Product Guide: EFFECT-CONTROL 6-Channel Lighting Controller with Control Panel Effects

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INTRODUCTION

This guide describes the functions and operation of the Brickstuff 6-Channel Lighting Controller with Control Panel Effects.  We designed this effect controller to simulate the various blinking, flashing, and pulsing effects of lights typically found inside an industrial or futuristic control panel.  This controller also makes a great addition to any space ship cockpit!

The control panel effects lighting controller has six outputs, each of which are independent. You can connect up to six LED lights (sold separately) to the outputs on the control panel effects lighting controller.

You will also need a Power Pack (sold separately) to use this effect controller-- you can use a Brickstuff Power Pack or any 5 volt power supply.

The illustration below shows the main parts of the control panel effects lighting controller.

Note that this effect controller supports a maximum of six LED lights and is NOT expandable.

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 independent of each other.  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.  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 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 to the control panel effects 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 control panel effects lighting controller.

STATUS LED

The blue status LED light flashes 1-4 times when power is turned on to show the current setting for the brightness. More information is below, in the USAGE section.

BUTTON

The button is used to select the brightness setting. 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 control panel effects lighting controller, so they are marked with a red "X" in the diagram above. Leave these disconnected (do not plug anything into these plugs).

There is also a plug located next to the button on the circuit board.  This is to allow you to connect an external button if desired to control the functions of the effect controller from another location.  Any button connected to this plug has the same function as the main button on the circuit board itself.

USAGE

Once the control panel effects 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 brightness of the lights:

1. One blink: 20% of maximum brightness
   
2. Two blinks: 40% of maximum brightness
   
3. Three blinks: 78% of maximum brightness
   
4. Four blinks: maximum brightness
   

Note that 40% (two blinks) is the default setting for the LED brightness.

During normal operation, you can adjust the brightness by pressing and releasing the button. The onboard Status LED light will blink 1-4 times to show which brightness setting is now active. See above for the brightness associated with 1, 2, 3, and 4 blinks of the onboard Status LED light.

If you press the button when the brightness is set to level 4, it will loop back to level 1 again.

Your brightness setting is 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!

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