Mike R
An input/output controller for virtual pinball machines, with plunger position tracking, accelerometer-based nudge sensing, button input encoding, and feedback device control.
Dependencies: USBDevice mbed FastAnalogIn FastIO FastPWM SimpleDMA
The Pinscape Controller is a special-purpose software project that I wrote for my virtual pinball machine.
New version: V2 is now available! The information below is for version 1, which will continue to be available for people who prefer the original setup.
What exactly is a virtual pinball machine? It's basically a video-game pinball emulator built to look like a real pinball machine. (The picture at right is the one I built.) You start with a standard pinball cabinet, either built from scratch or salvaged from a real machine. Inside, you install a PC motherboard to run the software, and install TVs in place of the playfield and backglass. Several Windows pinball programs can take advantage of this setup, including the open-source project Visual Pinball, which has hundreds of tables available. Building one of these makes a great DIY project, and it's a good way to add to your skills at woodworking, computers, and electronics. Check out the Cabinet Builders' Forum on vpforums.org for lots of examples and advice.
This controller project is a key piece in my setup that helps integrate the video game into the pinball cabinet. It handles several input/output tasks that are unique to virtual pinball machines. First, it lets you connect a mechanical plunger to the software, so you can launch the ball like on a real machine. Second, it sends "nudge" data to the software, based on readings from an accelerometer. This lets you interact with the game physically, which makes the playing experience more realistic and immersive. Third, the software can handle button input (for wiring flipper buttons and other cabinet buttons), and fourth, it can control output devices (for tactile feedback, button lights, flashers, and other special effects).
Documentation
The Hardware Build Guide (PDF) has detailed instructions on how to set up a Pinscape Controller for your own virtual pinball cabinet.
Update notes
December 2015 version: This version fully supports the new Expansion Board project, but it'll also run without it. The default configuration settings haven't changed, so existing setups should continue to work as before.
August 2015 version: Be sure to get the latest version of the Config Tool for windows if you're upgrading from an older version of the firmware. This update adds support for TSL1412R sensors (a version of the 1410 sensor with a slightly larger pixel array), and a config option to set the mounting orientation of the board in the firmware rather than in VP (for better support for FP and other pinball programs that don't have VP's flexibility for setting the rotation).
Feb/March 2015 software versions: If you have a CCD plunger that you've been using with the older versions, and the plunger stops working (or doesn't work as well) after you update to the latest version, you might need to increase the brightness of your light source slightly. Check the CCD exposure with the Windows config tool to see if it looks too dark. The new software reads the CCD much more quickly than the old versions did. This makes the "shutter speed" faster, which might require a little more light to get the same readings. The CCD is actually really tolerant of varying light levels, so you probably won't have to change anything for the update - I didn't. But if you do have any trouble, have a look at the exposure meter and try a slightly brighter light source if the exposure looks too dark.
Downloads
- Config tool for Windows (.exe and C# source): this is a Windows program that lets you view the raw pixel data from the CCD sensor, trigger plunger calibration mode, and configure some of the software options on the controller.
- Custom VP builds: I created modified versions of Visual Pinball 9.9 and Physmod5 that you might want to use in combination with this controller. The modified versions have special handling for plunger calibration specific to the Pinscape Controller, as well as some enhancements to the nudge physics. If you're not using the plunger, you might still want it for the nudge improvements. The modified version also works with any other input controller, so you can get the enhanced nudging effects even if you're using a different plunger/nudge kit. The big change in the modified versions is a "filter" for accelerometer input that's designed to make the response to cabinet nudges more realistic. It also makes the response more subdued than in the standard VP, so it's not to everyone's taste. The downloads include both the updated executables and the source code changes, in case you want to merge the changes into your own custom version(s).
Note! These features are now standard in the official VP 9.9.1 and VP 10 releases, so you don't need my custom builds if you're using 9.9.1 or 10 or later. I don't think there's any reason to use my 9.9 instead of the official 9.9.1, but I'm leaving it here just in case. In the official VP releases, look for the checkbox "Enable Nudge Filter" in the Keys preferences dialog. (There's no checkbox in my custom builds, though; the filter is simply always on in those.)
