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

/media/uploads/mjr/pinscape_no_background_small_L7Miwr6.jpg

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.

Revision:
33:d832bcab089e
Parent:
30:6e9902f06f48
Child:
34:6b981a2afab7
--- a/main.cpp	Sat Sep 26 02:15:59 2015 +0000
+++ b/main.cpp	Wed Oct 21 21:53:07 2015 +0000
@@ -143,10 +143,24 @@
 //    The software can control a set of daisy-chained TLC5940 chips, which provide
 //    16 PWM outputs per chip.  Two of these chips give you the full complement
 //    of 32 output ports of an actual LedWiz, and four give you 64 ports, which
-//    should be plenty for nearly any virtual pinball project.
+//    should be plenty for nearly any virtual pinball project.  A private, extended
+//    version of the LedWiz protocol lets the host control the extra outputs, up to
+//    128 outputs per KL25Z (8 TLC5940s).  To take advantage of the extra outputs
+//    on the PC side, you need software that knows about the protocol extensions,
+//    which means you need the latest version of DirectOutput Framework (DOF).  VP
+//    uses DOF for its output, so VP will be able to use the added ports without any
+//    extra work on your part.  Older software (e.g., Future Pinball) that doesn't
+//    use DOF will still be able to use the LedWiz-compatible protocol, so it'll be
+//    able to control your first 32 ports (numbered 1-32 in the LedWiz scheme), but
+//    older software won't be able to address higher-numbered ports.  That shouldn't
+//    be a problem because older software wouldn't know what to do with the extra
+//    devices anyway - FP, for example, is limited to a pre-defined set of outputs.
+//    As long as you put the most common devices on the first 32 outputs, and use
+//    higher numbered ports for the less common devices that older software can't
+//    use anyway, you'll get maximum functionality out of software new and old.
 //
-//
-// The on-board LED on the KL25Z flashes to indicate the current device status:
+// STATUS LIGHTS:  The on-board LED on the KL25Z flashes to indicate the current 
+// device status.  The flash patterns are:
 //
 //    two short red flashes = the device is powered but hasn't successfully
 //        connected to the host via USB (either it's not physically connected
@@ -169,14 +183,14 @@
 //
 //    alternating blue/green = everything's working
 //
-// Software configuration: you can change option settings by sending special
+// Software configuration: you can some change option settings by sending special
 // USB commands from the PC.  I've provided a Windows program for this purpose;
 // refer to the documentation for details.  For reference, here's the format
 // of the USB command for option changes:
 //
 //    length of report = 8 bytes
 //    byte 0 = 65 (0x41)
-//    byte 1 = 1 (0x01)
+//    byte 1 = 1  (0x01)
 //    byte 2 = new LedWiz unit number, 0x01 to 0x0f
 //    byte 3 = feature enable bit mask:
 //             0x01 = enable CCD (default = on)
@@ -188,14 +202,14 @@
 //
 //    length = 8 bytes
 //    byte 0 = 65 (0x41)
-//    byte 1 = 2 (0x02)
+//    byte 1 = 2  (0x02)
 //
 // Exposure reports: the host can request a report of the full set of pixel
 // values for the next frame by sending this special packet:
 //
 //    length = 8 bytes
 //    byte 0 = 65 (0x41)
-//    byte 1 = 3 (0x03)
+//    byte 1 = 3  (0x03)
 //
 // We'll respond with a series of special reports giving the exposure status.
 // Each report has the following structure:
@@ -215,7 +229,33 @@
 // descriptor, which would have broken LedWiz compatibility.  Given that
 // constraint, we have to re-use the joystick report type, making for
 // this somewhat kludgey approach.
- 
+//
+// Configuration query: the host can request a full report of our hardware
+// configuration with this message.
+//
+//    length = 8 bytes
+//    byte 0 = 65 (0x41)
+//    byte 1 = 4  (0x04)
+//
+// We'll response with one report containing the configuration status:
+//
+//    bytes 0:1 = 0x8800.  This has the bit pattern 10001 in the high
+//                5 bits, which distinguishes it from regular joystick
+//                reports and from exposure status reports.
+//    bytes 2:3 = number of outputs
+//    remaining bytes = reserved for future use; set to 0 in current version
+//
+// Turn off all outputs: this message tells the device to turn off all
+// outputs and restore power-up LedWiz defaults.  This sets outputs #1-32
+// to profile 48 (full brightness) and switch state Off, sets all extended
+// outputs (#33 and above) to brightness 0, and sets the LedWiz flash rate
+// to 2.
+//
+//    length = 8 bytes
+//    byte 0 = 65 (0x41)
+//    byte 1 = 5  (0x05)
+
+
 #include "mbed.h"
 #include "math.h"
 #include "USBJoystick.h"
@@ -225,7 +265,6 @@
 #include "crc32.h"
 #include "TLC5940.h"
 
