Writing the HAND BOOK

Beside all attention goes to the hand book. The title is "Mignon Game Kit: Hands On Digital Media". Technical instructions are combined with historical and cultural aspects.
(Down load first alpha version PDF)

New Home Page under Construction

The new Mignon Game Kit homepage will be based on WordPress. A new artless designed theme is under construction. check it out!

MigProg SMD

The MigProg is USB to serial converter which provides a TTL signal, 5 V power supply and a auto-rest-signal. It comes as a ready to use pre assembled programming tool for the Mignon Game Kit.

10,- Euro
plus shipping (3,- Euro in Germany) (8,- Euro International)
please order per e-mail to info@mignongamekit.com

Open Workshop at ccc

Game Kit Workshop
25th Chaos Communication Congress

BCC Berlin Congress Center
Alexanderstr. 11
10178 Berlin

You can find the workshop under the stairs in front of the lecture halls.
Saturday the 27th of December 2008
11:00 - 14:00 h

Link
.

Workshop Booking

.
Game Kit Workshop
Build and program your own minimalistic handheld computergame! Workshop for adults and teenagers (age 10+).

The “Mignon Game Kit” is a kitset which enables a minimalist “Gameboy” to be individually designed, programmed and constructed. The Workshop enable advanced learners to invent and programme their own games. In this way the do-it-yourself console of the “Mignon Game Kit” provides not only the opportunity for basic experiments with micro-electronics for first time users but can also be used as a platform for individual computer games. As opposed to conventional Gameboys the user develops a personal relationship to his device through the processes of self-production and individually determined programming.

One Game Kit (workshop version) costs 20,- Euro

Equipment (solder irons, computers, USB-Programmer, etc. ) can by supplied by.

For programming we use the easy to use open source tool "Arduino"! (A GNU C++ compiler for micro controllers under a nice skin.)

The Mignon Game Kit 2.0 comes along with a library and a guiding slide show.

Pleas contact me for further details! mignonservice@googlemail.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bau Dein eigenes Computerspiel!

Einfacher geht es nicht: Ein Display, sechs Tasten, ein Lautsprecher und ein Mikrokontroller werden auf eine Platine gelötet. Fertig! Ohne Vorkenntnisse kann hier jeder ein richtiges Computerspiel bauen und mit nach Hause nehmen. Elektronische Spiele lassen sich nicht nur konsumieren. Wenn man selbst Hand anlegt, wecken sie kreative Energie. Mit Materialien aus dem Baumarkt kann das eigene Game wahlweise mit einem Gehäuse versehen werden oder man verändert sogar den Programmcode des Spieles. Dabei werden erste Hemmschwellen gegenüber der Technik überwunden. Das Medium Computerspiel wird entmystifiziert. Weitere Infos auch unter www.mignongamekit.com

- Geeignet für alle Teilnehmer ab zehn Jahren
- Die Bausätze (Workshop Edition) kosten je 20,- Euro
- Werkzeuge (Lötkolben, Seitenschneider, usw.) kann ich mitbringen
- Die Programmiergeräte „MigProg“ werden ebenfalls von mir gestellt können aber auch für 10,- erworben werden.
- Das Game Kit kann gut in zwei Doppelstunden (an einem Tag) zusammengebaut werden. Für einen Einstieg in die Programmierung empfiehlt sich noch mal der gleich Zeitraum.
- Da man zum Programmieren einen Computer benötigt (Mac, PC oder Linux) sollten die Teilnehmer eigne Geräte mitbringen falls vorhanden. Wenn kein Rechner Pool zur Verfügung steht, könne auch Mini Laptops von mir gestellt werden.
- Der Workshop wird begleitet von einer Diashow mit Hintergrundinformationen zur Technik und Kultur der digitalen Spiele. (Folien oder Power Point)

Bitte kontaktieren Sie mich für weitere Details! mignonservice@googlemail.com
.

Close-by PCB Assembler

Last Thursday Thomas Wappler and I visited Volker Endtricht, who is running a high-tech business inside a timbered house. We where very happy to find such a friendly PCB assembler close-by. Mr. Endtricht showed us all the different production techniques and we where very fascinated when he demonstrated his SMD assembling robot. Now we are going to produce MIGPROG in ready to use SMD version. LINK: www.endtricht.de

Mignon Game Kit BASIC

25,- Euro
plus shipping (3,- Euro in Germany) (8,- Euro International)

please order per e-mail to info@mignongamekit.com
.

MigProg

This is the first version of MigProg in through hole technology.

The MigProg is USB to serial converter which provides a TTL signal, 5 V power supply and a auto-rest-signal. It comes as a ready to use pre assembled programming tool for the Mignon Game Kit.

.

Mignon Game Kit BASIC + MigProg

35,- Euro
plus shipping (3,- Euro in Germany) (8,- Euro International)

please order per e-mail to info@mignongamekit.com
.

Upload You Results!

Who has written his own games is cordially invited to share them with others. Please simply mail the game to info@mignongamekit.com.

