The Building of an Electronic Dice - Lab Report Example

Electric Dice Project Report By Lecturer’s and Technological advancement has enabled the field of engineering to advance dramatically especially with the invention of Medium of Scale Integration (MSI), Large Scale Integration (LSI), and Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI). Due to the purpose of accuracy and reliability analogue instrument instruments and items are being replaced by electronic dice display (DD) with the audio unit (BARTHOLOMEW & BARTHOLOMEW, 2002). Aims and Objective This report details the work carried out in building an electronic dice; using a prepared design and printed circuit board. Aims and objective of this project was to create a useful device that would help me ease performance of the dice game and more so meet the objects of the course work set by learning institution. The quest for recreational activities is what drove me in the carrying out this project of designing an electronic dice display. In addition, the fact that its manual operation can be manipulated by an expert so that this can no longer be a game of likelihood was another driving factor into this pursuing this project (HOLM & HOLM, 1967). For example, a person can employ tricks on their opponents by manipulating the dice and claiming that nothing happened. Additionally, the players will often get tired with the continuously shaking while playing the dice since the frequent hitting of the dices on the ludo board can easily break it as it is made of glass. More so, the game may be unfair with the dices falling off the ludo board. The above problems are experienced while playing the game manually and by them being stressful, the major aim was to make the game easier, interesting and even more challenging (HOLM & HOLM, 1967). Background and Theory Dice has been known for a very long time and was in existence, and was first used in Iraq as a six-sided dice around 2750 B.C. These dices were made of terracotta, with which small holes were fitted. In the same breath, dices were used by sorcerers to predict the future as they could roll it and depend on the results relayed. They would come up with a conclusion of a possible event that is most likely to occur in the coming future. In addition to the dice, there was use of animal bones such as deer, calves, sheep and goat’s bones as they were shaped into four sides and then one could toss four pieces, and if one got all the sides different then it symbolised an event. This is still practised in different parts of the primitive tribes in Arabic world. Gradually, as time went by, dice was adopted in gambling and playing games. Due to the advancement of technology and an urge to make things easier, different persons have come up with projects to demonstrate how dice games can be played electronically to replace the manual means. This has made the game to grow and today it is solely used for gambling purposes. For example, Keith DeRuiter and Mr. Jacotin came up with a project whose goal was to create a digital dice that could randomly roll from numbers 1 to 6. In their project, the device was made up of three components, the clock circuit, a 1 to 6 counter, and a display with the logic interpreting the counter to output the number as it would be witnessed on the face of a dice. In their project, they used a 555 timer with resistors and capacitors of the right size to get the right frequencies (FERMI NATIONAL ACCELERATOR LABORATORY & UNITED STATES, 1991). In their device, they designed a switch button with which when it is pressed and held, the roll begins and when it is released, the dice slows down and then finally stops on a single number. In the process, a set of logic gates are conveyed from the output to the counter’s reorganization to limit the count from one to six. In this, results are then put into different regions from which they are interpreted and then sent to the various LEDS for display. When all the above was done, they came into a conclusion that there was a roll and a display of the die from one to six. Their project was a success as they attained their goals. The figure below shows the final device that they constructed. Figure 1 Figure 2 : Figure 3 (Circuit diagrams figures 2 & 3) Figure 4: Segment displays The above circuit system represents my electronic circuit dice that i propose. Letters on the LED gives the position to which they should be on the ice. In addition the arrows show the direction to which transistors should be connected to positive supply rail. Pulse generator: This is made up of a 14-leg chip, the capacitor and the 100K resistor. The pulse generator generates volts that range from 9 to zero volts. In this regard, if one connects the pulse generator, for example, to a lamp, it blinks at a given frequency. In the die, the frequency is 1111Hz. Pulse Counter: This is made up of a16-leg chip and 560 Ω resistors. Its major function is to count the number of pulses it receives. In the electronic dice, this is set such that it counts from 1 to 6. In it is a binary counter such that it counts in terms of 0’s and 1’s. It contains three outputs joined through the four resistors to the seven LEDS. Through theses outputs, the electronic dice counts in binary process from 1 to 6. Therefore, when the LED lights up the output is “1” and when output is “0” the light is off. i.e. Figure 5: 7 segment number schemes 0 = fabcde = 01111110 1 = bc =00001100 2 = abged = 10110110 3= abgcd = 10011110 4 = fgbc = 11001100 5 = afgcd = 11011010 6 = afgecd = 11111010 Source: http://profmason.com/?page_id=87 Combination of the pulse generator and the pulse counter: The pulse generator possesses very high frequency which makes the pulse counter start counting rapidly. As a result, the different combination of LEDS will light up in very quick succession and the seven LEDS will appear as if they are lit. When one places his or her finger on the switch, the pulse stops counting (FERMI NATIONAL ACCELERATOR LABORATORY & UNITED STATES, 1991). The 555 timer IC is joined to provide a stable operation, the clock pulses are connected to the 4017 IC through the 10K resistor. The 4017 is a 10 stager respondent, output 6 (pin 5) is attached to RESET pin 15, thereby giving a 6 stage