(Topic ID: 278199)

Pop Art Pinball with Homemade Mechs

By TheSupremePapaya

3 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

You

Linked Games

No games have been linked to this topic.

    Topic Gallery

    View topic image gallery

    PXL_20221109_180355896~2 (resized).jpg
    PXL_20220324_144534482~2 (resized).jpg
    CobraPin_relayJumperSmall (resized).jpeg
    FDBI5NMJRGOMX7V (resized).jpg
    PXL_20211026_031324076 (resized).jpg
    PXL_20211025_024650499 (resized).jpg
    PXL_20211025_023142897 (resized).jpg
    PXL_20211025_023745341 (resized).jpg
    PXL_20211009_195456467 (resized).jpg
    PXL_20210924_170013209 (resized).jpg
    Motor1 (resized).jpg
    Solenoid2 (resized).jpg
    Solenoid1 (resized).jpg
    BoxJoints (resized).jpg
    FinishedFrames (resized).jpg
    Unbenannt (resized).png

    You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider TheSupremePapaya.
    Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

    21
    #1 3 years ago

    First Pinside Post! Be kind internet.

    So what started out as innocent scrap wood tinkering has gotten out of hand. It was supposed to be just an all mechanical novelty, but a few "I wonder if I could make that"-s later and now I would really like to follow through on making it a real (albeit unconventional) table.

    BLAM!, a Roy Lichtenstein inspired game. It's a small, almost entirely handcrafted, EM-inspired game with a multiball mode. Its features include mechanical flippers, a 5 bank drop target, a kickout hole, a captive ball, a pop-bumper like device, and The Bomb, which is 5 holes surrounding a mini flipper. The balls lock in any 3 of those holes, the flipper spins, the balls eject in all directions to start multiball.

    My question is what is the next step to computerize? I'm not a programmer, nor do I have much experience in electronics. Mission Pinball looks quite user friendly, but it seems like the required hardware is overkill for my machine, which frankly doesn't have alot going on in it.

    Thanks in advance for any advice.
    PinballRough_Web (resized).jpgPinballRough_Web (resized).jpg

    #5 3 years ago

    My skill set is in Art/Animation, so it's really hard for me to dismiss video, but don't know if the project merits it. It certainly doesn't need an elaborate light show.

    The mechs are homemade, which was cheap and a fun challenge, but they obviously don't function as well as the real deal. I don't want to sink at lot of cost in electronics for a "just ok" machine.

    Would it be helpful if I posted a component list and basic rules outline?

    Krupps4 Yep, the plan is for original art on the playfield and backglass. Here's a little tease of what I've been doodling.

    GraphicsTease (resized).pngGraphicsTease (resized).png
    #8 3 years ago

    Hey, pretty close! I think it will have 34 switches, 36 insert lights, 1 light for the bomb fuse, 1-2 lights for the inside of the bomb (to add alittle drama when the bomb "explodes") and an undetermined number of lights for illumination under the plastics, though those wouldn't need to be controlled individually.

    When it comes to things that need drivers, it gets weird and a bit... embarrassing. The flippers are purely human powered. I'm still working out how I want to reset the drop target. It is currently cable driven by a lever in the front of the machine, which admittedly creates a fun amount risk like an action button, but I don't know if it'll stay that way. A 12v motor spins the bomb mini flipper. There are 3 solenoids; the kickout, the ball trough, and let's call it a jumper bumper. They're 12V, running at 2A because... I don't really know what I'm doing.

    Plus display and lighting in the backbox, etc.

    1 week later
    #9 3 years ago

    Alright, so I have spent the last week doing a lot of reading, evaluating my options, etc. I think I would like to go the OPP/MPF route. The soldering is a bit intimidating, but I really like how modular it is.

    I do have a few quick questions though. On what wing would a motor go? Neopixels takes one pin, am I reading that right?

    Sorry everyone, I'm trying to learn it all. It's just going to take me a while...

    3 months later
    #11 3 years ago

    Long time, no post. Haven't had much time to work, but what time I've had has been spent on the virtual version of my table in Mission Pinball.

    As a non-coder, I love this thing!!! I've already configured probably 80% of my game rules!

    I have gotten stuck though. I followed the documentation on how to setup a traditional, physical ball lock (super helpful), but when I add "locked_ball_counting_strategy: physical_only" to my multiball lock it stops functioning right. The lock doesn't post the "_full" event, despite "_locked_balls" matching the "balls_to_lock:" in the config.

    jabdoa Is this because I'm running it as a virtual machine and there are no actual switches to check, or is something else going on here?

    #13 3 years ago

    jabdoa Sure thing, mpf version v0.54.2.

