This document provides an overview and introduction to programming the Simon Says toy with an Arduino board. It discusses installing the Arduino software, basic sketches like Blink, using variables, if statements, analog sensors, and making sound. It demonstrates how to program inputs and outputs, read button presses, and use conditional statements. The document includes code examples for blinking LEDs, reading sensors, and playing tones on a buzzer to recreate the Simon game with custom functions.

1. Re-programming the Simon Says
with Arduino
Linz Craig, Brian Huang

3. Agenda
• About us / Introductions
• Software Installation
• What can it do? Who cares?
• Blink Sketch  Disco Lights
• Using Variables
• If() statement  reading buttonPress
• Analog Sensors  Fading
• Making Sound

4. About Us
SparkFun Electronics is all about creation,
innovation and sharing information. We
want to get you excited about cutting edge
electronics technology with our hands on
educational kits.

5. Arduino Board
“Strong Friend” Created in Ivrea, Italy
in 2005 by Massimo Banzi & David Cuartielles
Open Source Hardware
Atmel Processor
Coding is accessible (C++, Processing, ModKit and MiniBloq)

6. Arduino Software Installation
Open Source
Free
Available on-line with resources at:
www.arduino.cc

7. What can it do?
•Great for prototyping ideas
•Access to multiple I/O
•Drive motors, turn on lights,
trigger controls.
•Low Power requirements
•Flexible / Open-source

8. Who cares?
Hackers / Makers
Engineers
Artists
Musicians
Kids!
Teachers!!
You!!!

9. Setup Board Type
Tools → Board → Arduino Uno

10. Setup Serial COM Port
Tools → Serial Port →
Notes:
PC –
Highest COM #
Mac –
/dev/tty.usbserial-A####xxx

11. Analog and Digital
• All Arduino signals are either Analog or
Digital
• All computers including Arduino, only
understand Digital
• It is important to understand the difference
between Analog and Digital signals since
Analog signals require an Analog to Digital
conversion

12. Input vs. Output
Everything is referenced from the perspective of the
microcontroller.
Inputs is a signal going into the board.
Output is any signal exiting an electrical system
• Almost all systems that use physical computing will
have some form of output
• Often – Outputs include LEDs, a motor, a servo, a
piezo element, a relay and an RGB LED

13. Basic Program
Two required routines /
methods / functions:
void setup()
{
// runs once
}
void loop()
{
// repeats forever!!!
}
upload

14. Let’s get to hacking…
Project #1 – Blink
“Hello World” of Physical Computing
Psuedo-code – how should this work?
Turn
LED ON
Wait
Turn
LED
OFF
Wait
Rinse &
Repeat

15. Three commands to know…
pinMode(pin, INPUT/OUTPUT);
ex: pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(pin, HIGH/LOW);
ex: digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
delay(time_ms);
ex: delay(2500);

16. LED1 = ~3;
LED2 = ~5;
LED3 = ~10;
LED4 = 13;
Can you figure out which LED is tied to
which pin? Write down a few notes in your
notebook!
3
5
13
LED Pin Configurations
10

17. Output is always Digital
To output a signal that pretends to be Analog
use this code:
analogWrite (pinNumber, value );
Where pin is one of the analog output pins: 3,
5, 6, 9, 10, 11
Where value is a number ranging from: 0 –
255.

18. Output is always Digital
(ON or OFF)
Using a Digital signal that pretends to be an Analog
signal is called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
By varying the duty cycle, we can “fake” an analog
signal output.
PWM is available on Arduino pins # 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and
11
P.W.M. Signal @ 25% P.W.M. Signal @ 75% P.W.M. Signal rising
SIMON_2b_BLINK

19. Using Variables
To clean-up code, for read-ability, and flexibility
– we can create placeholders in code.
Example:
int ledPin = 3;
void setup(){
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
}
void loop(){
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
}

20. Digital Input
int button_state = digitalRead(ButtonPin);
Value will be either: HIGH or LOW

21. Reading a button press
Button Input is normally
HIGH – when you press
it, you pull it LOW.
The Code:
int buttonPress = digitalRead(2);

22. Activating the Internal Pull-up
Resistor
pinMode(pin, INPUT_PULLUP);
ex: pinMode(2, INPUT_PULLUP);
Notes:
BUTTON1 = 2;
BUTTON2 = 6;
BUTTON3 = 9;
BUTTON4 = 12;

23. BUTTON1 = 2;
BUTTON2 = 6;
BUTTON3 = 9;
BUTTON4 = 12;
Can you figure out which Button is tied to
which pin? Write down a few notes in your
notebook!
2
6
12
Button Pin Configurations
9

24. Conditional Statements
If…
General Use
if(condition)
{
// do this
}
Example
if(button_State==HIGH)
{
digitalWrite(ledPin,
HIGH);
delay(300);
digitalWrite(ledPin,
LOW);
delay(300);
}

25. Digital Input
• To connect digital input to your Arduino use Digital
Pins # 0 – 13 (Although pins # 0 & 1 are also used
for serial)
• Digital Input needs a pinMode command:
pinMode ( pinNumber, INPUT );
Make sure to use caps for INPUT
• To get a digital reading: digitalRead ( pinNumber );
• Digital Input values are only HIGH (On) or LOW (Off)

26. Last bit… the buzzer
SIMON_3_BUZZER
Final command to know:
tone(pin, freq, duration);
pin – the OUTPUT pin the buzzer is
connected to.
freq – unsigned int (0 … 65,535)
duration – unsigned long (0 … 2^32 - 1)

27. Buzzer Pins
The Buzzer is connected between pins D4
and D7.
You must set both pins as OUTPUTs –
pinMode(4, OUTPUT);
pinMode(7, OUTPUT);
Use tone(4, 440); to generate a 440 Hz
sound.

28. Musical Notes / Frequencies
Note Frequency (Hz)
C4 261
C#
4/Db
4 277
D4 293
D#
4/Eb
4 311
E4 329
F4 349
F#
4/Gb
4 369
G4 392
G#
4/Ab
4 415
A4 440
A#
4/Bb
4 466
B4 493
Note Frequency (Hz)
C5 523
C#
5/Db
5 554
D5 587
D#
5/Eb
5 622
E5 659
F5 698
F#
5/Gb
5 739
G5 783
G#
5/Ab
5 830
A5 880
A#
5/Bb
5 932
B5 987

29. Simon DiscoMode
• Array variables
• custom functions
• buzz(tone_id);
• change_led();

30. Questions?

31. www.sparkfun.com
6175 Longbow Drive, Suite 200
Boulder, Colorado 80301