Hello,
old thread https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/zizzle-potc-pinball-mod-using-arduino-microcontroller

was closed due to 6 Months of inactivity. So here is the new one!

Had some time to play with my already 2 years working DMD, but thought it was a little bit boring only to display static points. So i dumped the old controll software of my DMD and went for a new one with the capabilty of drawing fullscreen graphics at highspeed SPI connection to the 16x48 Pixel DMD.

DMD is constructed from 3x Max7219 Dot-Matrix Module at a total cost of 9,90 $ include shipping from Aliexpress as described from me here:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/zizzle-potc-pinball-mod-using-arduino-microcontroller#post-3563960

site note for the programmers here:
graphics were made with a special edior (LED-Matrix-Studio see screenshots below) which creates a C-array of hex values you only have to copy and paste into the Arduino Code. Very simple, fast and straight forward!

So here's the first testvid of new fullscreen graphics

Unbenannt (resized).jpgUnbenannt2 (resized).jpg

yes, all Playfield-Led´s were swapped for serial controlled RGB-Led´s aka "Neopixels". (i used APA-106 F5 clear dome)

regards

aliens (resized).jpg

little update: just installed the new "Translite" made of 1pc DIN A3 transparent Paper at total cost of 2€.
look at the pic of old translites, formerly installed on my maschine.

Illumination is done by original 6 coldwhite led's, connected to the DMD-controlling Arduino.
Ported my Software from Arduino Nano to Mega2560, as i quick run out of programm space with the animations.
Arduino MEga2560 is only 6,80€ include shipping to Germany (Aliexpress), so no worth for playing with external flash or SD cards.
Modifying of library was also necessary, cause the Mega uses different hardware SPI pins than the nano/Uno.

new Video of ingame-Animations will be posted soon!

7a51ecc3-2d04-49ae-bbc2-a6985246c5c8 (resized).jpg

b399cfa2-78af-438b-9159-502d79654c41 (resized).jpg

P.S. is there anybody who can verify my pinside account through a reference?

so here are two gameplay vids as promised (sorry for my bad playing skills

new DMD annimations:
- motion tracker
- apc driving
- rotating 2X multiplier

thanks guys! Ammocounter of sentry (triggered by bumperhits) is now also animated. created a new 8x12 pixel font and tried to paint the numbers equal to the sentry gun terminals from the movie.

work in progress
20181011_183403 (resized).jpg

little update. ordered some flasher domes and made two prototypes of led bulbs.
flasher domes are clear, as i will use RGB LEDs of course
Ech prototype contains 4x neopixel in SMD or through hole version.

overall experience:
SMD version is more easy to solder(caps and resistors already presoldered), has a smaller footprint and better white color

Starposts (with clear 5/6 silicon ring) will also be rgb illuminated of course

20181015_185219 (resized).jpg20181015_185311 (resized).jpg20181015_185409 (resized).jpg20181015_185518 (resized).jpg20181015_185747 (resized).jpg

20181015_193226 (resized).jpg

thanx for your input, but for now i am very happy with the DMD. optimised the bitmaps and decoding algorithm in newest sketch, so that the whole DMD sketch (newest youtube vid) with all the animations and still pictures consume only 30% of Arduino Uno/Nano programmspace. i can provide sketch if anyone is interested in. the sketch transforms an arduino Uno and some max7219 LEDmatrix modules into a DMD which is controlled over serial commands and displays static text, scrolling text, pictures and animations. you can also direct write text and send commands over serial monitor if you wish (handy for debugging/testing)

cost for whole DMD:
3x max7219 modules (8x32Leds each) at 3,3€
1x Arduino Uno or Nano or pro mini (clone) at 2€

if i ever run out of space i use an Arduino Mega wich is easy to adopt in the library and brings 6x programmspace than Uno/Nano.

loading up a new sketch through usb into the arduino is much more easy for me than crouching under the pin and pull in and out flimsy sd cards and and copy stuff on them