-// our local configuration file
 #define DECL_EXTERNS
 #include "config.h"
 
@@ -243,35 +282,27 @@
 inline float round(float x) { return x > 0 ? floor(x + 0.5) : ceil(x - 0.5); }
 
 
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// USB device vendor ID, product ID, and version.  
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// 
+// USB product version number
 //
-// We use the vendor ID for the LedWiz, so that the PC-side software can
-// identify us as capable of performing LedWiz commands.  The LedWiz uses
-// a product ID value from 0xF0 to 0xFF; the last four bits identify the
-// unit number (e.g., product ID 0xF7 means unit #7).  This allows multiple
-// LedWiz units to be installed in a single PC; the software on the PC side
-// uses the unit number to route commands to the devices attached to each
-// unit.  On the real LedWiz, the unit number must be set in the firmware
-// at the factory; it's not configurable by the end user.  Most LedWiz's
-// ship with the unit number set to 0, but the vendor will set different
-// unit numbers if requested at the time of purchase.  So if you have a
-// single LedWiz already installed in your cabinet, and you didn't ask for
-// a non-default unit number, your existing LedWiz will be unit 0.
-//
-// Note that the USB_PRODUCT_ID value set here omits the unit number.  We
-// take the unit number from the saved configuration.  We provide a
-// configuration command that can be sent via the USB connection to change
-// the unit number, so that users can select the unit number without having
-// to install a different version of the software.  We'll combine the base
-// product ID here with the unit number to get the actual product ID that
-// we send to the USB controller.
-const uint16_t USB_VENDOR_ID = 0xFAFA;
-const uint16_t USB_PRODUCT_ID = 0x00F0;
-const uint16_t USB_VERSION_NO = 0x0006;
+const uint16_t USB_VERSION_NO = 0x0007;
 
 
+//
+// Build the full USB product ID.  If we're using the LedWiz compatible
+// vendor ID, the full product ID is the combination of the LedWiz base
+// product ID (0x00F0) and the 0-based unit number (0-15).  If we're not
+// trying to be LedWiz compatible, we just use the exact product ID
+// specified in config.h.
+#define MAKE_USB_PRODUCT_ID(vid, pidbase, unit) \
+    ((vid) == 0xFAFA && (pidbase) == 0x00F0 ? (pidbase) | (unit) : (pidbase))
+
+
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
 // Joystick axis report range - we report from -JOYMAX to +JOYMAX
+//
 #define JOYMAX 4096
 
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -357,16 +388,6 @@
 // for 32 outputs).  Every port in this mode has full PWM support.
 //
 
-// Figure the number of outputs.  If we're in the default LedWiz mode,
-// we have a fixed set of 32 outputs.  If we're in TLC5940 enhanced mode,
-// we have 16 outputs per chip.  To simplify the LedWiz compatibility code,
-// always use a minimum of 32 outputs even if we have fewer than two of the
-// TLC5940 chips.
-#if !defined(ENABLE_TLC5940) || (TLC_NCHIPS) < 2
-# define NUM_OUTPUTS   32
-#else
-# define NUM_OUTPUTS   ((TLC5940_NCHIPS)*16)
-#endif
 
 // Current starting output index for "PBA" messages from the PC (using
 // the LedWiz USB protocol).  Each PBA message implicitly uses the
@@ -385,10 +406,27 @@
     virtual void set(float val) = 0;
 };
 
