Engineering Apps

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Stop Light led

Today in class we wired three LED light and coded them with Mu and instead of them blinking all at once they blink at different times.

PinBall!

This year we are being challenged to make a pinball machine for our culminating project for our Engineering Pathway

Project Requirments

Above are the requirements list for our project!

STEAM!

This project will use all disciplines of STEAM!

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Stop Light with Rasberry Pi Pico

Today we learned wiring best practices and received our breakout boards and wired them up using or breakout boards.

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Chaser LED Lights

To day in class we modified our code so that our lights look like they are "Chasing" each other or lighting up in a circle. The serial monitor ran through the code and checked for any errors, making it easier for us to correct our code. This process was very tedious and when finished fun to watch and refreshing.

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STart button PinBall Machine

The start button on a pinball machine will put the ball in play, light up the lights, and sometimes starts the score board. The start button is one of the most important parts for the pinball machine. You can see these things happening in the video to the left.

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PinBall Machine Launcher

In the video to the left you can see the function of the pinball machines launcher. The launcher uses consist of a rod and a spring, the spring allows the rod to bounce forward(kinetic energy) when the rod is pulled back(potential energy) and hits the ball into play.

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PinBall Machine Target

In the video to the left you will see the ball hit multiple targets one of those being a saw-like figures. These targets accumulate points every time you run over them, and they do this by dropping down into the machine, the sensor that it uses sends a signal to a component in the pinball machine that will then push/hit the ball then to a component that counts whatever set amount of points it gives for hitting the target. 

BUmper

The pinball machine bumper serves as a spring-loaded obstacle within the game's playfield, designed to interact with the pinball upon impact. When the pinball collides with the bumper, the mechanism compresses, redirecting the pinball. This interaction adds an element of unpredictability and excitement to gameplay.

Servo

The servo is used to change the direction or to place the pinball back into play by spinning continuously.

Targets

Pinball machine targets serve as interactive elements within the game, enhancing player engagement and skill development. When hit by the pinball, targets trigger various effects, such as score increments and the LED's to turn off and on. Strategically aiming for these targets adds a layer of challenge and excitement to the pinball experience.

Flipper

The pinball machine flipper is a mechanical arm designed to strike the pinball, giving the ball momentum and directing. Controlled by the player through buttons, the flipper can swiftly move up and down to hit the pinball with precise timing, allowing players to aim for specific targets and achieve higher scores. 

ScoreBoard

The scoreboard of the pinball machine keeps track of the players score and how many balls the player has left to use in the game.

Laucher

A pinball machine launcher is designed to propel the pinball into the playing field with precision and force, initiating the game. It consists of a spring-loaded mechanism that is activated by the player, allowing them to control the intensity and direction of the launch. 

Neopixles

The neopixles add flavor to the game, it makes the playing field standout. The neopixles/LED's react when the targets are hit by blinking on and off, also the LED's are corresponded with the color of the pill it is in front of.

Videos of Pinball Machine Components

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Overview

Working on the pinball machine has been very fun and tedious, compared to other projects and works this has been the most challenging yet entertaining projects I have been apart of. Completing the project feel like a relief given all of the problems and mistrials I have faced throughout this project. I most proud of the dedication me and my partner had to get the project down and persevere though our problems while working on the pinball machine.