Raspberry Pi Skee Ball build

[bsoder52]

Curious if anyone has programmed a Pi for a Skeeball build? Or if there is a way to do so with retropie?  I've used a few retropie images now to mod a few 1up and understand retroarch. I'd like to possibly tackle building skee ball from plywood, but would want to make sure I had the electronics down pat first.  Thanks for any input our resources!

[PL1]

Curious if anyone has programmed a Pi for a Skeeball build?

Sjaak mentioned a program that he wrote for both RasPi and Windows.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,163879.msg1733665.html#msg1733665
- I think that the Github page only has the Windows version already compiled, but you should be able to compile the source code to run on RasPi.

Or if there is a way to do so with retropie?  I've used a few retropie images now to mod a few 1up and understand retroarch.

AFAIK there's nothing like that in retropie.

I'd like to possibly tackle building skee ball from plywood, but would want to make sure I had the electronics down pat first. 

I can confirm that a properly-compiled version of Sjaak's program will work on a RasPi 3b.

The 3mm beam break sensors from Adafruit work great.
- You can use 5v for the IR LEDs.
- The sensors need 3.3v if you're using the GPIO inputs or you can use a 5v USB keyboard encoder like an IPac.
- 3d printable mounts for these sensors at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2932740

If you're using the GPIO pins for inputs, you will also need 220Ω Resistors to protect data pins.

You need an Arduino ProMicro with a custom firmware he wrote for a WS2812 addressable LED controller.
- The RasPi isn't able to accurately control the timing for the addressable LEDs and run the skee-ball program at the same time.
- If you're using the WS2812 addressable LEDs, you'll also want an electrolytic capacitor (100µF - 1000µF?) for power supply smoothing.

For the power supply, get one with two connectors.

5v Power requirements -- 4A power supply with two connectors.
Connector 1
2.5A - Ras Pi 3
Connector 2:
0.48 A (0.96 A) - 8 (16) ea. 2812 LEDs * 60 mA
0.12 A (0.24 A) - 8 (16) IR LEDs * 15 mA

3.3v GPIO Power
2 mA (4 mA) - 8 (16) IR sensors * 0.25 mA

The attached diagram shows the basic connections for using GPIO inputs with Sjaaks's program.


Scott

[bsoder52]

I appreciate you putting this together for me! Alas, it's a little bit too much for me to consider taking on but hopefully somebody will see this who can take advantage.

[PL1]

it's a little bit too much for me to consider taking on

There are ways to simplify the setup.

If you don't include the 2-player simultaneous games, you can build just one ramp and playfield.

If you don't include the games that use the RGB LEDs to light the target ring(s), you can eliminate the WS2812s and the Pro Micro LED controller.

If you use an IPac for the inputs, you can eliminate the protective resistors and run the IR LEDs and sensors on 5v.


Scott

[bsoder52]

Is there a way to do this without soldering? I'm a hack and I know it.  LOL

[PL1]

Is there a way to do this without soldering?

The RGB LED breakout boards like the ones shown above would require soldering, but you might find ones with wires already attached.   
- There are 8 LEDs (100, 100, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, and gutter) so there would only be about 32(?) solder connections if you daisy-chain the 5v, ground, and data lines using euro-style terminals.
-- One data line connection to the Pro Micro
-- Four connections to each LED 5v, ground, data in, and data out.

Put a 5-6 position terminal strip next to each LED.
- 5v terminal has 5v in, 5v out, 5v to RGB LED, 5v to IR LED. (and 5v to sensor red wire if you're using an IPac)
- Ground terminal has ground in, ground out, ground to RGB LED, ground to IR LED, and ground to sensor.
- Data in terminal has LED data in wire and data out terminal from previous LED. (or Pro Micro for the first LED)
- Data out terminal has LED data out wire and data in terminal for next LED. (or nothing for the last LED)
- Sensor data terminal has white wire from sensor and wire back to either GPIO or IPac.
- 3.3v terminal has 3.3v in, 3.3v out, and 3.3v to sensor red wire if you're using GPIO.

The rest of the connections you can do with euro-style terminal strips (IPac) or euro-style terminal strips and Dupont jumpers. (GPIO)

This pic is an example of using euro-style terminals with daisy-chained 5v, daisy-chained ground, a single LED and current-limiting resistor.




Scott