In class, I had to get my Pico to light up each GP led to light up in order. To do this I used Mu editor and a code my teacher provided. While coding I used the serial monitor to check my code for any errors.

IMG_0147.MOV

Pinball Start Button

For a pinball machine, the start up button lights the machine up, puts the scoreboard up, and it puts the ball into the launch lane. To the left is a video of the button in action.

Pinball start button sketch

IMG_5144.mov

Pinball launcher

The pinball launcher uses elastic force to push the pinball. It does this when you pull the plunger which compresses a spring and once you let go it propels the ball onto the playfield. To the left is a video of it in action

Pinball launcher Sketch

IMG_5144.MOV

Pinball Target

There are two types of targets in the pinball machine above. One is a drop target that is held up on a small ledge and once hit by the pinball, it moves backward and drops down from a spring. The other is an Led that senses when the pinball goes over it. The goal of a target is to give you an objective for points.

Pinball target sketch

Above is a sketch of both types of pinball targets

Pinball Machine Bumper

The bumper goes into action once the pinball goes underneath it. Once hit it activates a solenoid, which triggers a motion to launch the ball. Above is a video on how it works and what it looks like.

Bumper Sketch

Above is a sketch of a pinball bumper with the solenoid and spring labeled.

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LCD Screen

8/28/23 Pinball Scoreboard

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github.com/S1ickSim/Pinball-Scoreboard

In class, I coded a pinball scoreboard. The task was to get one button to change the score by five points and another button to change the ball count by 1. I used Mu editor to code my Pico which was wired to my LCD screen and the two buttons. To the left is a GitHub link to the code I used and a video of the scoreboard working.

Above is a picture that shows my wiring has red wires for the power wires, black wires for the gnd wires, and the GP wires labeled. To the left is the code with comments to show my understanding of the code.

9/11/23 Pinball Scoreboard Mount

Onshape scoreboard mount sketch

In Onshape I created a sketch of a mount for my pinball scoreboard. To do this I precisely measured the LCD screen with a ruler and put the measurements onto onshape. I used many different tools that I learned how to use from my teacher. Above is the sketch with the accurate measurements for the pinball mount.

Scoreboard Mount Prototype

After completing my onshape sketch, I created it as a drawing and downloaded it as an SVG. I then transferred it over to glowforge which I used to laser cut the scoreboard mount. Above is the scoreboard mount after being cut out.

9/13/23 OnShape Drawing in Engineering

Rectangles

In class, our teacher guided us while using onshape. On onshape, I learned how to use the linear pattern tool.

Rectangles & Circles

For this Onshape drawing we used rectangles and center point circles.

Robot Sides

For this onshape drawing we used rectangles and the linear pattern tool.

Stairs

For this Onshape drawing I learned how to use the extrude tool, linear pattern tool, and I made it as a drawing.

9/18

9/27 Onshape Drawing practice

Cone

Disc

3D3 Drawing

Switch Box joint

What is the function of a flipper?

Flippers are made to push the pinball back into the playing field. It does this with the push of a button through a solenoid. I will consider my flipper successful when the button is pressed and the flipper uses enough power to push a pinball back into the playing field consecutively.

1st

From this video I learned what electronical pieces contribute to make a flipper work in depth.

2nd

This showed me how flippers work in the mechanical way.

3rd

This showed me how the flipper look from the inside.

Flipper Constraints- Simeon

Flipper Constraints

To the left are the constraints I made using the knowledge I gained from the videos I watched and from my teacher previous constraints.

Button

The button is what controls the mechanism. The player presses it and when pressed, the electrical circuit for the solenoid is closed which makes the solenoid activate to then hit the flipper.

Solenoid

This is the electromechanical component that creates the movement. I will have to code and wire it so it can function with the button and can work in the pinball machine the way it usually works.

Flippers

This is the mechanical component that hits the pinball. It has a pivot point for the flipper above and below so whenever the bottom piece is hit the top piece does the same movement.

Wiring Best Practices

Wiring Chart

This practice is where you make a chart of all the connections for each electronic component so wires are organized..

Appropriate Wiring connections

This practice helps to keep wires from touching each other for safety

Secure Wiring

This help the wires from tangling up and keeping them out the way

Wire colors

Per wiring best practices, we are only supposed to use red wires for power and only use black wires for ground.

Labeling

This practice is to keep wires that aren't red or black organized

Final Pinball Machine

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The video above shows all components of my pinball machine working at once

Bumpers

When the pinball goes under the cone the circuit is closed which allows for the solenoid to go down causing the ball to get pushed out the way

Target

When the pinball hits the top of the target the bottom of the target gets pushed into the button which is coded to show on the scoreboard.

Flippers

When one of the buttons on the side is pressed, the solenoid is coded to activate which pushes the flipper foward to hit the pinball. Also their is a spring to force it back into it's position so you can play without any difficulties.

Launcher

The front of the launcher pushes the spring back when pulled and once you let go the force pushes the ball up into the playing field.

Neopixels

The neopixels shows on the board unless any if the buttons they are coded to are pressed or any circuits are closed.

Scoreboard

The targets when hit, make the score up by 50 or 100 and when the pinball returns, the ball count goes down.

Servo

The servo is coded to move continously so the pinball has another obstacle when on the playing field.

Reflection

1) This Project is not like any other project I've done since I've been working on it from the start of school and I have just now finished it near the very end of school. The amount of work and dedication it took was high since there are so many times where you are setback and have to troubleshoot. This can take as much time as it wants because it depends on how fast you solve the problem.

2)After completing this project, I felt relieved and that I had more motivation.

3)I'm most proud of how we finished even though we had major setbacks such as taking the board out and making larger holes for the leds which took two days and also our board getting dropped a few times.