An I/O controller for virtual pinball machines: accelerometer nudge sensing, analog plunger input, button input encoding, LedWiz compatible output controls, and more.

Dependencies:   mbed FastIO FastPWM USBDevice

Fork of Pinscape_Controller by Mike R

/media/uploads/mjr/pinscape_no_background_small_L7Miwr6.jpg

This is Version 2 of the Pinscape Controller, an I/O controller for virtual pinball machines. (You can find the old version 1 software here.) Pinscape is software for the KL25Z that turns the board into a full-featured I/O controller for virtual pinball, with support for accelerometer-based nudging, a mechanical plunger, button inputs, and feedback device control.

In case you haven't heard of the idea before, a "virtual pinball machine" is basically a video pinball simulator that's built into a real pinball machine body. A TV monitor goes in place of the pinball playfield, and a second TV goes in the backbox to show the backglass artwork. Some cabs also include a third monitor to simulate the DMD (Dot Matrix Display) used for scoring on 1990s machines, or even an original plasma DMD. A computer (usually a Windows PC) is hidden inside the cabinet, running pinball emulation software that displays a life-sized playfield on the main TV. The cabinet has all of the usual buttons, too, so it not only looks like the real thing, but plays like it too. That's a picture of my own machine to the right. On the outside, it's built exactly like a real arcade pinball machine, with the same overall dimensions and all of the standard pinball cabinet trim hardware.

It's possible to buy a pre-built virtual pinball machine, but it also makes a great DIY project. If you have some basic wood-working skills and know your way around PCs, you can build one from scratch. The computer part is just an ordinary Windows PC, and all of the pinball emulation can be built out of free, open-source software. In that spirit, the Pinscape Controller is an open-source software/hardware project that offers a no-compromises, all-in-one control center for all of the unique input/output needs of a virtual pinball cabinet. If you've been thinking about building one of these, but you're not sure how to connect a plunger, flipper buttons, lights, nudge sensor, and whatever else you can think of, this project might be just what you're looking for.

You can find much more information about DIY Pin Cab building in general in the Virtual Cabinet Forum on vpforums.org. Also visit my Pinscape Resources page for more about this project and other virtual pinball projects I'm working on.

Downloads

  • Pinscape Release Builds: This page has download links for all of the Pinscape software. To get started, install and run the Pinscape Config Tool on your Windows computer. It will lead you through the steps for installing the Pinscape firmware on the KL25Z.
  • Config Tool Source Code. The complete C# source code for the config tool. You don't need this to run the tool, but it's available if you want to customize anything or see how it works inside.

Documentation

The new Version 2 Build Guide is now complete! This new version aims to be a complete guide to building a virtual pinball machine, including not only the Pinscape elements but all of the basics, from sourcing parts to building all of the hardware.

You can also refer to the original Hardware Build Guide (PDF), but that's out of date now, since it refers to the old version 1 software, which was rather different (especially when it comes to configuration).

System Requirements

The new Config Tool requires a fairly up-to-date Microsoft .NET installation. If you use Windows Update to keep your system current, you should be fine. A modern version of Internet Explorer (IE) is required, even if you don't use it as your main browser, because the Config Tool uses some system components that Microsoft packages into the IE install set. I test with IE11, so that's known to work. IE8 doesn't work. IE9 and 10 are unknown at this point.

The Windows requirements are only for the config tool. The firmware doesn't care about anything on the Windows side, so if you can make do without the config tool, you can use almost any Windows setup.

Main Features

Plunger: The Pinscape Controller started out as a "mechanical plunger" controller: a device for attaching a real pinball plunger to the video game software so that you could launch the ball the natural way. This is still, of course, a central feature of the project. The software supports several types of sensors: a high-resolution optical sensor (which works by essentially taking pictures of the plunger as it moves); a slide potentiometer (which determines the position via the changing electrical resistance in the pot); a quadrature sensor (which counts bars printed on a special guide rail that it moves along); and an IR distance sensor (which determines the position by sending pulses of light at the plunger and measuring the round-trip travel time). The Build Guide explains how to set up each type of sensor.

Nudging: The KL25Z (the little microcontroller that the software runs on) has a built-in accelerometer. The Pinscape software uses it to sense when you nudge the cabinet, and feeds the acceleration data to the pinball software on the PC. This turns physical nudges into virtual English on the ball. The accelerometer is quite sensitive and accurate, so we can measure the difference between little bumps and hard shoves, and everything in between. The result is natural and immersive.

Buttons: You can wire real pinball buttons to the KL25Z, and the software will translate the buttons into PC input. You have the option to map each button to a keyboard key or joystick button. You can wire up your flipper buttons, Magna Save buttons, Start button, coin slots, operator buttons, and whatever else you need.

Feedback devices: You can also attach "feedback devices" to the KL25Z. Feedback devices are things that create tactile, sound, and lighting effects in sync with the game action. The most popular PC pinball emulators know how to address a wide variety of these devices, and know how to match them to on-screen action in each virtual table. You just need an I/O controller that translates commands from the PC into electrical signals that turn the devices on and off. The Pinscape Controller can do that for you.

Expansion Boards

There are two main ways to run the Pinscape Controller: standalone, or using the "expansion boards".

In the basic standalone setup, you just need the KL25Z, plus whatever buttons, sensors, and feedback devices you want to attach to it. This mode lets you take advantage of everything the software can do, but for some features, you'll have to build some ad hoc external circuitry to interface external devices with the KL25Z. The Build Guide has detailed plans for exactly what you need to build.

The other option is the Pinscape Expansion Boards. The expansion boards are a companion project, which is also totally free and open-source, that provides Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layouts that are designed specifically to work with the Pinscape software. The PCB designs are in the widely used EAGLE format, which many PCB manufacturers can turn directly into physical boards for you. The expansion boards organize all of the external connections more neatly than on the standalone KL25Z, and they add all of the interface circuitry needed for all of the advanced software functions. The big thing they bring to the table is lots of high-power outputs. The boards provide a modular system that lets you add boards to add more outputs. If you opt for the basic core setup, you'll have enough outputs for all of the toys in a really well-equipped cabinet. If your ambitions go beyond merely well-equipped and run to the ridiculously extravagant, just add an extra board or two. The modular design also means that you can add to the system over time.

