How to simulate the 'rolling' of an electronic die?

[mememe653]

Hi,

So I've built an electronic die that generates a pseudo-random number from 1 to 6 each time a push-button is let go of. I use 7 LEDs as a display, representing the dots on the faces of a die. A shift register connected to an oscillator results in a ripple counter that counts from 1 to 6 in binary, with this signal then being converted via digital logic gates to a meaningful representation representation on the display. A push-button is then connected to the circuit so that when it is pushed, the ripple counter cycles through the count quickly and when it is released, the display at the point of release stays lit up until the button is pressed again. The circuit is powered by a 9V battery.

Now, I'm unsure if this information was necessary in what I need help with, and I'm not sure if it is specific enough to be able to acquire help from you, but basically I need help in implementing 2 features I want to add to my die.

I want the display to turn off after a few seconds of displaying the number generated from 'rolling' the die. Also, as my title tries to suggest, I want to simulate the 'rolling' of the die. By this, I mean that after the push-button is released, instead of immediately displaying the result, I want the count to slow down until eventually the final result is reached and displayed and then held on the display until the next time the button is pressed, building suspense on what the generated number will be.

So if you could please help me in adding either of these features to my project, that would be much appreciated. By the way, I'm new to electronics so please provide answers which are as specific as possible, thanks.

 

[anorlunda]

I would approach that problem with an Arduino or similar hobby computer, plus software.

You could do it with just circuitry, but the circuits could be elaborate. We can't design it for you here. But if you post your proposed design, we may be able to offer comments.