Getting started

From Gamebuino Wiki
Revision as of 2014-05-29T19:39:46 by Rodot (talk | contribs) (Install the Arduino software: Arduino enhanced release added)
Jump to: navigation, search

Get a Gamebuino

For an overall presentation head to the home page or indiegogo page.

As the indiegogo campaign is over, you can't order a Gamebuino for now. But you can subscribe to the newsletter to know when they'll be available for order again.

Use my Gamebuino

Turn it on

  • You just received your Gamebuino, hurray! You should first turn it on to check that nothing has been damaged during shipping.

Load games from the micro SD card

  • Make sure that the provided SD card is correctly inserted in its socket.
  • The game browser is named LOADER.HEX. There is several ways to load it:
    • Hold down C while you turn the power switch on. You don't have to keep it down.
    • Press C in the Gamebuino start up menu
    • Select "change game" in the menu of games which features it.

Change the default settings

  • Load SETTINGS.HEX
  • Select "See all settings" to know what can be adjusted. These settings are stored directly in the Gamebuino and will be share between different games.
  • You should at least adjust these two settings:
    • Display contrast
    • Default username
  • You can let the other settings to their default value, it should be okay.
  • Press "Save and exit": it will save your settings and go back to the game loader.

Charge the battery

  • You may want to charge you're Gamebuino battery when you receive.
  • To load the battery, you just have to connect your Gamebuino to an USB port (from your computer or an outlet charger) using the provided micro USB cable. The "charging" LED will turn on (the one next to the empty battery logo) until it's fully charged. Then, the "charged" LED will turn on (the one next to the full battery logo).
  • Your Gamebuino will charge faster if turned of.
  • A charged battery will give you at least 8 hours of continuous play.

Remove the paper cover

  • The transparent acrylic case is covered with a brown paper protection. Some of you may want to keep it, some may want to remove it.
  • First, check that your Gamebuino works fine.
  • Dismantle it:
    • Unscrew the 4 short screws on the back side first
    • Remove the back plate
    • Unscrew the 4 white nylon spacers
    • Remove the PCB
    • Unscrew the 4 long screws on the front side last
  • Remove the paper cover. Be careful not to scratch the acrylic
  • Check that everything still works fine (especially the display)
  • Assemble back your Gamebuino:
    • Be gentle when you tighten the screws or you may damage the nylon spacers
    • Screw the 4 long screws with 4 nylon spacers on the top plate (be careful to put it on the right side)
    • Put the screen holder on the two upper nylon spacer
    • Put the PCB in place, check that buttons are correctly placed int their holes
    • Screw 4 nylon spacer to hold the PCB in place
    • Add the back plate and screw it with the 4 short screws
    • You might want to a spacer between the back plate and the PCB to limit the PCB bending because of screen pressure

Troubleshoot display issues

If the screen is too dark or too dim

  • Adjust the contrasts using the program SETTINGS.HEX located on the SD card.
  • Pinch the top of the screen to improve the contact with the PCB
  • Check the screen holder is in place to prevent the screen from moving.

If the screen is blank when you turn on your Gamebuino

  • If you don't hear the start-up sound
    • You may be out of battery: turn your Gamebuino off, and plug it in (the "charging" led should turn on) for about one hour and try again.
    • You may not have a program loaded in your Gamebuino, so press C while you turn your Gamebuino on to flash LOADER.HEX from the micro SD card.
  • If you can hear the sound but the display stays blank, it means that it may have moved and the contacts with the PCB are misaligned.
    • Check that the screen is correctly snapped to the PCB
    • Check that the screen holder is in place
    • Try to gently push the screen upward/downward/leftward/rightward and restart the Gamebuino until the contacts are correctly aligned and you can see something.

Upload a program through USB

Install the Arduino software

  • Download the Arduino application here and follow instructions to install it.
  • If you're using Windows, you may want to use the Arduino Enhanced Release.

Install the Gamebuino Library

  • Download and the Gamebuino library
  • Extract the archive
  • Copy the folders "Gamebuino" and "tinyFat" located in /libraries and paste them in /Arduino/libraries (where you installed Arduino)
  • Copy the folder "gamebuino_boot" from the archive to /Arduino/hardware/arduino/bootloaders
  • To check that the library is correctly installed, start the Arduino software, and click on File/Examples, you should find "Gamebuino".

Add Gamebuino to boards.txt

  • Navigate to the folder where you installed Arduino
  • Open Arduino/hardware/arduino/boards.txt
  • Add the following at the beginning of the file and save it

##############################################################
gamebuino.name=Gamebuino
gamebuino.upload.protocol=arduino
gamebuino.upload.maximum_size=30592
gamebuino.upload.speed=115200
gamebuino.bootloader.low_fuses=0xff
gamebuino.bootloader.high_fuses=0xda
gamebuino.bootloader.extended_fuses=0x05
gamebuino.bootloader.path=gamebuino_boot
gamebuino.bootloader.file=gamebuino_boot.hex
gamebuino.bootloader.unlock_bits=0x3F
gamebuino.bootloader.lock_bits=0x0F
gamebuino.build.mcu=atmega328p
gamebuino.build.f_cpu=16000000L
gamebuino.build.core=arduino
gamebuino.build.variant=standard
##############################################################

  • Restart the Arduino IDE
  • Now you should be able to set the device to Gamebuino by selecting Tools/boards/Gamebuino in the menu bar.

Install the drivers

  • Note: your Gamebuino should be turned on when you connect it to the computer
  • Note: drivers should be automatically on Windows if you used the installer
  • Drivers are located in the Arduino/drivers folder
  • If you need help to install the drivers, refer to the Arduino guide

Upload a game

  • Start the Arduino software
  • Open an example by clicking File/Examples/Gamebuino/ If you don't find it, check that you correctly installed the Gamebuino library
  • Select the right device by selecting Tools/boards/Gamebuino
  • Select the right serial port in Tools/Serial Port. If it's grayed out check that you have correctly installed the drivers, and that your Gamebuino is turned on and correctly plugged in.
  • Click on "Upload" or press Ctrl+U

You just uploaded your first Gamebuino game, congratulations !

Put games on the micro SD card

  • Start the Arduino software
  • Click on File/Preferences and check "Show verbose output during compilation"
  • Compile your program (Ctrl+R)
  • A lot of text will scroll in the black area at the bottom of the window
  • Look for a path looking something like that: "C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Temp\build5779270642744474562.tmp\a_Hello.cpp.hex"
  • Navigate to this folder and find the .hex file with the name of your program
  • Rename it to a 8:3 format: only capitals, 8 characters max for the name and .HEX extension. For example: CRABATOR.HEX or PONG.HEX
  • Put that file on your micro SD card using the micro SD adapter provided.
  • You're ready to go!

How to make my own games

  • If you never ever programmed, you should read the Arduino Foundations page to understand... foundations.
  • You should explore the basic examples, try to understand them, change things an see what happens. There is a lot of comments in the examples, so it should be easy to understand. If there is something you don't get, take a look at the Arduino Reference for general purpose things, and the Gamebuino Reference for Gamebuino-specific functions. Open the examples in the Arduino software by clicking File/Examples/Gamebuino/basics.

See Also