Product Manual: Morse Code Effect Controller with Custom Messages | Brickstuff Hobby Electronics

Product Guide: SK-MORSE Morse Code Effect Controller with Custom Messages

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Introduction

This guide describes the functions and operation of the Brickstuff Lighting Controller with custom Morse code messages pre-programmed.

The lighting controller has six outputs, all of which are synchronized (all play the same Morse code message(s).  You can connect up to six LED lights (sold separately) to the outputs on the lighting controller.

The illustration below shows the main parts of the lighting controller.
Animation of TRUNK08-XS Lighting Controller

POWER

Connect your power input to this plug.  This is a "small" plug (Pico-size), so you'll need a connecting cable with a small plug.  If you are using a Brickstuff power supply with a "large" plug, we sell conversion cables and adapter boards on our website.

OUTPUTS

Connect up to six LED lights to these outputs.  All outputs are synchronized-- they all play the same Morse code message(s).  Each output is a "small" plug (Pico-size), so you'll need to connect an LED that has a matching small plug.  If you are using a Brickstuff LED light with a "large" plug, we sell conversion cables and adapters on our website.


Here are some things to note about connecting LED lights to the outputs:
  1. Each output provides enough power to light a single LED light.  You can connect more than one LED light to an output (using connecting cables or adapters)-- there is no danger of burning out or damaging the lighting controller by connecting too many LED lights to any single output.  Note, however, that the power will be divided by the number of LED lights you have connected to a single output (for example, connecting two LEDs will divide the power between them and make each LED light half as bright as it would be if connected by itself).
  2. If you connect a high-power LED light or an LED filament light to an output, those LED lights will be very dim: these kinds of LED lights are designed to use many times the total power output provided by a single output on this lighting controller.  Again, there is no danger of damaging the controller, but your lights will be very dim or may not light at all if using high-power LED lights or LED filaments.
  3. If you want to connect your own LEDs to the outputs in a DIY configuration, we sell individual cables with Pico-size connecting plugs on our website in the DIY section.  You can purchase six of these and connect any LEDs you want to the Lighting Controller.  Since the lighting controller delivers a fixed amount of current to each output, no current-limiting resistors are needed regardless of the voltage LED you are using.  This greatly simplifies DIY setups using these lighting controllers.

POWER LED

The power LED light will be green when power is connected to the lighting controller.

STATUS LED

The blue status LED light flashes 1-3 times when power is turned on to show the delay time interval between when messages are played.  More information is below, in the USAGE section.

BUTTON

The button is used to change both the delay time interval between messages, and also to select whether messages are played in random order.  More information is below, in the USAGE section.

OTHER PLUGS

There are other plugs on the lighting controller: one marked OUT and one marked SENS1.  These have no function for the Morse code effect controller, so they are marked with a red "X" in the diagram above.  Leave these disconnected (do not plug anything in to these plugs).


USAGE

Once the lighting controller is connected to power, its green Power LED light should turn on.  If this LED light does not turn on, check your power supply source.  The lighting controller is designed to be operated from a 5V DC power source.

Do not connect the lighting controller to any sort of dimming circuit or dimmer controller-- this can damage the circuit board.  To operate properly, the lighting controller needs a full "on" connection (5V DC).
You can use external switches to turn the lighting controller ON and OFF, as long as those switches are not dimmers and provide either a fully ON or fully OFF power supply.

When power is supplied, the onboard Status LED light will blink 1-3 times to indicate the delay time interval between when messages are played:
  1. One blink: there is a random 3-6 second delay between messages.
  2. Two blinks: there is a random 5-9 second delay between messages.
  3. Three blinks: there is a random 9-12 second delay between messages.
If you have previously set messages to play back in a random order, the onboard Status LED light will also quickly display from dim to bright (ramping up its brightness) once to indicate that random playback mode is active.  If random playback mode is not active, you will not see any dimming sequence-- just the blinking sequence.

During normal operation, you can use the button to change the random delay time interval between when messages are played by pressing and quickly releasing the button once.  This is called a "short press" of the button.  The onboard Status LED light will blink 1-3 times to show which delay interval is now active.  See above for the time delays associated with 1, 2, and 3 blinks of the onboard Status LED light.

If you press the button when the delay time is set to 3, it will loop back to level 1 again.

You can also change whether messages are played back in a random order.  To do this, press and hold the button for 1-2 seconds, then release.  This is called a "long press" of the button.  This will toggle the random playback setting, and the onboard Status LED light will display a quick "ramp" sequence to indicate which mode is active:
  1. When random playback mode is active, the onboard Status LED light will quickly ramp from dim to bright, then turn off.
  2. When random playback mode is inactive, the onboard Status LED light will quickly ramp from bright to dim.
Note that when random playback mode is active, the same message may repeat (messages are selected randomly each time).

Your settings are stored in memory and preserved even when power is turned off.

THANK YOU

Thank you for purchasing this Brickstuff product!  Your support means a lot to our small, family business, and it allows us to wake up every morning and continue doing the work we love: making really cool things to take your models to the next level!

If you have any questions or problems with this product, please send us an e-mail and let us know how we can help.

If you make something really cool with this product, please share on social media and tag us (@brickstuff on most platforms) so we can see your awesome work!