+// LwOut class for unmapped ports.  The LedWiz protocol is hardwired
+// for 32 ports, but we might not want to assign all 32 software ports
+// to physical output pins - the KL25Z has a limited number of GPIO
+// ports, so we might not have enough available GPIOs to fill out the
+// full LedWiz complement after assigning GPIOs for other functions.
+// This class is used to populate the LedWiz mapping array for ports
+// that aren't connected to physical outputs; it simply ignores value 
+// changes.
+class LwUnusedOut: public LwOut
+{
+public:
+    LwUnusedOut() { }
+    virtual void set(float val) { }
+};
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_TLC5940
 
-// The TLC5940 interface object.
+#if TLC5940_NCHIPS
+//
+// The TLC5940 interface object.  Set this up with the port assignments
+// set in config.h.
+//
 TLC5940 tlc5940(TLC5940_SCLK, TLC5940_SIN, TLC5940_GSCLK, TLC5940_BLANK,
     TLC5940_XLAT, TLC5940_NCHIPS);
 
@@ -410,7 +448,31 @@
     float prv;
 };
 
-#else // ENABLE_TLC5940
+// 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.
+class Lw5940Out: public LwUnusedOut
+{
+public:
+    Lw5940Out(int idx) { }
+};
+
+class Lw5940OutInv: public Lw5940Out
+{
+public:
+    Lw5940OutInv(int idx) : Lw5940Out(idx) { }
+};
+
+#endif // TLC5940_NCHIPS
 
 // 
 // Default LedWiz mode - using on-board GPIO ports.  In this mode, we
@@ -434,6 +496,16 @@
     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
 {
@@ -448,21 +520,12 @@
     float prv;
 };
 
-#endif // ENABLE_TLC5940
-
-// LwOut class for unmapped ports.  The LedWiz protocol is hardwired
-// for 32 ports, but we might not want to assign all 32 software ports
-// to physical output pins - the KL25Z has a limited number of GPIO
-// ports, so we might not have enough available GPIOs to fill out the
-// full LedWiz complement after assigning GPIOs for other functions.
-// This class is used to populate the LedWiz mapping array for ports
-// that aren't connected to physical outputs; it simply ignores value 
-// changes.
-class LwUnusedOut: public LwOut
+// Inverted voltage digital out
+class LwDigOutInv: public LwDigOut
 {
 public:
-    LwUnusedOut() { }
-    virtual void set(float val) { }
+    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
@@ -472,48 +535,127 @@
 // physical GPIO pin for the port specified in the ledWizPortMap[] 
 // array in config.h.  If we're using TLC5940 chips for the outputs,
 // we map each logical port to the corresponding TLC5940 output.
-static LwOut *lwPin[NUM_OUTPUTS];
+static int numOutputs;
+static LwOut **lwPin;
+
+// Current absolute brightness level for an output.  This is a float
+// value from 0.0 for fully off to 1.0 for fully on.  This is the final
+// derived value for the port.  For outputs set by LedWiz messages, 
+// this is derived from the LedWiz state, and is updated on each pulse 
+// timer interrupt for lights in flashing states.  For outputs set by 
+// extended protocol messages, this is simply the brightness last set.
+static float *outLevel;
 
 // initialize the output pin array
 void initLwOut()
 {
-    for (int i = 0 ; i < countof(lwPin) ; ++i)
+    // 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.
+    
+    // start with 16 ports per TLC5940
+    numOutputs = TLC5940_NCHIPS * 16;
+    
+    // add outputs assigned to GPIO pins in the LedWiz-to-pin mapping
+    int i;
+    for (i = 0 ; i < countof(ledWizPortMap) ; ++i)
     {
-#ifdef ENABLE_TLC5940
-        // Set up a TLC5940 output.  If the output is within range of
-        // the connected number of chips (16 outputs per chip), assign it
-        // to the current index, otherwise leave it unattached.
-        if (i < (TLC5940_NCHIPS)*16)
-            lwPin[i] = new Lw5940Out(i);
-        else
-            lwPin[i] = new LwUnusedOut();
+        if (ledWizPortMap[i].pin != NC)
+            ++numOutputs;
+    }
+    
+    // always set up at least 32 outputs, so that we don't have to
+    // check bounds on commands from the basic LedWiz protocol
+    if (numOutputs < 32)
+        numOutputs = 32;
+        
+    // allocate the pin array
+    lwPin = new LwOut*[numOutputs];    
+    
+    // allocate the current brightness array
+    outLevel = new float[numOutputs];
+    
+    // allocate a temporary array to keep track of which physical 
+    // TLC5940 ports we've assigned so far
+    char *tlcasi = new char[TLC5940_NCHIPS*16+1];
+    memset(tlcasi, 0, TLC5940_NCHIPS*16);
 
