Introduction: Automatic Card Dealer

This automatic card dealer dispenses the desired number of cards to the number of players you submit. The screen will prompt your input, and you will press the button to adjust the number of players and cards when prompted. To submit the number of players or cards, hold the button for 3 seconds. Then, the dispenser will deal the desired number of cards for each player into piles around the card dealer.

Supplies

1- White Solderless Breadboard

  1. A board to connect parts without soldering

1 - Arduino Uno Board --- R3 SMD

  1. A microcontroller board that stores a program and executes when connected to power. It acts as the control center for the circuit.

Jumper Wires

  1. Used to connect and power components

1 - 16x2 White-on-Black LCD Display

  1. Display screen that shows promts and user inputs

2 - Hobby Gearmotors

  1. Motors used to rotate the dealer and dipense cards

1 - Push Button

  1. A momentary switch that collects user input when pressed.
  2. The circuit is closed, and the count increases by 1 when the button is pressed. The input is submitted when the button is held

1 - Rubber Band

  1. Adds friction to catch and dispense the top card

1 - AA Battery Holder

  1. Holds the batteries in place and connects power to the Arduino board.

2 - AA Batteries

  1. Used to power the circuit.

Access to a 3-D printer

  1. Upload the provided file to 3-D print the skeleton of the card dealer

Step 1: Wire LCD Display

  1. connect the GND, VO, RW, and LED LCD pins to ground on the breadboard
  2. connect VCC to power on the breadboard
  3. connect the rest of the LCD pins :
  4. RS to digital pin 13
  5. E to digital pin 12
  6. DB4 to digital pin 11
  7. DB5 to digital pin 10
  8. DB6 to digital pin 9
  9. DB7 to digital pin 8
  10. connect LED to the breadboard, add a 330 Ω resistor, and then connect to power

Step 2: Wire Push Button

  1. place push button on breadboard
  2. connect the 1st terminal to analog pin A0
  3. connect the 2nd terminal to ground on the breadboard

Step 3: Wire DC Motors

  1. place motor driver onto breadboard
  2. connect all GND motor driver pins to ground on the breadboard
  3. connect VM to ground on the Arduino board
  4. connect VC and ST BY to power on the breadboard

For Dispensing Motor:

  1. connect the positive motor wire to A01 and negative wire to A02
  2. connect the rest of the pins for the first motor:
  3. PWMA to digital pin 5
  4. AIN1 to digital pin 7
  5. AIN2 to digital pin 6

For Rotational Motor:

  1. connect positive motor wire to B01 and negative wire to B02
  2. connect the rest of the pins for the second motor:
  3. PWMB to digital pin 3
  4. BIN1 to digital pin 2
  5. BIN2 to digital pin 4


Step 4: Print 3-D Skeleton

Here is a .STL file for the 3-D printed pieces of the card dealer. Download these files and upload to your 3-D printer.


You will need:

1 - Tray

1 - Base

1 - Wheel

as needed - wire clips

Attachments

Step 5: Assemble Card Dealer

To assemble:

  1. place Arduino board onto the back of the card dealer and the breadboard on the side opposite the battery pack holder
  2. place rotational motor onto base as shown above (metal end should face outward, and plastic rotating pieces should be vertical)
  3. place tray on top, it should fit onto the rotating plastic motor piece and over the motor
  4. snap dispensing motor into place (if it doesn't fit, you can file down the sides of the pegs on the tray until the motor fits)
  5. add rubber band to the metal end of the dispensing motor
  6. plug battery pack into Arduino board and place in battery pack holder

Step 6: Download Code for Arduino Board

  1. download the code file
  2. upload the code to Arduino
  3. verify the code
  4. connect Arduino board to computer
  5. select the appropriate port
  6. upload the code to your Arduino board

Attachments