Week 4 Blog Post - Challenge Build Four

The Challenge Build Four – Arduino Dice Circuit with Push Button

Explanation of the Project

During week four, we were challenged to learn, tinker, and use the Arduino circuit board and coding software, to generate an electronic dice. This activity so far has been the most challenging and the most fun too. The activity uses the electronic components, Arduino circuit board, breadboard, and the associated software to create the sketch or program needed to make the Arduino circuit we assembled communicate as a functioning dice to be rolled digitally using a push button to simulate our hand rolling the dice. 

We were also challenged with connecting multiple individual LED lights on the breadboard and Arduino circuit board to then program the coding software to light up and turn off each individual LED at different sequences and intervals in the form of an electronic dice. Additionally, we were asked to then use the push button component of the setup to then use it to electronically roll the dice. 

Screenshot of my Code for the Arduino Dice Circuit Activity with Push Button

 

Image of my Arduino Circuit Board and Breadboard Arduino Dice Circuit Setup

 

Electronic Diagram of Arduino circuit board and Breadboard setup

Video explaining Electronic Dice Arduino project & how it works

Video using Push Button to roll dice with Arduino Sketch Circuit

Video explaining the project and how it works. The video demonstrates how the project works. In my video, I explained how I started with the challenge and what my thinking was as I worked through the challenge project where the code and or the circuit was modified.

Graph showing distribution of dice rolls from my Electronic Dice

Final Reflection

Reflecting on my Arduino challenges for this week, I have learned not only how to work with electronic circuit boards that communicate and perform various functions using the Arduino software to program the code that directs the circuit board setup for this week, which was a fun electronic dice and a push button to create a digital dice, but that programming is a skill that isn't extremely difficult to learn. This was a challenge and even fun to work with this week despite my continuing to make mistakes with the circuit board and coding. We also were asked this week to use the push button component to simulate rolling the dice when the button was pushed, which I was able to get up and running well. Finally, we were asked to use this apparatus to roll our digital dice one hundred times while recording the dice number each time, and then place our results in an associated graph that represents the number of times each of the six numbers on the dice was rolled. This was an adventure and fun to replicate, which let me know that my setup and code were working too, which made me feel good. 

Data Table of Digital Dice Roll from 105 consecutive rolls using Arduino Sketch and Circuit

Similar Programs/Circuits in the Real World - RGB LED & Multiple LEDs

Game Show Buzzers

Scrolling Marque Signs

Video Games

Seasonal Lighting

Christmas Tree Lights