 | Level: Intermediate Duane O'Brien , PHP developer, Freelance
24 Feb 2009 Arduino is an inexpensive, easy-to-use electronics platform. The entire platform, both the hardware and the software, is completely open source, and the language is loosely based on C/C++. Arduino was built for makers, tinkerers, and artists who want to take the plunge into creating interactive physical objects. This three-part series starts with basic Arduino hardware and uses it to create an interactive laser game called "'Duino tag," where players can play tag using devices built nearly from scratch. In this final part of the "Building an Arduino-based laser game" series, you'll build the transmitter and complete the 'Duino Tag gun.
In this tutorial
To follow along, you don't need any electronics experience, although experience working with electronic components can certainly serve you well. If you've worked with microcontrollers, you'll have an edge, but keep in mind that the Arduino platform is well suited for people without that experience. Above all, you should be willing to stretch your skills. Working with electronics and microcontrollers can be rewarding. Most software engineers don't get a chance to write code for devices that interface with the physical world, and Arduino provides a low-cost entry point into working with interactive devices. This tutorial focuses on building the transmitter for the 'Duino Tag gun. The actual
component assembly is minimal and won't take much time. You'll spend time
working with the code to handle all of the firing needs for a player's gun. You'll
learn what's needed to build a referee's gun and explore some casing options.
This tutorial closes by suggesting some ideas for taking things beyond this series.
Prerequisites
See System requirements below.
System requirements
For this tutorial, you need a few tools and supplies. See Parts
1 and 2 for a list, including the Arduino hardware and
software. Following are the basic items needed for Part 3.
- Infrared LED
- Just about any would do, but the brighter the better.
- Infrared sensor
- This series was written using a TSOP2138YA Infrared Sensor (from All Electronics).
- 10,000-ohm resistor
- Brown-black-orange markings.
- 82-ohm resistor
- Gray-red-black.
- 0.1uF capacitor
- You will need a capacitor of 0.1uF.
- Switch
- You need a single pole momentary switch.
- Wire
- Get 22 gauge, solid or stranded.
- PVC or other rigid tubing
- You need only a short length.
- A small magnifying lens (three-quarters to 1 inch in diameter)
- You can use a cheap plastic one, such as those given as party favors.
A breadboard worked fine when prototyping the receiver, and you can continue to
prototype your 'Duino tag gun with a breadboard. You'll need to solder everything together before you can put your gun into a decent case.
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