- Output circuit shopping list: This is a saved shopping cart at mouser.com with the parts needed for each output driver, if you want to use the LedWiz emulator feature. Note that quantities in the cart are for one output channel, so multiply everything by the number of channels you plan to use, except that you only need one of the ULN2803 transistor array chips for each eight output circuits.
- Lemming77's potentiometer mounting bracket and shooter rod connecter: Sketchup designs for 3D-printable parts for mounting a slide potentiometer as the plunger sensor. These were designed for a particular slide potentiometer that used to be available from an Aliexpress.com seller but is no longer listed. You can probably use this design as a starting point for other similar devices; just check the dimensions before committing the design to plastic.
Features
- Plunger position sensing, using a TAOS TSL 1410R CCD linear array sensor. This sensor is a 1280 x 1 pixel array at 400 dpi, which makes it about 3" long - almost exactly the travel distance of a standard pinball plunger. The idea is that you install the sensor just above (within a few mm of) the shooter rod on the inside of the cabinet, with the CCD window facing down, aligned with and centered on the long axis of the shooter rod, and positioned so that the rest position of the tip is about 1/2" from one end of the window. As you pull back the plunger, the tip will travel down the length of the window, and the maximum retraction point will put the tip just about at the far end of the window. Put a light source below, facing the sensor - I'm using two typical 20 mA blue LEDs about 8" away (near the floor of the cabinet) with good results. The principle of operation is that the shooter rod casts a shadow on the CCD, so pixels behind the rod will register lower brightness than pixels that aren't in the shadow. We scan down the length of the sensor for the edge between darker and brighter, and this tells us how far back the rod has been pulled. We can read the CCD at about 25-30 ms intervals, so we can get rapid updates. We pass the readings reports to VP via our USB joystick reports.
The hardware build guide includes schematics showing how to wire the CCD to the KL25Z. It's pretty straightforward - five wires between the two devices, no external components needed. Two GPIO ports are used as outputs to send signals to the device and one is used as an ADC in to read the pixel brightness inputs. The config tool has a feature that lets you display the raw pixel readings across the array, so you can test that the CCD is working and adjust the light source to get the right exposure level.
Alternatively, you can use a slide potentiometer as the plunger sensor. This is a cheaper and somewhat simpler option that seems to work quite nicely, as you can see in Lemming77's video of this setup in action. This option is also explained more fully in the build guide.
- Nudge sensing via the KL25Z's on-board accelerometer. Mounting the board in your cabinet makes it feel the same accelerations the cabinet experiences when you nudge it. Visual Pinball already knows how to interpret accelerometer input as nudging, so we simply feed the acceleration readings to VP via the joystick interface.
- Cabinet button wiring. Up to 24 pushbuttons and switches can be wired to the controller for input controls (for example, flipper buttons, the Start button, the tilt bob, coin slot switches, and service door buttons). These appear to Windows as joystick buttons. VP can map joystick buttons to pinball inputs via its keyboard preferences dialog. (You can raise the 24-button limit by editing the source code, but since all of the GPIO pins are allocated, you'll have to reassign pins currently used for other functions.)
- LedWiz emulation (limited). In addition to emulating a joystick, the device emulates the LedWiz USB interface, so controllers on the PC side such as DirectOutput Framework can recognize it and send it commands to control lights, solenoids, and other feedback devices. 22 GPIO ports are assigned by default as feedback device outputs. This feature has some limitations. The big one is that the KL25Z hardware only has 10 PWM channels, which isn't enough for a fully decked-out cabinet. You also need to build some external power driver circuitry to use this feature, because of the paltry 4mA output capacity of the KL25Z GPIO ports. The build guide includes instructions for a simple and robust output circuit, including part numbers for the exact components you need. It's not hard if you know your way around a soldering iron, but just be aware that it'll take a little work.