-#else // ENABLE_TLC5940
-        // Set up the GPIO pin.  If the pin is not connected ("NC" in the
-        // pin map), set up a dummy "unused" output for it.  If it's a
-        // real pin, set up a PWM-capable or Digital-Only output handler
-        // object, according to the pin type in the map.
-        PinName p = (i < countof(ledWizPortMap) ? ledWizPortMap[i].pin : NC);
-        if (p == NC)
-            lwPin[i] = new LwUnusedOut();
-        else if (ledWizPortMap[i].isPWM)
-            lwPin[i] = new LwPwmOut(p);
-        else
-            lwPin[i] = new LwDigOut(p);
+    // assign all pins from the 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 flags = ledWizPortMap[i].flags;
+        int tlcPortNum = ledWizPortMap[i].tlcPortNum;
+        int isPwm = flags & PORT_IS_PWM;
+        int activeLow = flags & PORT_ACTIVE_LOW;
+        if (p != NC)
+        {
+            // 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);
+        }
+        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);
             
-#endif // ENABLE_TLC5940
-
+            // 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();
+        }
+        lwPin[i]->set(0);
     }
+    
+    // find the next unassigned tlc port
+    int tlcnxt;
+    for (tlcnxt = 0 ; tlcnxt < TLC5940_NCHIPS*16 && tlcasi[tlcnxt] ; ++tlcnxt) ;
+    
+    // assign any remaining pins
+    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.
+        if (tlcnxt < TLC5940_NCHIPS*16)
+        {
+            // we have a TLC5940 output available - assign it
+            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
+        {
+            // no more ports available - set up this port as unconnected
+            lwPin[i] = new LwUnusedOut();
+        }
+    }
+    
+    // done with the temporary TLC5940 port assignment list
+    delete [] tlcasi;
 }
 
