Millennium Falcon Project advice needed.

Using Arduino Project Guidance
1

Good afternoon everyone,

I'm Darren and this is my first ever electronics project, so as you can guess, I'm learning loads and loads.

I've got an Arduino Uno that I'm playing around with and getting on well at learning code so far.

The project I've got it a model Millennium Falcon. These are the functions it needs to be able to do.

Solid white cockpit lights via fibre optics.
Flashing white cockpit lights via fibre optics.
Flashing blue cockpit lights via fibre optics.
Flashing red cockpit lights via fibre optics.
Solid red side pod lights via fibre optics.
Soild white headlights via 3mm LED's.
Solid white landing lights via 3mm LED's.
Red / blue controlled engine lights.
Audio files for engine startup, characters talking etc.

So that's the hardware I need but I'm not sure how best to approach it. I want to hook up a single button that with one press turns on all the landing lights and front lights, then 2 presses turns on all the cockpit lights, 3 presses starts the engine fire up sequence that will fail and cause all the lights to go off then back on again, then a 4 presses to get the engine fired up properly and get some blaster sounds etc.

So I guess the first question is, have I got the right board is the Uno not going to work for this?

Here's a picture of my model in it's base coat before it starts to look old and a heap of junk.

Any help that can be provided would be most appreciated. I'm very excited to get this project going.

2

Yes it is the right board.
But why do you only want to use one button? It is a lot easer with one button per function.

Also it is not clear if you mean the fourth press or press four times in a short period.

3

How many LEDs total? Might want to look at using a 74HC595 serial in parallel out shift register for the LEDs. 2 595's in series can control 16 LED's using 3 Uno pins. The drawback of the 595 is the 70 mA total current per chip, but that is enough current for a lot of small LEDs.

The state change detection example in the IDE (File, Examples, Digital) will help with the button push detection and counting through the sequence.

4

TPIC6B595 for sinking current from LEDs. Controlled same as HC595, but 150mA continuous current per output, vs 8-9mA on HC595 before the power or gnd pins are damaged from overcurrent.

5

Grumpy_Mike:
Yes it is the right board.
But why do you only want to use one button? It is a lot easer with one button per function.

Also it is not clear if you mean the fourth press or press four times in a short period.

Grumpy_Mike:
Yes it is the right board.
But why do you only want to use one button? It is a lot easer with one button per function.

Also it is not clear if you mean the fourth press or press four times in a short period.

Hey Mike,

Ideally I want just one button as I don't want loads of buttons on on the model. If it's too difficult then I will add more buttons.

I did mean pressing the button four times in a short period.

Thanks.

6

groundfungus:
How many LEDs total? Might want to look at using a 74HC595 serial in parallel out shift register for the LEDs. 2 595's in series can control 16 LED's using 3 Uno pins. The drawback of the 595 is the 70 mA total current per chip, but that is enough current for a lot of small LEDs.

The state change detection example in the IDE (File, Examples, Digital) will help with the button push detection and counting through the sequence.

Total number of LED's will be 14 for the main model plus a strip of RGB LED's for the engine, it's 20cm long so maybe 8 on that bit.

I'll look up those other bits you've suggested.

Thank you.

7

CrossRoads:
TPIC6B595 for sinking current from LEDs. Controlled same as HC595, but 150mA continuous current per output, vs 8-9mA on HC595 before the power or gnd pins are damaged from overcurrent.

I'm really sorry but I don't understand this. I'll google those bits to see if I can understand them.