Wer eigene Spiele geschrieben hat ist herzlich eingeladen sie mit anderen zu teilen. Dazu bitte das Spiel einfach per Mail an info@mignongamekit.com schicken.

Second Workshops Season in Basel and Zurich

At Plug.In www.iplugin.org
and in the Walcheturm organised by Swiss Mechstronic Art Society.

Instructions under Construction

It´s a time wasting job to bag all the elements for the MIGNON GAME KIT!

By the way, a test program is add to the files.

Brainstorm for the Hard Disk

Nice article about the Mignon Game Kit Workshop in the German news paper Westdeutsche Allgemeine (WAZ).
Link

.

A Follower

Hey! There appears a follower! The Mignonette-Game looks quite the same and refers to the Mignon Game Kit. It offers two colors, has a nice, minimal design and supplies a library. It is not compatible to the Arduino programming tools. There are less buttons. The connection of batteries to the electronic circuit is fragile and Mignonette-Game has no single transistors on the board – the key elements of the digital! I think its is very easy to assemble, with less elements and very good step by step photo instructions.

The very first 100 Mignon Game Kit 2.0

The first one hundred Mignon Game Kit 2.0 are going to be prepared. But at the moment all attention is needed for the "Monkey Up" exhibition.

Snake Game

The classic game "snake" was coded for the mignon gamekit 2.0 . It uses the times of the button hits to generate real random numbers for the positions of the point to eat.
It also is well commentated to allow easy changes and enhancements.

Download the source here.

First Mignon Game Kit 2.0 Workshop

The first workshop in Dortmund, Germany at the HMKV was a big success. Many thanks to Thomas Wappler, who did that job! The new concept in combination with Arduino and the new MigProg hardware is making it a lot easier to start with programing.

#include gamekit.h

gamekit.Begin();

Thomas Wappler is coding wonderful libraries. If you import the "gamekit libraries” folder into your Arduino program folder in "hardware / libraries" you get a set of very useful funktions like "gamekit.set_pixel(c,r,d);", "gamekit.play_melody((m) melody);" or "(gamekit.button_pressed(butt_UP)". An other folder with "gamekit examples" is helping you with starting to write your own games. You will find all that at in the files of the Mignon Game Kit 2.0 Google-Group! Just click on the "Files" link of this Blog!

Transperent Programming

The Mignon 2.0 is making the programming process transperent by a nice little sound. Sending the data up to the Game Kit sounds like a fax mashine. If you want to work in silence, there's a solder jumper, which you may disconnect.

Gamekit Library Reference

void Begin();
Installs and starts the Gamekit library.

void set_pixel(row, colum, velue);
Places a “pixel” (illuminated LED) on the display in row 0 to 4 and column 0 to 6.
The last value is assigning a brightness from 0 to 15 to this dot. Higher values causes the dot to blink in different ways.

uint8_t get_pixel(row, column);
Reads the brightness/blink value of a pixel in row 0 to 4 and column 0 to 6.

void load_image(name);
Loads a “image” named “name” on to the display, which must be defined before. Have a look into the “load_image” example to find out, how to deal with that.

void load_map( (uint8_t *) name, pictureColumns, pictureRows, columnOffset, rowsOffset);
Loads a cutting of a bigger picture named “name” onto the display. With pictureColumns and pictureRows the size of the whol picture must be initialized. Use the last two values to move the visible part of the picture, with columnOffset und rowsOffset. (See also „load_map“ example)

void assign_pixelfunction(uint8_t, uint8_t(*)(uint8_t, uint8_t, uint32_t));
Advanced programmers can write there own pixel function and assign it to a value, which must be bigger then 15.

uint32_t get_systemcounter();
Reads the system counter, which is increased by one, when the display is redrawn.

uint8_t get_buttons();
Reads all buttons at once.

boolean button_pressed(button);
Chrecks if a key “button” is pressed.
The constants for the buttons:
butt_UP, butt_DOWN, butt_LEFT, butt_right, butt_FUNCA, butt_FUNCB

void wait_button_pressed(button);
Wait untill the key “button” is pressed.

void wait_button_released(button);
Wait untill the key “button” is released.

void set_button_timing(first, common);
If a button is pressed and hold down it can trigger more the one event. The interval time of this very useful automatic function can be set with this function. The fist value set the timing for the start of the interval and the second vale sets the timing of the interval. “See also “button” example.)

void play_tone(frequenz, duration, volume);
Plays a sound in the ton hight of “frequenz” over a time of “duration” in milliseconds. The volume can be set with the two constants “LOUD” and “SILENT”.

void play_melody(name);
Play the melodie named “name”. How to initialize a melodie is explaned in the „play_melody“ example.

uint16_t get_current_melody_event();
Checks what the “play_melody” function is currently playing.

void set_current_melody_event(nummer);
Jump inside the melody to melody event “number”.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
german:

Befehlskurzübersicht der Gamekit Library

void Begin();
Initialisiert und startet die Gamekit Library, die zuvor mit “#include ” importiert wurde.

