Engineering Applications

Pinball Machine

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

Project Requirements

Above it the requirements lost for our project.

STEAM

This project will use all disciplines of STEAM.

Stoplight

IMG_5997.MOV

First Draft

Today we reviewed how to code a working LED stoplight.

IMG_6011.MOV

Final Draft

We learned wiring best practices and received a breakout boards and used them to practice our wiring using the stoplight from before.

IMG_6029.MOV

Breakout Board Indicator Light Chaser

We coded our breakout board and practiced using the serial monitor to improve our troubleshooting and create code to make our indicator lights appear in rapid succession.

We saved our code in Github: https://github.com/Tarsh-Freeman-IV/LED-Chaser.git

IMG_6047.MOV

IMG_6056.MOV

Start Button

Our class took a trip to an arcade to research pinball machines. At the arcade, we found mechanical components that are similar in all pinball machines, one of which is the start button. The start button starts the game by releasing the pinball.

IMG_6048.MOV

IMG_6057.MOV

Launcher

Another mechanical component common in all pinball machines is the launcher. The launcher is a spring-loaded knob that when tugged all the way back builds up potential energy and when released, releases kinetic energy that will send the ball onto the playing field.

IMG_6073.mov

Targets

Common component #3 is a target/drop target. A target is a flat mechanical piece that is held up on a small ledge and when its hit with a ball it is moved backwards and dropped down using a small spring.

IMG_6061.mov

Bumpers

A more complex common component is the bumpers. Bumpers are open switches, the switch is always open until the ball hits the bumper which closes the switch. When the switch closes the top of the bumper clamps down causing the ball to be sent away.

IMG_6388.MOV

Scoreboard Buttons Working

After we added the LCD to the pico we added buttons. Our goal with the buttons was to have the LCD respond to the buttons. In order to know if the LCD responded we coded the buttons to increase the score and decrease the ball count. Here is the code for both buttons responding.

Github Link: https://github.com/Tarsh-Freeman-IV/Scoreboard.git

9/13/2023 OnShape Drawing Practice 1-4 in Engineering

Rectangles

We used the corner rectangle, dimensional, and linear pattern tool.

Rectanlges and Cirles

Robot Sides

Stairs

Scoreboard mount

Today we measured our LCD to create a mount. The outline of the screen was the easier part of this task. The most tedious part of this task was perfectly fitting the holes. After we got everything to fit we mounted the LCD and mount to our pinball machine.

Onshape Link

9/27/2023 OnShape Drawing Practice 5-8 in Engineering

Pyramid

Donut

Target body

Cone

Flipper Research

What is the function of a flipper? The function of a flipper is to keep the ball on the playing field while also allowing the player an opportunity to aim at targets and score points.

Describe in your own words, once your flipper is installed, how you will consider it to be successful. As of this year, one of the expectations of your engineering knowledge is that you can develop your own set of constraints. Use the target constraints as a guide. Develop a comprehensive list of project constraints for your flipper/bumper (10-20 requirements).

Find some videos (at least three that contribute to your understanding) and explanations of how pinball flippers work. Place the videos in your Google site. Include a description of how/what the specific video helped you understand about the inner workings of the bumper/flipper. Answer these questions in detail: What is the “switch” that controls the mechanism? Describe it. Add an image of one. What is the electromechanical component that creates the movement? Add an image of one. What is the mechanical component that hits the ball? Describe it in words, but also draw a 3D Sketch of the assembly (on paper). Add this sketch to the entry.

IMG_6777.MOV

Scoreboard and Target Combined

We implemented our scoreboard and targets into our pinball machine shell and connected them to work in tandem.