Expansion Board project page

Update notes

If you have a Pinscape V1 setup already installed, you should be able to switch to the new version pretty seamlessly. There are just a couple of things to be aware of.

First, the "configuration" procedure is completely different in the new version. Way better and way easier, but it's not what you're used to from V1. In V1, you had to edit the project source code and compile your own custom version of the program. No more! With V2, you simply install the standard, pre-compiled .bin file, and select options using the Pinscape Config Tool on Windows.

Second, if you're using the TSL1410R optical sensor for your plunger, there's a chance you'll need to boost your light source's brightness a little bit. The "shutter speed" is faster in this version, which means that it doesn't spend as much time collecting light per frame as before. The software actually does "auto exposure" adaptation on every frame, so the increased shutter speed really shouldn't bother it, but it does require a certain minimum level of contrast, which requires a certain minimal level of lighting. Check the plunger viewer in the setup tool if you have any problems; if the image looks totally dark, try increasing the light level to see if that helps.

New Features

V2 has numerous new features. Here are some of the highlights...

Dynamic configuration: as explained above, configuration is now handled through the Config Tool on Windows. It's no longer necessary to edit the source code or compile your own modified binary.

Improved plunger sensing: the software now reads the TSL1410R optical sensor about 15x faster than it did before. This allows reading the sensor at full resolution (400dpi), about 400 times per second. The faster frame rate makes a big difference in how accurately we can read the plunger position during the fast motion of a release, which allows for more precise position sensing and faster response. The differences aren't dramatic, since the sensing was already pretty good even with the slower V1 scan rate, but you might notice a little better precision in tricky skill shots.

Keyboard keys: button inputs can now be mapped to keyboard keys. The joystick button option is still available as well, of course. Keyboard keys have the advantage of being closer to universal for PC pinball software: some pinball software can be set up to take joystick input, but nearly all PC pinball emulators can take keyboard input, and nearly all of them use the same key mappings.

Local shift button: one physical button can be designed as the local shift button. This works like a Shift button on a keyboard, but with cabinet buttons. It allows each physical button on the cabinet to have two PC keys assigned, one normal and one shifted. Hold down the local shift button, then press another key, and the other key's shifted key mapping is sent to the PC. The shift button can have a regular key mapping of its own as well, so it can do double duty. The shift feature lets you access more functions without cluttering your cabinet with extra buttons. It's especially nice for less frequently used functions like adjusting the volume or activating night mode.

Night mode: the output controller has a new "night mode" option, which lets you turn off all of your noisy devices with a single button, switch, or PC command. You can designate individual ports as noisy or not. Night mode only disables the noisemakers, so you still get the benefit of your flashers, button lights, and other quiet devices. This lets you play late into the night without disturbing your housemates or neighbors.

Gamma correction: you can designate individual output ports for gamma correction. This adjusts the intensity level of an output to make it match the way the human eye perceives brightness, so that fades and color mixes look more natural in lighting devices. You can apply this to individual ports, so that it only affects ports that actually have lights of some kind attached.

IR Remote Control: the controller software can transmit and/or receive IR remote control commands if you attach appropriate parts (an IR LED to send, an IR sensor chip to receive). This can be used to turn on your TV(s) when the system powers on, if they don't turn on automatically, and for any other functions you can think of requiring IR send/receive capabilities. You can assign IR commands to cabinet buttons, so that pressing a button on your cabinet sends a remote control command from the attached IR LED, and you can have the controller generate virtual key presses on your PC in response to received IR commands. If you have the IR sensor attached, the system can use it to learn commands from your existing remotes.

Yet more USB fixes: I've been gradually finding and fixing USB bugs in the mbed library for months now. This version has all of the fixes of the last couple of releases, of course, plus some new ones. It also has a new "last resort" feature, since there always seems to be "just one more" USB bug. The last resort is that you can tell the device to automatically reboot itself if it loses the USB connection and can't restore it within a given time limit.

More Downloads

  • Custom VP builds: I created modified versions of Visual Pinball 9.9 and Physmod5 that you might want to use in combination with this controller. The modified versions have special handling for plunger calibration specific to the Pinscape Controller, as well as some enhancements to the nudge physics. If you're not using the plunger, you might still want it for the nudge improvements. The modified version also works with any other input controller, so you can get the enhanced nudging effects even if you're using a different plunger/nudge kit. The big change in the modified versions is a "filter" for accelerometer input that's designed to make the response to cabinet nudges more realistic. It also makes the response more subdued than in the standard VP, so it's not to everyone's taste. The downloads include both the updated executables and the source code changes, in case you want to merge the changes into your own custom version(s).

    Note! These features are now standard in the official VP releases, so you don't need my custom builds if you're using 9.9.1 or later and/or VP 10. I don't think there's any reason to use my versions instead of the latest official ones, and in fact I'd encourage you to use the official releases since they're more up to date, but I'm leaving my builds available just in case. In the official versions, look for the checkbox "Enable Nudge Filter" in the Keys preferences dialog. My custom versions don't include that checkbox; they just enable the filter unconditionally.
  • Output circuit shopping list: This is a saved shopping cart at mouser.com with the parts needed to build one copy of the high-power output circuit for the LedWiz emulator feature, for use with the standalone KL25Z (that is, without the expansion boards). The quantities in the cart are for one output channel, so if you want N outputs, simply multiply the quantities by the N, with one exception: you only need one ULN2803 transistor array chip for each eight output circuits. If you're using the expansion boards, you won't need any of this, since the boards provide their own high-power outputs.
  • Cary Owens' optical sensor housing: A 3D-printable design for a housing/mounting bracket for the optical plunger sensor, designed by Cary Owens. This makes it easy to mount the sensor.
  • Lemming77's potentiometer mounting bracket and shooter rod connecter: Sketchup designs for 3D-printable parts for mounting a slide potentiometer as the plunger sensor. These were designed for a particular slide potentiometer that used to be available from an Aliexpress.com seller but is no longer listed. You can probably use this design as a starting point for other similar devices; just check the dimensions before committing the design to plastic.

