DIY Arduino Dot Matrix Game Console

Project by Taifu via Instructables
  PCB is designed using Eagle and board layout is attached. You can design your own PCB or may designed it. I designed it for making my PCB using toner transfer method and for that I used 24mil trace size. For the top layer I used jumper wires because making two sided PCB using toner transfer method is not so easy but you may try it yourself. I tried to keep the board size comfortable for me but every one has his own choice.

•  pcb-botom-mirror.pdf pcb-botom-mirror.pdf
•  pcb-top.pdf pcb-top.pdf
•  game-console-layout.sch game-console-layout.sch
•  game-console-layout.brd game-console-layout.brd

 

Step 4: Programming the Console

 
To work the Arduino Sketch properly you need LedControl library attached in this step. I upload the complete Arduino Sketch for snack game. You can develop your own game. To upload the sketch first add the library to your arduino environment, just upload the sketch to your arduino, remove the microcontroller from the board and put it to your game console. I will upload more game for the console in future. . Just it.
 

#include "LedControl.h"
// connection to MAX7219 (data, clik, load, #of dispplay)
LedControl lc = LedControl(11,13,10,1);

// direction
const int TOP    = 0;
const int RIGHT  = 1;
const int BOTTOM = 2;
const int LEFT   = 3;
// Snake length
const int MAX_SNAKE_LENGTH = 16;

// Variables
//Adafruit_8x8matrix matrix = Adafruit_8x8matrix();  // Display
int direction = RIGHT;                               // direction of movement
int snakeX[MAX_SNAKE_LENGTH];                      // X-coordinates of snake
int snakeY[MAX_SNAKE_LENGTH];                      // Y-coordinates of snake
int snakeLength = 3;   
int score = 3;// 
unsigned long prevTime = 0;                        // for gamedelay (ms)
unsigned long delayTime = 500;                     // Game step in ms

int fruitX, fruitY;
unsigned long fruitPrevTime = 0;
unsigned long fruitBlinkTime = 100;
unsigned long bonusTime = 0;
unsigned long bonusPrevTime = 0;
int fruitLed = true;
int bonusLed = true;
int bonusX, bonusY;


void setup(){
  ////wake up the MAX72XX from power-saving mode
  lc.shutdown(0,false);
  //set a medium brightness for the Leds
  lc.setIntensity(0, 15);
  //Switch all Leds on the display off.
  lc.clearDisplay(0);
  Serial.begin(9600);
  
  randomSeed(analogRead(0));
  pinMode(0,INPUT);
  //pinMode(17,INPUT);
  pinMode(1,INPUT);
  pinMode(2,INPUT);
  pinMode(3,INPUT);
  pinMode(4,INPUT);
  pinMode(5,INPUT);
  //buzzer
  pinMode(12,OUTPUT);
  
  
  snakeX[0] = 0;
  snakeY[0] = 4;
  for(int i=1; i<MAX_SNAKE_LENGTH; i++){
    snakeX[i] = snakeY[i] = -1;
  }
  makeFruit();
  
}
  
void loop(){
    delay(10);
    checkButtons();  // if any button is pressed or not
   
    unsigned long currentTime = millis();
    if(currentTime - prevTime >= delayTime){
    nextstep(); 
    
    prevTime = currentTime;
  }
  draw(); // make snack & food
}

void checkButtons(){
  if(digitalRead(3)==0)
     direction = TOP;
  else if(digitalRead(4)==0)
     direction = RIGHT;
  else if(digitalRead(5)==0)
     direction = LEFT;
  else if(digitalRead(2)==0)
     direction = BOTTOM;
}

void draw(){
  lc.clearDisplay(0);
  drawSnake();
  drawFruit();