    A version where it works:
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,369 : INFO : SwitchController : <<<<<<< 's_bomb_2' active >>>>>>>
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,370 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'machine_var_audits_switches_s_bomb_2'====== Args={'value': 123, 'prev_value': 122, 'change': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,873 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_bomb_ball_count_changed'====== Args={'balls': 3}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,874 : INFO : ball_device.bd_bomb : Received unexpected ball
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,875 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_captured_from_playfield'====== Args={'balls': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,876 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'sw_playfield_active'====== Args={'balls': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,877 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'playfield_ball_count_change'====== Args={'balls': 0, 'change': -1}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,880 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_bomb_ball_enter'====== Args={'new_balls': 1, 'unclaimed_balls': 1, 'new_available_balls': 1, 'device': <ball_device.bd_bomb>}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,881 : DEBUG : Player : Setting 'bomblock_locked_balls' to: 3, (prior: 2, change: 1)
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,881 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'player_bomblock_locked_balls'====== Args={'value': 3, 'prev_value': 2, 'change': 1, 'player_num': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,884 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_balls_available'====== Args={}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,885 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_bomb_ball_entered'====== Args={'new_balls': 1, 'device': <ball_device.bd_bomb>}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,886 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'multiball_lock_bomblock_locked_ball'====== Args={'total_balls_locked': 3}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,887 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'multiball_lock_bomblock_full'====== Args={'balls': 3}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,888 : DEBUG : Player : Setting 'mball_locked' to: 3, (prior: 2, change: 1)
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,889 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'player_mball_locked'====== Args={'value': 3, 'prev_value': 2, 'change': 1, 'player_num': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,890 : DEBUG : Player : Setting 'bomblock_locked_balls' to: 0, (prior: 3, change: -3)
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,891 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'player_bomblock_locked_balls'====== Args={'value': 0, 'prev_value': 3, 'change': -3, 'player_num': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:46:57,892 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'start_mode_bombmultiball'====== Args={'priority': 0}

    The version where it doesn't:
    2021-01-26 21:51:16,689 : INFO : SwitchController : <<<<<<< 's_bomb_2' active >>>>>>>
    2021-01-26 21:51:16,690 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'machine_var_audits_switches_s_bomb_2'====== Args={'value': 124, 'prev_value': 123, 'change': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,195 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_bomb_ball_count_changed'====== Args={'balls': 3}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,196 : INFO : ball_device.bd_bomb : Received unexpected ball
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,197 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_captured_from_playfield'====== Args={'balls': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,198 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'sw_playfield_active'====== Args={'balls': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,199 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'playfield_ball_count_change'====== Args={'balls': 0, 'change': -1}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,202 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_bomb_ball_enter'====== Args={'new_balls': 1, 'unclaimed_balls': 1, 'new_available_balls': 1, 'device': <ball_device.bd_bomb>}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,203 : INFO : ball_device.bd_plunger : Adding 1 ball(s) to the eject_queue with target <playfield.playfield>.
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,205 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_balls_available'====== Args={}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,207 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_balls_available'====== Args={}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,208 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_bomb_ball_entered'====== Args={'new_balls': 1, 'device': <ball_device.bd_bomb>}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,209 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'multiball_lock_bomblock_locked_ball'====== Args={'total_balls_locked': 3}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,210 : DEBUG : Player : Setting 'mball_locked' to: 3, (prior: 2, change: 1)
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,211 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'player_mball_locked'====== Args={'value': 3, 'prev_value': 2, 'change': 1, 'player_num': 1}
    2021-01-26 21:51:17,214 : INFO : ball_device.bd_trough : State: waiting_for_target_ready

    Both are from when player 1 locks a 3rd ball, the only difference is that "physical_only" is on the second one.

    #15 3 years ago

    Thank you so much!!!

    Good news, the multiball and lock now works across multiple players!

    Bad news, the trough is kicking out an extra ball. (multiball at 3, it adds a 4th. Mulitball set to 2, it adds a 3rd, etc.)

    balls_to_replace: and replace_balls_in_play: are in their respective places.