-// Current absolute brightness level for an output.  This is a float
-// value from 0.0 for fully off to 1.0 for fully on.  This is the final
-// derived value for the port.  For outputs set by LedWiz messages, 
-// this is derived from te LedWiz state, and is updated on each pulse 
-// timer interrupt for lights in flashing states.  For outputs set by 
-// extended protocol messages, this is simply the brightness last set.
-static float outLevel[NUM_OUTPUTS];
-
 // LedWiz output states.
 //
 // The LedWiz protocol has two separate control axes for each output.
@@ -1252,6 +1394,263 @@
     } d;
 };
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// Simple binary (on/off) input debouncer.  Requires an input to be stable 
+// for a given interval before allowing an update.
+//
+class Debouncer
+{
+public:
+    Debouncer(bool initVal, float tmin)
+    {
+        t.start();
+        this->stable = this->prv = initVal;
+        this->tmin = tmin;
+    }
+    
+    // Get the current stable value
+    bool val() const { return stable; }
+
+    // Apply a new sample.  This tells us the new raw reading from the
+    // input device.
+    void sampleIn(bool val)
+    {
+        // If the new raw reading is different from the previous
+        // raw reading, we've detected an edge - start the clock
+        // on the sample reader.
+        if (val != prv)
+        {
+            // we have an edge - reset the sample clock
+            t.reset();
+            
+            // this is now the previous raw sample for nxt time
+            prv = val;
+        }
+        else if (val != stable)
+        {
+            // The new raw sample is the same as the last raw sample,
+            // and different from the stable value.  This means that
+            // the sample value has been the same for the time currently
+            // indicated by our timer.  If enough time has elapsed to
+            // consider the value stable, apply the new value.
+            if (t.read() > tmin)
+                stable = val;
+        }
+    }
+    
+private:
+    // current stable value
+    bool stable;
+
+    // last raw sample value
+    bool prv;
+    
+    // elapsed time since last raw input change
+    Timer t;
+    
+    // Minimum time interval for stability, in seconds.  Input readings 
+    // must be stable for this long before the stable value is updated.
+    float tmin;
+};
+
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// Turn off all outputs and restore everything to the default LedWiz
+// state.  This sets outputs #1-32 to LedWiz profile value 48 (full
+// brightness) and switch state Off, sets all extended outputs (#33
+// and above) to zero brightness, and sets the LedWiz flash rate to 2.
+// This effectively restores the power-on conditions.
+//
+void allOutputsOff()
+{
+    // reset all LedWiz outputs to OFF/48
+    for (int i = 0 ; i < 32 ; ++i)
+    {
+        outLevel[i] = 0;
+        wizOn[i] = 0;
+        wizVal[i] = 48;
+        lwPin[i]->set(0);
+    }
+    
+    // reset all extended outputs (ports >32) to full off (brightness 0)
+    for (int i = 32 ; i < numOutputs ; ++i)
+    {
+        outLevel[i] = 0;
+        lwPin[i]->set(0);
+    }
+    
+    // restore default LedWiz flash rate
+    wizSpeed = 2;
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// TV ON timer.  If this feature is enabled, we toggle a TV power switch
+// relay (connected to a GPIO pin) to turn on the cab's TV monitors shortly
+// after the system is powered.  This is useful for TVs that don't remember
+// their power state and don't turn back on automatically after being
+// unplugged and plugged in again.  This feature requires external
+// circuitry, which is built in to the expansion board and can also be
+// built separately - see the Build Guide for the circuit plan.
+//
+// Theory of operation: to use this feature, the cabinet must have a 
+// secondary PC-style power supply (PSU2) for the feedback devices, and
+// this secondary supply must be plugged in to the same power strip or 
+// switched outlet that controls power to the TVs.  This lets us use PSU2
+// as a proxy for the TV power state - when PSU2 is on, the TV outlet is 
+// powered, and when PSU2 is off, the TV outlet is off.  We use a little 
+// latch circuit powered by PSU2 to monitor the status.  The latch has a 
+// current state, ON or OFF, that we can read via a GPIO input pin, and 
+// we can set the state to ON by pulsing a separate GPIO output pin.  As 
+// long as PSU2 is powered off, the latch stays in the OFF state, even if 
+// we try to set it by pulsing the SET pin.  When PSU2 is turned on after 
+// being off, the latch starts receiving power but stays in the OFF state, 
+// since this is the initial condition when the power first comes on.  So 
+// if our latch state pin is reading OFF, we know that PSU2 is either off 
+// now or *was* off some time since we last checked.  We use a timer to 
+// check the state periodically.  Each time we see the state is OFF, we 
+// try pulsing the SET pin.  If the state still reads as OFF, we know 
+// that PSU2 is currently off; if the state changes to ON, though, we 
+// know that PSU2 has gone from OFF to ON some time between now and the 
+// previous check.  When we see this condition, we start a countdown