Warning: This is not replacement software for the VirtuaPin plunger kit. If you bought the VirtuaPin kit, please don't try to install this software. The VP kit happens to use the same microcontroller board, but the rest of its hardware is incompatible. The VP kit uses a different type of sensor for its plunger and has completely different button wiring, so the Pinscape software won't work properly with it.
Diff: main.cpp
- Revision:
- 34:6b981a2afab7
- Parent:
- 33:d832bcab089e
- Child:
- 35:e959ffba78fd
--- a/main.cpp Wed Oct 21 21:53:07 2015 +0000
+++ b/main.cpp Thu Dec 03 07:34:57 2015 +0000
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@
#include "FreescaleIAP.h"
#include "crc32.h"
#include "TLC5940.h"
+#include "74HC595.h"
#define DECL_EXTERNS
#include "config.h"
@@ -421,6 +422,19 @@
virtual void set(float val) { }
};
+// Active Low out. For any output marked as active low, we layer this
+// on top of the physical pin interface. This simply inverts the value of
+// the output value, so that 1.0 means fully off and 0.0 means fully on.
+class LwInvertedOut: public LwOut
+{
+public:
+ LwInvertedOut(LwOut *o) : out(o) { }
+ virtual void set(float val) { out->set(1.0 - val); }
+
+private:
+ LwOut *out;
+};
+
#if TLC5940_NCHIPS
//
@@ -442,21 +456,12 @@
virtual void set(float val)
{
if (val != prv)
- tlc5940.set(idx, (int)(val * 4095));
+ tlc5940.set(idx, (int)((prv = val) * 4095));
}
int idx;
float prv;
};
-// Inverted voltage version of TLC5940 class (Active Low - logical "on"
-// is represented by 0V on output)
-class Lw5940OutInv: public Lw5940Out
-{
-public:
- Lw5940OutInv(int idx) : Lw5940Out(idx) { }
- virtual void set(float val) { Lw5940Out::set(1.0 - val); }
-};
-
#else
// No TLC5940 chips are attached, so we shouldn't encounter any ports
// in the map marked for TLC5940 outputs. If we do, treat them as unused.
@@ -466,13 +471,58 @@
Lw5940Out(int idx) { }
};
-class Lw5940OutInv: public Lw5940Out
+// dummy tlc5940 interface
+class Dummy5940
+{
+public:
+ void start() { }
+};
+Dummy5940 tlc5940;
+
+#endif // TLC5940_NCHIPS
+
+#if HC595_NCHIPS
+// 74HC595 interface object. Set this up with the port assignments in
+// config.h.
+HC595 hc595(HC595_NCHIPS, HC595_SIN, HC595_SCLK, HC595_LATCH, HC595_ENA);
+
+// LwOut class for 74HC595 outputs. These are simple digial outs.
+// The 'idx' value in the constructor is the output index in the
+// daisy-chained 74HC595 array. 0 is output #0 on the first chip,
+// 1 is #1 on the first chip, 7 is #7 on the first chip, 8 is
+// #0 on the second chip, etc.
+class Lw595Out: public LwOut
{
public:
- Lw5940OutInv(int idx) : Lw5940Out(idx) { }
+ Lw595Out(int idx) : idx(idx) { prv = -1; }
+ virtual void set(float val)
+ {
+ if (val != prv)
+ hc595.set(idx, (prv = val) == 0.0 ? 0 : 1);
+ }
+ int idx;
+ float prv;
};
-#endif // TLC5940_NCHIPS
+#else // HC595_NCHIPS
+// No 74HC595 chips are attached, so we shouldn't encounter any ports
+// in the map marked for these outputs. If we do, treat them as unused.
+class Lw595Out: public LwUnusedOut
+{
+public:
+ Lw595Out(int idx) { }
+};
+
+// dummy placeholder class
+class DummyHC595
+{
+public:
+ void init() { }
+ void update() { }
+};
+DummyHC595 hc595;
+
+#endif // HC595_NCHIPS
//
// Default LedWiz mode - using on-board GPIO ports. In this mode, we
@@ -496,16 +546,6 @@
float prv;
};
-// Inverted voltage PWM-capable GPIO port. This is the Active Low
-// version of the port - logical "on" is represnted by 0V on the
-// GPIO pin.
