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Introduction
Now that you've successfully made a Simon Says board and thoroughly impressed all your friends at home, it's time to learn how to change your Simon Says board into your own unique project!! That's right, your Simon Says board is capable of doing MUCH more than playing the Simon Says game. It can be re-programmed to do whatever you like. In this tutorial we will:
- Set up your hardware to upload code.
- Set up the free Arduino IDE Software and FTDI drivers on your computer.
- Get some example code onto your Simon Says Board.
- Add a photocell and use Disco Mode!!
For the fourth part of the tutorial, we will show you how you can use your Simon Says board to detect light. This example will require a photocell, a 10K resistor and a soldering iron. However, you can still upload the example code and listen to disco mode (without soldering on the light sensor).
Required Materials
In this tutorial, we will show you how to re-program your Simon Says board. We will guide you through setting up the software and hardware. To do this, you will need a PC or Mac. Assuming that you have one of the Simon Says boards soldered, we will require an additional three pieces of hardware to upload code to the microcontroller:
In stock
DEV-09873
This is the newest revision of our [FTDI Basic](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/8772). We now use a SMD 6-pin heade…
66
In stock
PRT-00116
A row of headers - break to fit. 40 pins that can be cut to any size. Used with custom PCBs or general custom headers.
20
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CAB-11301
This is a USB 2.0 type A to Mini-B 5-pin cable. You know, the mini-B connector that usually comes with USB Hubs, Cameras, MP3…
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Required Tools
The following is a recommended list of materials you'll need to modify the board.
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TOL-09163
This is your basic tube of unleaded (Pb-free) solder with a no clean, water soluble resin core. 0.031" gauge and 15 grams
4
22 available
SWG-11046
With these SparkFun Safety Glasses you'll have a pair of lightweight, economical, and stylish lenses to protect your precious…
3
30 available
TOL-09477
This is a simple soldering iron stand composed of a heavy-duty metal base and a reinforced spring holder. The base and holder…
4
20 available
TOL-09507
This is a very simple fixed temp, quick heating, 30W 110/120 VAC soldering iron. We really enjoy using the more expensive iro…
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Suggested Reading
If you aren’t familiar with the following concepts, we recommend checking out these tutorials before continuing.
Voltage Dividers
Turn a large voltage into a smaller one with voltage dividers. This tutorial covers: what a voltage divider circuit looks like and how it is used in the real world.
What is an Arduino?
What is this 'Arduino' thing anyway? This tutorials dives into what an Arduino is and along with Arduino projects and widgets.
Installing Arduino IDE
A step-by-step guide to installing and testing the Arduino software on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Simon Says Assembly Guide
No matter what flavor of the Simon Says Through-hole Soldering Kit you've purchased, this tutorial is here to guide you through the entire build process.
QCPete
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