+// timer, and pulse the TV switch relay when the countdown ends.
+//
+// This scheme might seem a little convoluted, but it neatly handles
+// all of the different cases that can occur:
+//
+// - Most cabinets systems are set up with "soft" PC power switches, 
+//   so that the PC goes into "Soft Off" mode (ACPI state S5, in Windows
+//   parlance) when the user turns off the cabinet.  In this state, the
+//   motherboard supplies power to USB devices, so the KL25Z continues
+//   running without interruption.  The latch system lets us monitor
+//   the power state even when we're never rebooted, since the latch
+//   will turn off when PSU2 is off regardless of what the KL25Z is doing.
+//
+// - Some cabinet builders might prefer to use "hard" power switches,
+//   cutting all power to the cabinet, including the PC motherboard (and
+//   thus the KL25Z) every time the machine is turned off.  This also
+//   applies to the "soft" switch case above when the cabinet is unplugged,
+//   a power outage occurs, etc.  In these cases, the KL25Z will do a cold
+//   boot when the PC is turned on.  We don't know whether the KL25Z
+//   will power up before or after PSU2, so it's not good enough to 
+//   observe the *current* state of PSU2 when we first check - if PSU2
+//   were to come on first, checking the current state alone would fool
+//   us into thinking that no action is required, because we would never
+//   have known that PSU2 was ever off.  The latch handles this case by
+//   letting us see that PSU2 *was* off before we checked.
+//
+// - If the KL25Z is rebooted while the main system is running, or the 
+//   KL25Z is unplugged and plugged back in, we will correctly leave the 
+//   TVs as they are.  The latch state is independent of the KL25Z's 
+//   power or software state, so it's won't affect the latch state when
+//   the KL25Z is unplugged or rebooted; when we boot, we'll see that 
+//   the latch is already on and that we don't have to turn on the TVs.
+//   This is important because TV ON buttons are usually on/off toggles,
+//   so we don't want to push the button on a TV that's already on.
+//   
+//
+#ifdef ENABLE_TV_TIMER
+
+// Current PSU2 state:
+//   1 -> default: latch was on at last check, or we haven't checked yet
+//   2 -> latch was off at last check, SET pulsed high
+//   3 -> SET pulsed low, ready to check status
+//   4 -> TV timer countdown in progress
+//   5 -> TV relay on
+//   
+int psu2_state = 1;
+DigitalIn psu2_status_sense(PSU2_STATUS_SENSE);
+DigitalOut psu2_status_set(PSU2_STATUS_SET);
+DigitalOut tv_relay(TV_RELAY_PIN);
+Timer tv_timer;
+void TVTimerInt()
+{
+    // Check our internal state
+    switch (psu2_state)
+    {
+    case 1:
+        // Default state.  This means that the latch was on last
+        // time we checked or that this is the first check.  In
+        // either case, if the latch is off, switch to state 2 and
+        // try pulsing the latch.  Next time we check, if the latch
+        // stuck, it means that PSU2 is now on after being off.
+        if (!psu2_status_sense)
+        {
+            // switch to OFF state
+            psu2_state = 2;
+            
+            // try setting the latch
+            psu2_status_set = 1;
+        }
+        break;
+        
+    case 2:
+        // PSU2 was off last time we checked, and we tried setting
+        // the latch.  Drop the SET signal and go to CHECK state.
+        psu2_status_set = 0;
+        psu2_state = 3;
+        break;
+        
+    case 3:
+        // CHECK state: we pulsed SET, and we're now ready to see
+        // if that stuck.  If the latch is now on, PSU2 has transitioned
+        // from OFF to ON, so start the TV countdown.  If the latch is
+        // off, our SET command didn't stick, so PSU2 is still off.
+        if (psu2_status_sense)
+        {
+            // The latch stuck, so PSU2 has transitioned from OFF
+            // to ON.  Start the TV countdown timer.
+            tv_timer.reset();
+            tv_timer.start();
+            psu2_state = 4;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            // The latch didn't stick, so PSU2 was still off at
+            // our last check.  Try pulsing it again in case PSU2
+            // was turned on since the last check.
+            psu2_status_set = 1;
+            psu2_state = 2;
+        }
+        break;
+        
+    case 4:
+        // TV timer countdown in progress.  If we've reached the
+        // delay time, pulse the relay.
+        if (tv_timer.read() >= TV_DELAY_TIME)
+        {
+            // turn on the relay for one timer interval
+            tv_relay = 1;
+            psu2_state = 5;
+        }
+        break;
+        
+    case 5:
+        // TV timer relay on.  We pulse this for one interval, so
+        // it's now time to turn it off and return to the default state.
+        tv_relay = 0;
+        psu2_state = 1;
+        break;
+    }
+}
+
+Ticker tv_ticker;
+void startTVTimer()
+{
+    // Set up our time routine to run every 1/4 second.  
+    tv_ticker.attach(&TVTimerInt, 0.25);
+}
+
+
+#else // ENABLE_TV_TIMER
+//
+// TV timer not used - just provide a dummy startup function
+void startTVTimer() { }
+//
+#endif // ENABLE_TV_TIMER
+
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //
@@ -1269,12 +1668,31 @@
     ledG = 1;
     ledB = 1;
     