-class LwPwmOutInv: public LwPwmOut
-{
-public:
- LwPwmOutInv(PinName pin) : LwPwmOut(pin) { }
- virtual void set(float val) { LwPwmOut::set(1.0 - val); }
-};
-
// LwOut class for a Digital-Only (Non-PWM) GPIO port
class LwDigOut: public LwOut
{
@@ -520,14 +560,6 @@
float prv;
};
-// Inverted voltage digital out
-class LwDigOutInv: public LwDigOut
-{
-public:
- LwDigOutInv(PinName pin) : LwDigOut(pin) { }
- virtual void set(float val) { LwDigOut::set(1.0 - val); }
-};
-
// Array of output physical pin assignments. This array is indexed
// by LedWiz logical port number - lwPin[n] is the maping for LedWiz
// port n (0-based). If we're using GPIO ports to implement outputs,
@@ -551,19 +583,30 @@
{
// Figure out how many outputs we have. We always have at least
// 32 outputs, since that's the number fixed by the original LedWiz
- // protocol. If we're using TLC5940 chips, we use our own custom
- // extended protocol that allows for many more ports. In this case,
- // we have 16 outputs per TLC5940, plus any assigned to GPIO pins.
+ // protocol. If we're using TLC5940 chips, each chip provides 16
+ // outputs. Likewise, each 74HC595 provides 8 outputs.
- // start with 16 ports per TLC5940
- numOutputs = TLC5940_NCHIPS * 16;
+ // start with 16 ports per TLC5940 and 8 per 74HC595
+ numOutputs = TLC5940_NCHIPS*16 + HC595_NCHIPS*8;
- // add outputs assigned to GPIO pins in the LedWiz-to-pin mapping
+ // add outputs explicitly assigned to GPIO pins or not connected
int i;
for (i = 0 ; i < countof(ledWizPortMap) ; ++i)
{
- if (ledWizPortMap[i].pin != NC)
+ switch (ledWizPortMap[i].typ)
+ {
+ case DIG_GPIO:
+ case PWM_GPIO:
+ case NO_PORT:
+ // count an explicitly GPIO port
++numOutputs;
+ break;
+
+ default:
+ // DON'T count TLC5940 or 74HC595 ports, as we've already
+ // counted all of these above
+ break;
+ }
}
// always set up at least 32 outputs, so that we don't have to
@@ -582,69 +625,79 @@
char *tlcasi = new char[TLC5940_NCHIPS*16+1];
memset(tlcasi, 0, TLC5940_NCHIPS*16);
- // assign all pins from the port map in config.h
+ // likewise for the 74HC595 ports
+ char *hcasi = new char[HC595_NCHIPS*8+1];
+ memset(hcasi, 0, HC595_NCHIPS*8);
+
+ // assign all pins from the explicit port map in config.h
for (i = 0 ; i < countof(ledWizPortMap) ; ++i)
{
- // Figure out which type of pin to assign to this port:
- //
- // - If it has a valid GPIO pin (other than "NC"), create a PWM
- // or Digital output pin according to the port type.
- //
- // - If the pin has a TLC5940 port number, set up a TLC5940 port.
- //
- // - Otherwise, the pin is unconnected, so set up an unused out.
