Category: Lasertag ESP32

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Laser Tag C00 – ESP32 Circuit and Software Setup

This “C” tutorial series will combine both the hardware and software together. It will also use ESP32 instead of ESP8266. The ESP8266 is adequate, while more expensive ESP32 allows for more expansion in the future. Specification NodeMCU ESP32 Arduino UNO R3 CPUs 1 2 1 Operating Voltage 3.3V 3.3V 5V Input Voltage 3.5-12V via VIN…
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Laser Tag C01 – OTA

This should take about 30mins to 1 hour to complete When designing the laser taggers, I wanted to avoid exposing the USB port for firmware uploads, as this would expose the port and could easily be damaged. Additionally, I didn’t want to disassemble the tagger each time I needed to test or modify the code.…
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Laser Tag C02 – Code tidy up & optimisation

This tutorial should take approximately 30 minutes. To facilitate easy navigation of the code, it is essential to keep it organised from the outset. We will achieve this by utilising the Arduino tabs. In the Arduino software, there is no need to code additional links to the various tabs (files) as they automatically connect. However,…
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Laser Tag C03 – OLED display

This tutorial will take approximately 30 mins. One of the most popular displays for electronics projects is the one on the right-hand side. It typically requires the creator to connect around 10 pins to operate. This not only consumes a significant number of pins on the development board but often leads to difficulties in making…
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Laser Tag C04 – LED Light Strip

This tutorial will take approximately 30-60 mins. What the Addressable LED light strip does The LED light strip operates using three wires: the positive wire, the ground wire, and the data wire. The data wire allows each light to be programmed individually. Each individual light features a Digital In (DI) and a Digital Out (DO).…
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Laser Tag C05 – Web Interface

This tutorial will take approximately 30-60 mins. Why a web interface? A web interface on the ESP32 allows values to be easily changed through a web interface. It means the player name and the team colours can be changed. Now there is a LED strip, the strip colour should change as the team colour changes.…
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Laser Tag C06 – Game Variables

This tutorial will take approximately 30-60 mins. Why dedicate a whole post to game variables? The reason is simple: game variables shape the way taggers operate. Every laser tag system functions differently, reflecting the priorities of its designer. When developing our laser taggers, we can either start from scratch with our game specifications or design…
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Laser Tag C07 – File System

This tutorial will take approximately 30-60 mins. There is a problem You may have noticed that when you restart your ESP32 development board, the settings do not persist. Once power is removed from the memory, your playerID and teamID revert to their default values. This means you would need to change them every time the…
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Laser Tag C08 – Sound System

This tutorial will take about 60-90 minutes Chip variations There are two versions of the JQ6500 sound module: the original JQ6500 and the newer, enhanced HW-890 module. Although both modules have the same pin configuration, they differ significantly in how WAV or MP3 files are uploaded. The JQ6500 requires additional software for file uploads, while…
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