Brads Electronic Projects Forum

Be sure to keep us updated on the progress.

It does seem a bit strange though that it goes straight to the count down timer even with no buttons - because there are pull-up resistors connect in there which will hold the inputs for where the buttons would connect to High this means you shouldn't ever get a pressed button type action without actually connecting a button and pressing it.

Can you confirm that you have a logic 1 on the right hand side of both of those 10k resistors next to the regulator? (I am looking at the second image you posted) It should never be a logic 0 because there are no buttons shorting the right hand side of the resistors to ground.

So what is the right way to measure if it´s a logic 1 or 0?

Measure the resistors as Brad pointed out above using voltage on your meter, and post the voltage values here will be the best way?.

A logic 1 is usually a voltage level over 3.5volts.
A logic 0 is anything below 1.5volts.

Ok just wanted to check , currently with the broken regulator the values are 2.5V (the same as from the regulator right pin). Don´t know if this changes when the regulator is replaced.

So I´ll let you know what the values are when the regulator is replaced.

Just to add to what bitfogav said - when you measure the voltage at the resistors - it is with respect to earth. (red lead of multimeter on the resistor, black lead on earth)

But if your REG is only giving you 2.5v then something is seriously wrong!

Have you tried to desolder just the output connection of the REG to see if it gives you 5V without a load connected?

As I already mentioned I still need to replace the regulator, because the one I have is faulty. I´m waiting for a replacement. Because it should give me 5V and it did when I heated the center pin of the regulator, but after a couple of times resetting the regulator stopped working!

Did you give it a try though with no load?

Ok changed the regulator and it´s giving me a constant 4.6V right now even after a couple of times switching on/off and keeping it on for a while. So apparently a bad regulator

I measured the right side of the resistors and it's 4.6V for the buttons (so a logic 1)

The screen is going to a nine and keeps showing a nine. I haven't connected the buttons and potentiometers to the board. So is this correct or should there be something different?

Looks like it is an oversight on my part!

I just checked the PCB design and my knockout code and it looks like I had the buttons backwards to what my code was looking for. I.E. my code was written for pull-down resistors but my circuit was using pull-up resistors.

I have fixed the source-code and you can download that and the hex file in this archive:
Let me know if it fixes your problem

Ok I will do!

Just another small question about the connection of the push buttons.There are two options to connect the push buttons to the board. And with the isntructable it's not really clear which one is correct. So here a schematic! I'm starting to doubt now

Neither

The first one is the closest to what you want - instead of that wire connecting to +5v, it goes to ground.

Haha, I knew I had it wrong.

I uploaded the new code and IT WORKS!!! I connected the buttons the right way and I´m now seeing the animation and I can start a 2,3,4 player game. Tomorrow I´ll connect the potentiometers and add the legs and glass of the table. Oh and fasten the board. (I also added an on/off LED next to the on/off switch )Can´t wait.

I spend some time with the table and wood during the wait for the LEDs, so I already did all the painting etc. So this should go pretty quickly

I´ll make a video to let you guys see the result!!!

Great to hear it is working!

That will teach me to upload an instructable and then go ahead and change how the circuit works...

I'll have to amend the instructable for all those other poor people who have fallen into the same trap. Look forward to your video!

Aaaaand the table is done!

A good thing to know I could help with solving some problems with the instructable, I start to wonder how many people have actually build the thing

For now here some pics:

Wow, that looks pretty nice! Blue was definitively a good color there.