Building a Penny Pusher Arcade Game

[vtsteam]

Pendulum in a ring works as a tilt switch. Actually a plumb bob on a bit of flexible cable.

Very fine flexible multi-strand cable can be had as bead stringing wire in a crafts store. Solder this into a drilled ball bearing and make your ring as close tolerance to that as you want for sensitivity.  Sensitivity can be adjusted by raising or lowering the ball in the fixed ring.

These could be an input to your Arduino.

[tom osselton]

Vsteam same idea as me but I thought the tilt switch would  have a 45 degree angle that way the sensitivity could be set by raising or lowering the ring and as far as weight versus spring either one would work. Although the weight  / counterbalance can be more finetuned wheras the spring is constant.

[raynerd]

Hi Chaps...

just a bit of an update. I`ve not been in much so have been working on the code side for the change machine I`m building into it.

Purchased a 10p hopper and connected that to an arduino:

Then I purchased a coin acceptor off ebay and connected that to an arduino:

Next step is to make the hopper and coin acceptor talk to each other!

I`ve also built in some genuine coin shoots which also checks the coins are the correct ones! Pictures to follow.

Chris

[vtsteam]

Wow, this is going to be the real thing......

[NickG]

Gets even better Chris!

[raynerd]

Ohhhhh the sweet smell of success!! After 2 weeks, the code is very nearly there. I have a lot more to do in terms of some additional features but proof of concept is there!!! It works.

So the coin acceptor is going to go at the top of the machine and it will dispence coins into the win tray.

Thanks to people who have helped via email, pm and even facebook! Thank you,

I don't get a lot of time in my workshop but writing this code has sucked up a lot of shop time so back to building it now!

Chris

[raynerd]

Painted a first coat on the case - arcade red. Fitted pink car stereo although this will be covered, speaker, coin selector and all the electric are in and now sorted!

Lots more to do but a good next step...

[raynerd]

Bit more..,,

[vtsteam]

Looks like the real thing!   

[garym]

Looking good, Chris. 

I see you went with the name I suggested. I claim my free prize. You can pop the royalty cheque in the post if you like. Only joking. Keep up the good work, you're inspiring the next generation of engineers here.

Gary

[micktoon]

Hi Chris , looking good , I bet you will have a house full once word gets out about it .................... You have made a lovely job of it , very impressed 

 Cheers Mick.

[raynerd]

Hi guys. Thanks for your kind comments.

GaryM forgot I'd taken the stereo cover (ugly and not flush with the cabinet yet) - I was going to do the grand unveil of the name when I get the vinyl printed for on the back drop !!

The plan now is to get the coin box tipping function working - an extra part of the game and then really tidy it up and finish it.

Chris

[raynerd]

Once again, weeks and weeks pass with only short spells on this machine. In all honesty, I've had enough now and just want it finished so I can get on with some metal work. Anyway, here is the coin splash feature I designed. It is by no means perfect but the concept works and admittedly I expected this to be a complete disaster. Thoughts, opinions and suggestions welcome.

[NickG]

Never seen one like that Chris, great idea and it works well! The whole thing is brilliant.