Digital Board Game

Hello again,

the client looks pretty well, there are some small issues in the software but nothing which can‘t be solved soon.

I need to change the voltage Regulator, automated soldering require parts that will be produeced, the one I used was out of date.   

To make it easier creating the software for the client I added the PCF8574 again. This chip is used to select the tile type by soldering one or two bridges on the PCB. 

While programming the master there are some chips added to be able to log some game data. The onboard eeprom will be used to hold the data from an ongoing game. If there is a powerloss the master can easily restore the last save.

Greatings from Germany

Skorpion-31

Hello and nice to see you again,

the project is still in process and takes it way to get finish. So let‘s talk about some details:

Client Tile

First of all i changed some in the PCB and schematic for every tile. They got an step down regulator and a linear hall sensor, i hope to get better results in detecting the Robber on top of the tile.  To drive the Tiles safe and without any problems in voltage drop i used a step down regulator so they can handle 12V. This step was necessary the voltage drop over all 55 Tiles is damn high. The typical  current at 5V was between 120mA to 200mA, so again the expected supply current was near to 11A. 

Master Tile

Its alive, the first version from Master has opened his eyes. It‘s a single tile that will Control the hole game and the communication between all periphery. It‘s brain is an Atmega 1284,  there is a DS3132 Realtime Clock, a 4MB I²C EEPROM , a HM19 Bluetooth Modul and a 2.4 Ghz Wirless Modul (not Wifi). 

The DS3132 is used to get a time for logging some data and control and maybe for future use. The EEPROM is used to store some game Data, statistics and logging in development process. 

To connect the periphery with the Master there are two Wireless Connections. I prefer using most of the time the 2.4 GHz Modul, but i plannd using the Pixels-Dice from Jean Simonet (https://hackaday.io/project/28377-pixels). That‘s what the HM19 is for. 

Software

I have noticed that i am not able to do all the stuff all by myself, so i asked Sarsay to help me out with the Software. We are working with Github if there is a near finished Version i will link it here. 

We added a onboard time, based on Minecraft time, that is used to make it look alive. Short example: A brick tile with an oven has an LED inside the oven and is Turnd on between 8 and 17 o'clock. 

Last some about the pictures, i had some trouble with the regulator so it looks so bad, i interchange R1 and R2 so the Voltage was at 1.3 Volt expect of 4.5. And i didn‘t change the Versionnumber but that‘s not the point.

On Master side i have short circuit the USB-C connector to i need to remove it. It was terrible. 

Again sorry for my bad english if someone has enought time, pls tell me where i did some errors.   

That‘s it for the moment, i hope to present you a working hard and software soon.

Skorpion-31

School is going crazy, the Corona-Virus pandemic closed all Schools. So i need to learn the stuff after work to write the exam in May. So the Project is haltet until all exam are finished.

Wish me luck people, i‘m doing my best to bring this awesome project to an end.

Skorpion-31

Hello everybody,

it's late so i'll make it short. First of all the project is not dead i'm still working on it.

So Version 1.3 is working and the Software looking good. I have written the functions to use all components on the pcb. After that i tried to bring all functions in logical order to talk to the PCB.  In some days i build a second prototype to test the communication betwen the pcb. If everything is working fine i start desinging and building the pcb for the master controller tile.

Wish me luck that everything works fine

Befor i build the next PCB i startet testing all components and if they are working together as planed. I added an Port extander for controlling the corners were the player settlements and citys were placed. I need to reinvent the players street detection my current solution doesn't work. I changed the pin configuration. For example i started Using the ACD 6 and or 7 on the Atmega328 chip to get a full IO-Port. 

Last thing i need to do, stop the RFID modul so it wont need current when not used. Maybe i can change the Output pins to input or something else. 

After that ther will be a new final PCB Version, maybe i create a second new with support on standard parts like arduino nano so beginners can solder the boards by themself.

See you later...

After some fails i started creating a second and current Version of the PCB, but i need to do some Changes again a third one will appear, i used normal pin holes (better than castelated one) and calculated the position and distance for streets and Citys. I paneliced this pcbs to get some more for my money. 

this is the Schematic from the current Version in EAGLE.

Some Citys

And the Streets

I think it looks beautiful

All player Colors on the Streets