Except for the kiosk PC, game sensors, and game controllers, each room also depends on a set of shared operational devices required for the room to function properly.

These room-level devices include:

• 2 monitors in each room
• one for the scorecard
• one for the display screen
• HDMI splitter connected to the kiosk PC
• full surround sound system connected via USB
• hand scanner connected via USB
• Ethernet connection from controllers or from a network switch that connects multiple controllers
• USB connections from custom Arduino controllers
• SRD chip controlling the NO/NC door lock through USB/COM communication

These devices are present in all rooms and are connected to the room's kiosk PC.

This project had both:

• a software integration side
• a hardware / wiring / physical installation side

The result was a reusable room infrastructure layer that allowed different rooms to share a common runtime pattern while still supporting very different game mechanics.

Each room used a common base hardware setup on top of the room-specific controllers and game sensors.

Displays

• one monitor for scorecard
• one monitor for display
• both connected through an HDMI splitter routed into the kiosk PC

Audio

• a full surround sound system connected via USB
• replaced earlier simpler speaker setups

Wristband Hand Scanner

• connected via USB / COM
• contains an Arduino-based controller
• reads NFC wristband UID
• also receives color-control requests from the kiosk

Restart Button

• behaves similarly to the hand scanner
• sends a signal when pressed while restart is active
• also receives color requests

Door Lock

• controlled through an SRD chip
• used to operate NO/NC door locks
• communication and wiring were based on the chip's preprogrammed protocol and guide

Controller Connectivity

• Ethernet cables connected controllers directly to the room PC or to a switch
• some rooms used custom Arduino USB devices
• some rooms used multiple controllers simultaneously

Architecture-wise, these devices connect into the kiosk PC and are then accessed by multiple software systems such as:

• Kiosk Host
• Game Engine
• Simulators
• Watchdog scripts
• other room tools as required

To avoid duplicating device communication logic, we created a shared .NET communication library for room devices.

This library was used by multiple applications to communicate with the hardware consistently.

Device examples

SRD chip (door lock)

The SRD chip was preprogrammed and came with:

• a command guide for COM-port communication
• a wiring guide

The shared software layer sent the required serial commands to control the NO/NC lock behavior.

Wristband scanner

The hand scanner used an Arduino-based board we programmed to:

• read NFC wristband UID
• return scan results to the kiosk
• receive color commands from the kiosk

Restart button

The restart button used the same communication philosophy:

• sends button press state when active
• receives color/control requests from the host

This shared library approach made it easier to integrate the same devices into multiple parts of the system without reimplementing the protocols every time.

I was involved in both the software and hardware sides of this system.

Hardware / infrastructure

I was responsible for helping decide:

• which devices and wiring should be used
• what hardware needed to be ordered
• inventory management
• room-level wiring diagrams
• hardware layout plans for each room

I prepared those layouts and diagrams for the:

• construction team
• electrician team

Software integration

On the software side, I made sure the devices were integrated cleanly into the room software stack.

This included:

• reliable device communication
• automatic COM assignment logic
• protocol handling for shared room devices
• watchdog-assisted runtime reliability

I also worked with the team to add the watchdog system that helped verify whether the room was healthy and functioning correctly.

Other projects from the same platform and codebase.

Kiosk Host & Room Control (.NET WebView)

WinForms orchestration layer between the Kiosk UI, Scorecard UI, Game Engine, backend API, and room hardware.

WCPUS

View project

Game Engine (.NET Console Runtime)

Realtime .NET runtime that launches game variants, manages controller communication, executes game logic, and coordinates restart flow with the kiosk system.

SRE+1

View project

Game Controllers & Sensor Network

Realtime controller and sensor network powering gameplay interactions across rooms, from USR RS422-over-Ethernet systems to custom Arduino and ESP-based controller stacks.

SREE+2

View project