- //
- PinName p = ledWizPortMap[i].pin;
+ int pin = ledWizPortMap[i].pin;
+ LWPortType typ = ledWizPortMap[i].typ;
int flags = ledWizPortMap[i].flags;
- int tlcPortNum = ledWizPortMap[i].tlcPortNum;
- int isPwm = flags & PORT_IS_PWM;
int activeLow = flags & PORT_ACTIVE_LOW;
- if (p != NC)
+ switch (typ)
{
- // This output is a GPIO - set it up as PWM or Digital, and
- // active high or low, as marked
- if (isPwm)
- lwPin[i] = activeLow ? new LwPwmOutInv(p) : new LwPwmOut(p);
- else
- lwPin[i] = activeLow ? new LwDigOutInv(p) : new LwDigOut(p);
+ case DIG_GPIO:
+ lwPin[i] = new LwDigOut((PinName)pin);
+ break;
+
+ case PWM_GPIO:
+ // PWM GPIO port
+ lwPin[i] = new LwPwmOut((PinName)pin);
+ break;
+
+ case TLC_PORT:
+ // TLC5940 port (note that the nominal pin in the map is 1-based, so we
+ // have to decrement it to get the real pin index)
+ lwPin[i] = new Lw5940Out(pin-1);
+ tlcasi[pin-1] = 1;
+ break;
+
+ case HC595_PORT:
+ // 74HC595 port (the pin in the map is 1-based, so decrement it to get the
+ // real pin index)
+ lwPin[i] = new Lw595Out(pin-1);
+ hcasi[pin-1] = 1;
+ break;
+
+ default:
+ lwPin[i] = new LwUnusedOut();
+ break;
}
- else if (tlcPortNum != 0)
- {
- // It's a TLC5940 port. Note that the port numbering in the map
- // starts at 1, but internally we number the ports starting at 0,
- // so subtract one to get the correct numbering.
- lwPin[i] = activeLow ? new Lw5940OutInv(tlcPortNum-1) : new Lw5940Out(tlcPortNum-1);
-
- // mark this port as used, so that we don't reassign it when we
- // fill out the remaining unassigned ports
- tlcasi[tlcPortNum-1] = 1;
- }
- else
- {
- // it's not a GPIO or TLC5940 port -> it's not connected
- lwPin[i] = new LwUnusedOut();
- }
+
+ // if it's Active Low, layer an inverter
+ if (activeLow)
+ lwPin[i] = new LwInvertedOut(lwPin[i]);
+
+ // turn it off initially
lwPin[i]->set(0);
}
- // find the next unassigned tlc port
- int tlcnxt;
+ // If we haven't assigned all of the LedWiz ports to physical pins,
+ // fill out the unassigned LedWiz ports with any unassigned TLC5940
+ // pins, then with any unassigned 74HC595 ports.
+ int tlcnxt, hcnxt;
for (tlcnxt = 0 ; tlcnxt < TLC5940_NCHIPS*16 && tlcasi[tlcnxt] ; ++tlcnxt) ;
-
- // assign any remaining pins
+ for (hcnxt = 0 ; hcnxt < HC595_NCHIPS*8 && hcasi[hcnxt] ; ++hcnxt) ;
for ( ; i < numOutputs ; ++i)
{
// If we have any more unassigned TLC5940 outputs, assign this LedWiz
- // port to the next available TLC5940 output. Otherwise make it
- // unconnected.
+ // port to the next available TLC5940 output, or the next 74HC595 output
+ // if we're out of TLC5940 outputs. Leave it unassigned if there are
+ // no more unassigned ports of any type.
if (tlcnxt < TLC5940_NCHIPS*16)
{
- // we have a TLC5940 output available - assign it
+ // assign this available TLC5940 pin, and find the next unused one
lwPin[i] = new Lw5940Out(tlcnxt);
-
- // find the next unassigned TLC5940 output, for the next port
for (++tlcnxt ; tlcnxt < TLC5940_NCHIPS*16 && tlcasi[tlcnxt] ; ++tlcnxt) ;
}
+ else if (hcnxt < HC595_NCHIPS*8)
+ {
+ // assign this available 74HC595 pin, and find the next unused one
+ lwPin[i] = new Lw595Out(hcnxt);
+ for (++hcnxt ; hcnxt < HC595_NCHIPS*8 && hcasi[hcnxt] ; ++hcnxt) ;
+ }
else
{
// no more ports available - set up this port as unconnected
@@ -652,8 +705,9 @@
}
}
- // done with the temporary TLC5940 port assignment list
+ // done with the temporary TLC5940 and 74HC595 port assignment lists
delete [] tlcasi;
+ delete [] hcasi;
}
// LedWiz output states.
