Pong on Smart Breadboard - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: bxh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 06:31:50 am
content: Hello all, I've been working on a fun project lately, and here's a video of one of my older prototypes:https://youtu.be/iNcjpinQJUMIt's a smart breadboard that's designed to eliminate as many wires as possible and also has a built-in microcontroller! I'm also working on some software to make it even easier to use, like simple build tools and a graphical user interface, let me know what you think!

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 07:04:23 am
content: In what sense it is "smart"? And would not hiding the wiring defeat the purpose of a breadboard? If you are ready to hide the wires, you are ready to do the real board and/or case.

author: bxh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 08:08:50 am
content: Quote from: ataradov on May 30, 2016, 07:04:23 amIt's smart as in you can reconfigure the board as you please. You can move any component you see to anywhere else on the board and it will work just by changing the software. This is not a "single-purpose" device!For example, I have another demonstration using an MPU6050 breakout board, and yet another demonstration that can read from IR demodulator, store the signal and repeat it later with an IR LED.

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 12:27:46 pm
content: Here's a fancy shmancy Ponghttp://www.geeky-gadgets.com/awesome-pong-tabletop-game-created-by-daniel-perdomo-27-05-2016/

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 04:48:02 pm
content: Quote from: bxh on May 30, 2016, 08:08:50 amThen you should probably provide some technical details if you want discussion. Right now we have a video of you playing pong.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 04:54:38 pm
content: Solderless breadboards usually only pong if you got them from the lowest bidder in Shenzhen, or put a chip in backwards and burnt it up.

author: bxh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 06:01:59 pm
content: Quote from: ataradov on May 30, 2016, 04:48:02 pmInstead of focusing on technical details, I think it'll be more interesting that people saw how this was implemented without any hookup wires and that I only used two resistors for input.Of course, I probably should have mentioned this wasn't a "fake", with all the wiring in the back. I'll probably make a longer video showing how it can be used with a bunch of external devices.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 06:45:49 pm
content: Technical details or it didn't happen.There are too many crowd-funded scams mentioned here already with over-hyped soft focus content-free videos. Don't make your presentation look like a scam/gag/hoax if you want to be taken seriously.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 06:47:33 pm
content: Quote from: bxh on May 30, 2016, 06:01:59 pmWhat do you mean "probably"? You should have started with that.Again, without technical details, we have a video of you playing pong. Not much to go on here.

author: jeroen79
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2016, 07:13:12 pm
content: Quote from: bxh on May 30, 2016, 06:01:59 pmThat's the point, without technical details people can't seehowyou do it, just that you do it.That said, it wouldn't be rocket science to hide a microcontroller behind a breadboard.And you could even write some layer between the hardware and the user's logic to make all the outputs 'pluripotent'.Now to do it in a userfriendly manner is another thing.

author: bxh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2016, 03:57:40 am
content: It's great the people here are sceptical of what they see, and I'll take it as a compliment that some of you think this is too good to be true.I'll make a longer video showing my current version working with a bunch of different external devices with nothing but a firmware update in between.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2016, 04:04:43 am
content: Quote from: bxh on May 31, 2016, 03:57:40 amDon't kid yourself. At the moment no one even knows what it is. Again, all we have is some hoaxy pong game.Quote from: bxh on May 31, 2016, 03:57:40 amShow us the design and we'll figure out its capabilities on our own.Of you think it is some sort of proprietary thing? Then it is even more pointless than it seems now.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2016, 04:09:36 am
content: Also, why do you think that software configurable breadboard is a good idea in a first place? What problem does it solve?The point of a breadboard design is to prove the concept. Once this is done, a real hardware is typically made. At this point software configuration layer becomes a burden.Also, what about analog parts? Add 555 blinky to that pong game.

author: bxh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2016, 05:15:41 am
content: Quote from: ataradov on May 31, 2016, 04:04:43 amI'm not quite sure why you're taking on this aggressive stance. If you don't know how something works and would like to find out, you could just ask, instead of trying to provoke the person.Quote from: ataradov on May 31, 2016, 04:09:36 amJust because you make "real hardware" after breadboarding, doesn't mean everyone does.Furthermore, this does not replace a breadboard. It combines the convenience of a breadboard and a power of a microcontroller development board. It allows the devices to interface with the internal peripherals; it doesn't form internal connections between tiepoints (right now). Even so, there are many ways this device can be used. Many people test breakout boards using an Arduino by wiring the pins into a breadboard, which can be unnecessarily messy. This can completely eliminate the need for that wiring in some cases.There are other people just want to work on projects for fun or to learn, and they may not want to continue into the PCB phase for whatever reason. This can be helpful by letting them focus on developing the application firmware instead of on the wiring.

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2016, 07:22:55 am
content: Quote from: bxh on May 31, 2016, 05:15:41 amIt's not aggressive stance. It's skepticism. After all, we are supposed to be people that can think on their own that won't take lightly a "trust me it works" for an answer.you have only provided an intagram-ready video to be shared along your followers and claimed to do a longer video explaining how thing works and this sounds like marketingI am curious too about what's going on but you started by showing an attitude of secrecy which is pointless and counterproductive herehope i made my point

author: bxh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2016, 07:55:23 am
content: Quote from: JPortici on May 31, 2016, 07:22:55 amBeing skeptical is certainly fair, I am a skeptic myself. However, describing a project as "hoaxy" and "pointless" does not fall under skepticism.Quote from: JPortici on May 31, 2016, 07:22:55 amI thought the fact that a resistor can be used as a capacitive touch input is cool on it's own, and the embedded-savvy crowd here would have some appreciation for it.Since this video is apparently lacking in technical details, I'll make another to fix it. I'm happy to share more about the technical details, so please hold back on the thumbs down for now.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2016, 09:40:43 pm
content: Quote from: bxh on May 30, 2016, 06:31:50 amIs 'Pong' the prototype or is it the SmartBoard?Depending on the spec's, I think I'd be interested in one or seven...

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 01, 2016, 02:12:29 am
content: I got me one of them wireless breadboards and I can even play pong with it without any sort of microprocessor! Code name FPGA!