    2021-01-31 14:39:51,969 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'multiball_bombmball_started'====== Args={'balls': 3}
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,969 : DEBUG : Player : Setting 'mball' to: 1, (prior: 0, change: 1)
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,969 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'player_mball'====== Args={'value': 1, 'prev_value': 0, 'change': 1, 'player_num': 1}
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,971 : DEBUG : Player : Setting 'mball_play' to: 0, (prior: 0, change: 0)
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,971 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'player_mball_play'====== Args={'value': 0, 'prev_value': 0, 'change': 0, 'player_num': 1}
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,973 : INFO : Mode.global : Stopped.
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,973 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'modes_active_modes_changed'====== Args={}
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,974 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'mode_global_stopped'====== Args={}
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,974 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'clear'====== Args={'key': 'global'}
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,998 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'slide_bombmultiball.slide_player-mode_bombmultiball_started_created'====== Args={'_from_bcp': True}
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,999 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'slide_bombmultiball.slide_player-mode_bombmultiball_started_active'====== Args={'_from_bcp': True}
    2021-01-31 14:39:51,999 : INFO : ball_device.bd_trough : State: waiting_for_target_ready
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,000 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_trough_ball_eject_attempt'====== Args={'balls': 1, 'target': <ball_device.bd_plunger>, 'source': <ball_device.bd_trough>, 'mechanical_eject': False, 'num_attempts': 0}
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,000 : INFO : ball_device.bd_plunger : State: waiting_for_ball
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,001 : INFO : ball_device.bd_trough : State: ejecting
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,001 : INFO : ball_device.bd_trough : Ejecting ball to <ball_device.bd_plunger>
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,001 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_trough_ejecting_ball'====== Args={'balls': 1, 'target': <ball_device.bd_plunger>, 'source': <ball_device.bd_trough>, 'mechanical_eject': False, 'num_attempts': 0}
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,002 : DEBUG : SmartVirtual Coil Action : Setting eject target. bd_trough -> bd_plunger. Mechanical: False
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,002 : INFO : ball_device.bd_bomb : State: waiting_for_target_ready
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,002 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_bomb_ball_eject_attempt'====== Args={'balls': 1, 'target': <playfield.playfield>, 'source': <ball_device.bd_bomb>, 'mechanical_eject': False, 'num_attempts': 0}
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,003 : INFO : ball_device.bd_bomb : State: ejecting
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,003 : INFO : ball_device.bd_bomb : Ejecting ball to <playfield.playfield>
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,003 : INFO : EventManager : Event: ======'balldevice_bd_bomb_ejecting_ball'====== Args={'balls': 1, 'target': <playfield.playfield>, 'source': <ball_device.bd_bomb>, 'mechanical_eject': False, 'num_attempts': 0}
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,004 : DEBUG : SmartVirtual Coil Action : Setting eject target. bd_bomb -> playfield. Mechanical: False
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,005 : INFO : ball_device.bd_trough : Wait for ball to leave device
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,005 : INFO : coil.c_trough_eject : Pulsing Driver for 20ms (1.0 pulse_power)
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,005 : DEBUG : VirtualDriver.0 : Pulsing driver for 20ms
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,005 : DEBUG : SmartVirtual Coil Action : Removing ball from device bd_trough
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,005 : DEBUG : SmartVirtual Coil Action : Adding delay for bd_plunger to receive ball in 100ms
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,006 : INFO : ball_device.bd_bomb : Wait for ball to leave device
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,006 : INFO : ball_device.bd_trough : State: ball_left
    2021-01-31 14:39:52,007 : INFO : ball_device.bd_trough : Ball left

    #17 3 years ago

    No problem! Let me know if you need anything else from me to help diagnose.

    #19 3 years ago

    Uh oh, that means it's probably my sloppy work.

    My lock is five holes surrounding a spinning mini flipper, with the intent that if any 3 of them are locked, the multiball starts. I would like to later add a timer that starts multiball ball early, even if there is only 1 or 2 balls locked.

    So if any of my configs are not the best practice for this intent (they probably aren't), I'll gladly rework it all if you point me in the proper direction.

    ball device config:
    bd_bomb:
    ball_switches: s_bomb_1, s_bomb_2, s_bomb_3, s_bomb_4, s_bomb_5
    eject_coil: c_bomb_motor
    eject_timeouts: 500ms

    multiball lock, which is part of the global mode config group:
    event_player:
    multiball_lock_bomblock_full: start_mode_bombmultiball

    ...

    multiball_locks:
    bomblock:
    balls_to_lock: 3
    balls_to_replace: 2
    lock_devices: bd_bomb
    locked_ball_counting_strategy: physical_only

    multiball, in the wizard type, bombmultiball config:
    multiballs:
    bombmball:
    ball_count: 3
    ball_locks: bd_bomb
    start_events: mode_bombmultiball_started
    shoot_again: 0s
    replace_balls_in_play: true

    1 week later
    #20 3 years ago

    jabdoa Thinking about it, i'm going to post my trough/plunger config too. No idea if it could be related, but it is also slightly atypical.

    bd_trough:
    entrance_switch: s_trough_enter
    entrance_switch_full_timeout: 500ms
    ball_capacity: 4
    eject_coil: c_trough_eject
    tags: trough, home, drain
    eject_targets: bd_plunger
    eject_timeouts: 3s
    bd_plunger:
    ball_switches: s_plunger
    mechanical_eject: true
    eject_timeouts: 3s

    ...

    machine:
    balls_installed: 4

    #23 3 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    Cool project! I’m a big fan of Roy Lichtenstein, and of course pinball.

