How To Make DIY Mechanical Dice using Arduino NANO & Servo Motor by WTC Zone

How To Make DIY Mechanical Dice using Arduino NANO & Servo Motor by WTC Zone

Here's the complete code and explanation for  digital dice project using a 7-segment display controlled by servos. The system will display random numbers between 1 and 6, transitioning quickly through random patterns before stopping at the final number when the button is pressed.

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Circuit Setup

1. Servo Connections:
   • Segment A → Servo 1 → Arduino Pin D2
   • Segment B → Servo 2 → Arduino Pin D3
   • Segment C → Servo 3 → Arduino Pin D4
   • Segment D → Servo 4 → Arduino Pin D5
   • Segment E → Servo 5 → Arduino Pin D6
   • Segment F → Servo 6 → Arduino Pin D7
   • Segment G → Servo 7 → Arduino Pin D8
2. Push Button:
   • Button connected to Arduino Pin D9.
   • Use a pull-down resistor (10kΩ) for stability. Connect one leg of the button to 5V and the other to D9 with the resistor to GND.

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Concept

A traditional 7-segment display uses LEDs to represent digits and characters. In your project, each segment will be represented by a servo motor. Each servo motor will move to 90 degrees (ON) or 0 degrees (OFF) based on whether a segment should be active or inactive for a particular digit or letter.

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Parts Required

1. Arduino NANO (1x)
   • Controls the servos and determines the digit/letter to display.
2. Servo Motors (7x)
   • Acts as the mechanical segments of the display.
3. Power Supply:
   • Use an external 5V power supply capable of handling all 7 servos simultaneously (e.g., 2A or higher).
4. Jumper Wires
   • For connecting servos to the Arduino and power supply.
5. Breadboard
   • For distributing power.
6. Resistors (optional for pull-down circuits, if needed).
7. Push Button
1. For making shuffle in the dice

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Circuit Connection

1. Servo Connections:

   • Connect the signal pins of the 7 servo motors to Arduino digital pins (e.g., D2 to D8).
   • Connect the GND and VCC pins of all servos to the external power supply.
   • Connect the power supply GND to Arduino GND for a common ground.

2. Power Supply:

   • Use an external 5V power supply to avoid overloading the Arduino’s regulator.

3. Segments Mapping:

• Map each servo motor to a segment of the 7-segment display:
• Segment A → Servo 1 → Arduino Pin D2
• Segment B → Servo 2 → Arduino Pin D3
• Segment C → Servo 3 → Arduino Pin D4
• Segment D → Servo 4 → Arduino Pin D5
• Segment E → Servo 5 → Arduino Pin D6
• Segment F → Servo 6 → Arduino Pin D7
• Segment G → Servo 7 → Arduino Pin D8
4. Push Button:
1. Add a push button to your circuit:
   • Connect one leg of the push button to a digital pin (e.g., pin 9).
   • Connect the other leg of the button to ground.
   • Add a pull-up resistor (10kΩ) between the digital pin and VCC or use the Arduino's built-in pull-up resistor.

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Working

1. Initialization:
   • Each servo is initialized to the "OFF" position (0 degrees).
2. Display Logic:
   • Based on the input digit or letter, the Arduino controls which segments are ON (90 degrees) or OFF (0 degrees).
3. Servo Movement:
   • When a segment is turned ON, the corresponding servo rotates to 90 degrees.
   • When a segment is turned OFF, the servo rotates back to 0 degrees.
4. Satisfying Humming Sound:
   • The servos will produce a gentle humming sound during their movement, creating a satisfying mechanical effect.