counter, outputs 0 to 5. It is worth to note that 6 of the resistors are connected in form of 3 pairs and hence in need of 4 diverse signals, of which comes from the 4 transistors. These resistors are connected to a required output of the 4017. To achieve my goal, there was need to use more than one output for a single transistor. This was made possible by the use of diodes so as to restrict occurrence of short circuiting between the outputs. Pin 13 of the 4017 is joined to the positive terminal through a 100K resistor to bring to a standstill the counter from continuing. But by pressing the Roll button, pin 13 will be connected to the negative and the counter will continue thereby throwing the dice. Equipment used As an engineering practitioner, there is need to have all the necessary electronic equipment to make a high standard device that can be utilised and implemented as a program in the future. There is need to wear safety goggles when soldering and cutting components. Therefore, soldering iron is necessary, this is to melt the solder and fix the different components. Solder is an alloy containing different percentages of silver, and copper. However, lead is poisonous and no longer used. It contains tiny cores of flux. Flux is vital in the cleaning purposes since it is corrosive. Therefore, during the soldering process one should solder on the joint and not the iron tip to achieve the best. The next equipment is the digital multi-meter. This is necessary for the measurement of the resistance of the different resistors to be fixed on the board circuit (LIWSCHITZ & WHIPPLE, 1946). Another important equipment is the electric drill and drill bits. This is vital when drilling holes on the board to fill different components of the device. The most suitable one is the PCB high speed. Wire striper is the next tool that makes a success in the construction process. This is used to strip off the insulator that covers the wire before being connected to another wire or soldered into the printed circuit. A long nose plier is the next tool. This helps the engineer to hold components that have short leads and requires soldering and cannot be handled with bare hands due to the high temperatures. This also helps to hold components that need to be de-soldered off the board. A side cutting pliers is the other tool necessary to make a success in the project. This is used to cut excess components leads on the printed circuit board. It also assists in cutting wires into the required lengths. Tweezers is a necessary tool in the project. This helps to hold components that are very tiny such as the resistors and capacitors when soldering and more so de-soldering them. An Allen wrench set is very necessary as an engineer to screw and unscrew Allen types of screws. Therefore, different types of screws are very necessary such as Philips head screwdrivers and flat head screwdrivers. A small harmer is also necessary so as to assemble different components and wires that need to be straighten of where casing is needed. Socket wrench is very vital so as to fix the on/off switch to the electronic dice circuit. A pocket knife is also very necessary while undertaking the project. This is used to cut the wires, PCB or remove some cooper from a printed circuit board. Methodology and Build To make this project into a conclusion was a tedious process and more so challenging. This involved different procedures that components that required installation. All these were done on the board considering the printed sides to be the most appropriate side to be put on the circuit components. During the construction, I was very careful not to leave my soldering iron on the board as this will highly damage it. However, I gave reasonable time on the board to allow the solder to properly melt and flow all over the lead or track. This was made possible by the use of pliers that highly assisted me from damaging my board. On the board I carefully identified the texts and with my knowledge on electronics I was able to identify different points and signs that guided me on where to place different components on the circuit board. This was made possible by the use of symbols and letters such as R for resistors and C for capacitors. These are not shown in the above diagram but it was among the techniques that made my project a success. This was a good guidance that enabled me to find the appropriate point to insert the correct component (LIWSCHITZ & WHIPPLE, 1946). To achieve the best results it was a good idea to start with the smallest components in terms of height. In this regard, starting with the resistors is the best decision. In the insertion of the resistors, their unique characteristic is a good guiding principle. First is that resistors are non-polarised components of the circuit. Therefore, their fixation and insertion is easy due to the fact that these can be fixed in either way. The next characteristic is the colour code. This assisted to locate each resistor to its appropriate position according to the circuit diagram and board layout. To ensure that each resistor is placed on the right position, use of digital multi-meter is used. For example, the fact that each resistor has a plus or negative one tolerance, it is possible to come up with a conclusion on which is to be put where and why. After inserting the resistors then the rest of the components are put not following any order. However, it’s worth noting that these are done with a lot of care as the remaining components have polarity. First is the ceramic capacitor. This is soldered as according to the value printed on the component. The next is the IC socket. On fixing this, it ensured that it is a flush to the board. The notch of the socket is noted to avoid upside down fixation. To achieve this, it should match to the printed outline on the board so that when 555 chip fixation or insertion is done, then it will be easy to know on which way the chips should go. The other component is the LED. The guided characteristic in the fixation of the LED is the long legged anode. The cathode is not long and therefore when connecting this, this knowledge is very vital. Matching the LED to the board printed outline is a key to the achievement of the best end results. This so