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1. Overview
The goal of this project is to create an entire pinball machine from the ground up utilizing original 1960's-1970's Electromagnetic (EM) pinball parts and integrate it with an Arduino for control. This pinball machine should have all 4 of the major components of a typical pinball machine: ball launch/return, flippers, scoring elements and a display for scoring. This project requires in depth knowledge of both Arduino interfacing and high voltage circuit design. Due to the intermingling of both high and low voltage elements, if you are attempting to repeat this project be sure to move slowly and test often to ensure there are no shorts or chances for circuitry to become damaged. As most of my experience in pinball machines is with Williams brand parts, these will be the parts I use for this system and all instructions are directed specifically at the operation of these parts (there may be some overlap with other systems but to be safe it is ideal to match the parts I am using). Lastly, over the course of this project, I have learned that it takes a tremendous amount of effort to obtain even a beginners level of knowledge about the construction and operation of one of these pinball machines. In order to hopefully make this search easier for others, I am including a "General Pinball Knowledge" section in this wiki which contains more information that is outside the scope of the general build instructions of this project but will hopefully help anyone looking to have a deeper understanding of these systems.
This project covers not only electrical systems but also cabinet construction. As such, a large number of woodworking tools are required for this project alongside the typical circuit design tools. I have categorized the tools needed below into their use below (Cabinet or Circuit) in order to hopefully make this tool list a bit more organized.
| CABINET | CIRCUIT |
|---|---|
| Table Saw | Wire Strippers |
| Jigsaw | Computer Screwdriver Kit |
| Chop Saw | Electrical Tape |
| Power-drill | Soldering Iron |
| Forstner Bits | Pliers |