain amount of points they are knocked out of the game - the last man standing wins.
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Signing UpStep 1Tools, parts and downloads.
First things first, you will need to get your parts together.
This instructable is not for the faint hearted. It does require an understanding of electronics, ability to solder surface mount components and perhaps some fault finding skills should you're circuit not work correctly for one reason or another.
I have included a ZIP file containing the Schematic, sourcecode, hex file and PCB layout so you have everything that you need to build the circuit. You can download the ZIP file below:
This download was updated Friday 1st April 2011 at 11:50PM AEST
http://www.bradsprojects.com/forum/download/file.php?id=395
Here is the new Super Pong Table Knockout game. (This file includes the sourcecode and hex file - you will still need the previous zip file for schematics, pcb layout etc...)
http://www.bradsprojects.com/forum/download/file.php?id=403
If you wish to do so, you can purchase a Super Pong Table circuit board from ITEADSTUDIO for $3 each:
http://iteadstudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19_21&products_id=372
The files included in the archive are
- PCB Gerber files - these are so you can make your own circuit boards - you will need gerb magic to view these files
- Diptrace PCB design file - You will need diptrace to view this file, diptrace is my PCB editing program
- Diptrace Schematic file - you will need diptrace to view this file, diptrace is also my schematic editing program
- SuperPongTableVer2PCBBottom- This is an image file to show you what the board looks like
- SuperPongTableVer2PCBTop - This is an image file to show you what the board looks like
- Readme_1st.txt - This file contains information on the current release of the zip file
- SuperPongTableVER1.bas - this is the sourcecode, you will need swordfish basic to open / edit it.
- SuperPongTableVER1.hex - this is the hex file that you need to copy to your microcontroller
- SuperPongTableVer2Schematic.PNG - this is the full schematic in an image file
Swordfish Basic
http://www.sfcompiler.co.uk/swordfish/download/index.html
Diptrace
http://www.diptrace.com/download.php
GerbMagic
http://www.bronzware.com/GerbMagic/Download.htm
You will be able to purchase a Super Pong Table Circuit Board from iteadstudio from around the 15th of April 2011 (they are in the process of making them) They tell me the boards will be approx $3 each
http://iteadstudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=19_21
Parts:
900 LED's (less than $30 if you buy in bulk on bay)
30 x 100 ohm resistors
8 x 74373 Chips
4 x ULN2803 Chips
1 x PIC18f4550 Microcontroller
1 x 7805 Regulator
2 x 10uF capacitors
3 x 10k ohm resistors
2 x push buttons
4 x Atari paddle controllers
1 x 4AA battery holder
4 x AA Batteries
1 x slide switch
61cm x 53cm x 9mm Sheet of MDF (for the table top)
61cm x 53cm x 3mm Sheet of MDF (to surround the glass)
2 lengths of 55cm x 10mm x 40mm pine
2 lengths of 63cm x 10mm x 40mm pine
45cm x 38cm x 3mm glass
40mm x 40mm x 180cm Pine
1 Metre length of Mains wire
1 Metre length of Network cable
Roll of enamel wire
Box of Screws
Paint (If you want to make it look pretty)
Hot melt glue sticks
Electrical Tape
Solder
Solder Wick (if you make a soldering mistake)
Flux (recommended for pcb soldering but not essential)
Tools:
PIC Programmer
Drill
5mm Drill bit (for the LED's)
2mm Drill bit (for pre-drilling the screws)
Soldering Iron
Side Cutters
philips screwdriver
Pliers
Hot melt glue gun
Jigsaw
Circular saw (not essential as you could use the jigsaw for all cuts)
pencil
ruler
hammer
sharp spike (to punch guide holes into the MDF wood)
sharp knife / scalpel
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I now create your work
However, there is a problem.
I do not know how program to use the source
I saw a read-only source
It seems using it
A detailed description of the photo step by step, please
it is my mail 100akwon@naver.com
please quick answer
Thank you for reading.
There are certainly some digital pins not used. In the revised version of the circuit board there are around a dozen extra pins that I have made access to and called it the expansion port. With the original version of the board these pins are still spare but harder to get to because you need to try and solder small wires straight onto the spare pins of the microcontroller.
As for varying the brightness of the LED's you would need some sort of digital to analogue converter which would make the circuitry a bit more complex. Or you could use pulse width modulation which would be quite tricky to do with your code.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Clone-Microchip-Development-Programmer-Mini-PICKIT-2-/250844066095?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item3a6778b12f
instead of this:
http://www.microchipdirect.com/productsearch.aspx?Keywords=DV164120
Long answer is that they have copied the original manufacturers design and their code that is stored in the chips inside to make them.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Blue-Cylindrical-5mm-Hi-Intens-LED-1000mcd-10-2USNDJ-/130315640817?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e576adff1
Thanks!
http://cgi.ebay.com/1000-pcs-5mm-Round-Blue-Superbright-LED-Light-blue-/110608686099?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19c0ca9c13
If you were to buy the other ones you looked at, it would cost you about $400 (because you need 900 LED's)
the ones I have shown will cost you less than $30 for 1000 of them.
another question. What is a good (hopefully cheap) pic programmer to buy that is compatible with that chip?
Thanks
Are you up for it?
I could do that for you although I would have to sell you both the board and the chip because I need to solder the microcontroller to the board in order to program it.
If you still want that done it will be $15 and then whatever postage is ontop of that.
Just let me know.
Cheers,
-brad
This version will be capable of much better games (because we have eight colours instead of just one)
I am unsure of when I will finish it due to time restraints.
The good news is that the circuit board is quite simplified with only a few components rather than a board full of components.
However, the displays are quite expensive. It cost me $160 to get two 32x16 RGB displays all up with airmail.
If you do an ebay search for 1000pcs led and select lowest price first, you should come up with a whole heap of listings between about $20 and $30 (make sure you do a worldwide search because they are normally from China.
I use the pickit2 programmer which accepts a 6 pin header connection (although only five are required for programming which is why I only have five on the board)