Copyright and License

The Pinscape firmware is copyright 2014, 2021 by Michael J Roberts. It's released under an MIT open-source license. See License.

Warning to VirtuaPin Kit Owners

This software isn't designed as a replacement for the VirtuaPin plunger kit's firmware. If you bought the VirtuaPin kit, I recommend that you don't install this software. The KL25Z can only run one firmware program at a time, so if you install the Pinscape firmware on your KL25Z, it will replace and erase your existing VirtuaPin proprietary firmware. If you do this, the only way to restore your VirtuaPin firmware is to physically ship the KL25Z back to VirtuaPin and ask them to re-flash it. They don't allow you to do this at home, and they don't even allow you to back up your firmware, since they want to protect their proprietary software from copying. For all of these reasons, if you want to run the Pinscape software, I strongly recommend that you buy a "blank" retail KL25Z to use with Pinscape. They only cost about $15 and are available at several online retailers, including Amazon, Mouser, and eBay. The blank retail boards don't come with any proprietary firmware pre-installed, so installing Pinscape won't delete anything that you paid extra for.

With those warnings in mind, if you're absolutely sure that you don't mind permanently erasing your VirtuaPin firmware, it is at least possible to use Pinscape as a replacement for the VirtuaPin firmware. Pinscape uses the same button wiring conventions as the VirtuaPin setup, so you can keep your buttons (although you'll have to update the GPIO pin mappings in the Config Tool to match your physical wiring). As of the June, 2021 firmware, the Vishay VCNL4010 plunger sensor that comes with the VirtuaPin v3 plunger kit is supported, so you can also keep your plunger, if you have that chip. (You should check to be sure that's the sensor chip you have before committing to this route, if keeping the plunger sensor is important to you. The older VirtuaPin plunger kits came with different IR sensors that the Pinscape software doesn't handle.)

Files at this revision

API Documentation at this revision

Comitter:
mjr
Date:
Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
Parent:
40:cc0d9814522b
Child:
44:b5ac89b9cd5d
Commit message:
Before floating point plunger ranging

