LED Dice with Fast Roll

LED DICE

INSTRUCTION SHEET

Price - Stock No 250 - Fast Roll
Price - Stock No 251 - Slow Roll
Price - Stock No 252 - Variable Roll

Superceeded Version - prior January 2007

Check your kit

1. Make  a visual check of the PC board for damage in transit. Look for small breaks and/or other damage to tracks.  The  copper  tracks  will have  a  green coating on the tracks. This coating should be left in place as it protects the tracks from oxidation or corrosion,  and  it  does  not inhibit  soldering in any way.  A multi-meter or Electronic Circuit Tester can be used to test continuity of the tracks.
2. Mounting  the components is relatively easy.  The resistors will have to have the legs bent to match their holes, and the greencap will fit in easily - any way round.They can be soldered off as you go if you  wish.
3. The  electrolytic  capacitor  is polarised, so look on the body to find an arrow.  This arrow points down the -ve (K) leg. Check the drawing and  put it in the right way round.  
4. To mount the push-button switch, push the two circuit board pins into  the holes where the switch goes.  Solder them and then push the legs of the switch down between the pins.  Solder the switch to the pins.  This will give a solid mounting so the dice can be attached to its box  by  the switch through a hole, with the nut on top.  The  height  of the flange of the switch will also give a height to which the flanges of the LEDs can be adjusted  before  soldering.   The globe part of the LEDs will then push up through your box and be supported in position by the switch.  The  LEDs  are  also polarised.  Find a small flat on the flange at the base of the red dome.  This flat is at  the  -ve(K)  leg.  See  the drawing  for  the  correct  polarity of each LED. 
5. The 8 Pin & 16 Pin I.C.  Sockets can be soldered in carefully to make sure that no bridging occurrs between legs.  You will find that the legs of both the I.Cs are spread a little wide to fit into their sockets.  Take each I.C. and rest  the  legs  on  a flat  surface.   Gently  push  down  so that row of legs is straightened a little.  Repeat for the other row of legs.  Take the 555 Timer and find the locating mark on the top surface and near or at one end.  Check the drawing and push it into its socket the right way round.  The procedure for the 4017 is similar but ,  because  it can  easily  be  destroyed by static electricity, leave it in its antistat case until you have all other components, switches, battery snap  etc. in place and soldered off.  Finally, find the locating mark on the  top  surface  of  the  4017, check its position with the drawing, and push the IC into its socket. 
6. The dice is now ready for testing.  Connect  a  9V  battery,  switch  the slide switch "on" and push the button.  All LEDs will light up; release the button and one  will  stay on. ( This is a purely random selection so there is no way to "rig" the dice). 

MORE INFORMATION

View the Datasheet for the 4017.

View the Datasheet for the 555.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If  the dice doesn't work then you will need to check all polarities  and ensure that all components are in correct places.  Check  soldering  and resolder any suspect joints.

TECHNICAL NOTES

It will help if a general understanding of the circuit is acquired.  Briefly , when the PB switch is depressed a pulse is generated by  the  555 IC  (Timer).  This pulse is conducted to the 4017 IC (Decade Counter) which acts as a rotary switch.  In this case only six of the IC's pins  are  used to  distribute  the  pulse  to  the LEDs in turn.  The next pin in order is connected to the reset pin of the IC.  This restarts the  switching  action to maintain an automatically resetting switching process.  This all happens very quickly, so fast that all LEDs appear to light up when the push button is pressed.
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Dual LED Dice (available in kit form)

