Sunday, February 12, 2012

MSP430 Reaction Game

     I just finished my write-up on my MSP430 Reaction Game project. This project had a lot of firsts for me; first PCB design and manufacture, first time using github to host and version files, and first time using a microcontroller in a project. The object of the game is to stop the cycling LEDs at a specific LED to test your reaction skills. The TI MSP430G2231 microcontroller drives 8 LEDs via 3 pins using a 74HC595 shift register. The speed that the LEDs flash is determined from the potentiometer wiper via the analog to digital converter in the MSP430. There are also 2 pushbuttons to start/restart and stop the game. Everything is powered from a 9V battery that is dropped down to 3.3V via a LD1117V33 voltage regulator. There is also a programming header to program the microcontroller in-circuit with a TI Launchpad.

Check out the link below for a video walkthrough and all the juicy details. Enjoy!