BBGame114: Breadboard Game with 11x4 Matrix

BBGame114 is handheld game device that consists of an Arduino Nano processor board, an 11x4 LED matrix display, three input buttons and a piezoelectric speaker. This device can be programmed using the Arduino IDE. The BBGame114 GitHub repository at https://github.com/mtejada11/BBGame114 contains the BBGame114Lib library that can be used for programming this device, and it also contains a Space Invaders-like game.

BBGame114 build diagram Diagram of BBGame114 assembled on 830-point solderless breadboard

BBGame114 circuit diagram Circuit diagram

Code

The BBGame114 GitHub repository at https://github.com/mtejada11/BBGame114 contains the following coding exercises:

Exercises 1 to 3: Coding with an Arduino processor and 5 LEDs
Exercises 4 to 7: Coding with a partial 5x4 LED matrix
Exercises 8 to 10: Coding with a full 11x4 LED matrix, leading up to coding a full game
Exercises 11 to 12: Additional special coding exercises

How to Build

Building this breadboard game will take several hours, and this will vary based on the experience you have with basic electronics. The links below give an overview of this project and 3 sets of slides that are used for three days in a coding/electronics class for high school students.

How to Teach

Plan three days of 6 hours, or an equivalent or appropriate amount of time to teach
Plan on additional instructors, on the order of one instructor per 3 to 5 students
Purchase sufficient electronics parts for all students, all instructors and also for some spare kits
Prepare each student’s kit of parts beforehand so that this does not take up class time
All instructors should build the circuit once before the class and also try out the coding exercises

Special thanks to S. Ramakrishnan, R. Hunter, C. Chiock, T. Veneruso, L. De Pavia for their valuable help in teaching and making this class happen.

BBGame114 Arduino Library

The BBGame114Lib.zip library for Arduino included in this repository is a library that allows the BBGame114 device to be programmed with higher level methods/functions than the Arduino digitalWrite and digitalRead functions. See the page BBGame114Lib Library Reference page for more information on this library.