Circuit Diagram

Video Link: - Click Here For Video

How To Make DIY Mechanical Dice using Arduino NANO & Servo Motor by WTC Zone simple Circuit: -

How To Make DIY Mechanical Dice using Arduino NANO & Servo Motor by WTC Zone Arduino Programming: -

Arduino IDE Program

Code for DIY Mechanical Dice using Arduino NANO & Servo Motor by WTC Zone

#include <Servo.h>

// Define servo objects for each segment

Servo servos[7];

// Define pin connections for each servo

const int segmentPins[] = {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8};

const int buttonPin = 9;  // Push button pin

// Define ON and OFF positions for the servos

const int ON_POSITION = 90;  // Servo ON position

const int OFF_POSITION = 0;  // Servo OFF position

// Segment activation patterns for dice numbers (1-6)

const int dicePatterns[6][7] = {

  {0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0}, // 1

  {1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1}, // 2

  {1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1}, // 3

  {0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1}, // 4

  {1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1}, // 5

  {1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1}, // 6

};

void setup() {

  // Attach servos to pins and set initial position

  for (int i = 0; i < 7; i++) {

    servos[i].attach(segmentPins[i]);

    servos[i].write(OFF_POSITION); // Set all segments to OFF

  }

  // Initialize button pin

  pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT_PULLUP);  // Enable internal pull-up resistor

  // Seed random generator

  randomSeed(analogRead(A0));

}

void loop() {

  // Wait for button press

  if (digitalRead(buttonPin) == LOW) {

    rollDice();

    delay(300);  // Debounce delay

  }

}

// Function to simulate dice roll

void rollDice() {

  // Simulate random transitions

  for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {  // Quick random transitions

    int randomIndex = random(0, 6);  // Random number (0-5 for dicePatterns)

    displayNumber(randomIndex + 1);

    delay(100);  // Short delay between transitions

  }

  // Display final number

  int finalNumber = random(1, 7);  // Random number between 1 and 6

  displayNumber(finalNumber);

}

// Function to display a number on the 7-segment display

void displayNumber(int number) {

  for (int i = 0; i < 7; i++) {

    if (dicePatterns[number - 1][i] == 1) {

      servos[i].write(ON_POSITION);  // Turn segment ON

    } else {

      servos[i].write(OFF_POSITION); // Turn segment OFF

    }

  }

}

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Working of the Project

1. Hardware Setup:

   • Connect each servo to its respective segment pin (as per the segmentPins array).
   • Use external power if needed to handle the power requirements of the 7 servos.

2. Execution:

   • The program initializes all servos to the OFF position (0°).
   • In the loop(), it cycles through numbers (0-9) and letters (A-F), activating the required segments (servos) for each character.
   • The servo angles change smoothly, and you can hear the "humming" sound as they move.

3. Satisfying Display:

   • The sequential motion of servos simulates a mechanical 7-segment display.
   • The dynamic movement adds a creative and unique twist compared to traditional LED-based displays.

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Circuit Connection

1. Components:

   • Arduino NANO
   • 7 x Servo Motors
   • Connecting Wires
   • External Power Supply (if needed, as Arduino's 5V pin may not provide sufficient current for all servos).

2. Connections:

   • Connect servo signal wires to pins 2-8 (as defined in segmentPins).
   • Power the servos with the Arduino's 5V and GND (or an external power source with shared GND).
   • Ensure the potentiometer can handle the servo's current requirements if external power is used.

Key Features

1. Quick Transitions:

   • Before the final dice roll, the code simulates quick random transitions by cycling through random patterns.

2. Button Debouncing:

   • A delay(300) is used to ensure the button press is not detected multiple times unintentionally.

3. Random Dice Roll:

   • Uses random() to generate a number between 1 and 6.

4. Smooth Display:

   • Displays numbers reliably by transitioning servos to the appropriate positions.

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Assembly Notes

1. Servo Power:

   • Ensure a stable power source for the servos. If using multiple servos, consider an external 5V power supply.

2. Push Button Wiring:

   • Connect one leg of the button to 5V.
   • Connect the other leg to D9 and GND through a 10kΩ pull-down resistor.

3. Servo Calibration:

• Test the ON_POSITION (90°) and OFF_POSITION (0°). Adjust these values if the display segments do not align correctly.

Demonstration

• Once powered, the servos will move to form the shapes of numbers (0-9) and letters (A-F) sequentially.
• The transition of servo angles (90° for ON, 0° for OFF) creates a pleasing mechanical effect.

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Let me know if you need further help refining or customizing the project! 😊

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This setup and code will create a fun and responsive digital dice using your 7-segment servo display. Let me know if you encounter any issue.

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