F.A.Q. – Open LED Race Project

F.A.Q

Connect Buttons, LED Strip and Power Supply

Open LED Race device connectors:

2 x 3.5mm jack to connect Player’s buttons
1 x USB Mini-B for power supply (it’s the Arduino Nano USB connector)
1 x JST Female to connect the LED Strip

Are there Tutorials to build an Open LED Race device ?

For our Maker Kit there is a Tutorial here.

If you want build one from scratch there is the tutorial we published on Arduino Project Hub Website.

If I buy the Base Kit, what else do I need ?

The Base Kit includes the PCB and it’s components (see base kit instructions)
Its purpose is to supply the ‘extra’ electronics you need to connect Push buttons and an LED Strip to an Arduino Nano and build an Open LED Race Device.

To have a working setup you need to add your own:

Arduino Nano (Operating Voltage: 5 V)
WS2812 or WS2813 Led Strip
2 x Push Buttons (see instructions).
Arduino Power Supply (USB 2Amps charger)

May i use any Arduino Nano with your design ?

The Base kit we designed, is for Arduino Nano Boards operating at 5 V.
Do not plug in our kit any of the Nano Boards operating at 3.3 Volts (Arduino Nano 33 xxx).
If you do it your Arduino will be damaged.

Which power supply do i need ?

For a 300 LED strip, like the one included in the Assembled Kit, you need a 2 Amps (minimum) USB Charger.

Please Note:
Theoretically you will need a 10 Amps or more power supply to have all the LED light up together at maximum power (white).
Our Arduino Software always turn on few LED at the time (or more LED but for a very short time).
This makes a 2 Amp power supply suitable for the Open LED Race device

If you modify the Arduino Software, please take care when changing parts related to LED.
If your code turns on more LED please check power consumption on LED Strip datasheet

Game Configuration

Your first Race

If you play using push-button, the speed of your LED Light (Car) is proportional to how quick you push it.
The faster you press the button the quicker you car runs!
Connect Your Open LED Race Device to the Power Supply (phone charger, computer, etc) and a countdown starts:

In the first part of the LED Strip you will see a RED-YELLOW-GREEN light sequence
Three different Audio Tones play in Sync with the light Sequence

When the last light goes off and the Audio Sequence Stops, the race Starts, and you have to push your button as fast as you can.
The first player going through the finish line with his …light, win the race.
A visual effect of the same color of the winning car gets displayed in the Racetrack, while a “win” tone plays.

Few seconds later, a new race starts.

More than 2 Players

Players number can be 2, 3 or 4 and it’s configured when the Device is turned on.
If the device is turned on (connected to a USB Charger) an no button is pressed, the game starts in the standard 2 players mode.

To have more than 2 players, you will need:

2 x Base type 1 buttons (Red, Green)
2 x Extra type 2 buttons (Blu, White)
2 x Dual Headphone Jack Splitter Stereo 3.5mm

Insert the Splitters in the two Jacks of the PCB
In the left Splitter, where usually you have the Red Button, insert Red and Blue buttons
In the right Splitter, where usually you have the Green Button, insert Green and White buttons
To activate player 3 (Blue), Push and hold down the Blu button while powering up the device.
To activate player 4 (White), Push and hold down the Blu button while powering up the device.

Pit Lane (Boxes)

The Open LED Race can be configured to have a Pit Lane (aka “Boxes”).
The default configuration is “No Pit Lane” and your “circuit’ starts at LED number 1 and, when the ‘Car’ reach the last LED, it gets back to the LED number 1.

If you activate the Pit Lane, part of the LED Strip is used for that ‘special’ alternative path.

Adding the Pit Lane to the Racetrack add some features to the game:

when your car reach the Pit Lane entrance, you may decide to enter or to stay in the main track
in the Pit Lane appears randomly a “speed booster” you can catch

To Activate the “Pit Lane” (Boxes) in the Racetrack, Push and hold down Button 2 (Green) while turning on the Open LED Race device.
When the Pit Lane is active, 2 points (LED) in the Strip will turn on – they ‘mark’ the entrance end exit of the Pit Lane, and let you know where to bend your led Strip to ‘split the path’.

How to play.

To enter into the Pit Lane your car need to reach the entry point al low speed.
To chatch the ‘speed booster” blue dot you need to “park” over it (reach it at a very low speed).

Going uphill

The Open LED Race can be configured to have the LED Strip going up and down one hill along the path.
Think you are in a Bicycle race.
If you are going uphill, you have to push harder (push the button quicker) to compensate the effect of the gravity – push harder or you will not going up!

To Activate the “Hill” (Slope) in the Racetrack, Push and hold down Button 1 (Red) while turning on the Open LED Race device.

In the Racetrack, the position of the hill will appear painted in violet.
To “see” the hill put something underneath the LED Strip where the violet part appears.

4 Players, Hill, Pit Lane..everything together

So, you want to play with 4 players, going uphill and have a Pit Lane …?
As you learned in the previous race configuration topics, you need to turn on the device with all of the 4 button pressed.
Have Fun!