@@ -840,8 +894,11 @@
// isn't running, turn it on
if (pulse)
wizPulseTimer.attach(wizPulse, WIZ_PULSE_TIME_BASE);
+
+ // flush changes to 74HC595 chips, if attached
+ hc595.update();
}
-
+
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// Button input
@@ -1321,7 +1378,9 @@
// has been properly initialized
uint32_t checksum;
- // signature value
+ // signature and version, to verify that we saved the config
+ // data to flash on a past run (as opposed to uninitialized
+ // data from a firmware update)
static const uint32_t SIGNATURE = 0x4D4A522A;
static const uint16_t VERSION = 0x0003;
@@ -1339,8 +1398,10 @@
void save(FreescaleIAP &iap, int addr)
{
// update the checksum and structure size
+ d.sig = SIGNATURE;
+ d.vsn = VERSION;
+ d.sz = sizeof(NVM);
checksum = CRC32(&d, sizeof(d));
- d.sz = sizeof(NVM);
// erase the sector
iap.erase_sector(addr);
@@ -1483,6 +1544,9 @@
// restore default LedWiz flash rate
wizSpeed = 2;
+
+ // flush changes to hc595, if applicable
+ hc595.update();
}
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1674,18 +1738,6 @@
// we're not connected/awake yet
bool connected = false;
time_t connectChangeTime = time(0);
-
-#if TLC5940_NCHIPS
- // start the TLC5940 clock
- for (int i = 0 ; i < numOutputs ; ++i) lwPin[i]->set(1.0);
- tlc5940.start();
-
- // enable power to the TLC5940 opto/LED outputs
-# ifdef TLC5940_PWRENA
- DigitalOut tlcPwrEna(TLC5940_PWRENA);
- tlcPwrEna = 1;
-# endif
-#endif
// initialize the LedWiz ports
initLwOut();
@@ -1693,6 +1745,13 @@
// initialize the button input ports
initButtons();
+ // start the TLC5940 clock, if present
+ tlc5940.start();
+
+ // enable the 74HC595 chips, if present
+ hc595.init();
+ hc595.update();
+
// we don't need a reset yet
bool needReset = false;
@@ -1707,19 +1766,14 @@
NVM *flash = (NVM *)flash_addr;
NVM cfg;
- // check for valid flash
- bool flash_valid = flash->valid();
-
// if the flash is valid, load it; otherwise initialize to defaults
- if (flash_valid) {
+ if (flash->valid()) {
memcpy(&cfg, flash, sizeof(cfg));
printf("Flash restored: plunger cal=%d, min=%d, zero=%d, max=%d\r\n",
cfg.d.plungerCal, cfg.d.plungerMin, cfg.d.plungerZero, cfg.d.plungerMax);
}
else {
printf("Factory reset\r\n");
- cfg.d.sig = cfg.SIGNATURE;
- cfg.d.vsn = cfg.VERSION;
cfg.d.plungerCal = 0;
cfg.d.plungerMin = 0; // assume we can go all the way forward...
cfg.d.plungerMax = npix; // ...and all the way back
@@ -1964,6 +2018,7 @@
// update the physical outputs
updateWizOuts();
+ hc595.update();
// reset the PBA counter
pbaIdx = 0;
@@ -2073,6 +2128,9 @@
// set the output
lwPin[i]->set(b);
}
+
+ // update 74HC595 outputs, if attached
+ hc595.update();
}
else
{
@@ -2107,6 +2165,7 @@
if (pbaIdx == 24)
{
updateWizOuts();
+ hc595.update();
pbaIdx = 0;
}
else
@@ -2170,9 +2229,6 @@
// save the updated configuration
cfg.d.plungerCal = 1;
cfg.save(iap, flash_addr);
-
- // the flash state is now valid
- flash_valid = true;
}
else if (calBtnState != 3)
{