PC based data acquisition and embedded controller boards used to enhance water flume ride

Industrial controllers used on interactive water flume ride

The Game
Running on the theme and with the title of Pinball - riders insert a token and once inside the tube, travel along with 150 gallons of water per minute and take the place of the ball in the popular arcade game. The rider initiates the game by entering the tube and passing over an infra-red sensor mounted beneath the tube. The rider then passes pads mounted into the external walls of the ride which randomly illuminate either green or red by means of twirling tri-coloured LED arrays. The object is for the rider to hit as many green pads and not hit red pads whilst passing through the tube as fast as possible. Once out of the tube, the game is finished and the final score is calculated by successful hits of green pads measured against ride-duration.

Other details of the ride include passing through a completely blacked-out section where xenon beacons are used to flash at the rider whilst deep-threatening noises are transmitted into the darkness sourced from multi-media sound cards designed by Wet 'n' Wild's Engineer, Phil Martin.

The Engineering
As this was the first time Wet 'n' Wild had decided to adapt a ride, much of the custom equipment required for such a bespoke system had to be designed in-house by engineers. However, using off-the-shelf board based control technology was a simple decision. Phil Martin of Wet 'n' Wild chose Arcom's PC/ISAbus 40 channel I/O boards as there was a requirement for much data collection from sensors and pads throughout the ride. Martin outlines his decision: "Having used Arcom's equipment in the past in other control applications, I didn't have to shop around for reliability. It also means that using standard product enables us to sell on the Pinball concept as a patented ride".

Using a standard desktop PC mounted in a protected cabinet, Arcom's PC/ISAbus digital I/O cards collect data from the ride's start/stop circuitry, rider sensors, and the hit-pads. Custom software controls the operation of the ride as well as process pad signals to calculate score and timing information. This information is then passed via a standard RS232 serial link to an embedded controller - again supplied by Arcom. This control unit, mounted in the Pinball display (see photo), comprises an STEbus (IEEE-1000) based 188EB CPU, plus a pair of STEbus digital I/O boards running on a three slot passive backplane. The unit collates and passes-on resultant data to bespoke seven-segment display driver circuitry. The CPU board was chosen for its low-cost and simple development path via supplied `C' source library functions enabling prototype code to be developed on a local PC.

Before installation could begin, Martin had to develop the software interface for the system. Data had to be captured from various parts of the ride and then passed onto the final display mounted above the exit to the flume. "Once I had a concept together on the bench-top, I went about writing the code in Visual Basic, but it wasn't long before I realised the speed of such a programming language was limited" details Martin. Due to time constraints to get the ride running on time, Martin was unable to familiarise himself with a new programming language and so Craig Grove of Orchard Software (an Arcom approved systems integrator) was approached to write an interface in C which would handle bulk data transfers as well as enable operator maintenance to customise the ride in real-time.

Developed using Borland C++, Grove supplied a completely commissioned software interface in a matter of weeks with only two site visits to Wet 'n' Wild.

Using an Arcom remote source level debugger, Craig was able to simulate code from his own office without having to physically connect to either control system in North Shields until final commission.

Further information:

Craig Grove, Orchard Software, Unit 28, MCF Complex, 60 New Rd.,

Kidderminster, Worcs DY10 1AQ, UK. tel: 01562 865656. grovec@orchardsoft.demon.co.uk

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