    Lichtenstein is a perfect match, right? Pinball playfields are so Pop Art already.

    Quoted from swinks:

    what a cool project, well done and this looks to be a great father and son style project
    curious on the construction of the non-powered mechs very clever - are willing to show more, very impressed.

    I honestly thought my wooden mechs would be scoffed as amateurish, but if people are really interested I can take some pictures next time I'm in my shop.

    #26 3 years ago

    Perfect! Works flawlessly! Thank you so much @jabdoa!

    #27 3 years ago

    Here are some closeups of some of the homemade mechs. They're not too dissimilar from the real ones, just scaled to chunky .25 and .5 inch plywood dimensions.

    Saucer MechSaucer Mech
    Several of the mechs were designed before I decided I wanted to power it. They were actuated by cables that attached to pulls in the front of the machine. It will be interesting finding a place to fit a switch in this saucer.

    Drop Target in playfieldDrop Target in playfield
    Drop Target FrontDrop Target Front
    Drop Target BackDrop Target Back
    The drop targets were especially satisfying when they came together. Alot of fine tuning to find the "sweet spot" during the solenoid retrofit. Like the saucer, installing switches is going to take some creativity...

    Spinning Mini Flipper for ball lockSpinning Mini Flipper for ball lock
    Yep, that is a rubber band acting as the drive belt for my ball lock. It's cheap and works well enough, which is pretty much the motto for this whole project.

    Pop Bumper like thingPop Bumper like thing
    The pop bumper-ish device was the last addition. Obviously, it was designed with solenoids in mind (though it did work pretty well with a foot pedal!). Crafting the traditional skirt and spoon setup is hard to replicate in wood. The best I could come up with involves switch wires coming up through holes and soldered to a pair of brass discs. The discs are separated by a rubber washer, and the top disc is held flat by the tension of the spring that holds the cap up. You can also see some of the homemade stand ups nearby.

    Flipper pics coming soon.

    1 week later
    #28 3 years ago

    I was taking apart the table last night for revision 4 of the flipper mechanisms, so it was a good time to snap some pictures.
    Flippers on playfieldFlippers on playfield

    The flippers are attached to wooden posts that pass through the playfield and into the flipper mechanism.

    Flipper mechanism baseFlipper mechanism base
    The flipper mechanism, the trough, and the plunger are on a separate piece than the playfield. The playfield lays on top and the flipper posts fit into the holes on a fixed rail and the slides.

    Flipper base undersideFlipper base underside
    On the underside of the base piece are the levers and springs. At first I had a spring that simply pulled the slide back. That worked perfectly fine, but I found that I like this setup. There is a little bit of tension let off when the flipper is at the end of the stroke. It creates a "snappy" feeling that I think feels more authentic.

    Snapping GifSnapping Gif
    Of course, this means more friction, but I don't think it's anything that some extra sanding and maybe some drawer wax couldn't fix.

    2 months later
    #29 2 years ago

    Hey pinsiders! Yes, I still exist. No, I haven't given up yet.

    I keep telling myself, "Post when you have completed something worth talking about". Well, that just doesn't seem to be happening. I'll get a few decent hours to work on the project one of these weeks. In the meantime, here are the little bits that I have.

    If this thread has shown anything, it's that there is a sound and proper way to make a pinball machine... and then there's my way.

    Created an odd but functional switch bracket for my drop targets.
    Drop target switchesDrop target switches

    Made some lane switches.
    Lane switch bracketLane switch bracketLane switch underneathLane switch underneathLane switch on topLane switch on top

    Currently making bends and brackets for the locks and saucer.
    Lock SwitchLock Switch

    Other items on the short list are another revision to the flippers to reduce more friction, creating the world's worst tilt sensor, and installing a little shaker motor I found that gives a surprisingly decent buzz.

    2 weeks later
    #30 2 years ago

    As promised, the worst tilt sensor. Does it work? Um, I guess. It's kinda pointless put more effort into it right now since the game isn't really in a cabinet. It's more like a 1/4 plywood shell on some legs made from scrap wood.

    Janky Tilt SensorJanky Tilt Sensor

    The little shaker motor does seem to work. It provides decent sensation and hopefully it will continue to do so when the cabinet is a little heavier. It's mounted on the underside of the flipper base.

    Shaker BracketShaker Bracket

    I added some brackets to flipper mechanisms to prevent the bolts from skewing at the pivot point. They are gliding nicely now.

    Flipper Revision 5Flipper Revision 5

    Lastly, I put some primer on the bomb. Nothing spectacular, but any progress is a win for me.