void set_pixel(Reihe, Splate, Wert);
Setzt einen “Pixel” in Form einer leuchtenden Diode auf das Display. Dabei kann die Position mit den beiden Werten „Reihe“ von 0 – 4 und „Splate“ 0- 6 bestimmt werden. Der dritte Wert „Wert“ steht für die Helligkeit zwischen 0 und 15. Höherer Werte lassen den Pixel blinken o.ä. .

uint8_t get_pixel(Reihe, Spalte);
Liest den Helligkeits-/Blink-Wert des Pixels in der „Reihe“ und der “Spalte”.

void load_image(Bild);
Läd das Bild „Bild“ auf das Display (siehe Beispiel „load_image“).

void load_map(uint8_t *, uint8_t, uint8_t, uint8_t, uint8_t);
Läd einen Ausschnitt eines großen Bildes auf das Display (siehe Beispiel „load_map“)

void assign_pixelfunction(uint8_t, uint8_t(*)(uint8_t, uint8_t, uint32_t));
Fortgeschrittene Programmierer können mit dieser Funktion einem Pixelwert (muss größer 15 sein) eine selbstgeschrieben Funktion zuweisen.

uint32_t get_systemcounter();
Liest den Systemzähler. Der Systemzähler wird bei jedem Displayneuzeichnen um eins erhöht.

uint8_t get_buttons();
Liest alle Tasten auf einmal.

boolean button_pressed(BUTTON);
Überprüft ob die Taste „BUTTON“ gedrückt ist.
Die Konstanten sind:
butt_UP (Hoch)
butt_DOWN (Runter)
butt_LEFT (Links)
butt_right (Rechts)
butt_FUNCA (Funktion A)
butt_FUNCB (Funktion B)

void wait_button_pressed(BUTTON);
Wartet solange bis die Taste „ BUTTON “ gedrückt ist.

void wait_button_released(BUTTON);
Wartet solange bis die Taste „ BUTTON “ nicht gedrückt ist.

void set_button_timing(Erster, Folgende);
Ändert die Wiederholgeschwindigkeiten der Taste (siehe Beispiel „button“)

void play_tone(Frequenz, Dauer, LAUTSTÄRKE);
Spielt einen Ton der Tonhöhe „Frequenz“ über die Zeit von „Dauer“ (in Millisekunden) ab.
Lautstärke kann „LOUD“ für laut und „SILENT“ für leise sein.

www.mignongamekit.org

.

Second Test Hard Ware

optimized and cleaned up the new Layou!

Thin and elegant: MIGPROG

The preassembled programing tool for all MIGNON product MIGPROG is cheap and simple. It provides two fuses to protect your computer, which you connect via the mini USB plug.

2.0 again under Construction

With the help of Thomas Wappler we improved the circuit diagram by using the 7 display lines also for the input of the buttons. This dopple use of the Pins, offers us enough free pins left for serial communication, extensionport etc...

The new Mignon Game Kit will come with further functions like dimmers for each LED, two volume levels for the sound.

First test hard ware

Ups! There are some bloopers, but thats way you always make a test board.

Abstraction

Picture by Leif Rumbke

The 7 x 5 Matrix is so minimal, that it makes it impossible to show characters or even symbols on the Mignon Game Kit. But how Leif Rumbke proves with his "Arcadegame" and his Ducument:

_x++
Kinetische Semiotik im klassischen Computerspiel

computer games runs only with structure of movements. So the Mignon Game opens space for your fantasy!

Sneak Preview of the Layout

Now the circuit board is using double layers, to mount the batteries on the backside. The 2.0 Version is fast and easy to assemble and can be programed with Linux, Mac and Pc. Uploading new software is very handy with the auto reset funktion compatible to the Arduino decimal.

Some other Game Kit Examples

This example is the result of cooperation between Fachhochschule Darmstadt and FUJITSU Microelectronic Europe. Nice try, but to complex for a kit set and much to dry designed for DIY fun.
Link



This cute little game kit is pretty well designed by Grand Idea Studio and offered in the collection of the MAKEZINE so called MAKE Kids. I relay like it. Compared with the Mignon Game Kit, it is a bit to simple. It has no name, no programming option and its not a ironic reference to the real portable games.

Have a look at the other lovely kit sets MAKE Kids!




This is one of the typical uninspired electronic kits you usually find. Respectable and solid they are better then nothing. We are lucky to live in 2008 and expecting a lot more.

Wicked Wiring

At 03:00 a clock last night: I had to stop.

Start 2008! Start Mignon Game Kit 2.0

The Mignon Game Kit project started 2003 in Dortmund in the HMKV. Now with the experience of fife years, after lots of tests and workshops, it's time to continue on a advanced level. The Mignon Game Kit 2.0 is compatible to the open source platform Arduino. It comes with its own USB programmer hardware: Mignon Prog! The new Game Kit is provided with an extension port and a crystal for further experiments with sensors, motors and clock function.