MEET DICER-D6. The fun and easy auto-roll dual random sequence LED-dice kit. Our dual DICER - D6 has many applications; Play your game with  DICER.  A backgammon lover's dream. Great for craps. No more dice fixing! Remember, casino games are for adults, only. Use your ESP to guess the next "roll"...Use the dual LED-dice kit anywhere you’d like to draw an audience and a smile. The unique small design will allow you to mount k it almost anywhere. Operates with 9V battery, 12V car battery, four 1.5V batteries, or via one of our battery simulator kits. The alternative uses are endless. It’s designed for the beginner as well as the expert. Please drop us a line at sales@eidusa.com and let us know the creative ways you and your friends use the dual DICER! Do It Yourself (DIY) and enjoy your kit!
Schematic DICER-D6 is our automatic DUAL LED-DICE kit. It's based on “dual counters.” Using the 4093 (Schmitt-trigger NAND gates) as a random dual clock generator, it increases the each counter randomly--therefore light arbitrarily sequences of LEDs. Since we wire pin 5 to the counter RST (reset) pin (pin 15), when the counter reaches the fifth position it automatically goes back to the first position on the next pulse.  R14 to R21 resistors determines the LEDs brightness and limits the current flow to about 10 to 15mA when running between 9V to 12 VDC corresponding.  R5 to R13 resistors and RN1 and RN2 resistor network (bus) determines the minimum transistor forward base-current sufficient to turn the transistor on. At given time only one random output of the each counter (U2_Q0 to U2_Q5 & U3_Q0 to U3_Q5) is "On" ("1"): U2_Q0 = "1" --> Transistors Q1, Q2, Q3 = "On" --> Dice = 6 (L1, L2, L3, L5, L6, L7 Light) U2_Q1 = "1" --> Transistors Q1, Q2 = "On" --> Dice = 4 (L1, L2, L6, L7  Light) U2_Q2 = "1" --> Transistors Q1, Q2, Q4 = "On" --> Dice = 5 (L1, L2, L4, L6, L7 Light) U2_Q3 = "1" --> Transistor Q1 = "On" --> Dice = 1 (L4 Light) U2_Q4 = "1" --> Transistors Q2, Q4 = "On" --> Dice = 3 (L1, L4, L7 Light) U2_Q5 = "1" --> Transistors Q2 = "On" --> Dice = 2 (L1, L7 Light) U3_Q0 = "1" --> Transistor Q5, Q2, Q3 = "On" --> Dice = 1 (L11 Light) U3_Q1 = "1" --> Transistors Q7, Q5 = "On" --> Dice = 3 (L8, L11, L14 Light) U3_Q2 = "1" --> Transistors Q7, Q8 = "On" --> Dice = 4 (L8, L9, L13, L14 Light) U3_Q3 = "1" --> Transistors Q5, Q7, Q7 = "On" --> Dice = 5 (L8, L9, L11, L13, L14 Light) U3_Q4 = "1" --> Transistors Q6, Q7, Q8 = "On" --> Dice = 6 (L8, L9, L10, L12, L13, L14 Light) U3_Q5 = "1" --> Transistor Q7 = "On" --> Dice = 2 (L8, L14  Light)
Description and SKU#	Price	Picture
DICER-D6 Kit EID-K-DICER-D6-ASM Fully assembled EID-K-DICER-D6-KIT Kit	56.00 48.95
EID-K-DICER-D6-PCB PCB Only	15.99

Two Player Quiz Master Game

QUIZ MASTER 2

INSTRUCTION SHEET

Price - Stock No 260 

Quizmaster is a device which uses electronics to decide who pushes their button first,  deciding who has the right to answer the question.

Construction

1. Check  the  P.C.Board  for  damage to tracks.  Any breaks can be soldered over.  Check with a multimeter or electronic circuit tester.
2. Identify the resistors, see Resistors.
3. Solder in place - see Soldering Technique.
4. Insert the two 1N4004 diodes, care needs to be taken to ensure the correct polarity.  Solder in place. 
5. The 8 PCB pins can be inserted and soldered.
6. Solder the switch in place.
7. Care needs to ensure the LED's are inserted with the correct polarity.  Solder.
8. Cut the figure 8 wire into two lengths.  The ends of the wire needs to be stripped to bare the copper wire.
9. Tin the bare ends of the wire - refer Tinning wire.
10. Attach the switches to their PCB pins with the wire.
11. Connect the battery snap.

