Game Show System Concept

[p8balls]

Hey Guys,
I haven't been around in a while, actually since the forum crashed and we lost all the info a couple years ago. So I'm a bit out of touch with the new items here.

I'm not sure if the Prop-1 is suitable for this project but figured I'd start here since I have a few laying around.

I would like to build a Trivia Game Show System. Below is a picture of the concept I'm looking for.



This is designed for four contestants and a host. Below is what I would like to happen:

• When a question is asked the contestants race to hit the button.
• The first contestant to hit the button will lockout the others.
• You will here a sound and their station will illuminate.
• The microphone will activate so they can give an answer.

Points will be in increments of 10 and the first to 100 will win.

If the answer is correct

• The host will award a point via his control panel.
• You will here a sound and the lights will flash.
• Then it will reset waiting for the next question.

If the answer is incorrect

• The host will press the "Pass" button via his control panel.
• You will here a sound and the next contestant will now be able to answer.
• Once point is given it will reset waiting for the next question.

Once a contestant reaches 100 points

• You will here a sound and the lights will chase and microphone will remain active
• After about 10 seconds or so all the lights will flash.

This is a basic idea of operation, I'd also like controls to manually trigger different sounds, manually activate microphones, as well as subtract points. I will need a way to connect the two contestant pods with the hosts pod. If anybody has sources for the buttons and the large digital displays please post those as well.


Let me know what type of controller would be best for this, I will be using a uMP3 for the sounds since I have a bunch laying around. If anybody has other ideas to make this happen feel free to comment.

Thanks for the help!
Chris

[menehune]

I did have a system like that designed for me by jon? years ago.  It used a state machine to read the button press, light up the contestant's number and lockout all the other button presses.  I need to look up the data and see if I have it available.  The other events can be built upon the button scanning.  I believe it was running on a BS2.

[menehune]

Sorry, it was built by Tracy Allen from emesystems.com  It probably can be modified to fit into the stamp.  You may not have enough lines to run it in a stamp 1.  You may need a stamp 2.

4 push button inputs
4 podium "light" outputs with microphone mute relay outputs tapped off.
1 "play sound" output connected to AP4
host "award" button
host "next question" (reset) button
I see 11 signal lines needed.

Will you have an external microphone mixer with a gating input control or will you be running the microphones into your own DPST relay to mute the sound?  If you roll your own you may get undesirable "clunk"ing when the relay activates/deactivates.  I think a capacitor bypass of the sound leads will reduce the turn on clunk.

Code Select Expand


'------Gameshow.bs2
'Tracy Allen, http://www.emesystems.com
'pins 0-7 are inputs for 8 pushbuttons normally high, low when pressed
'pins 8-15 are outputs for lights, high level turns on light
'
'State variables:
first  var byte      ' e.g. contestant #3 is first=%00001000
second var byte      ' e.g. contestant #6 is second=%01000000
third  var byte      ' e.g. contestant #0 is third=%00000001
losers var byte      ' catch-all for non-placing contestants
win    var first     ' alias name for "first" will address as array
                     ' win(0)=first, win(1)=second, win(2)=third, win(3)=losers
ix     var nib       ' index into the array win(ix).
drum   var word      ' counter for the flash rate
d0     var drum.bit6 ' fastest
d1     var drum.bit7 ' medium
d2     var drum.bit8 ' slowest
dirs=$FF00    ' 0->7 are inputs from pushbuttons, normally HI input
                     ' goes LO as a button is pressed.  8-15 are outputs to
                     ' the lamp controls.
loop:
  win(ix) = ~inL & ~(first | second)
  ix = win(ix) max 1 + ix max 3
  outH = d0 * first | (d1 * second) | (d2 * third)
  drum = drum+1
goto loop
end

