DIY USB Chess Board

This forum is for general discussions and questions, including Collectors Corner and anything to do with Computer chess.

Moderators: Harvey Williamson, Steve B, Watchman

Forum rules
This textbox is used to restore diagrams posted with the fen tag before the upgrade.
Post Reply
User avatar
Bryan Whitby
Senior Member
Posts: 1001
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:57 pm
Location: England

DIY USB Chess Board

Post by Bryan Whitby »

For anyone interested in a bit of DIY, I have designed two easy and cheap USB Chess Boards that connects to the Dream Cheeky USB Chess Board Control Unit that enables you to play against chess programs like Fritz, Arena and Chessmaster.
The first board a full size wooden chess board, uses momentary switches. The second board is a full size vinyl press sensory board that uses self adhesive aluminium foil tape to relay the moves.
As you will see, you won’t need any electronics experience but if you’ve done a little bit of soldering that might come in handy.
Here’s the link:
http://usbchessboard.yolasite.com/
Regards
Bryan
fdimeglio
Full Member
Posts: 806
Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 5:31 am
Location: California

Re: DIY USB Chess Board

Post by fdimeglio »

Nice and interesting! Thank you a lot.

Fabrice
Chessmaster Ireland wrote:For anyone interested in a bit of DIY, I have designed two easy and cheap USB Chess Boards that connects to the Dream Cheeky USB Chess Board Control Unit that enables you to play against chess programs like Fritz, Arena and Chessmaster.
The first board a full size wooden chess board, uses momentary switches. The second board is a full size vinyl press sensory board that uses self adhesive aluminium foil tape to relay the moves.
As you will see, you won’t need any electronics experience but if you’ve done a little bit of soldering that might come in handy.
Here’s the link:
http://usbchessboard.yolasite.com/
Regards
Bryan
Looking for a nice Fidelity EAG or A/S and a Odin Encore. Please send me a private message.
User avatar
Bryan Whitby
Senior Member
Posts: 1001
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:57 pm
Location: England

Post by Bryan Whitby »

I have updated my site with a new 'Modern' style board.
The boards are compatable with Fritz and Chessmaster but unfortunately Matt the software engineer can't get Arena or Winboard to work 100%
If anyone has any ideas how we could do away with the Dream Cheeky USB control unit and use another cheap alternative, please get in touch.
Bryan
http://usbchessboard.yolasite.com/
User avatar
Bryan Whitby
Senior Member
Posts: 1001
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:57 pm
Location: England

Post by Bryan Whitby »

Last year I found a software engineer who had written some software that enabled you to play against Fritz on the Dream Cheeky USB chess board. 
As I already had designed a full size press sensory chess board that could connect to any dedicated chess computer, I found that it could also connect in the same way to the Dream Cheeky USB Control Unit. 
I therefore decided to produce a web site with a step by step guide on how to build this board and as time progressed, I've added a couple more board designs using different ways of relaying the board moves, http://usbchessboard.yolasite.com/
Unfortunately the Dream Cheeky board is no longer produced so Matt the software engineer has written a new piece of software for the Teensy USB Development Board that acts the same way as the Dream Cheeky.  The nice thing about the Teensy is that once you have programed it with Matt's software your computer will always recognize the Teensy software automatically.  You can therefore build a USB chess board as described on my website then go over to Matt's site to download his software for the Teensy  
Matt has named his new software 'Sish Chess' and his site can be found here http://sishchess.blogspot.co.uk/?m=0
With Matt's original Dream Cheeky software there where a few issues with certain chess programs like Arena but the new Teensy software works ok with any chess program that accepts keyboard move input like Fritz, Chessmaster and Arena. 
Have a look at our sites and build yourself a cheap full size board, I'm sure you will enjoy it. 
Bryan
User avatar
Bryan Whitby
Senior Member
Posts: 1001
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:57 pm
Location: England

Post by Bryan Whitby »

Our next project over the next twelve months is to incorporate the new Raspberry PI credit card size computer into our boards. This will contain it's own chess program plus have the ability to communicate with PC chess software plus also give us the opportunity to add LED's around the board to indicate the computers moves and an LCD.
Exciting times ahead.
Bryan
jarek
Member
Posts: 101
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 10:47 am

Post by jarek »

Hello Chess Friends,

has anyone mirrored Bryan's project pages?

The text has been archived by archive.org, however the photos are gone:

https://web.archive.org/web/20111129215 ... -board.php

https://web.archive.org/web/20111130125 ... -board.php

https://web.archive.org/web/20111130230 ... l-unit.php

If anyone mirrored/saved these webpages with photos (when they had been available a couple of years back) please be so kind and let me know!

thank you!
Jarek
Post Reply