    Decorative bomb primedDecorative bomb primed

    I have a few more rollover switches to make and then I will have to stop avoiding the electronics. I will have many, extremely stupid questions.

    #32 2 years ago
    Quoted from Quench:

    How about a couple of different sized washers installed smallest to largest in a cone shape?

    Haha, that hadn't occured to me! So obvious.

    2 months later
    #33 2 years ago

    I'm finally back. I did finish installing all the switches on the playfield. Probably should start ordering some OPP parts next.
    Playfield UndersidePlayfield Underside
    I've been pretty burnt out on the whole thing and having doubts. I told myself that a super low budget table is a fresh approach, but now I don't know.

    My son still thinks it pretty cool, but he isn't strong enough yet to flip the balls all the way to the top. So I've been building him a pachinko-style game on the side. Wrapped up the payout mechanism for that. He's pretty excited.
    Pachinko FrontPachinko FrontPachinko BackPachinko Back

    #35 2 years ago

    Hey thanks @swinks! You made my day!

    #36 2 years ago

    (takes deep breath) Alright, the moment I have been avoiding is here. A list of all my electronics and OPP questions, in order of increasing ignorance.

    1. What sort of serial LEDs are people using? I'm looking something low profile with spacing that can be adjusted by a novice

    2. Aside from drool-inducing light shows, a perk of serials seems to be that they take up less room on the blue pill board than other options. Is this accurate?

    3. While it'd be cool to have color changes, my inserts are opaque and I'm going for an EM-ish feel, so I don't really need it. How does one do just plain LEDs with OPP?

    4. If I'm using a motor driver (like a Pololu), is that attached to the blue pill board?

    5. USBs. As I understand it, each blue pill board requires a USB connection with the PC. I'll be testing with an old laptop that has some USB ports that are less than reliable. Can the blue pill boards be run off a USB hub?

    6. I get that floating ground is bad (warnings are always in FULL CAPS after all), but I'm unclear if the PC needs to be attached to the common ground as well. If so, how would I do that with a laptop?

    7. Power. My math and tests seem to show that at 12v, my solenoids aren't going to draw more than 3 amps. Will the OPP power filter work with that? Do I even need it with such low power? Could I get by with a step down module for logic, etc.?

    Thanks in advance for any help.

    #38 2 years ago

    I have read pinballmakers and the OPP blog, but if the answers are there, I must be missing enough of the core concept that I don't see them.

    If someone knows of a great "Electronics for Beginners" source, that'd be equally good. I could come back with more informed questions next time.

    #40 2 years ago

    I have done some MPF reading too.

    I'm just really stuck, because since I don't have any high voltage needs, and the blue pill boards draw power through the USB (right?), it seems that I could run everything else off a 12v Power supply. That sounds too simple.

    Assuming I have all my flyback diodes in place, how much harm am I going to cause?

    #47 2 years ago

    This is great! Thank you @swinks, stefanmader and @jabdoa! Looks like I have some homework to do!

    #48 2 years ago
    Quoted from stefanmader:6.
    you are not using a CobraPin are you?

    I wasn't planning on it. CobraPin looks awesome, but it seems like I would be wasting it. A lot of it's features would go unused on my minimalist project. Maybe that's the wrong way to think about it.

    Quoted from swinks:

    6. what is the highest amp useage item ?

    My "big" items are my 3 largest solenoids, which v=ir says shouldn't be drawing more than around 3 amps at 12v (if solenoids work that way, I have no idea) Testing somewhat corroborates that, as a solenoid draws around 2.9. Though that is from a small power supply that is listed at only 2 amps. There would rarely be a situation where any of the solenoids would be firing simultaneously.

    Under the rule of thumb of 60ma per LED, 50 LEDs would also be 3 amps, right? (don't know if I'll use that many lights, I'll have to play around with placement)

    #50 2 years ago

    Really?! I hadn't priced out my needs yet. I'll definitely give CobraPin another look.

    All those extra coil and switch inputs is going to create alot of temptation. I have a few sketches of some scorereel ideas but dismissed them since I already had a old LCD monitor laying around.

    #51 2 years ago

    So the CobraPin has the direct switches and the matrix. Out of curiosity, how hard is it to setup a matrix myself?

    If could do an 8x8 matrix as well, I'd only need one blue pill board. Obviously not breaking bank buying another board, just think it'd be cool to get by on one.

    My requirements are;

    1-2 blue pills for,

    At most 50 serial LEDs

    28 playfield switches (including the pop bumperish device, which goes to the solenoid board, right?

    6 cabinet switches (the flippers, the drain, the shooter lane, the tilt bob, and the start button)
    Probably forgetting something there

    One solenoid board

    And a separate motor driver board (I only really need directional control on one of the motors, but dual drivers for little robots seem pretty affordable.)