Final Pinball Machine

Top

Playable board with moving parts

Bottom

Wires, labels, components, and power

IMG_4712.MOV

Final Pinball Code

import board

import digitalio

import time

import busio

import neopixel

from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Direction, Pull

from adafruit_motor import servo

import pwmio

score_button=digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.GP5)

score_button.direction = digitalio.Direction.INPUT

score_button.pull = digitalio.Pull.UP

ball_count_button=digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.GP9)

ball_count_button.direction = digitalio.Direction.INPUT

ball_count_button.pull = digitalio.Pull.UP

score_buttonb=digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.GP18)

score_buttonb.direction = digitalio.Direction.INPUT

score_buttonb.pull = digitalio.Pull.UP

score_buttonc=digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.GP10)

score_buttonc.direction = digitalio.Direction.INPUT

score_buttonc.pull = digitalio.Pull.UP

from lcd.lcd import LCD

from lcd.i2c_pcf8574_interface import I2CPCF8574Interface

ball_count_button.value

score_button.value

score_buttonb.value

score_buttonc.value

score = 0

ball_count = 3

i2c = busio.I2C(board.GP1, board.GP0)

# Talk to the LCD at I2C address 0x27.

lcd = LCD(I2CPCF8574Interface(i2c, 0x27), num_rows=2, num_cols=20)

lcd.set_backlight(True)

RED = (225, 0, 0)

BLUE = (0, 150, 230)

BLACK = ( 0, 0, 0) # 0% of all colors (turns the LED off)

led_strip1_pin = board.GP19

led_strip1_num_pixels = 5

led_strip1 = neopixel.NeoPixel(led_strip1_pin, led_strip1_num_pixels, brightness=0.3, auto_write=True)

led_strip1.fill(BLACK)

led_strip1.show()

led_strip2_pin = board.GP4

led_strip2_num_pixels = 5

led_strip2 = neopixel.NeoPixel(led_strip2_pin, led_strip2_num_pixels, brightness=0.3, auto_write=True)

led_strip2.fill(BLACK)

led_strip2.show()

led_strip3_pin = board.GP6

led_strip3_num_pixels = 5

led_strip3 = neopixel.NeoPixel(led_strip3_pin, led_strip3_num_pixels, brightness=0.3, auto_write=True)

led_strip3.fill(BLACK)

led_strip3.show()

led_strip4_pin = board.GP7

led_strip4_num_pixels = 5

led_strip4 = neopixel.NeoPixel(led_strip4_pin, led_strip4_num_pixels, brightness=0.3, auto_write=True)

led_strip4.fill(BLACK)

led_strip4.show()

led_strip5_pin = board.GP8

led_strip5_num_pixels = 5

led_strip5 = neopixel.NeoPixel(led_strip5_pin, led_strip5_num_pixels, brightness=0.3, auto_write=True)

led_strip5.fill(BLACK)

led_strip5.show()

flipper1_solenoid = DigitalInOut(board.GP2)

flipper1_solenoid.direction = Direction.OUTPUT

flipper1_solenoid.value = False

flipper1_button = DigitalInOut(board.GP12)

flipper1_button.direction = Direction.INPUT

flipper1_button.pull = Pull.UP

flipper2_solenoid = DigitalInOut(board.GP21)

flipper2_solenoid.direction = Direction.OUTPUT

flipper2_solenoid.value = False

flipper2_button = DigitalInOut(board.GP13)

flipper2_button.direction = Direction.INPUT

flipper2_button.pull = Pull.UP

flipperb_solenoid = DigitalInOut(board.GP16)

flipperb_solenoid.direction = Direction.OUTPUT

flipperb_solenoid.value = False

flipperb_button = DigitalInOut(board.GP15)

flipperb_button.direction = Direction.INPUT

flipperb_button.pull = Pull.UP

flipperb2_solenoid = DigitalInOut(board.GP11)

flipperb2_solenoid.direction = Direction.OUTPUT

flipperb2_solenoid.value = False

flipperb2_button = DigitalInOut(board.GP14)

flipperb2_button.direction = Direction.INPUT

flipperb2_button.pull = Pull.UP

pwm = pwmio.PWMOut(board.GP17, duty_cycle=2 ** 15, frequency=50)

pwm = pwmio.PWMOut(board.GP20, duty_cycle=2 ** 15, frequency=50)

my_servo = servo.Servo(pwm)

servo2 = servo.Servo(pwm)

my_servo.angle = 0

servo2.angle = 0

while True:

#lcd.clear()

lcd.set_cursor_pos(0,1)

lcd.print("Ball Count")

lcd.set_cursor_pos(0,12)

lcd.print("#:")

lcd.print(str(ball_count))

lcd.set_cursor_pos(1, 1)

lcd.print("Score: ")

lcd.print(str(score))

