Arnov Sharma
We developed the original Snake game by reusing and tweaking code from the previous Snake Game project. The game's focus stays on a simple snake object, which you control with four directional buttons to aim for randomly appearing red dots around the LED grid. Every time the snake eats a dot, it grows longer, and your score (shown in the upper-right corner) increases accordingly.
This version includes a visible border around the entire display. If the snake hits the wall, the game stops immediately, adding an additional level of difficulty to the game experience.
We've also added a Speed Up option that allows the snake to move quicker when any button is held down for a second in the direction it's moving.
The console is powered by an inbuilt 3.7V 2600mAh lithium-ion battery, making it completely portable and easy to pick up and play anywhere.
64x32 P4 RGB Matrix
For this project, we are combining two 64x32 P3 RGB Matrix panels to create a larger 128x32 P3 RGB Matrix Panel.
You can click the link below to read my brief introduction to this matrix panel.
https://www.hackster.io/Arnov_Sharma_makes/64x32-matrix-panel-setup-with-pico-2-25a3c3
This panel is powered by the HUB75 interface, which uses a variety of control pins such as RGB, address, clock, data latch, and output enable pins.
The row-column scanning approach is enabled via the HUB75 connection, which shifts a row of pixel data into a shift register. A demultiplexer is then used to select which rows to display. The HUB75 connection features RGB channels, addressing pins A, B, C, and D, a clock signal (CLK), a latch signal (LAT), and an output enable (OE) pin.
We can also connect additional panels in pairs to form a chain using the IN and OUT connections provided.
One of the challenges of connecting numerous panels is ensuring that the control solution (PICO 2) can handle the increased data load of two or more displays.
This matrix was produced by Waveshare, and more thorough details on the Matrix board may be found at the wiki page below:
https://www.waveshare.com/wiki/RGB-Matrix-P3-64x32
As for sourcing this matrix panel, we got it from the PCBWAY GIFTSHOP.
Updated Console Design
The first step in developing the Snake Game Console MAX was to create an updated 3D model of the housing to suit the improved dual-display setup. The new version combines two 64×32 P3 RGB LED matrix panels into a seamless 128×32 display, resulting in an even wider playfield.
We reused the original switch board and PICO driver circuit, securely putting them below the matrix. To structurally unite the two panels, we created and incorporated two customized Frame Holder components that link the panels and keep them aligned.
The left and right handgrips were also rebuilt, not just to handle the larger chassis, but also to improve comfort. The revised grips are more ergonomic, making lengthy gameplay sessions more enjoyable.
As before, the handgrips are fastened to the matrix's back via M2.5 bolts and built-in M2.5 inserts. Four M2 screws hold the side button board in place.
After the 3D model was completed, the mesh files for both grips and the new frame holders were exported and 3D printed in white PLA on our new Creality K10 Max with Hyper PLA @ 0.2mm layer height, 0.4mm nozzle, and 600 mm/s acceleration speed.
Pico Display Driver & Switch board
Let's have a look at the hardware used for this project. We used the PICO Driver and Switch boards from the previous Snake gaming console build.
The PICO Driver board connects a Raspberry Pi PICO 2 to a HUB75 connector. The matrix's HUB75 pins (CON 16) are linked to the PICO's GPIO pins in the following order: A to GPIO19, B to GPIO16, C to GPIO18, D to GPIO20, E to GPIO22, CLK to GPIO11, LAT/STB to GPIO12, OE to GPIO13, R1 to GPIO2, G1 to GPIO3,...
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