Operation and Testing

1. Connect a battery.
2. With the switch in the ON position, press either button - the respective LED will illuminate.
3. Try pressing the other button - nothing should happen.
4. Switch the Quiz Master OFF then ON again.  This resets the unit.
5. Press the other button, it's LED will illuminate.
6. Try pressing the first button - nothing should happen.

Remember - switch the Quiz Master OFF then ON to reset - ready for a new question in the quiz.

Technology Notes

This circuit uses two SCR's (Silicon Controlled Rectifier) to achieve the outcome.  An SCR is a diode which only conducts in one direction, just like a diode - note the A & K legs.  In addition it will only conduct in this direction when it has been triggered, this is done by applying a voltage to the G leg (Gate).  A SCR will continue to conduct even if the voltage to the gate is removed.  View the Datasheet for the SCR C106Y. 

From the schematic diagram, the 470 R resistors tie the G leg of the SCR's to 0V, preventing  a false trigger.

When a button is pressed, the G leg is taken high, the respective SCR conducts, this effectivly connects the A leg to 0V.  Current flows from +9V through the LED, resistor and  SCR - the LED is illuminated.
As stated before, the A leg of the SCR is taken to 0V, this has the effect of taking the G leg of the second SCR low through the 1N4004 diode.  This means that even if the second button is pressed it cannot trigger the second SCR.

The second button works in the same manor as the first - a totally unbiased 'fastest finger wins'.

Trouble shooting

Troubleshooting,  if necessary will involve careful checking of locations and polarity of components, in particular the diodes and the SCR. Re-solder all joints and check to make  sure  you  have  not  bridged across  between  any  two adjacent component legs.  The end  of  a  broken  hacksaw  blade  sharpened  on  an  emery wheel is a good tool for cleaning between soldered joints.

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Decision Maker Circuit Diagram

DECISION  MAKER

INSTRUCTION SHEET

Price - Stock No 120

Check your kit

• 1 - 390R
• 2 - 1K2
• 2 -33K
• 2 -100K
• 1 - IN4002 power diode
• 2 - LED
• 2 -0.1uF greencap
• 2 - BC548 PNP
• 1 - slide switch
• 1 - push button
• Battery Snap
• P.C.Board
• 2 - MOLEX PINS
• Solder
• Hook-up Wire

Schematic Diagram

PCB Layout

BC 548

1. Identify  the  resistors by their colour bands and an Ohm-meter.   Bend the legs so they fit the hole spacings, push the  legs  through  from the  plain  side  of the PCB and bend the legs to hold them in place. They may be soldered now if you like.
2. All other components can be fitted but observe the following:

• polarity of the LEDs.  The flat on the flange must  be  as  the drawing shows.
• polarity  of the transistors.  The flat on the body must be as the drawing shows.
• polarity of the power diode. The band must be at the K  end  as  the drawing shows.
• the red wire of the battery snap is soldered to the +ve pole on the PCB.  Use the two molex pins for these two connections.
• Refer Soldering Technique

3.  Test the circuit using a 9volt battery.

TROUBLE SHOOTING

If the project doesn't work then check through the following:

Make a visual check for  missed  joints,  components  in  the wrong  positions,  and  polarity wrong.  This must be a very careful check making constant reference to the component placement chart and the circuit diagram. If you are sure that everything is  correct  (and  that  your battery  is  not  flat)  you  must  suspect that components have been heat damaged.  This is unlikely because they must be really cooked  to  sustain damage.  However,  start  with the LEDs; take them out one at a time, test  with a Circuit Tester (Kit available).  DO  NOT  test  LEDs  with  a  full 9volts;they will blow instantly.  Meter the current as follows:
• 9volts - use 390ohms in series
• 3volts - use 100ohms in series
Replace each component carefully after it is tested.

Next,  move  to the transistors.  Simple tests can be made with an ohm-meter.  Simply compare its readings between the poles with those of a new transistor, or replace them to see if new ones  solve  the  problem.  The other components will not be troublesome unless they have been treated very harshly.

A  SOLDER SUCKER TOOL,(a small vacuum pump) or some DESOLDERING BRAID will help in the process of removing  components  from  the  circuit board.

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