#lcd.clear()

time.sleep(.001)

#lcd.clear()

if score_button.value == True:

print("button not pressed")

led_strip1.fill(BLACK)

led_strip1.show()

if score_buttonb.value == True:

print("button not pressed")

led_strip2.fill(BLACK)

led_strip2.show()

if score_buttonc.value == True:

print("button not pressed")

led_strip3.fill(BLACK)

led_strip3.show()

if score_buttonb.value == False:

score = score+45000

if ball_count_button.value == False:

ball_count= ball_count-1

if score_buttonc.value == False:

print("scorebuttonc pressed")

score = score+20000

led_strip3.fill(BLUE)

led_strip3.show()

time.sleep(.001)

if score_buttonb.value == False:

print("scorebuttonb pressed")

led_strip2.fill(BLUE)

led_strip2.show()

if score_button.value == False:

score = score+30000

print("scorebutton pressed")

print("led 1 is on")

led_strip1.fill(BLUE)

led_strip1.show()

time.sleep(.001)

if (flipper1_button.value == True):

flipper1_solenoid.value = False

led_strip4.fill(BLACK)

led_strip4.show()

else:

# The button is pulled to ground, so the switch is pressed

flipper1_solenoid.value = True

led_strip4.fill(BLUE)

led_strip4.show()

if (flipper2_button.value == True):

flipper2_solenoid.value = False

led_strip5.fill(BLACK)

led_strip5.show()

else:

# The button is pulled to ground, so the switch is pressed

flipper2_solenoid.value = True

led_strip5.fill(BLUE)

led_strip5.show()

if (flipperb_button.value == True):

flipperb_solenoid.value = False

else:

# The button is pulled to ground, so the switch is pressed

flipperb_solenoid.value = True

score = score+50000

if (flipperb2_button.value == True):

flipperb2_solenoid.value = False

else:

# The button is pulled to ground, so the switch is pressed

flipperb2_solenoid.value = True

score = score+75000

for angle in range(0, 180, 5): # 0 - 180 degrees, 5 degrees at a time.

my_servo.angle = angle

for angle in range(180, 0, -5): # 180 - 0 degrees, 5 degrees at a time.

my_servo.angle = angle

for angle in range(0, 180, 5): # 0 - 180 degrees, 5 degrees at a time.

servo2.angle = angle

for angle in range(-180, 0, -5): # 180 - 0 degrees, 5 degrees at a time.

servo2.angle = angle

Individual Components

targets.MOV

Target

When hit the target depresses the button underneath the board closing the circuit and increasing the score.

IMG_4705.MOV

Flipper

When the button is pressed a signal is sent through the relay which causes the solenoid to extend making the flipper hit.

IMG_4707.MOV

Bumper

The bumper has copper tape on the top and bottom, when hit by the ball the circuit is closed and the bumper closes pushing the ball away.

IMG_4710.MOV

Servo

Once coded spins 360 degrees either clockwise or counter-clockwise in intervals decided in the code.

IMG_4709.MOV

Scoreboard

An LCD screen is coded to display printed text and straights triggered by compenents on the board.

IMG_4711.MOV

Unique Mechanical Component

A servo motor is mounted sideways to the board with the wooden part to give it the circular movement.

IMG_4708.MOV

Neopixels

Neopixel strips are given RGB values and if statements to display a certain color when triggered.

RPReplay_Final1716219816.mp4

Launcher

A spring is loaded up with potential energy to then expel kinetic energy onto the ball and push it across the board.

IMG_4679.MOV

Reflection

The pinball project was full of research, professional aid, troubleshooting, and emotions. This was the most difficult project of my life close to none. The most similar experience I have to this is building my gaming pc, I built my pc all by myself which was full of challenges in and of itself. The only experience I had to back it up was watching LinusTechTips on Youtube. I ran into problems similar to the pinball board where I had to replace faulty components and rearrange my wires. Completing this project gave me a feeling of solace, I spent many hours on this project and specifically some parts such as soldering the LEDs. What I'm most proud of is being very determined to learn from my mistakes. From my rough draft I was able to adjust my components to work more efficiently and I even through times of hardship and discouraged I was able to make my LEDs work properly.

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