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Round Pong is a hardware Pong project by Jon Stanley that draws a circular playfield on an oscilloscope using analog circuitry—not a software game. Its circuit sends sine and cosine signals to the scope’s X and Y inputs to create the circle, then uses analog signals and logic to move the ball, position paddles, and track turns.
What Round Pong is
Stanley designed Round Pong to repurpose a circular-display CRT oscilloscope as a game screen. Make: reported on January 11, 2010, that he built it for a vintage Heathkit oscilloscope. Stanley’s project page says he installed the final version in a Heathkit instrument, but neither source identifies the exact model. Make:’s project coverage and Stanley’s Analog Oscilloscope Pong page describe the design.
The project page also documents a more traditional rectangular-playfield oscilloscope Pong design. The two versions differ in the display shape and the circuitry used to generate the playfield and paddles:
| Design | Display and signal approach | Author-stated IC count |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional oscilloscope Pong | Rectangular playfield; the project page describes this as the more traditional design. It does not detail its signal-generation method in the same way it does for Round Pong. | Six chips, according to Stanley; some op-amps are quad packages. |
| Round Pong | Circular playfield drawn by sine and cosine signals at the scope’s X and Y inputs; phase-shifted signals and comparators create paddle arcs. | Fourteen chips, according to Stanley; some op-amps are quad packages. |
Stanley notes that the IC count could be reduced. The counts describe the author’s designs; they are not measurements of build difficulty, gameplay quality, or performance.
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How the circuit draws the circle and runs the game
Circle generation
Two op-amp integrators form a quadrature oscillator that generates sine and cosine signals 90 degrees out of phase. Feeding those signals to the oscilloscope’s horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) inputs traces a circle. Stanley reports an oscillator frequency of about 160 Hz, set by a 100 kΩ resistor and a 0.01 µF capacitor.
Paddles, ball, and turns
The circuit shifts the phase of sine signals for the paddles, then uses comparators to turn them into arcs on the circular display. Analog voltage signals represent the ball’s position. Additional comparators detect paddle contact; logic and flip-flops track turns and change the ball’s direction. If the ball leaves the playfield after a miss, a pushbutton labeled Ball Serve returns it.
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Stanley describes the bounce as a rough approximation: bounds determine whether the ball reverses in the X direction, the Y direction, or both. He also notes that turn tracking can occasionally assign the turn to the wrong player. These are limitations reported by the project author, not independently tested results.
Controls and gameplay
- Paddles: A dual-gang potentiometer controls their position. Stanley cautions that movement is nonlinear and the potentiometer has limited rotation, so players may need to turn it back and forth to position a paddle.
- Ball: Dual-gang potentiometers can control its size and speed.
- Turn indicators: LEDs show which player’s turn it is.
- Serve: After a miss sends the ball out of the circular playfield, press Ball Serve to return it.
Parts and power specified by the author
Stanley’s Round Pong circuit description lists these components:
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- Ten 1458 dual op-amp ICs
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The circuit requires a dual-rail supply providing +5 V and −5 V; Stanley notes that the supply is not shown in the schematic. These are the author’s stated design details, not a current verified bill of materials. The project page does not establish package details, present-day parts availability, or modern substitutions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to know before trying to reproduce it
The documented project is a circuit design installed in a Heathkit oscilloscope, not a confirmed ready-made kit. The available descriptions do not identify the exact oscilloscope model, current parts sellers, or a verified compatible replacement scope. The 1458 dual op-amp is a useful part-search lead because Stanley lists ten, but a listing alone does not establish that a particular part or package suits a build. Check the project schematic and package details before sourcing components.
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Stanley’s project page is the source for the circuit explanation, component counts, and gameplay notes: Analog Oscilloscope Pong. Make:’s January 11, 2010 coverage identifies the Heathkit target: Round pong, a pong game for circular oscilloscopes.
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