because opposite fixation will lead to the components not lighting. The other important but small component is the switch that allows on and off operations (LIWSCHITZ & WHIPPLE, 1946). On the fixation of this, there is need to trim the switch leads so that the battery holder sits closer to the board. Next is the fixation of the electrolytic capacitor. The guiding characteristic is that they are polarised and therefore, correct orientation of these radial capacitors is vital. Basing on the convention requirement of the circuit diagram, the positive lead is shown as positive lead. However, on the capacitor it is shows a negative lead. Therefore, the longer leg of the electrolytic capacitor should be noted to be positive lead. Finally is to solder in the 9v battery holder. On following the above procedure, there is need to check that all the wires and components are well fit into the board, and if there is any that is not well fit, then make the required corrections and make sure there is no component missing. After making the necessary correction, then insert the 555 timer chip and observe the correct orientation. Testing After fixing all the components, there is need to test whether the dice circuit is working. To avoid irreparable damage ensuring that the chips are in the right or correct position is the first step in testing process. Test 1 The very first test is to test if the circuit works or not. I switched on the circuit using the switch that I developed myself. This was done by the use of my index finger and by pressing the switch severally. The LED lit up in various combinations as a sign of success. This was a first sign of success as it was a sign of competence in the asserting different components to their right position. However, after few minutes, the light went off. I checked through my circuit dice. The first thing is that I made my finger wet and switched on the again but there were no signs of a light (VAN TONDER, 1996). Secondly, I checked on the battery and was well fixed, checked the LED to ensure that they were well fixed on the positive and negative points, checked on the diodes and more so all the connection that have made. On pressing the switch it was a success. Test 2 The next step is to test whether the dice created is a fair one. This is based on the statistical of a fair dice that assumes that a dice will show all the possibilities in equal amounts after throwing it a certain number of times. From this, after pressing the circuit 6 times and entering the outcomes on a sheet it was evident that this electronic dice was fair since all the possibilities were available giving an error or positive and negative one. This was easy as compared to manual dice tossing (VAN TONDER, 1996). Conclusion The project was interesting as it posed a lot of challenges. This imparts a lot of skills to the engineer to work individually in terms of accuracy level, critical thinking, and reasoning. The project achieved its goals of making the recreation activities of in-house games easier and less strenuous. This has made the game even easier for children to perform. In addition, the electric dice has eliminated situations that vigilant individual could manipulate the dices at their own advantage. This has made creation of business on gambling, creating of employment opportunities and more so a source of income to different individuals. Construction of the electric dice involves use of given vital components that are soldered, two integrated circuits (ICs) and metal wires to the circuit board. By the use of the circuit board, one is able to point out where to insert different components. In addition, one is required to develop a switch for the use in electronic circuit dice to control different tosses. After the identifying the circuit board, one is supposed to place the component on it. This is done by soldering them using the soldering iron. While performing this, one is required to bend the wires of the components in such a way that they fit through the holes on the circuit board. To achieve good results, these components are fitted one by one. The components are soldered from the back of the circuit board and excess wire trimmed off. It is worth noting that, while fitting components such as LED and diodes, there is a way that they should be fitted so that they are effective. This involves ensuring that positive and negative terminals are well fitted. Such characteristic short legs are important guidance during the assembling process. In addition, the black stripes on the diode should be on the same side with the stripe on the diode symbol (PCB VAN TONDER, 1996). Integrated circuit is very responsive to fixed electricity and therefore can be broken. To avoid this problem of circuit breaking, these should be soldered in the appropriate positions as shown in the circuit board and in case it blows it should be replaced. In addition, wires should be soldered using the conductive parts by removing the insulators. These wires are also used to connect the battery. Lastly is coming up with a switch to allow current to flow all round the electronic dice and make the circuit work. After all the above is said and done, the electric dice is tested to find out it operations. Given I would try to construct the dice using resistors and capacitors with high or low values to find out their effects on the electric dices occurrences. The experience was good since it was challenging and required a lot of accuracy. To improve this experience, mentoring is vital and also frequent lab practical on different projects conducted so to increase student experience. Reference List BARTHOLOMEW, A., & BARTHOLOMEW, L. (2002). Electric mischief: battery-powered gadgets kids can build. Toronto, Kids Can Press. FERMI NATIONAL ACCELERATOR LABORATORY, & UNITED STATES. (1991). A high performance multi-channel preamplifier ASIC. Washington, D.C., United States. Dept. of Energy. http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10119190-mADGXF/. HOLM, R., & HOLM, E. (1967). Electric contacts: theory and application. Berlin, Springer-Verlag. LIWSCHITZ, M., & WHIPPLE, C. C. (1946). Electric machinery. New York, D. Van Nostrand company, Inc. VAN TONDER, D. J. (1996). Electricity 1. Isando, Lexicon. Read More