    I have also been wondering if there is something in the car stereo/accessory area that would fulfill my 12v power filter needs. Going to do some digging.

    #54 2 years ago
    Quoted from jabdoa:

    Not hard. However, debugging a matrix aint fun. I would run direct switches if possible. It is just easier to work with.

    Fair enough. Direct switches it is

    #55 2 years ago

    So just a few more questions.

    On the CobraPin, I could drive a motor with one of the coil outputs or on a dual relay board attached to the relay control output for directional control, correct?

    When determining needed current for the power supply, is it the sum of draw from all the solenoids, LEDs, etc.? Just the highest one?

    Added over 3 years ago:

    Edit: Nevermind the second one. I think I figured it out.

    #57 2 years ago

    Thank you all so much! I really appreciates the help.

    So here's the plan:

    CobraPin controller.

    Something like this for a dual relay board to control a 12v dc motor in two directions.
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057OC6D8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_B1JQSEWX81EA9YZYR0HH

    Meanwell RD-125a power supply.
    https://www.meanwell-web.com/en-gb/ac-dc-dual-output-enclosed-power-supply-output-rd--125a

    12v going to coil power input, 5v to that input. I think there should be enough 5v left to power a single board computer to be the host when the game is finalized (maybe some small speakers too?)

    Any red flags on that idea?

    1 week later
    #58 2 years ago

    Turns out, when you have free time, you can actually do things. Who knew?

    Grandparent came to visit and watch my kids, so I finally had a chance to chop up a sheet of plywood that's been sitting there for ages. I made frames for my backbox and my son's pachinko. I think the box joints came out well, considering I don't have a table saw or router.

    Game Room in ProgressGame Room in ProgressBox joint Close UpBox joint Close Up

    P.S. As no one replied "NOOO!! DON'T!!! OH THE HUMANITY!..." on my last post, I think I'm going to start ordering some of those parts.

    #61 2 years ago

    Admittedly, 12v is weak. You can see it in the video. The pop and spinning flipper could use some extra oomph.

    I didn't expect any of this to actually work early on, so I just grabbed an old 12v wall supply from the e waste bin. Things kept working though and I ended up with this playfield and mechs built around 12v.

    So given the choice between an underpowered game or changing the flow/possibly breaking some of my mechs, I'm leaning towards underpowered.

    I couldn't tell if 24v is the minimum for the cobrapin, or if it's just listed as that because 24v is the common minimum and anything under is kinda stupid. But I never claimed to be smart

    Definitely have to watch that video from Jab.

    #63 2 years ago
    Quoted from TreyBo69:

    You could use 24V but then dial down the power to your mechs with software control. My game is 24V and very snappy.

    That is a very good point.

    #64 2 years ago

    So the solenoids are labelled as 12v, but there are seemingly identical solenoids on ebay/ali express labeled or listed as 24v. The spinning flipper motor has no labels! Who knows what that can handle? It was listed as 12v when I bought it, but I don't have any spec sheets. The shaker motor is listed as 24v compatible, so there's that I guess.

    Motor1 (resized).jpgMotor1 (resized).jpgSolenoid1 (resized).jpgSolenoid1 (resized).jpgSolenoid2 (resized).jpgSolenoid2 (resized).jpg

    #66 2 years ago

    The balls are standard size. Had to do at least one thing the normal way.

    #67 2 years ago

    Got confirmation from @cobra18t. 12v is an option, just an uncommon choice. Probably good info for anyone building a mini pinball.

    1 week later
    #68 2 years ago

    Look what came in the mail today! May the pinball gods be merciful and I don't break it.

    PXL_20210924_170013209 (resized).jpgPXL_20210924_170013209 (resized).jpg
    2 weeks later
    #69 2 years ago

    Well, I was cutting and crimping all day. Connected some switches, feeling smart and... I lost my nerve when I was going to connect power.

    So the cobrapin board has 2 vin and 2 gnd for both the high voltage and 5v. The super helpful cobrapin wiring diagram (not sarcasm, love that thing!) shows two red / two black going into presumably separate channels on the PSU.

    My psu has only one channel for each voltage and com.
    PSUPSU

    Should I run two wires into the PSU channel or can I use 1 vin and 1 gnd on the board inputs?

    #72 2 years ago

    Thanks! Confidence restored.

    2 weeks later
    #74 2 years ago

    Argh! Thar She Glows!!!

    default blue glowdefault blue glowGI and Bomb lightsGI and Bomb lights

    LEDs are in! I'll actually have to think about an attract show now.