}
void drawSnake(){
  for(int i=0; i<snakeLength; i++){
    lc.setLed(0,snakeX[i], snakeY[i], true);
  }
}
void drawFruit(){
  if(inPlayField(fruitX, fruitY)){
    unsigned long currenttime = millis();
    if(currenttime - fruitPrevTime >= fruitBlinkTime){
      fruitLed = (fruitLed == true) ? false : true;
      fruitPrevTime = currenttime;
    }
    lc.setLed(0,fruitX, fruitY, fruitLed);
  }
}
boolean inPlayField(int x, int y){
  return (x>=0) && (x<8) && (y>=0) && (y<8);
}
void nextstep(){
    for(int i=snakeLength-1; i>0; i--){
    if((direction == RIGHT)&&(snakeX[0]-snakeLength == 7))
    snakeX[0] = -1;
    else if((direction == LEFT)&&(snakeX[0]+ snakeLength == 0))
    snakeX[0] = 8;
    else snakeX[i] = snakeX[i-1];
    if((direction == TOP) && (snakeY[0]+snakeLength == 0))
    snakeY[0]=8;
    else if((direction == BOTTOM) && (snakeY[0]-snakeLength == 7))
    snakeY[0]=-1;
    else snakeY[i] = snakeY[i-1];      
  }
  switch(direction){
    case TOP:
      snakeY[0] = snakeY[0]-1; 
      break;
    case RIGHT:
      snakeX[0] = snakeX[0]+1;
      break;
    case BOTTOM:
      snakeY[0] = snakeY[0]+1;
      break;
    case LEFT:
      snakeX[0]=snakeX[0]-1;
      break;
   }
  if((snakeX[0] == fruitX) && (snakeY[0] == fruitY)){
    snakeLength++;
    score++;
    tone(12,4500,50);
    if(snakeLength < MAX_SNAKE_LENGTH){      
      makeFruit();
    } 
    else {
      fruitX = fruitY = -1;
    }
    if(score%8==0)
      {
        snakeLength = 3;
        delayTime = delayTime - 100;
     }
  }
  snakeItSelf();  
}
void makeFruit(){
  int x, y;
  x = random(0, 8);
  y = random(0, 8);
  while(isPartOfSnake(x, y)){
    x = random(0, 8);
    y = random(0, 8);
  }
  fruitX = x;
  fruitY = y;
}

boolean isPartOfSnake(int x, int y){
  for(int i=0; i<snakeLength-1; i++){
    if((x == snakeX[i]) && (y == snakeY[i])){
      return true;
    }
  }
  return false;
}
void snakeItSelf(){  // check if snack touch itself
    for(int i=1;i<snakeLength;i++){
      if((snakeX[0] == snakeX[i]) && (snakeY[0] == snakeY[i]))
       gameOver();
     }
}
void gameOver(){
  // game over sound
  tone(12,1000,100);
  delay(100);
  tone(12,1500,200);
  delay(200);
  tone(12,2000,300);
  delay(300);
  tone(12, 494,500);
  delay(500);
  lc.clearDisplay(0);
  for(int r = 0; r < 8; r++){
        for(int c = 0; c < 8; c++){
            lc.setLed(0, r, c, HIGH);
            delay(50);
        }delay(50);
    }
  delay(300);
  score = 3;  
  snakeLength = 3;
  direction = RIGHT;
  snakeX[0]=3;
  snakeY[0]=4;
  delayTime = 500;
  loop();
}

void drawBonus(){
  if(inPlayField(fruitX, fruitY)){
    unsigned long bonusTime = millis();
    if(bonusTime - bonusPrevTime >= 300){
      bonusLed = (bonusLed == true) ? false : true;
      bonusPrevTime = bonusTime;
    }
    lc.setLed(0,bonusX, bonusY, bonusLed);
  }
}
void makeBonus(){
  int x, y;
  x = random(0, 8);
  y = random(0, 8);
  while(isPartOfSnake(x, y)){
    x = random(0, 8);
    y = random(0, 8);
  }
  bonusX = x;
  bonusY = y;
}

 

• LedControl-master.zip LedControl-master.zip
•  snack_game.ino snack_game.ino

 

Step 5: Assemble all the things

 
Complete the PCB and assemble all the thing together. It is good practice to use IC base for prototyping board without soldering the IC directly to the PCB board. It remove the risk to burn the IC during soldering and create a way to remove IC any time without de-soldering.
 

Step 6: Complete Game Console

   

Image of my complete game console is uploaded, I apologize for the quality of the image. All images are taken by my smart phone.
 

Step 7: Specification

Source: Instructables