Final Countdown: Defuse Protocol

Here I made a project that consists of a game, where the objective is to defuse a bomb, with only one minute to decipher the code and disarm it. This game was developed using sensors, such as the joystick, and output devices like the LCD screen, LEDs and an active buzzer. I hope this project will be useful and easy to assemble, regardless of their level of electronics knowledge.

For this project you'll need the following components:

1. Arduino Uno R3
2. Joystick Module
3. LCD module screen 16x2
4. Mini breadboard
5. 3 LEDs
6. 3 resistors of 220 ohms
7. 1 active buzzer
8. 10k potentiometer
9. Prototype expansion Shield for Arduino Uno R3
10. 5 Male-Female jumper wires
11. 17 Male-Male jumper wires
12. USB cable A to B

Before starting to connect wires randomly, the user will need to connect the Shield to the Arduino Uno R3, corresponding to the pins of the Arduino and the female ports on the Shield, so that they are aligned.

Here you will need to connect all five pins to the Arduino Uno. The joystick will be used to change the numbers in the user's attempt to guess the code, to move the cursor position and to input the attempt to verify if it's correct or incorrect.

Connect as follows:

1. 5V----5V
2. GND----GND
3. VRx----A1 (Analog pin 1)
4. VRy----A0 (Analog pin 0)
5. SW----Digital pin 2

The mini protoboard has limited space, so the user will need to distribute well the position of the LEDs. In my case, I choose a side to connect the LCD, and the other one for the LEDs, the buzzer, the resistors and one side of the potentiometer. The LEDs have to pins. the larger one is the positive pin, and the short one is the negative pin. You can bend the negative pin of each LED, in a way that all match in the same rail (This is only for saving some space in the Arduino). Each LED’s positive pin should have its own resistor, so none of them interfere with each other. On the 5V side, the three resistors can be connected together through a single breadboard rail. That way, you reduce the wiring from six cables down to just two.

After you connect the LEDs and the resistors on that way in the breadboard, you proceed:

1. Positive wire----Digital pin 4
2. Negative wire----GND

This is a simple step. You just only need to identify the positive and the negative side of the active buzzer, then, connect it to the breadboard, and finally the positive side----Digital pin 6 and the negative side----GND.

The mini breadboard has only 17 different rails to connect on each side, and the LCD by itself needs 12 of them (although the LCD has 16 pins, you don't need them all). First you do is to connect the whole LCD into the breadboard, and then connect in this way to the Arduino Uno:

1. VSS----GND
2. VDD----5V
3. V0----The potentiometer side that has only one pin
4. RS----Digital pin 7
5. RW----GND
6. E----Digital pin 8
7. D4----Digital pin 9
8. D5----Digital pin 10
9. D6----Digital pin 11
10. D7----Digital pin 12
11. A----5V
12. K----GND

The user will need to connect the potentiometer in a way that covers both sides of the breadboard: one side connected to the pin VO of LCD and the other are the positive and negative pins. It doesn't the way you connect the ones I mentioned before.

For this program the user will need to include the library LiquidCrystal.h. Select the name of the board and the COM port as it appears in the software Arduino IDE, and connect the Arduino with the USB cable to the PC or laptop.

The user will have 1 minute to decipher to code, and deactivate the bomb. The code will be displayed quickly, and you will need to remember the code and put in the input. For changing the number, move the joystick up and down, and for moving the cursor position, move the joystick right or left. To submit your code press down the joystick. If you want to be more difficult the game, you can change the time that is displayed the real code to defuse the bomb.