    Even more progress (two things in one week, crazy right?) The monitor is mounted in the backbox. You can even see a little bit of my art, the part I don't entirely suck at.

    backbox monitorbackbox monitor

    #75 2 years ago

    Obligatory tangled mess of wires photo.

    playfield undersideplayfield underside

    Everything but the motors are wired up. I have a few questions on that, but I'm going to test what I have first.

    2 weeks later
    #76 2 years ago

    Sorry for the junk video.

    It actually kinda works! I know this is pretty small potatoes compared to amazing work the rest of you are making, but as my first DIY electronics project, it's a pretty big deal for me.

    Obviously, without the mini flipper motor running it's missing a big piece of the gameplay, but it lights up/keeps score/flips balls. Minimum definition of Pinball achieved!

    #79 2 years ago

    Alright, motor talk.

    1. Easy question, Shaker motor. Do I need to add a flyback diode to it like I did the coils?

    2. More challenging questions, miniflip motor. I'm using a relay module and was going to wire it up like this.

    relay module wiring diagramrelay module wiring diagram

    Any reason I shouldn't do it that way?

    I'm assuming that I should be running power directly from the supply, not the HV on the Cobrapin board, right?

    On the software side, how do I control the relay module in MPF?

    #83 2 years ago
    Quoted from jabdoa:

    In MPF you can use a "motor" device. Will drive exactly this (i think its calls a H-bridge). You can drive this directly from Cobra. Either using a normal driver/FET or using the special relay output.

    I'm reading that the motor device requires position switches and a reset position. I don't have those. It just needs to spin when triggered (randomly clockwise or counterclockwise, but that's a later issue.)

    How would one configure a spinning disc like on Whirlwind, Fireball, Tron etc.? Seems like that would be similar to my needs.

    #85 2 years ago
    Quoted from jabdoa:

    In that case you can just use "coil_player" to enable/disable coils.

    Sorry if I'm not understanding the obvious. So I could use the relay numbers (rly0 and rly1) in the coil player?

    #87 2 years ago
    Quoted from jabdoa:

    Those map to coils. Would have to look their numbers up. You can enable and disable coils via coil_player. Also works for those two.

    Yeah, according to the pinballmakers text:

    "Connecting the middle and upper pads gives control of the relay programmatically to MPF by using the 1-0-1 coil output."

    For some reason, I thought the relay outputs (rly0 and rly1) could only be configured as digital outputs, using them as coils in coil player would be alot easier for me.

    2 weeks later
    #88 2 years ago

    Good news is that my little shaker motor works pretty well and the family visiting for the holiday had fun with it, despite it's unfinished state.

    Bad news is that I have more questions. Sorry folks, especially @jabdoa, seems like all I do is bother you.

    1. If a ball goes missing from a device and mpf adds it back to the playfield ball count, is that ball a "ball_in_play"?

    I'm trying to create a "just go straight to multiball" failsafe for the rare problem that one of the locked balls gets dislodged. Testing virtually, I'm getting some issues in multiball; extra balls added from the trough or end of ball drains when there is still one on the playfield. Logs seem to indicate a mismatch of playfield balls and balls in play.

    2. Can I change the configured eject coil on a ball device in game?

    Example, if I had Coil X as the default eject coil for the device, but an event triggers it to change to Coil Y.

    A ball device can't have multiple eject coils and has to be configured as either eject,hold, or mechanical eject, right?

    #91 2 years ago
    Quoted from stefanmader:

    2.Maybe you could set to mechanical eject and use coil_player and decide in code which coil should eject.

    I thought that might work too, but mpf tells me that mechanically ejected devices cannot have more than one switch (mine has 5). I suppose I could split it up into multiple ball devices.

    1 month later
    #93 2 years ago

    Happy new year everyone! Not alot of progress to report. I did get a chance to try out the relay output, but didn't have any luck.

    I soldered together both of the the upper and middle pads on the Cobrapin board like the pinballmakers picture says to do for control through the 1-0-1 output.

    cobrapin soldering pointscobrapin soldering points

    In the config, I mapped the coil to the name rly0. Mpf threw an assertion error on start up. Tried 1-0-1, program locked up when the coil was activated. Is there a name that I'm supposed to be using?

    #94 2 years ago

    I saw this on the MPF Users Google group,

    "The built in connections only allow control from the 1-0-1 coil output or control from the processor board USB receiving power. If you want two separate programmatically controlled relays, you have to wire another pin from the coil outputs."

    It seems like 1-0-1 can control only one of the relays?

    So I tried to desolder one of the pairs and... I wrecked it. Ruined the pads on one of them.

    I'm just going to settle for one direction of rotation, directly from the coil outputs.

    (Sad Trombone)

    #96 2 years ago

    It's not so bad. Everything else seems to work fine. I just can't use one of relay outputs anymore.

