Product Guide: EFFECT-COMP 6-Channel Lighting Controller with Computer Lights Effect

Product Guide: EFFECT-COMP 6-Channel Lighting Controller with Computer Lights Effect


INTRODUCTION

This guide describes the functions and operation of the Brickstuff 6-Channel Lighting Effect Controller with Computer Effects.

The lighting controller has six outputs, all of which are independent. You can connect up to six LED lights (sold separately) to the outputs on the lighting controller. This controller supports expansion, meaning you can connect up to 30 LED lights in total using Brickstuff BrickPixel™ Driver Boards (sold separately).  See the EXPANSION section below for more details.

The illustration below shows the main parts of the lighting controller.



POWER

Connect your power input to this plug. 

OUTPUTS

Connect up to six LED lights to these outputs. All outputs are independent of each other. Each connected light turns on and off in a random pattern. Each of the six outputs uses a "small" plug (Pico-size), so you'll need to connect a LED that has a matching small plug.


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 a 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 for computer lights effects. 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 to show the current setting for the computer lights effect. More information is below, in the USAGE section.


BUTTON

The button is used to change the setting for the delay interval as well as to switch between analog and digital mode. 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. If you are connecting additional lights to the controller, you will use the OUT plug, but the SENS1 plug is not used on this controller. Leave this plug disconnected (do not plug anything into the SENS1 plug).


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 1-4 times to indicate the setting for the time between pattern updates:
  1. One blink: 250 ms between pattern updates
  2. Two blinks: 500 ms between pattern updates
  3. Three blinks: 750 ms between pattern updates
  4. Four blinks: 1000 ms between pattern updates

After indicating the current setting for the delay time between interval, the lights will turn on and off in a random pattern.

During normal operation, you can use the button to change the pattern update time by pressing and quickly releasing the button once. This is called a "short press" of the button. The onboard Status LED light will blink 1-4 times to show which setting for the update interval is now active. See above for the update time interval settings associated with 1, 2, 3, and 4 blinks of the onboard Status LED light.

If you press the button when the delay time interval setting is at 4 blinks, it will loop back to 1 blink.

You can also choose between analog and digital mode. In digital mode, the lights come on at full brightness and then turn off immediately. In analog mode. the lights start at a low level of brightness, gradually brighten and then dim again before turning off. To toggle between analog and digital mode, press and hold the button for 1-2 seconds, then release. This is called a "long press" of the button.

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


EXPANSION

Using Brickstuff BrickPixel™ Driver Boards, you can add up to 24 additional LED lights to the computer lights effect controller.
To expand your computer lights effect setup, you will need each of the following:

  1. One or more BrickPixel™ Driver Boards. We have these in 6-output (SKU: BRANCH06X-1PK) and 12-output (SKU: BRANCH12X-1PK) configurations.
  2. A pack of BrickPixel™ Connecting Cables. These are sold in packs of four, and we have several lengths (depending on your setup): 5cm (2in) cables (SKU: BP-GROW05-4PK), 30cm (12in) cables (SKU: BP-GROW30-4PK), and 50cm (20in) cables (SKU: BP-GROW50-4PK). You will need one connecting cable for each BrickPixel™ Driver Board you connect to the main lighting controller.
  3. More lights!

Once you have these parts, you can connect the first Driver Board to the plug labeled "OUT" on the main lighting controller. See the main controller illustration at the top of this article-- the "OUT" plug is at the center left of the illustration. Look for the brown "Expansion" label.


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!