Difference between revisions of "F20: Maddening Marbles"

Revision as of 02:12, 14 December 2020

Maddening Marbles

Abstract

By tilting the LED matrix board, players maneuver a marble through a maze before time runs out. When a maze's goal is reached, the next stage is loaded and the timer resets. If time runs out, it's game over.

Objectives & Introduction

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Team Members & Responsibilities

• Scott LoCascio
  • Game timer
  • LED Matrix driver implementation
  • Game graphics
  • Case/housing for project
  • Wiki editing
• Francesco Vescio
  • Gameplay and concept
  • Collision logic
  • LED Matrix driver design
  • Motion controls
  • Wiki editing

Schedule

Parts List & Cost

Design & Implementation

Hardware Design

The hardware for this project consists of an SJTwo microcontroller, an LED matrix and a power supply. The microcontroller handles the game logic, drives the display, and interfaces with its on-board accelerometer to control the game.

Hardware Interface

The LED Matrix requires 13 pins to function, which are connected to 13 pins on the SJ2 board configured as GPIO output pins. All pins are active high, except for the OE pin. These pins are initialized in the led_matrix__init() function.

The display is enabled by the active low OE pin. When the display needs to be updated, it needs to be disabled and the data unlatched by resetting the LAT pin. Then, two rows of LEDs are selected by setting pins A, B, C, and D, which act as a 4-to-16 decoder. The R1, G1, and B1 pins control the LED in the upper selected row, and the R2, G2, and B2 control the LED the lower row (16 rows down). Then, the CLK and LAT pins are toggled on/off in order to load the data into the LED matrix and select the next column of LEDs. After all LEDs for a row are updated, LAT is set, OE is reset, and a delay is added to prepare for the next row. When all rows are finished being updated, the OE pin is set again to display the LEDs.

Software Design

The LED matrix driver, led_matrix.c, handles pin assignments, setting LEDs on and off, drawing mazes, updating the display, drawing and erasing the marble, and displaying the timer.

The game logic is contained in the marble.c file. The marble__init() function initializes the accelerometer, "zeroes" the marble so that the position you hold the LED board at is considered "flat," and sets the next stage to load to the title screen. The marble__handle_movement() method reads the accelerator reading, scales it to prevent choppy movement, calculates what the change in movement should be, and calls the marble__update_marble_position() function. This function checks the 12 spaces around for any obstacles that will limit its movement. If the ball will roll to the maze's goal, the next maze is loaded by a call to marble__draw_next_stage() and the marble repositioned to the starting position for that maze, which is determined by a call to marble__get_starting_coordinates(). The game timer is in the led_matrix.c file. The timer is displayed on the bottom of the board as a line of LEDs that slowly turn off. The LEDs start green, but when half of the time is remaining they turn yellow, and when a quarter of the time remains they turn red. When the timer runs out, the game over screen is displayed and the game resets back to the title screen.

Implementation

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Testing & Technical Challenges

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<Bug/issue name>

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Conclusion

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Project Video

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Project Source Code

• GitLab Source Code Link

References

Acknowledgement

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References Used

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Appendix

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