Hello. I'm new to Arduino but became interested after reading on a table hockey board about its use for an electronic scoreboard over the game (like this one: Welcome stigausa.com - BlueHost.com ). I got myself an Arduino Uno and have been tinkering with it for the past week or so (made a bunch of LEDs light up, etc). But I eventually want to make my own electronic scoreboard mounted center ice, so to speak, over the playing surface with two or maybe even four displays. So I'm hoping someone can point me to the right tutorials or examples that I can modify to meet my needs.
I want the scoreboard to use 7 segment LCDs for the time remaining (a four digit time display), the period (a 7 segment LCD or single LCD for each period), and home and visitor score (two 7 segment LCDs each). The time will display 20 minute periods but will run at accelerated rate so in reality each period will only be 5 minutes. Ideally I'll mount each display to a PCB and have the wiring go to the Arduino, auxiliary power, and speakers under the table. Each player will have a button so when both are pushed the game can start. Play starts with a slot or PVC tube puck drop mechanism incorporated in the scoreboard that uses either a servo or solenoid . When the two player buttons are pushed, a whistle MP3 audio sounds, then within a random amount of time between one and five seconds the puck drops to the playing surface to the MP3 audio of cheering for five seconds or so. I'm also installing a sensor in each of the goals that will be triggered when a puck makes its way into the plastic cup under the net. Once the switch is tripped I’d like the score to advance and audio to play a horn or siren and some tune from an MP3 file like what happens in NHL games.
I see there are MP3 shields for the Arduino so I figure I'll incorporate one in my design. I'm in the process of ordering LCDs and such to set it up on my breadboards. The example I'm trying to base my design upon uses integrated circuits to control the time and the LCDs but I have no knowledge of how to use them. There is a lot of info out there about ICs that is beyond my comprehension right now. So if someone can point me to a good tutorial on selecting ICs, that would be great.
I'd really appreciate any guidance and advice. Thanks.
Sparkfun sells 4 digit, 7-segment displays that have a simple serial interface (serial.print("1234");). They are four digit so not perfect for your need for 2 digit score and 1 digit period, but with a cleverly set up scoreboard you could overlay the third digit of one display and functionally split it into the home score and period, and another display would leave two digits uncovered for the visitor score. A third display would be used for the time of course.
That does amount to $39 for the displays but they are very easy to use.
If you want to build it from discrete components then the most straightforward method is to use one shift register with each 7-segment LED. The wiring and programming gets much more complicated, as you can see.
What complicated?
I offer a board with 12 shift registers that can drive up to 12 digits via SPI. The other pins are free to connect to an MP3 card, serial port, score buttons, etc.
Build up the parts you want, 6 digits, 8, whatever. $6 mailed to your US location.
The price is certainly right. How big is this board? Is there anything like this that is smaller? How many of those 12 shift registers would I need for this application? I'm thinking my Arduino is mounted away from the scoreboard (a cube like structure mounted about a foot and a half above the game surface) and a wiring bundle leading up to it. I was thinking the IC board would be up in with the LCDs to minimize a lot of wiring going all over the place. So I obviously don't want too much stuffed into the box for the scoreboard.
Thanks.
The board is 3.7" x 3.7".
Its set up to drve 12 digits, or however you'd like to use the high voltage/high current outputs.
There are 14 other IO pins including 2 serial pins. 2 of those are also set up to drive disrete transistors if you had some other devices needing high current/high voltage driving. (small speaker, buzzer?)
Ardiuino equivalent circuit less the USB/Serial interface is included on the board. Install bootloader and/or program the uC via ICSP header, or connect a USB/Serial adapter (FTDI Basic, CP2102 module, etc) and download sketches.
"How many of those 12 shift registers would I need for this application? " Depends on how many digits you want to drive.
Mount the board up with the digits, run just a few wires from whatever switches you have up to the board.
And power.
"Is there anything like this that is smaller? "
Define smaller - surface mount? fewer componemts?
You can also connect up a MAX7219 to drive digits. Perhaps there is a shield that breaks out MAX7219 pins to 7-segment digits.
CrossRoads,
Cool board, I like it. An actual LED project using it would give some inspiration to potential customers. The TPIC595 seem to be able to drive multiple LEDs in series/parallel as long as the current does not exceed 100mA and the voltage is no more than 33V.
Keep up the great work!
Several people have done that. I just don't have pictures.
TPIC6B595 was selected to drive 12V-3/6/9 LED strips, and I think we did some math that showed 12 & 15 would work as well.
What is the difference between the MAX7219 and the TPIC6B595?
Ultimately I'm looking for a compact package. I was thinking that once I finalized the design the 7 segment displays and circuitry for each side of the scoreboard would be on its own PCB.
I guess I'll tinker around and read some more so I can actually understand the answers to the questions I ask.
Thanks
MAX7219 drives up to eight 5V, common cathode, 7-segment displays (plus decimal point), by multiplexing 8 anodes line and 8 cathode lines at 800 Hz rate.
TCIP6B595 is a high current/high voltage open drain output shift register. It can be used to sink current from common anode displays. If you add seperate anode switching control (discrete PNP transistor, PNP array such as UDN2981, or discrete P-channel MOSFET) you can use it to multiplex displays as well under arduino software control. Or you can just use more of them, 1 per digit, and skip the multiplexing.
(I've also used them in a multiplex situation to sink current Away from the LED anodes to keep LEDs off, while a NPN array was used for common cathode control (ULN2803). Allows for more current than a 74HC595 can supply- but also runs warmer as the current is either flowing into the display or into the TPiC6B595 all the time.)
The TCPI6B595 is useful for controlling things like 12V powered LED strip lights, which have their own built in current limit resistor. MAX7219 can't do that without additional hardware.
