ArduinoPixels

This is the Code for an Arduino based video game, originally designed by Kris Temmerman (@neuroprod).

See this blog post for details of the original implementation: http://www.neuroproductions.be/arduino/arduino-video-game/

Getting started

The game code can be run on an Arduino Due, using Cinder or using SDL on a Mac, Linux or Windows PC.

Arduino

Prerequisites:

• 2 Arduino Due boards (one running the game, one handling input and music)
• Arduino IDE 1.5.x (must support Arduino Due)

1. Copy all folders from libraries into your Arduino library folder (usually ~/Arduino/libraries).
2. Open the PixelDisplayGame/PixelDisplayGame.ino sketch in the Arduino IDE
3. Set Tools -> Board -> Arduino Due
4. Compile and upload the sketch to the first Arduino Due - the one that will run the display and game logic.
5. Open the pixelGameController/pixelGameController.ino sketch in the Arduino IDE
6. Compile and upload the sketch to the second Arduino Due - this will handle the joysticks and music playback.

Now build the hardware as described here and enjoy the game!

Windows

TODO

Mac

Prerequisites:

• XCode command line tools
• CMake
• SDL2 http://libsdl.org/download-2.0.php

Run build.sh to compile everything. After that, start the binary build/PixelApp.

Linux

Prerequisites:

• A working GCC toolchain (install "build-essential" on Debian/Ubuntu)
• CMake
• SDL2 (install "libsdl2-dev")

Run build.sh to compile everything. After that, start the binary build/PixelApp.

Hardware

Display

The display is a 90x16 matrix of WS2812 RGB LEDs (16 strips, 90 LEDs each). The strips are connected in a "zigzag" configuration, that means the "DO" pad of one strip is connected to the "DI" pad of the next one. A single data line, connected to pin 2 of the Arduino, is sufficient to drive the whole display.

Power should be fed from both sides of each strip to avoid brightness falloff on one side. Depending on the brightness, the display can draw up to 60A at 5V, so a good power supply and thick cables should be used.

Player Controls

Each player has a 4-way arcade joystick and 3 buttons ("red", "yellow", "blue"), connected to Arduino pins 22 through 48 (see above diagram for the exact wiring). All buttons need a pulldown resistor.

The two Arduinos are connected using the "Serial3" serial port (pins 14 and 15). Make sure to swap RX and TX on one side.

License

The code is licensed under an MIT license, assets are licensed under Creative-Commons Attribution.

Contributors

• Kris Temmerman - original design and implementation
• Michael Koetter - Ported to SDL2 for Linux compatibility
• Hans Robeers - Ported to CMake & Removed Cinder dependency of the ClassGenerator for Linux compatibility