' The index, ix, starts out at zero, pointing to "first".  As buttons are
' pressed, the value of ix advances to point to "second" and then "third" and
' then "losers". The index stops at 3, so that all late entries are put in the
' "losers" category.
' Any time a new push button is pressed, the value of win(ix) changes from zero
' to a button-specific value.  For example, if button #3 is pressed, then
' win(ix)=:%00001000.  The statement ~(first|second) helps when the first place
' and/or second place contestents continue to hold down their buttons; the
' state machine ignores buttons that have already been registered. The statement
' that starts with "ix=" increments the index whenever a new pushbutton is
' detected, up to 3.
' The bits d0, d1 and d2 are just bits of the counter variable, "drum", and they
' go high and low in the usual binary pattern, d0 being the fastest. In this
' loop, the d0 frequency is about 2.5 per second.  Multiplying each of these
' bits times "first", "second" and "third", and ORing together the result causes
' the lights to flash by placement order.  For faster or slower flash rates,
' choose different bits of "drum".
' The lights start flashing immediately when each button is pressed--you can see
' immediately who is first, without having to wait for three responses.  There
' is a small chance of a tie between two contestents.  The loop executes in 3-4
' milliseconds, so a tie is unlikely. The scoreboard will show ties as two bulbs
' flashing at the same rate.  Press RESET to start a new round.
' --Tracy Allen, emesys@compuserve.com


[JonnyMac]

I'd use a Prop-2 (or Prop-SX) with two 74HC165s to all the inputs, and eight 74HC595s for the score outputs (one '595 per digit).  Download StampWorks (from Parallax) for code and connections using the 74HC165 and 74HC595.

[p8balls]

Hey Mike,
Thanks for the quick reply. I'm glad to see this has been done before. I was trying to figure out the best scenario for the microphone myself. Right now I'm in search of all the components to put this together.

Chris

[p8balls]

I'd use a Prop-2 (or Prop-SX) with two 74HC165s to all the inputs, and eight 74HC595s for the score outputs (one '595 per digit).  Download StampWorks (from Parallax) for code and connections using the 74HC165 and 74HC595.

Hey Jon,
Thanks for your input, I've actually been trying to refresh my mind and the other day I pulled out my WAM book and StampWorks book that I printed out a couple years ago when I was working on the Possessed Girl and Rippling Floor Props.

I figured I'd need something bigger than a Prop-1. The Prop-2 and Prop-SX came out shortly after I went on my hiatus from prop building due to me leaving my engineering job to take on self employment full time which I needed to devote all my time. Now that things have smoothed out I'd like to stay around a little bit longer. I've got my work cut out for me!

I will look into the info you provided and try to make sense of it. ;D
Thanks for your help!
Chris

[p8balls]

I just found a video that shows pretty much what I'm looking to do.

Code Select Expand

http://www.keithalan.com/NewVideo1&2_0.html

Does anyone have a source for lighted colored buttons and digital number displays?
Thanks for the help!
Chris

[ilusion]

Does anyone have a source for lighted colored buttons and digital number displays?

Source for high-durability Lighted Buttons:

Happ Controls


Source for large format seven-segment displays:

Sparkfun.com 6.5" digit

Q Kits 5" digit

Q Kits 7" digit

Hope that helps! :)

Vern

[p8balls]

Hey Vern,
Thanks for posting the links, these are just what I was looking for! It was your projects that inspired me to start using basic stamps to begin with. I just need to get back at it and relearn what I forgot.


I've never done any programming on the SX chip and very little on the BS2, since the SX is the more powerful chip I will probably go with this. I see you can program it using different languages so I'll have to look into it a little more before I place an order.
Chris

[menehune]

For the game stations, you could use a Shure SCM810 8-Channel Microphone Mixer.  It has microphone mute inputs to silence individual microphone channels.  You could use a standard microphone like a Shure SM58 on a gooseneck or a tabletop low profile mic like the Crown PCC-170SW
With the crown table top mic, you may pickup table top noise if the mic is open before the button is pressed-a loud slap or clunk when the player mashes the button.  You won't have the "ugly" microphone and gooseneck sticking out of the table possibly blocking the player's view.

The Crown mics require power-either a mixer that supplies phantom power or an external phantom power supply.  The Shure mics do not require power.

There are lots of gear available that can be used, I'm just familiar with the gear I listed, I use them daily.  The listed gear is professional grade, so expect to pay $$$ for it.  The sm58 is $100, the crown is $250 each and the mixer is $1200.

[Bill P]

I just ran across this website that uses a 555 timer to do exactly what you want in your game show.

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/projects/quiz.htm

I,m sure it can be used with a prop "x" with some modifications.

Bill