Themed Entertainment Impact Adapter Senior Design Final Report

Abstract

This project is what is known as the Themed Entertainment Impact Adapter. The issue is to improve a system already in place by creating a new detection system that will allow a guest to interact with set pieces with a physical hit and have communication back to the host. The sponsor, IFM Interactive, is wanting a custom Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that will be housed in a watertight plastic case specified by the sponsor. The device is a detection system that uses an accelerometer to notify another unit that the device detects a spike in the z-axis direction. The specifications that needed to be met that were given by the sponsor are as follows, • Printed circuit board-based design that mounts inside of an IP rated enclosure selected and provided by the customer. • Enclosure penetrations must retain environmental (IP) ratings such that the device could be installed outdoors. • Capable of operating in temperatures up to 80C. • Accept 5VDC for power. • Communicate via half-duplex asynchronous UART over RS-485. • Connect to upstream power and RS-485 data via a single 4 pole M8 connector. • Detects forces applied via internal accelerometer. • Implements communication protocol specified by the customer. • Create ~6 fully working units by April. The test plan is to test on a similar board using an RP2040. We will want to make sure that it sends a signal using UART over RS-485 to a computer emulating the host machine. The results have been successful in testing. There have been issues with the actual device that are minor fixes in the software design than the hardware. The final system will meet the standards from the sponsor. Some recommendations on improvements would be a better implementation of the hardware. Thus, there is just a bit more of editing on the layout. Moving the USB-C to another open way to make way for the port that will be drilled out of the unit to allow for access to power and data to the upstream unit.