Changed in this revision

AltAnalogIn/AltAnalogIn.h Show annotated file Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
AltAnalogIn/AltAnalogIn_KL25Z.cpp Show annotated file Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
FastAnalogIn.lib Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
Pinscape_Controller.lib Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
TSL1410R/tsl1410r.h Show annotated file Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
TSL1410R/tsl410r.cpp Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
ccdSensor.h Show annotated file Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
config.h Show annotated file Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
main.cpp Show annotated file Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
plunger.h Show annotated file Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
potSensor.h Show annotated file Show diff for this revision Revisions of this file
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/AltAnalogIn/AltAnalogIn.h	Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+#ifndef ALTANALOGIN_H
+#define ALTANALOGIN_H
+
+// This is a slightly modified version of Scissors's FastAnalogIn.
+// 
+// This version is optimized for reading from multiple inputs.  The KL25Z has 
+// multiple ADC channels, but the multiplexer hardware only allows sampling one
+// at a time.  The entire sampling process from start to finish is serialized 
+// in the multiplexer, so we unfortunately can't overlap the sampling times
+// for multiple channels - we have to wait in sequence for the sampling period
+// on each channel, one after the other.
+//
+// The base version of FastAnalogIn uses the hardware's continuous conversion
+// feature to speed up sampling.  When sampling multiple inputs, that feature
+// becomes useless, and in fact the way FastAnalogIn uses it creates additional
+// overhead for multiple input sampling.  But FastAnalogIn still has some speed
+// advantages over the base mbed AnalogIn implementation, since it sets all of
+// the other conversion settings to the fastest options.  This version keeps the
+// other speed-ups from FastAnalogIn, but dispenses with the continuous sampling.
+
+/*
+ * Includes
+ */
+#include "mbed.h"
+#include "pinmap.h"
+
+#if !defined TARGET_LPC1768 && !defined TARGET_KLXX && !defined TARGET_LPC408X && !defined TARGET_LPC11UXX && !defined TARGET_K20D5M
+    #error "Target not supported"
+#endif
+
+ /** A class similar to AnalogIn, only faster, for LPC1768, LPC408X and KLxx
+ *
+ * AnalogIn does a single conversion when you read a value (actually several conversions and it takes the median of that).
+ * This library runns the ADC conversion automatically in the background.
+ * When read is called, it immediatly returns the last sampled value.
+ *
+ * LPC1768 / LPC4088
+ * Using more ADC pins in continuous mode will decrease the conversion rate (LPC1768:200kHz/LPC4088:400kHz).
+ * If you need to sample one pin very fast and sometimes also need to do AD conversions on another pin,
+ * you can disable the continuous conversion on that ADC channel and still read its value.
+ *
+ * KLXX
+ * Multiple Fast instances can be declared of which only ONE can be continuous (all others must be non-continuous).
+ *
+ * When continuous conversion is disabled, a read will block until the conversion is complete
+ * (much like the regular AnalogIn library does).
+ * Each ADC channel can be enabled/disabled separately.
+ *
+ * IMPORTANT : It does not play nicely with regular AnalogIn objects, so either use this library or AnalogIn, not both at the same time!!
+ *
+ * Example for the KLxx processors:
+ * @code
+ * // Print messages when the AnalogIn is greater than 50%
+ *
+ * #include "mbed.h"
+ *
+ * AltAnalogIn temperature(PTC2); //Fast continuous sampling on PTC2
+ * AltAnalogIn speed(PTB3, 0);    //Fast non-continuous sampling on PTB3
+ *
+ * int main() {
+ *     while(1) {
+ *         if(temperature > 0.5) {
+ *             printf("Too hot! (%f) at speed %f", temperature.read(), speed.read());
+ *         }
+ *     }
+ * }
+ * @endcode
+ * Example for the LPC1768 processor:
+ * @code
+ * // Print messages when the AnalogIn is greater than 50%
+ *
+ * #include "mbed.h"
+ *
+ * AltAnalogIn temperature(p20);
+ *
+ * int main() {
+ *     while(1) {
+ *         if(temperature > 0.5) {
+ *             printf("Too hot! (%f)", temperature.read());
+ *         }
+ *     }
+ * }
+ * @endcode
+*/
+class AltAnalogIn {
+
+public:
+     /** Create an AltAnalogIn, connected to the specified pin
+     *
+     * @param pin AnalogIn pin to connect to
+     * @param enabled Enable the ADC channel (default = true)
+     */
+    AltAnalogIn( PinName pin, bool enabled = true );
+    
+    ~AltAnalogIn( void )
+    {
+    }
+    
+    /** Start a sample.  This sets the ADC multiplexer to read from
+    * this input and activates the sampler.
+    */
+    inline void start()
+    {
+        // update the MUX bit in the CFG2 register only if necessary
+        static int lastMux = -1;
+        if (lastMux != ADCmux) 
+        {
+            // remember the new register value
+            lastMux = ADCmux;
+        
+            // select the multiplexer for our ADC channel
+            if (ADCmux)
+                ADC0->CFG2 |= ADC_CFG2_MUXSEL_MASK;
+            else
+                ADC0->CFG2 &= ~ADC_CFG2_MUXSEL_MASK;
+        }
+        
+        // select our ADC channel in the control register - this initiates sampling
+        // on the channel
+        ADC0->SC1[0] = startMask;
+    }
+ 
+
+    
+    /** Returns the raw value
+    *
+    * @param return Unsigned integer with converted value
+    */
+    inline uint16_t read_u16()
+    {
+        // wait for the hardware to signal that the sample is completed
+        while ((ADC0->SC1[0] & ADC_SC1_COCO_MASK) == 0);
+    
+        // return the result register value
+        return (uint16_t)ADC0->R[0] << 4;  // convert 12-bit to 16-bit, padding with zeroes
+    }
+    
+    /** Returns the scaled value
+    *
+    * @param return Float with scaled converted value to 0.0-1.0
+    */
+    float read(void)
+    {
+        unsigned short value = read_u16();
+        return value / 65535.0f;
+    }
+    
+    /** An operator shorthand for read()
+    */
+    operator float() { return read(); }
+
+    
+private:
+    char ADCnumber;         // ADC number of our input pin
+    char ADCmux;            // multiplexer for our input pin (0=A, 1=B)
+    uint32_t startMask;
+};
+
+#endif
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/AltAnalogIn/AltAnalogIn_KL25Z.cpp	Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+#if defined(TARGET_KLXX) || defined(TARGET_K20D50M)
+
+#include "AltAnalogIn.h"
+#include "clk_freqs.h"
+
+// Maximum ADC clock for KL25Z in 12-bit mode.  The data sheet says this is
+// limited to 18MHz, but we seem to get good results at higher rates.  The
+// data sheet is actually slightly vague on this because it's only in the
+// table for the 16-bit ADC, even though the ADC we're using is a 12-bit ADC,
+// which seems to have slightly different properties.  So there's room to
+// think the data sheet omits the data for the 12-bit ADC.
+#define MAX_FADC_12BIT      25000000
+
+#define CHANNELS_A_SHIFT     5          // bit position in ADC channel number of A/B mux
+#define ADC_CFG1_ADLSMP      0x10       // long sample time mode
+#define ADC_SC2_ADLSTS(mode) (mode)     // long sample time select - bits 1:0 of CFG2
+
+#ifdef TARGET_K20D50M
+static const PinMap PinMap_ADC[] = {
+    {PTC2, ADC0_SE4b, 0},
+    {PTD1, ADC0_SE5b, 0},
+    {PTD5, ADC0_SE6b, 0},
+    {PTD6, ADC0_SE7b, 0},
+    {PTB0, ADC0_SE8,  0},
+    {PTB1, ADC0_SE9,  0},
+    {PTB2, ADC0_SE12, 0},
+    {PTB3, ADC0_SE13, 0},
+    {PTC0, ADC0_SE14, 0},
+    {PTC1, ADC0_SE15, 0},
+    {NC,   NC,        0}
+};
+#endif
+
+AltAnalogIn::AltAnalogIn(PinName pin, bool enabled)
+{
+    // do nothing if explicitly not connected
+    if (pin == NC)
+        return;
+    
+    // figure our ADC number
+    ADCnumber = (ADCName)pinmap_peripheral(pin, PinMap_ADC);
+    if (ADCnumber == (ADCName)NC) {
+        error("ADC pin mapping failed");
+    }
+    
+    // figure our multiplexer channel (A or B)
+    ADCmux = (ADCnumber >> CHANNELS_A_SHIFT) ^ 1;
+
+    // enable the ADC0 clock in the system control module
+    SIM->SCGC6 |= SIM_SCGC6_ADC0_MASK;
+
+    // enable the port clock gate for the port containing our GPIO pin
+    uint32_t port = (uint32_t)pin >> PORT_SHIFT;
+    SIM->SCGC5 |= 1 << (SIM_SCGC5_PORTA_SHIFT + port);
+        
+    // Figure the maximum clock frequency.  In 12-bit mode or less, we can 
+    // run the ADC at up to 18 MHz per the KL25Z data sheet.  (16-bit mode
+    // is limited to 12 MHz.)
+    int clkdiv = 0;
+    uint32_t ourfreq = bus_frequency();
+    for ( ; ourfreq > MAX_FADC_12BIT ; ourfreq /= 2, clkdiv += 1) ;
+    
+    // Set the "high speed" configuration only if we're right at the bus speed
+    // limit.  This bit is somewhat confusingly named, in that it actually
+    // *slows down* the conversions.  "High speed" means that the *other*
+    // options are set right at the limits of the ADC, so this option adds
+    // a few extra cycle delays to every conversion to compensate for living
+    // on the edge.
+    uint32_t adhsc_bit = (ourfreq == MAX_FADC_12BIT ? ADC_CFG2_ADHSC_MASK : 0);
+    
+    printf("ADCnumber=%d, cfg2_muxsel=%d, bus freq=%ld, clkdiv=%d\r\n", ADCnumber, ADCmux, bus_frequency(), clkdiv);
+
+    // set up the ADC control registers 
+
+    ADC0->CFG1 = ADC_CFG1_ADIV(clkdiv)  // Clock Divide Select (as calculated above)
+               | ADC_CFG1_MODE(1)       // Sample precision = 12-bit
+               | ADC_CFG1_ADICLK(0);    // Input Clock = bus clock
+
+    ADC0->CFG2 = adhsc_bit              // High-Speed Configuration, if needed
+               | ADC_CFG2_ADLSTS(3);    // Long sample time mode 3 -> 6 ADCK cycles total
+               
+    ADC0->SC2 = ADC_SC2_REFSEL(0);      // Default Voltage Reference
+    
+    ADC0->SC3 = 0;                      // Calibration mode off, single sample, averaging disabled
+
+    // map the GPIO pin in the system multiplexer to the ADC
+    pinmap_pinout(pin, PinMap_ADC);
+    
+    // figure our 'start' mask - this is the value we write to the SC1A register
+    // to initiate a new sample
+    startMask = ADC_SC1_ADCH(ADCnumber & ~(1 << CHANNELS_A_SHIFT));
+}
+
+#endif //defined TARGET_KLXX
--- a/FastAnalogIn.lib	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
@@ -1,1 +0,0 @@
-http://mbed.org/users/Sissors/code/FastAnalogIn/#234c5cd2b8de
--- a/Pinscape_Controller.lib	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
@@ -1,1 +0,0 @@
-http://mbed.org/users/mjr/code/Pinscape_Controller/#ed52738445fc
--- a/TSL1410R/tsl1410r.h	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ b/TSL1410R/tsl1410r.h	Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  
 #include "mbed.h"
 #include "config.h"
-#include "FastAnalogIn.h"
+#include "AltAnalogIn.h"
  
 #ifndef TSL1410R_H
 #define TSL1410R_H
@@ -28,14 +28,15 @@
 // to be assigned dynamically at run-time, which we prefer because it allows for
 // configuration changes to be made on the fly rather than having to recompile
 // the program.
-#define GPIO_PORT_BASE(pin)   ((FGPIO_Type *)(FPTA_BASE + ((unsigned int)pin >> PORT_SHIFT) * 0x40))
-#define GPIO_PINMASK(pin)     (1 << ((pin & 0x7F) >> 2))
+#define GPIO_PORT(pin)        (((unsigned int)(pin)) >> PORT_SHIFT)
+#define GPIO_PORT_BASE(pin)   ((FGPIO_Type *)(FPTA_BASE + GPIO_PORT(pin) * 0x40))
+#define GPIO_PINMASK(pin)     gpio_set(pin)
  
 class TSL1410R
 {
 public:
-    TSL1410R(int nPix, PinName siPin, PinName clockPin, PinName ao1Pin, PinName ao2Pin) 
-        : nPix(nPix), si(siPin), clock(clockPin), ao1(ao1Pin), ao2(ao2Pin)
+    TSL1410R(int nPixSensor, PinName siPin, PinName clockPin, PinName ao1Pin, PinName ao2Pin) 
+        : nPixSensor(nPixSensor), si(siPin), clock(clockPin), ao1(ao1Pin), ao2(ao2Pin)
     {
         // we're in parallel mode if ao2 is a valid pin
         parallel = (ao2Pin != NC);
@@ -44,16 +45,14 @@
         clockPort = GPIO_PORT_BASE(clockPin);
         clockMask = GPIO_PINMASK(clockPin);
         
-        // disable continuous conversion mode in FastAnalogIn - since we're
-        // reading discrete pixel values, we want to control when the samples
-        // are taken rather than continuously averaging over time
-        ao1.disable();
-        if (parallel) ao2.disable();
-
-        // clear out power-on noise by clocking through all pixels twice
+        // clear out power-on random data by clocking through all pixels twice
         clear();
         clear();
+        
+        totalTime = 0.0; nRuns = 0; // $$$
     }
+    
+    float totalTime; int nRuns; // $$$
 
     // Read the pixels.
     //
@@ -90,86 +89,109 @@
     // If the caller has other work to tend to that takes longer than the
     // desired maximum integration time, it can call clear() to clock out
     // the current pixels and start a fresh integration cycle.
-    void read(uint16_t *pix, int n)
+    void read(register uint16_t *pix, int n)
     {
+        Timer t; t.start(); // $$$
+        
         // get the clock pin pointers into local variables for fast access
-        register FGPIO_Type *clockPort = this->clockPort;
-        register uint32_t clockMask = this->clockMask;
+        register volatile uint32_t *clockPSOR = &clockPort->PSOR;
+        register volatile uint32_t *clockPCOR = &clockPort->PCOR;
+        register const uint32_t clockMask = this->clockMask;
         
         // start the next integration cycle by pulsing SI and one clock
         si = 1;
-        clockPort->PSOR |= clockMask;       // turn the clock pin on (clock = 1)
+        clock = 1;
         si = 0;
-        clockPort->PCOR |= clockMask;       // turn the clock pin off (clock = 0)
+        clock = 0;
         
         // figure how many pixels to skip on each read
-        int skip = nPix/n - 1;
+        int skip = nPixSensor/n - 1;
         
+///$$$
+static int done=0;
+if (done++ == 0) printf("nPixSensor=%d, n=%d, skip=%d, parallel=%d\r\n", nPixSensor, n, skip, parallel);
+
+        // get the clock PSOR and PCOR register addresses for fast access
+
         // read all of the pixels
+        int dst;
         if (parallel)
         {
-            // parallel mode - read pixels from each half sensor concurrently
-            int nPixHalf = nPix/2;
-            for (int src = 0, dst = 0 ; src < nPixHalf ; ++src)
+            // Parallel mode - read pixels from each half sensor concurrently.
+            // Divide 'n' (the output pixel count) by 2 to get the loop count,
+            // since we're going to do 2 pixels on each iteration.
+            for (n /= 2, dst = 0 ; dst < n ; ++dst)
             {
-                // pulse the clock and start the ADC sampling
-                clockPort->PSOR |= clockMask;
-                ao1.enable();
-                ao2.enable();
-                wait_us(1);
-                clockPort->PCOR |= clockMask;
-                
-                // wait for the ADCs to stabilize
-                wait_us(11);
+                // Take the clock high.  The TSL1410R will connect the next
+                // pixel pair's hold capacitors to the A01 and AO2 lines 
+                // (respectively) on the clock rising edge.
+                *clockPSOR = clockMask;
+
+                // Start the ADC sampler for AO1.  The TSL1410R sample 
+                // stabilization time per the data sheet is 120ns.  This is
+                // fast enough that we don't need an explicit delay, since
+                // the instructions to execute this call will take longer
+                // than that.
+                ao1.start();
                 
-                // read the pixels
+                // take the clock low while we're waiting for the reading
+                *clockPCOR = clockMask;
+                
+                // Read the first half-sensor pixel from AO1
                 pix[dst] = ao1.read_u16();
-                pix[dst+n/2] = ao2.read_u16();
                 
-                // turn off the ADC until the next pixel is clocked out
-                ao1.disable();
-                ao2.disable();
+                // Read the second half-sensor pixel from AO2, and store it
+                // in the destination array at the current index PLUS 'n',
+                // which you will recall contains half the output pixel count.
+                // This second pixel is halfway up the sensor from the first 
+                // pixel, so it goes halfway up the output array from the
+                // current output position.
+                ao2.start();
+                pix[dst + n] = ao2.read_u16();
                 
-                // clock skipped pixels
-                for (int i = 0 ; i < skip ; ++i, ++src) 
+                // Clock through the skipped pixels
+                for (int i = skip ; i > 0 ; --i) 
                 {
-                    clockPort->PSOR |= clockMask;
-                    clockPort->PCOR |= clockMask;
+                    *clockPSOR = clockMask;
+                    *clockPCOR = clockMask;
                 }
             }
         }
         else
         {
             // serial mode - read all pixels in a single file
-            for (int src = 0, dst = 0 ; src < nPix ; ++src)
+            for (dst = 0 ; dst < n ; ++dst)
             {
-                // pulse the clock and start the ADC sampling
-                clockPort->PSOR |= clockMask;
-                ao1.enable();
-                wait_us(1);
-                clockPort->PCOR |= clockMask;
+                // Clock the next pixel onto the sensor A0 line
+                *clockPSOR = clockMask;
                 
-                // wait for the ADC sample to stabilize
-                wait_us(11);
+                // start the ADC sampler
+                ao1.start();
                 
-                // read the ADC sample
-                pix[dst++] = ao1.read_u16();
-                
-                // turn off the ADC until the next pixel is ready
-                ao1.disable();
+                // take the clock low while we're waiting for the analog reading
+                *clockPCOR = clockMask;
                 
-                // clock skipped pixels
-                for (int i = 0 ; i < skip ; ++i, ++src) 
+                // wait for and read the ADC sample; plug it into the output
+                // array, and increment the output pointer to the next position
+                pix[dst] = ao1.read_u16();
+                
+                // clock through the skipped pixels
+                for (int i = skip ; i > 0 ; --i) 
                 {
-                    clockPort->PSOR |= clockMask;
-                    clockPort->PCOR |= clockMask;
+                    *clockPSOR = clockMask;
+                    *clockPCOR = clockMask;
                 }
             }
         }
         
+//$$$
+if (done==1) printf(". done: dst=%d\r\n", dst);
+        
         // clock out one extra pixel to leave A1 in the high-Z state
-        clockPort->PSOR |= clockMask;
-        clockPort->PCOR |= clockMask;
+        clock = 1;
+        clock = 0;
+        
+        if (n >= 80) { totalTime += t.read(); nRuns += 1; } // $$$
     }
 
     // Clock through all pixels to clear the array.  Pulses SI at the
@@ -184,29 +206,29 @@
 
         // clock in an SI pulse
         si = 1;
-        clockPort->PSOR |= clockMask;
+        clockPort->PSOR = clockMask;
         si = 0;
-        clockPort->PCOR |= clockMask;
+        clockPort->PCOR = clockMask;
         
         // if in serial mode, clock all pixels across both sensor halves;
         // in parallel mode, the pixels are clocked together
-        int n = parallel ? nPix/2 : nPix;
+        int n = parallel ? nPixSensor/2 : nPixSensor;
         
         // clock out all pixels
         for (int i = 0 ; i < n + 1 ; ++i) {
-            clockPort->PSOR |= clockMask;
-            clockPort->PCOR |= clockMask;
+            clock = 1; // $$$clockPort->PSOR = clockMask;
+            clock = 0; // $$$clockPort->PCOR = clockMask;
         }
     }
 
 private:
-    int nPix;                 // number of pixels in physical sensor array
+    int nPixSensor;           // number of pixels in physical sensor array
     DigitalOut si;            // GPIO pin for sensor SI (serial data) 
     DigitalOut clock;         // GPIO pin for sensor SCLK (serial clock)
     FGPIO_Type *clockPort;    // IOPORT base address for clock pin - cached for fast writes
     uint32_t clockMask;       // IOPORT register bit mask for clock pin
-    FastAnalogIn ao1;         // GPIO pin for sensor AO1 (analog output 1) - we read sensor data from this pin
-    FastAnalogIn ao2;         // GPIO pin for sensor AO2 (analog output 2) - 2nd sensor data pin, when in parallel mode
+    AltAnalogIn ao1;          // GPIO pin for sensor AO1 (analog output 1) - we read sensor data from this pin
+    AltAnalogIn ao2;          // GPIO pin for sensor AO2 (analog output 2) - 2nd sensor data pin, when in parallel mode
     bool parallel;            // true -> running in parallel mode (we read AO1 and AO2 separately on each clock)
 };
  
--- a/TSL1410R/tsl410r.cpp	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-// this file is no longer used - the method bodies are no in the header,
-// which was necessary because of the change to a template class, which
-// itself was necessary because of the use of the FastIO library
--- a/ccdSensor.h	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ b/ccdSensor.h	Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 class PlungerSensorCCD: public PlungerSensor
 {
 public:
-    PlungerSensorCCD(int nPix, PinName si, PinName clock, PinName ao1, PinName ao2) 
-        : ccd(nPix, si, clock, ao1, ao2)
+    PlungerSensorCCD(int nativePix, PinName si, PinName clock, PinName ao1, PinName ao2) 
+        : ccd(nativePix, si, clock, ao1, ao2)
     {
     }
     
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
     virtual bool lowResScan(int &pos)
     {
         // read the pixels at low resolution
-        const int nlpix = 32;
         uint16_t pix[nlpix];
         ccd.read(pix, nlpix);
     
@@ -144,13 +143,17 @@
     // send an exposure report to the joystick interface
     virtual void sendExposureReport(USBJoystick &js)
     {
+        // Read a fresh high-res scan, then do another right away.  This
+        // gives us the shortest possible exposure for the sample we report,
+        // which helps ensure that the user inspecting the data sees something
+        // close to what we see when we calculate the plunger position.
+        ccd.read(pix, npix);
+        ccd.read(pix, npix);        
+        
         // send reports for all pixels
         int idx = 0;
         while (idx < npix)
-        {
             js.updateExposure(idx, npix, pix);
-            wait_ms(1);
-        }
             
         // The pixel dump requires many USB reports, since each report
         // can only send a few pixel values.  An integration cycle has
@@ -163,10 +166,16 @@
     }
     
 protected:
-    // pixel buffer
+    // pixel buffer - concrete subclasses must set to a buffer of the
+    // appropriate size
     uint16_t *pix;
     
+    // number of pixels in low-res scan - concrete subclasses must set
+    // this to a value that evenly divides the native sensor size
+    int nlpix;
+    
     // the low-level interface to the CCD hardware
+public://$$$
     TSL1410R ccd;
 };
 
@@ -180,11 +189,17 @@
     {
         // This sensor is 1x1280 pixels at 400dpi.  Sample every 8th
         // pixel -> 160 pixels at 50dpi == 0.5mm spatial resolution.
-        npix = 160;
+        npix = 320;
+        
+        // for the low-res scan, sample every 40th pixel -> 32 pixels
+        // at 10dpi == 2.54mm spatial resolution.
+        nlpix = 32;
+        
+        // set the pixel buffer
         pix = pixbuf;
     }
     
-    uint16_t pixbuf[160];
+    uint16_t pixbuf[320];
 };
 
 // TSL1412R
@@ -197,6 +212,12 @@
         // This sensor is 1x1536 pixels at 400dpi.  Sample every 8th
         // pixel -> 192 pixels at 50dpi == 0.5mm spatial resolution.
         npix = 192;
+        
+        // for the low-res scan, sample every 48 pixels -> 32 pixels
+        // at 8.34dpi = 3.05mm spatial resolution
+        nlpix = 32;
+        
+        // set the pixel buffer
         pix = pixbuf;
     }
     
--- a/config.h	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ b/config.h	Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
@@ -141,6 +141,15 @@
         plunger.enabled = false;
         plunger.sensorType = PlungerType_None;
         
+#if 1 // $$$
+        plunger.enabled = true;
+        plunger.sensorType = PlungerType_TSL1410RS;
+        plunger.sensorPin[0] = PTE20; // SI
+        plunger.sensorPin[1] = PTE21; // SCLK
+        plunger.sensorPin[2] = PTB0;  // AO1 = PTB0 = ADC0_SE8
+        plunger.sensorPin[3] = PTE22; // AO2 (parallel mode) = PTE22 = ADC0_SE3
+#endif
+        
         // assume that there's no calibration button
         plunger.cal.btn = NC;
         plunger.cal.led = NC;
@@ -153,23 +162,21 @@
         plunger.zbLaunchBall.btn = 0;
         
         // assume no TV ON switch
-#if 1
+        TVON.statusPin = NC;
+        TVON.latchPin = NC;
+        TVON.relayPin = NC;
+        TVON.delayTime = 7;
+#if 0//$$$
         TVON.statusPin = PTD2;
         TVON.latchPin = PTE0;
         TVON.relayPin = PTD3;
         TVON.delayTime = 7;
-#else
-        TVON.statusPin = NC;
-        TVON.latchPin = NC;
-        TVON.relayPin = NC;
-        TVON.delayTime = 0;
 #endif
         
         // assume no TLC5940 chips
-#if 1 // $$$
-        tlc5940.nchips = 4;
-#else
         tlc5940.nchips = 0;
+#if 0 // $$$
+        //tlc5940.nchips = 4;
 #endif
 
         // default TLC5940 pin assignments
@@ -180,10 +187,9 @@
         tlc5940.gsclk = PTA1;
         
         // assume no 74HC595 chips
-#if 1 // $$$
-        hc595.nchips = 1;
-#else
         hc595.nchips = 0;
+#if 0 // $$$
+        //hc595.nchips = 1;
 #endif
     
         // default 74HC595 pin assignments
@@ -249,7 +255,8 @@
         
 #endif
         
-#if 1 // $$$
+
+#if 0 // $$$
         // CONFIGURE EXPANSION BOARD PORTS
         //
         // We have the following hardware attached:
--- a/main.cpp	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ b/main.cpp	Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
@@ -685,7 +685,11 @@
 class LwPwmOut: public LwOut
 {
 public:
-    LwPwmOut(PinName pin) : p(pin) { prv = 0; }
+    LwPwmOut(PinName pin, uint8_t initVal) : p(pin)
+    {
+         prv = initVal ^ 0xFF;
+         set(initVal);
+    }
     virtual void set(uint8_t val) 
     { 
         if (val != prv)
@@ -699,7 +703,7 @@
 class LwDigOut: public LwOut
 {
 public:
-    LwDigOut(PinName pin) : p(pin) { prv = 0; }
+    LwDigOut(PinName pin, uint8_t initVal) : p(pin, initVal ? 1 : 0) { prv = initVal; }
     virtual void set(uint8_t val) 
     {
          if (val != prv)
@@ -759,12 +763,12 @@
     {
     case PortTypeGPIOPWM:
         // PWM GPIO port
-        lwp = new LwPwmOut(wirePinName(pin));
+        lwp = new LwPwmOut(wirePinName(pin), activeLow ? 255 : 0);
         break;
     
     case PortTypeGPIODig:
         // Digital GPIO port
-        lwp = new LwDigOut(wirePinName(pin));
+        lwp = new LwDigOut(wirePinName(pin), activeLow ? 255 : 0);
         break;
     
     case PortTypeTLC5940:
@@ -814,6 +818,7 @@
         break;
 
     case PortTypeVirtual:
+    case PortTypeDisabled:
     default:
         // virtual or unknown
         lwp = new LwVirtualOut();
@@ -2225,10 +2230,6 @@
 // there's already a sensor object, we'll delete it.
 void createPlunger()
 {
-    // delete any existing sensor object
-    if (plungerSensor != 0)
-        delete plungerSensor;
-        
     // create the new sensor object according to the type
     switch (cfg.plunger.sensorType)
     {
@@ -2674,7 +2675,8 @@
     // clear the I2C bus (for the accelerometer)
     clear_i2c();
 
-    // load the saved configuration
+    // load the saved configuration (or set factory defaults if no flash
+    // configuration has ever been saved)
     loadConfigFromFlash();
     
     // initialize the diagnostic LEDs
@@ -2862,6 +2864,8 @@
     // start the first CCD integration cycle
     plungerSensor->init();
     
+    Timer dbgTimer; dbgTimer.start(); // $$$  plunger debug report timer
+    
     // we're all set up - now just loop, processing sensor reports and 
     // host requests
     for (;;)
@@ -3476,6 +3480,17 @@
                 }
             }
         }
+
+    // $$$
+        if (dbgTimer.read() > 10) {
+            dbgTimer.reset();
+            if (plungerSensor != 0 && (cfg.plunger.sensorType == PlungerType_TSL1410RS || cfg.plunger.sensorType == PlungerType_TSL1410RP))
+            {
+                PlungerSensorTSL1410R *ps = (PlungerSensorTSL1410R *)plungerSensor;
+                printf("average plunger read time: %f ms (total=%f, n=%d)\r\n", ps->ccd.totalTime*1000.0 / ps->ccd.nRuns, ps->ccd.totalTime, ps->ccd.nRuns);
+            }
+        }
+    // end $$$
         
         // provide a visual status indication on the on-board LED
         if (calBtnState < 2 && hbTimer.read_ms() > 1000) 
--- a/plunger.h	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ b/plunger.h	Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
@@ -21,21 +21,23 @@
     // a pixel coordinate in the image.  But it's no longer the right word,
     // since we support sensor types that have nothing to do with imaging.
     // Even so, the function this serves is still applicable.  Abstractly,
-    // it represents the physical resolution of the sensor, by giving the
-    // total number of quanta that the sensor can resolve over the entire 
-    // range of travel of the plunger.  For devices that inherently quantize
-    // the position reading at the physical level, such as imaging sensors 
-    // and quadrature sensors, this should be set to the total number of
-    // quanta (resolvable position steps) over the range of travel.  For
-    // devices with physically analog outputs, such as potentiometers or
-    // LVDTs, the reading still has to be digitized for us to be able to
-    // work with it, but this happens invisibly in the ADC, so the "pixel" 
-    // scale is essentially arbitrary.  Analog sensor types should thus 
-    // simply use the maximum joystick report range, since that's the
-    // final scale we have to convert to - using a different scale would
-    // have no benefit and would just introduce rounding errors.
+    // it represents the physical resolution of the sensor in terms of
+    // the number of quanta over the full range of travel of the plunger.
+    // For sensors that inherently quantize the position reading at the 
+    // physical level, such as imaging sensors and quadrature sensors, 
+    // this should be set to the total number of position steps over the 
+    // range of travel.  For devices with physically analog outputs, such 
+    // as potentiometers or LVDTs, the reading still has to be digitized 
+    // for us to be able to work with it, which means it has to be turned
+    // into a value that's fundamentally an integer.  But this happens in
+    // the ADC, so the quantization scale is hidden in the mbed libraries.
+    // The normal KL25Z ADC configuration is 16-bit quantization, so the
+    // quantization factor is usually 65535.  But you might prefer to set
+    // this to the joystick maximum so that there are no more rounding
+    // errors in scale conversions after the point of initial conversion.
     //
-    // This value MUST be initialized in the constructor.
+    // IMPORTANT!  This value MUST be initialized in the constructor for
+    // each concrete subclass.
     int npix;
          
     // Initialize the physical sensor device.  This is called at startup
--- a/potSensor.h	Wed Feb 03 22:57:25 2016 +0000
+++ b/potSensor.h	Sat Feb 06 20:21:48 2016 +0000
@@ -1,9 +1,18 @@
 // Potentiometer plunger sensor
 //
 // This file implements our generic plunger sensor interface for a
-// potentiometer.
+// potentiometer.  The potentiometer resistance must be linear in 
+// position.  To connect physically, wire the fixed ends of the
+// potentiometer to +3.3V and GND (respectively), and connect the 
+// wiper to an ADC-capable GPIO pin on the KL25Z.  The wiper voltage 
+// that we read on the ADC will vary linearly with the wiper position.
+// Mechanically attach the wiper to the plunger so that the wiper moves
+// in lock step with the plunger.
+//
+// Although this class is nominally for potentiometers, it will also
+// work with any other type of sensor that provides a single analog 
+// voltage level that maps linearly to the position, such as an LVDT.
 
-#include "FastAnalogIn.h"
 
 class PlungerSensorPot: public PlungerSensor
 {
@@ -46,9 +55,11 @@
     {
         // Use an average of several readings.  Note that even though this
         // is nominally a "low res" scan, we can still afford to take an
-        // average.  The point of the low res interface is speed, and since
-        // we only have one analog value to read, we can afford to take
-        // several samples here even in the low res case.
+        // average.  The point of the low res interface is to speed things
+        // up for the image sensor types, which have a large number of
+        // analog samples to read.  In our case, we only have the one
+        // input to sample, so our normal scan is already so fast that
+        // there's no need to do anything different here.
         pos = int((pot.read() + pot.read() + pot.read())/3.0 * npix);
         return true;
     }