+    // start the TV timer, if applicable
+    startTVTimer();
+    
+    // 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();
     
     // initialize the button input ports
     initButtons();
-    
+
     // we don't need a reset yet
     bool needReset = false;
     
@@ -1314,7 +1732,7 @@
     // number from the saved configuration.
     MyUSBJoystick js(
         USB_VENDOR_ID, 
-        USB_PRODUCT_ID | cfg.d.ledWizUnitNo,
+        MAKE_USB_PRODUCT_ID(USB_VENDOR_ID, USB_PRODUCT_ID, cfg.d.ledWizUnitNo),
         USB_VERSION_NO);
         
     // last report timer - we use this to throttle reports, since VP
@@ -1360,11 +1778,6 @@
     bool reportPix = false;
 #endif
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_TLC5940
-    // start the TLC5940 clock
-    tlc5940.start();
-#endif
-
     // create our plunger sensor object
     PlungerSensor plungerSensor;
 
@@ -1467,7 +1880,11 @@
     // Device status.  We report this on each update so that the host config
     // tool can detect our current settings.  This is a bit mask consisting
     // of these bits:
-    //    0x01  -> plunger sensor enabled
+    //    0x0001  -> plunger sensor enabled
+    //    0x8000  -> RESERVED - must always be zero
+    //
+    // Note that the high bit (0x8000) must always be 0, since we use that
+    // to distinguish special request reply packets.
     uint16_t statusFlags = (cfg.d.plungerEnabled ? 0x01 : 0x00);
     
     // we're all set up - now just loop, processing sensor reports and 
@@ -1486,6 +1903,24 @@
             // all Led-Wiz reports are 8 bytes exactly
             if (report.length == 8)
             {
+                // LedWiz commands come in two varieties:  SBA and PBA.  An
+                // SBA is marked by the first byte having value 64 (0x40).  In
+                // the real LedWiz protocol, any other value in the first byte
+                // means it's a PBA message.  However, *valid* PBA messages
+                // always have a first byte (and in fact all 8 bytes) in the
+                // range 0-49 or 129-132.  Anything else is invalid.  We take
+                // advantage of this to implement private protocol extensions.
+                // So our full protocol is as follows:
+                //
+                // first byte =
+                //   0-48     -> LWZ-PBA
+                //   64       -> LWZ SBA 
+                //   65       -> private control message; second byte specifies subtype
+                //   129-132  -> LWZ-PBA
+                //   200-219  -> extended bank brightness set for outputs N to N+6, where
+                //               N is (first byte - 200)*7
+                //   other    -> reserved for future use
+                //
                 uint8_t *data = report.data;
                 if (data[0] == 64) 
                 {
@@ -1497,11 +1932,27 @@
                     // update all on/off states
                     for (int i = 0, bit = 1, ri = 1 ; i < 32 ; ++i, bit <<= 1)
                     {
+                        // figure the on/off state bit for this output
                         if (bit == 0x100) {
                             bit = 1;
                             ++ri;
                         }
+                        
+                        // set the on/off state
                         wizOn[i] = ((data[ri] & bit) != 0);
+                        
+                        // If the wizVal setting is 255, it means that this
+                        // output was last set to a brightness value with the
+                        // extended protocol.  Return it to LedWiz control by
+                        // rescaling the brightness setting to the LedWiz range
+                        // and updating wizVal with the result.  If it's any
+                        // other value, it was previously set by a PBA message,
+                        // so simply retain the last setting - in the normal
+                        // LedWiz protocol, the "profile" (brightness) and on/off
+                        // states are independent, so an SBA just turns an output
+                        // on or off but retains its last brightness level.
+                        if (wizVal[i] == 255)
+                            wizVal[i] = (uint8_t)round(outLevel[i]*48);
                     }
                     
