MoltenVoltage Thumb Stadium User manual

Thumb Stadium ~Assembly Instructions
Thumb Stadium™ is a 2-player hand-held game kit
which features four (4) totally different games of skill.
Easy and fun to build, Thumb Stadium is sure to provide
years of entertainment while teaching you electronics!
What You Need:
~Soldering Iron
~Solder
~Small Philips Screwdriver
~Wire Snippers
~Wire Strippers
~3 AAA Alkaline Batteries
~Eye Protection
and a happy state of mind
Parts List:
Check the contents of your kit against this list:
Assembly:
The top of the circuit board looks like this:
Assemble the parts in the order they appear in the Parts List, above.
The chips go in the places labeled IC-1 and IC-2. Look for the rounded out bit on top
of the socket and face the sockets the same direction as indicated on the
circuit board. Put the chips in the sockets in the same direction.
Make sure you have the correct value resistors by checking the colored stripes.
The center LED has three leads and is clear plastic. Place the LED leads into the holes
of the standoff (the little black rubber spacer). Next place the LED in the circuit
board, being sure to put the flat edge of the LED facing up, as shown on the circuit
board graphic. Orient the Green and Red LEDs as shown on the PCB by aligning their
flat sides.
The 1 uF capacitors are polarized, so be sure to put the longer lead in the [+] hole. Leave a little extra lead above the
circuit board so you can bend the capacitor over prior to soldering. Trim all the leads nice and short after soldering.
Trim and strip the leads from the battery pack to the desired length. Cut them so they will wrap fairly tightly around the
edge of the circuit board when the leads are soldered and the battery pack is screwed into place (about 3/4”). Be sure
to leave a little extra wire so you have some to strip, and in case you make a mistake. Once proper operation is
confirmed, remove the batteries and attach the battery holder to the circuit board using the two self-tapping screws. Put
the screws through the battery holder, then screw them into the bottom of the circuit board. Get them good and snug,
but do not over-tighten. Push the battery holder wires flat.
Here is what the finished product should look like:
PCB Label Item Amount
Circuit Board 1
IC-1 8 Pin Socket and Chip ~ PIC Microcontroller
12F629, with Thumb Stadium firmware 1
IC-2 14 Pin Socket and Chip ~ 74F14PC Schmitt
Trigger 1
2.2K 2.2K ohm 1/4 watt Metal Film Resistor
RED RED BLACK BROWN BROWN 2
22K 22K ohm 1/4 watt Metal Film Resistor
RED RED BLACK RED BROWN 2
G/R Black Rubber LED standoff 1
G/R Dual Color Green/Red Diffused LED (clear lens) 1
RRed Diffused LED 1
GGreen Diffused LED 1
Switch Slide Switch 1
.1uF 0.1uF Capacitor (104) 1
SW1, SW2 Tactile Switches 2
1uF 1 uF Electrolytic Capacitor 2
Bat +, - 3xAAA Battery Holder - Red is [+], Black is [-] 1
circles Battery Pack Screws 2

How To Play: Turn Thumb Stadium on with the slide switch. The LEDs will alternately flash green then red while
Thumb Stadium waits for you to press the Green Side Button. After the first press, the green player LED will flash
indicating Game 1 is selected. Pressing the Green Side Button again flashes the red center LED indicating Game 2 is
selected. Another press selects Game 3 and flashes the green center LED. One more press and the red player LED
flashes indicating Game 4. Additional presses repeat this cycle. Choose your game by pressing the Red Side Button.
In the 2-player games, the first to 5 wins. Because rematches are at the sole discretion of the victor, only the winner
can restart the game by pressing 3 times. To switch to another game, turn Thumb Stadium off then on.
Game 1 ~ ThumbWar™ ~ Flashes: G-R-G-R-G-R-G-R, as
in 1-2-3-4 let’s have a thumb war!
The object of ThumbWar is simple: press while the other
player is pressing. If you do, you get a point.
Game 2 ~ SlapJack™ ~ Flashes: G-G-R-R-G-G-R-R
During SlapJack, Thumb Stadium will randomly flash the
center LED red or green. Be the first to press when center
is green and get a point. Don't press if it isn't green or the
other player gets a point.
Game 3 ~ Jai Alai™ ~ Flashes: G-R-R-R-G-R-R-R
Center lights up ~ quickly press to "catch" your color.
Press again to "throw" to the other player who has to
catch on time and throw back. The time to catch gets
shorter each throw.
Game 4 ~ Reflexy™ ~ Flashes: G-G-G-G-R-R-R-R
Reflexy is a one-player game. The object is to quickly
press the button that matches the color in the center
LED. You go until you miss or are too late. The time to
react gets shorter each turn.
After the game, your score is flashed ~ Center = x10,
Red LED = x1. For example two center flashes followed
by three red player LED flashes indicates a score of 23.
Press the Red Side Button three times to restart.
Theory Of Operation: Processing is performed by a central microcontroller, which also lights the LEDs. A
microcontroller is literally a tiny computer on a chip that uses flash memory to store the program. Thumb Stadium
firmware is “burned” into the chip. Because of the sockets, Thumb Stadium makes a terrific platform for those interested
in programming Microchip’s 12F629 PIC microcontroller. Download sample code and the basic setup files to
develop your own games at www.ThumbStadium.com -- LIMITATIONS FUEL CREATIVITY --
Because switches make lots of noise when they open and close, and because Thumb Stadium needs to accurately handle
very rapid switch presses, a carefully tuned debounce circuit is essential. Thumb Stadium incorporates our proprietary
debounce circuit to eliminate switch noise. This involves two resistors, a capacitor, and a Schmitt Trigger on each switch.
The debounce circuit provides stability and accuracy to the switch presses while eliminating false switching due to switch
noise. Thumb Stadium also incorporates a proprietary random number algorithm to vary the timing in games 2-4.
Download the schematic at www.ThumbStadium.com
Troubleshooting: Every chip is hand-tested before it leaves our factory. If Thumb Stadium does not work, poor
soldering is likely to blame. Check all solder joints carefully under a bright light. Reheat the joints where necessary.
Use desoldering braid to remove excess solder. Check that all components are in the right place and facing the right
direction, especially the chips and electrolytic capacitors. Make sure your batteries are fresh.
Legal:This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of
the following measures: 1) Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna; 2) Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver; 3) Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected; 4) Consult
an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numériqué de la classe B est conformé à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Multiple Patents Pending. All Trademarks and Copyrights are the exclusive property of ThumbStadium.com, a subsidiary of
Molten Voltage.
Licensing opportunities are available ~ contact our in-house counsel at [email protected]
Manufacturer name: Molten Voltage
Manufacturer address: P.O. Box 3753
Sunriver, Oregon 97707, USA
Rev. 1.2 © 2008-9 ThumbStadium.com