Playable Pieces hardware

Electrical identity

Piece	Information to identify
Road	Player 1, 2, 3, or 4
Settlement	Piece type and player
City	Piece type and player
Land/resource tile	Land/resource type
Robber	Present or absent

Applicable pieces connect a passive resistor across the sensing contact and ground. The reference resistor is on the sensing side, not inside the piece. See the voltage-divider circuit for the measurement principle.

Board sensing contact ── piece resistor ── board ground contact
Robber sense contact ── conductive bridge ── board ground contact

This is a functional connection, not a finalized contact arrangement. Piece resistor values and quantities depend on the eventual piece set and resistor registry. Do not purchase identity resistors from illustrative diagnostic values.

Contacts and alignment

Pogo pins, spring contacts, and conductive pads are options. Magnets may help alignment or retention, but their geometry, polarity, strength, and relationship to the electrical contacts remain undefined. Magnets are not assumed to be the electrical path.

The contact design needs repeatable placement, reliable electrical continuity, and comfortable insertion/removal during play. Roads, buildings, and land tiles have different available space; one mechanical pattern may not suit all of them. Final footprints, contact count, material, and mounting are TBD.

Tolerance and calibration

Contact resistance contributes to the measured value and can change with pressure, wear, and contamination. Select resistor bands that remain separated over the expected variation, then measure repeated placements of real pieces. Ambiguous readings should remain unknown rather than being forced to the nearest player.

There is no active power supply inside a piece. Current flows only through the board's divider while a resistive piece is connected. Reference resistor quantities are in the BOM; identity resistors and contact hardware remain unquantified. See calibration.