                     // set the flash speed - enforce the value range 1-7
@@ -1571,21 +2022,88 @@
                         ledB = 0;
                         ledG = 1;
                     }
+                    else if (data[1] == 4)
+                    {
+                        // 4 = hardware configuration query
+                        // (No parameters)
+                        wait_ms(1);
+                        js.reportConfig(numOutputs, cfg.d.ledWizUnitNo);
+                    }
+                    else if (data[1] == 5)
+                    {
+                        // 5 = all outputs off, reset to LedWiz defaults
+                        allOutputsOff();
+                    }
 #endif // ENABLE_JOYSTICK
                 }
+                else if (data[0] >= 200 && data[0] < 220)
+                {
+                    // Extended protocol - banked brightness update.  
+                    // data[0]-200 gives us the bank of 7 outputs we're setting:
+                    // 200 is outputs 0-6, 201 is outputs 7-13, 202 is 14-20, etc.
+                    // The remaining bytes are brightness levels, 0-255, for the
+                    // seven outputs in the selected bank.  The LedWiz flashing 
+                    // modes aren't accessible in this message type; we can only 
+                    // set a fixed brightness, but in exchange we get 8-bit 
+                    // resolution rather than the paltry 0-48 scale that the real
+                    // LedWiz uses.  There's no separate on/off status for outputs
+                    // adjusted with this message type, either, as there would be
+                    // for a PBA message - setting a non-zero value immediately
+                    // turns the output, overriding the last SBA setting.
+                    //
+                    // For outputs 0-31, this overrides any previous PBA/SBA
+                    // settings for the port.  Any subsequent PBA/SBA message will
+                    // in turn override the setting made here.  It's simple - the
+                    // most recent message of either type takes precedence.  For
+                    // outputs above the LedWiz range, PBA/SBA messages can't
+                    // address those ports anyway.
+                    int i0 = (data[0] - 200)*7;
+                    int i1 = i0 + 7 < numOutputs ? i0 + 7 : numOutputs; 
+                    for (int i = i0 ; i < i1 ; ++i)
+                    {
+                        // set the brightness level for the output
+                        float b = data[i-i0+1]/255.0;
+                        outLevel[i] = b;
+                        
+                        // if it's in the basic LedWiz output set, set the LedWiz
+                        // profile value to 255, which means "use outLevel"
+                        if (i < 32) 
+                            wizVal[i] = 255;
+                            
+                        // set the output
+                        lwPin[i]->set(b);
+                    }
+                }
                 else 
                 {
-                    // LWZ-PBA - full state dump; each byte is one output
-                    // in the current bank.  pbaIdx keeps track of the bank;
-                    // this is incremented implicitly by each PBA message.
+                    // Everything else is LWZ-PBA.  This is a full "profile"
+                    // dump from the host for one bank of 8 outputs.  Each
+                    // byte sets one output in the current bank.  The current
+                    // bank is implied; the bank starts at 0 and is reset to 0
+                    // by any LWZ-SBA message, and is incremented to the next
+                    // bank by each LWZ-PBA message.  Our variable pbaIdx keeps
+                    // track of our notion of the current bank.  There's no direct
+                    // way for the host to select the bank; it just has to count
+                    // on us staying in sync.  In practice, the host will always
+                    // send a full set of 4 PBA messages in a row to set all 32
+                    // outputs.
+                    //
+                    // Note that a PBA implicitly overrides our extended profile
+                    // messages (message prefix 200-219), because this sets the
+                    // wizVal[] entry for each output, and that takes precedence
+                    // over the extended protocol settings.
+                    //
                     //printf("LWZ-PBA[%d] %02x %02x %02x %02x %02x %02x %02x %02x\r\n",
                     //       pbaIdx, data[0], data[1], data[2], data[3], data[4], data[5], data[6], data[7]);
     
-                    // update all output profile settings
+                    // Update all output profile settings
                     for (int i = 0 ; i < 8 ; ++i)
                         wizVal[pbaIdx + i] = data[i];
     
-                    // update the physical LED state if this is the last bank                    
+                    // Update the physical LED state if this is the last bank.
+                    // Note that hosts always send a full set of four PBA
+                    // messages, so there's no need to do a physical update
+                    // until we've received the last bank's PBA message.
                     if (pbaIdx == 24)
                     {
                         updateWizOuts();
@@ -2112,10 +2630,28 @@
             printf("%d,%d\r\n", x, y);
 #endif
 
+        // check for connection status changes
+        int newConnected = js.isConnected() && !js.isSuspended();
+        if (newConnected != connected)
+        {
+            // give it a few seconds to stabilize
+            time_t tc = time(0);
+            if (tc - connectChangeTime > 3)
+            {
+                // note the new status
+                connected = newConnected;
+                connectChangeTime = tc;
+                
+                // if we're no longer connected, turn off all outputs
+                if (!connected)
+                    allOutputsOff();
+            }
+        }
+
         // provide a visual status indication on the on-board LED
         if (calBtnState < 2 && hbTimer.read_ms() > 1000) 
         {
-            if (js.isSuspended() || !js.isConnected())
+            if (!newConnected)
             {
                 // suspended - turn off the LED
                 ledR = 1;