What Matters 2 Me

Here’s a project that I’ve been working on for over a month. It’s an Arduino controlled and AI-playing version of TicTicToe, where the “board” is a 4x4x4 matrix using 64 LEDs. Now, LED matrices have been done before with sizes anywhere from 3^3 to 8^3 (…). And 3D LED matrix versions of TicTacToe have also been done (…). But, I believe this is the first 4x4x4 LED matrix of TicTacToe that actually plays the game against you. And unless you’re very, very careful, it will beat you.

The project has several parts to it:

1. Creating the 4x4x4 LED matrix
2. Developing the protoboard to control the matrix
3. Programming the Arduino to play 4x4x4 TicTacToe
4. Figuring out how to select player moves

In the next several posts I’ll go over each aspect of the project, so that if you’re interested you can create your own (and hopefully modify to make even better!). The source code for the game-playing AI is included as well. Note that I’m new to soldering, wiring and electronics in general, so it took me dozens of hours to design and put together a functioning semi-final product. There were frustrating hours where the LED matrix was unstable and some LEDs weren’t lighting up; I destroyed two $8 MAX7219 ICs I’m guessing from either static electricity or short-circuiting; I initially used cheap 26 AWG stranded wire where the thins strands short-circuited the matrix; etc. Also, I made extensive use of Michael Margolis’s Arduino Cookbook, especially for controlling the matrix and putting together the electronics. It’s a great book and I highly recommend it.

Shopping List

(I used mostly Jameco because it’s local, but of course there are dozens of other great online stores to get these from):

• Arduino Uno, Jameco #2121105
• LEDs x64, Jameco #333622 – you’ll probably want 70+ for testing, mistakes; the leads on these are 1.1 cm, the longer the better
• MAX7219 IC, Jameco #312160
• keypad, Jameco #2082206
• printed circuit board, Radioshack #276-150
• 330k ohm resistor
• 10 μF capacitor
• 0.1 μF capacitor
• 24 AWG solid wire in various colors
• box with lid (I used a $2 white cigar box from Michaels)

Check out the upcoming posts for more details…

Video of it doing its thing: