Updated Fallout (Bethesda game) type terminal game for Arduino using PuTTy as Terminal Emulator
This is an Arduino sketch for a working Fallout-style terminal using an Arduino Uno R3 (or larger memory on ATMega 328 based board but shoudl work in others as well such as the Nano Every (if the libraries are compatible). Libraries in the needed version are included. The monitor ideally is for this is a circa 1980s analog TV, connected to the PC via HDMI-to-RCA converter box.Any monitor will work.
---------NOTES and important note on safety: So this will run an Arduino connected via USB to your Windows PC and you play using your existing keyboard. It is designed so that, if you know how to connect and use LEDs, buttons and a servo, everything is set to activate a servo that you might configure to open a latch or a door. On mine, I repurposed an old microwave oven to use as a "safe" that kids can unlock to get Halloween loot. It is designed for you to customize as you like. Just change the code and see what happens BUT ONLY CHANGE A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL CODE! It will save you headaches in troubleshooting to roll back to theoriginal as you experiment. It should be easy enough to figure out in the Arduino IDE how to change the text but - be careful, this just BARELY fits on an Uno R3 so adding lines won't work. You will have to either use a board such as a Mega to add, or delete lines in the various functions to display your custom text. Anywhere you see a line such asSerial.println(F("blah blah blah"));, you can safely change the blah blah blahas long as you meet the requirement above. If you decide to hack a microwave oven to build yours: UNPLUG IT FOR A MONTH FIRST as deadly voltage may be stored in the capacitors. I got mine from a second hand shop where it had been on a shelf for months already and I still waited a couple more days because I don't want to get electrocuted! Google "dangers of disassembling a microwave" to get more hints. Don't play with the old parts - they contain beryllium (toxic) and other dangerous parts. Don't experiment with the old parts, they can be deadly if you ever plug them in to mains again!
Mine, I took all that stuff out, recycled it at the town hazardous depot and just added a strong, 1/10 scale hobby grade servo (Savox actually) to push a linkage to pop the microwave door open, and that's it. Manual reclose. I have a few LEDs (you can skip those if you want) and a few buttons (kind of necessary but not totally just to play on your home PC). You do not HAVE to make the whole servo shebang if you just want to see it on your PC in PuTTy.
-----------NEEDS: You will need to download the free Arduino IDE to upload to your Arduino. Add the two libraries (Password and ezButton) to your custom libraries folder that should be set up like: \Documents\Arduino\sketchbook\libraries\ezButton and \Documents\Arduino\sketchbook\libraries\Password Yes, the libraries are at the same folder level as the sketchbook. Don't put them in the Documents\Arduino\libraries folder that installed by default when you installed the IDE. Open the IDE, click File > Preferences and point the IDE to the sketchbook folder as directed above. It will find the libraries you added, and they will be safe from any updates to the IDE.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Don't just drag and drop the whole sketch in. Open the IDE, create a new sketch and name it falloutTerm2024version4_1Uno and save it. Then open the sketch folder from the IDE at Sketch > Show sketch folder and drag and drop everything from the Arduino folder you downloaded in Nexus into that sketch folder, overwriting everything. This way prevent the IDE from complaining about making a new folder and putting it in the wrong place which can happen sometimes.
Your sketchbook in the correct location should look like this: \Documents\Arduino\sketchbook\falloutTerm2024version4_1Uno for the sketch
Before you upload the sketch, it's recommended to upload the built in Blink example sketch just to test your board and IDE install works correctly. Be sure to select the right board in the IDE, click on the right COM line and if you're using the Serial Monitor just to see things, it's 115200 baud. [KEYBOARD TERMINAL CONTROLS:] '[' or ']'to reset input in event of typo '?' to call instruction set if needed '+' add one attempt at password
You will also need freeware PuTTy to see it perform as intended, it won't work right in the Arduino Serial Monitor. Other Terminal-emulator programs will give mixed results (like CoolTerm). PuTTy HIGHLY recommended!
Included is the .wav file to give that Fallout cha ching. Change this in PuTTy if you like. Make all the settings changes and save it to a profile in PuTTy you name FALLOUT or something. In PuTTy, click Bell and tick Play a custom sound file. Point that to wherever you decide to keep the chaching.wav file (mine is in Music\chaching.wav)
PC Settings: enable caps lock when you're ready to play, after all the setup and stuff and it's up and running.
-----------PuTTy Settings: set 115200 baud, select Carriage Return
Click Session > Connection Type > tick Serial Change the Serial line to COMx (mine is COM4), whatever Arduino IDE assigned your board NEVER COM1 (that's your PC) Baudrate: 115200, 8N1, no Flow Control Settings are critical. If using PuTTY on Windows, FixedSys is the preferred font at 32-36 points for fullscreen. Colors are important: in Putty, set RGB values like this: Default Foreground 0, 128, 0 Default Bold Foreground 0, 128, 0 Default Background, Default Bold Background 0, 0, 0 Cursor Text and Cursor Color to 0, 128, 0 This should be a nice black background with green lettering
Fallout Terminal Prop ColtonCreations Window size set to match monitor Under Appearance, Cursor appearance is block and checked cursor blinks Under Window > Behavior , check "Allow Fullscreen on Alt + Enter" Under Window > Behavior , check "Window Closes on Alt + F4" Under Keyboard, set Backspace to CTRL + H (tested in Windows 11) Settings were then saved as "fallout" in the Session window All others were default