    CW rotation disperses the balls nicely in a wide area, whereas CCW mostly hurls them down to the left flipper. So doing just CW is fine, the random directions would have been just a little extra surprise.

    I'm kinda glad to be moving on to different problems.

    3 months later
    #98 1 year ago

    Finally back. Solved my ball count problem and fixed a few playfield issues that had been bothering me. Multiball mode is working! Rules need more testing, but I mostly like them so far.

    Here is the current ruleset, with another picture of the playfield for reference;

    Full PlayfieldFull Playfield

    At the top are the BLAM lanes. Completing the lanes increases the blast award score (10, 25, 50, 100). Below those is the kick out "Oomph" hole increases the multiplier for the blast award (2x, 3x,5x).

    The blast award is earned at the start of multiball. Balls are locked under the bomb. Once a ball is locked a fuse timer starts The multiball begins when 3 balls are locked or the fuse timer runs out. Time is added to the fuse by locking another ball or hitting the spinner on the left.

    The spinner also cycles the target for sabotage. During multiball, shooting a ball into the oomph hole will sabotage the targeted player, possibly yourself. Currently set to -10% of the player's score, requires a lot of testing to find that nice balance of fairness and cruelty.

    Blast award is (# of locked balls x BLAM score x oomph multiplier) for a current maximum of 1500.

    Down and right from the kickout is the captive ball. Targets adds +1 to all targets and lanes (most are 1 or 2 points, so a potential +3 increase is noticable but I wonder if it should be more.)

    Lighting the captive ball targets and the midfield stand up targets adds to the jackpot in multiball. During multiball each formerly lit stand up turns flashing. A flashing target awards a mini jackpot.

    Mini jackpot is (5 x # of lit stand up targets at multiball start x # of balls in play) for a maximum of 105

    Jackpot is achieved by clearing all of flashing stand-ups. It is (mini jackpot value x # of lit stand up targets at multiball start) for a maximum of 735.

    The "fizzle" drop targets are the safety net. Clearing the bank provides you with percentage (25% ,50%,75%) on drain of what would have been your blast award and your jackpot.

    Hitting the pop bumper awards the joke "Pop" Art bonus on drain. It's the bumper score (including the captive ball increase) x the # of times the bumper has been hit in the player's ball/game.

    Clearing the lower "phew" lanes restarts ball save.

    Thoughts and critiques? I was thinking about adding a second multiball and/or a mini wizard mode.

    #101 1 year ago

    I'll have to practice more before I make a video. I'm not very good at my own game!

    6 months later
    #102 1 year ago

    Sorry I haven't posted, but I have been doing a little work here and there:

    -Cut the exterior case and put some plexiglass over it. Botched a cut so I didn't have enough material to make proper legs too. Still need to cut the joints flush, but you get the idea. It also doesn't have a place for the start button yet. I was thinking that even though I wasn't going to do a full coin door setup, I would make a panel with the start button and a "Free Will Donation" coin slot. Too cheesy?

    exterior case startedexterior case started

    -I cut new spinner from an old saw blade. While it doesn't exactly "rip", it's a huge improvement over the old one.

    -Some leds have been added under the apron.

    -Balancing rules. I changed the captive ball targets from "+1 to all targets" to +3. Which, when combined with the better spinner, makes for a decent scoring strategy. I also raised the lower tiers on the blast awards and jackpots. Gives low skilled players, such as myself, a better sense of accomplishment.

    -Added some music. Was hoping to find something a little less recognizable, but it seems to vibe well with Cowboy Bebop's Tank. The mix is pretty rough, but fun.

    -lots of sketching, Illustrator work and still alot more to be done. Hoping someday to animate some of my shows. Does anyone have any opinions on video files vs image sequences in MPF?

    4 weeks later
    #105 1 year ago

    My wife's company was selling some surplus and I found a small form PC for $10! Should fit nicely inside my cabinet!

    I installed windows, python 3.9.13, and followed the August 2022 install instructions for mpf and monitor.

    The oddest thing happened though. When running my game, it would crash when it tried to play a sound effect. Everything else seemed the same and I couldn't find any errors in the logs. It just quit!
    The only thing was a gstreamer-warning on launch that 3 modules could not be found. Looking at the google groups, it seems like that's been happening to several people recently, but I didn't see any solutions.

    So I reinstalled it the way I think I did on my half-dead laptop a few years ago (python 3.7.8, no pipx just pip install mpf[all], PyQT 5 for monitor, etc) It seems to work fine now. The gstreamer-warning is still there though.

    Anybody else experience something similar?

    You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider TheSupremePapaya.
    Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.

    Reply

    Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

    Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

    Donate to Pinside

    Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


    This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/so-i-guess-i-m-making-a-homebrew-need-advice?tu=TheSupremePapaya and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

    Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.