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sparkfun Simon Information & Instructions
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sparkfun Simon Information & Instructions

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Simon
Kit Information & Instructions
Red then green...no, blue?...wait!...BUZZ! Remember the classic game of Simon?
Well, we have a build-your-own Simon kit that will sharpen your reaction time
while teaching you basic soldering (a useful skill in its own right).
After you have successfully built a working Simon game, you will have a
greater knowledge of through-hole soldering and the tools, techniques, and
terminology required to populate your own PCB prototype. Additionally, the source
code and design files are available, making this project a great entryway into
microcontrollers and embedded programming. Game on!
Kit includes:
• ATMega microcontroller
• Buzzer
• 0.1μF Cap (qty: 2)
• 10K Resistor
• LEDs (qty: 4)
• Slide Switch (qty: 2)
• Battery Clips (qty: 4)
• AA Batteries (qty: 2)
• Button pad
• Bezel
• Standoffs and screws (qty: 4)
• Simon PCB board
Page 1

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Summary of Contents for sparkfun Simon

  • Page 1 Kit Information & Instructions Red then green...no, blue?...wait!...BUZZ! Remember the classic game of Simon? Well, we have a build-your-own Simon kit that will sharpen your reaction time while teaching you basic soldering (a useful skill in its own right). After you have successfully built a working Simon game, you will have a greater knowledge of through-hole soldering and the tools, techniques, and terminology required to populate your own PCB prototype.

  • Page 2: Soldering Tips

    SOLDERING TIPS SOLDERING TIPS Don’t: Use the very tip of the iron. Use the side of the tip of the iron, “The Sweet Spot.” Touch the iron to the component leg and metal ring at the same time. While continuing to hold the iron in contact with the leg and metal ring, feed solder into the joint.
  • Page 3 Insert the resistor into the PCB. QUICKSTART - YOUR FIRST COMPONENT [ STEPS 1 T0 11 ] Locate the 10K Resistor. Bend the legs downward. Push the resistor in so it is nearly flush with the board. Locate the 10K Resistor position on the board.
  • Page 4 First, pull away the solder. Second, pull away the iron. QUICKSTART - YOUR FIRST COMPONENT [STEPS 1 T0 11] [ STEPS 1 T0 11 ] Flip the board over. Hold the soldering iron’s “Sweet Spot” so it touches both the leg and the metal ring. Hold for 2 seconds. Your solder joints should look like this - a tiny volcano.
  • Page 5 CONTINUE WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE BOARD [ STEPS 12 T0 14 ] Very Important. Make sure to align the notch here. Now that you’ve successfully soldered in the resistor, use the same method to place and solder the rest of the components. Steps highlighted with a yellow warning triangle represent a polarized component.
  • Page 6 NOW WORK ON THE TOP OF THE BOARD [ STEPS 15 T0 17 ] Remember highlighted components are polarized. LEDs (indicator lights): Insert the four LEDs into the front of the board. Each LED has a short leg and a long leg. The short leg goes into the hole labeled “...

  • Page 7: Final Assembly

    TOP SIDE VIEW FINAL ASSEMBLY [ STEPS 18 T0 21 ] No screwdriver necessary. Please only hand-tighten the screws and standoffs. Button Pad (game control): Attach to top. Lay rubber button pad over LEDs. Button Pad Bezel (holds button pad): Attach to top. Lay bezel over button pad, with notches for the screws pointing up.
  • Page 8 Your Simon game is now completed. Turn it on and have fun! If something is As an example of how the Simon is more than just a game, we have included a not working (i.e. an LED won’t light up), please check out our troubleshooting special feature in the code.

  • Page 9: Troubleshooting Leds

    Failing LEDs? Don’t fret, there is an easy way to fix it! The most common cause of a failing LED is incorrect polarity. We have designed a special trick into the Simon PCB. You can simply cut the two traces and close two jumpers. This will swap the polarity without having to remove the LED.
  • Page 10 Place solder wick on top of solder. TROUBLESHOOTING JUMPERS Did you accidentally solder a jumper between two legs? Don’t fret! Here is a simple process using solder wick to remove the excess solder. Place iron on top of solder wick. Hold for 3-4 seconds. Locate a piece of solder wick.

  • Page 11: Learning More

    © SparkFun Electronics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The SparkFun Simon PTH Kit features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.