Make your own Konami KP3 Topper Controller

[Eddiie]

I picked up a Konami KP3 Topper a while back and wanted to figure out how to control it myself.

Limited pictures at the moment, maybe fill in some more later.

[Eddiie]

Things you will need:

24v  2Amp power supply
Microcontroller,  I chose the Digispark Kickstarter  ATTINY85 board, it is super small and simple.   Here's 5 of them for $9.00  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HCR1CKX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The "ShiftPWM" library, I am using a modified version of this library to make it work with this Attiny chip.
Some dupont jumper cables (male on one end)

[Eddiie]

Posted on a board inside the topper and behind the LED panel that lights the sign are the pinouts on the 12 pin connector of this topper.
The connector is a JST 12 pin locking connector (I was unable to find a mate to this plug).  Using the the male end of the dupont cables you can make your own.

Here are the pinouts of this 12 pin connector.   Note the pin numbering is UP/DOWN, NOT LEFT to RIGHT.

1  - NC
2  - Gry     Clock signal, connect to  pin PB0 on microcontoller
3  - Gry     Serial Data In, connect to pin PB2 on microcontroller
4  - Gry     Latch, connect to pin PB4 on micro controller
5  - Gry     Output Enable  send this to ground
6  - Gry     Ground
7  - Black   Ground
8  - Red     +24 Volts
9  - NC
10 - NC
11 - NC
12 - NC

The topper is complete.

NOW we need to provide power to the microcontroller....
Before we do that, flash the microcontroller with the code and library using the arduino dev environment... attached is the library and my modified code to this post.  Note, this is a hacked up version of the sample code I made that comes with the shiftpwm library.   I have not yet made my own sequences.  The example is fine for me.

Note, you will want to add some sort of power disconnect from the power supply and microcontroller before connecting the microcontroller to the USB line to upload the code.  (so upload the code before the next step)

[Eddiie]

Now we need to power the microcontroller from the 24v power supply.
For this I got a small buck power converter.   Connected the input to 24v from the power supply, tuned the output to 6V and connected it to the VIN and Ground pins of the microcontroller.
I also added a power disconnect by using the male/female ends of a dupont cable (red/black wires).

I got 6 power bucks from Amazon for $9.00

[Eddiie]

How does this work?

Well, it is kinda of over my head but from what I have figured out is that we are using pulse width modulation on every LED.   To control all 48 LEDs, they are connected to 12 x 16 channel bit shifters.  MBI5026 to be specific.    Here is a link with tutorial using bit shifters with Arduino and a popular serial -> parallel chip (the bit shifter) -> https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Foundations/ShiftOut    It really helped my understand how this is done.   That part that blows my mind is the speed at which this is happening.

Hope this was informative for someone.

[Slotsdabbler]

Would you know what colour wires that come out of the top of the machine that go to the connector with the grey wires correspond to which pin on the topper controller board? My topper fell and the wires pulled out from the connector housing. I can go through the 120 variations that the 5 wires could make but if you know them it will make it easier  I know the two power ones. Thanks.