Project Vulcano

Most of my projects started with something that already existed. I redesigned it, upgraded it or made it work better.

I wanted one project for my portfolio that I could build completely from scratch and call my own. The idea, the decisions, the software, electronics and hardware.

I've been playing electronic darts since 2008. I had a Löwen FM90 at home for years. Played it, fixed it, maintained it and had it apart more times than I can count. Somewhere along the way, playing darts and messing with the machine became the same hobby.

I've played on plenty of other machines, but the FM90 is still my favourite. That thing is a tank.

So when I decided to build my own, I knew what I wanted. Better electronics, better diagnostics, modern software and easy to work on when something eventually breaks.

That's how Vulcano started.

I didn't want to buy a professional dartboard just to test the idea.

So I bought a cheap kids' dartboard, took it apart and connected the target matrix to the controller. I mapped the segments and uploaded the firmware to the controller.

I put together a basic dartR game app on the PC, connected everything and threw the first darts.

It responded exactly as I'd imagined.

Three hours later, I had my proof.

GO.

The project has been moving for a while, so I'm starting a build log.

I'll post when there's something worth showing. Cabinet work, wiring, firmware, depends what's on the bench that week.

The photos are just from the garage. I don't set anything up, so it usually looks messy.

It's been three months since the proof of concept. Most of that time I've been staring at code and drawings. Not much of it is worth a photo.

The firmware's finished now, and I've got one wiring plan instead of twenty bits of paper lying around the bench. Everything's backed up before I start testing.

The next job is to get everything working on the bench. I want to test the relay, proximity sensor, target matrix, buttons, piezo, coin acceptor and lighting one by one before any of it goes into a cabinet. The cabinet is still at the sketch stage.

First proper 3D sketch of the cabinet. You can see roughly where it's going, though a lot of it will still change.

Spent most of today going through the wiring plan again. Checked every sensor, relay and pin against it. Found a couple of things I wasn't happy with and fixed them now instead of later.

The next job is working out how the wiring will actually run through the cabinet. Once that's sketched out properly, I can stop looking at the 3D model and start building it in the garage.

The garage belongs to dartR now. Honda is out.

I didn't spend much time in the garage this time. Most of it was on the computer.

I went through the firmware, the calibration software and the documentation and fixed the small things I found. Easier to sort them out now than with the whole thing screwed together.

The workbench is in the garage now.

Hurt my hand a bit, so I'm out of the garage for a while.

I can still type.

Prepared the logo for shirt printing and made a few mockups.

Almost finished.

Then came another redesign.

Two additional panels.

The new panels are now in one place.

The current 3D design, translated into a more realistic view.

Same direction.
Now easier to see.

Started with the dartboard section.

Started assembling the base section.

Built the base support, fitted the adjustable feet and installed the coin door.

The base and dartboard sections are together. Just the top section left.

Top section coming together.

Top section mounted.

Base cabinet doors milled to 22.5°, biscuit joined and glued.

Base cabinet doors mounted.

Hinges fitted and adjusted.

I made the first TestBench to check communication between the PC, controller and hardware.

While using a car diagnostic scanner, I got another idea. Why not turn it into something similar for Vulcano?

So I built a proof of concept.

I could test the hardware manually, run an automatic test and watch the controller traffic while tracing a fault.

It worked. Now it needed some real testing.

Started with the hinges and mounted the bare door on the cabinet to see how it sits.

I marked the bullseye at the official 173 cm height.

Made a template for the router and cut the dartboard opening.

Then did the button holes the same way.

Mounted the dartboard.

Printed the button graphics and fitted the arcade buttons.

Spent the day with the controller PCB on the desk, going through it pin by pin.

Each input was triggered by hand on the controller and checked all the way through to the PC TestBench. Buttons, keys, coin input, dartboard matrix and relay all passed.

The first TestBench did its job. It proved the idea and passed the tests.

After using it for a while, I started looking at it more like the diagnostic tools I know from cars. That changed quite a few things.

So I went back and redesigned it. Different layout, different colours and a different way of working. The tests are faster now, duplicate tests are gone, and the old Auto Test has been replaced by Global Test and Manual testing.

It still does the same basic job: tell me what works and what doesn't. It just does it a lot better now.

Today I made the final changes to the controller software.

The controller used to have a few jobs to do before the game app boots. It worked, but having two masters meant more rules between the controller and the PC.

I didn't need that. The PC is the master now. The controller just passes information back and forth.

It boots with all outputs off, reports SYS:BOOT_COMPLETE and waits for commands.

Spent some time reading electronics forums and figuring out the best way to handle the piezo circuit.

Worked out the circuit, then drew the schematic in KiCad and designed the PCB from it.

Marked out the opening on masking tape and rough-cut it with a jigsaw, then cleaned up the edges with a small router until the module dropped in.

Spent more time working out where to mount the power switch module than doing the actual job. Had to think about where the mains cable would enter the cabinet and how the wiring would run from there.

Router ran all day. Ventilation slots, the speaker opening, the power inlet and every hole the wiring has to pass through.

Mounted the PC on its original bracket. Had to make a bracket for the ATX power supply.

The hardest part was working out where each module and component had to go.

With all the holes drilled through the cabinet and some of the hardware already in place, I started working out how to route the wiring. The AC and DC routes were crossing each other. Running 230V next to the controller wiring could pick up electrical noise and cause false triggers. I don't know if it would in this cabinet, but changing the routes later is more work than separating them now.

The idea was to split the cabinet into an AC side and a DC side. The main switch was already fixed in position, which determined where the AC side had to be. That left the other side for the DC and signal wiring.

The hinges were in the way. With them on the right I couldn't keep the two sides separated, so I moved them to the left.

Now the 12V, 5V and signal wiring can run through the hinge side to the dartboard door, while the 230V AC and HDMI can run up the right side to the monitor.

Drew the matrix board in KiCad. Flat cable from the target goes into a 16 pin header, controller wires onto solder pads.

Redesigned the Piezo and the Matrix PCB. Printed, ironed and etched them. They came out okay.