Product Guide for the Brickstuff 1:8 Scale KITT Car Scanner Replacement Module

User Guide: TRUNK06-KITT


This is the online guide for the Brickstuff light and sound retrofit module for the Fanhome KITT scale model car kit from the Knight Rider TV show.  The Brickstuff module is designed to be a drop-in replacement for the stock/factory LED light module, and operates from the same power source as the stock/factory module.  To install, carefully remove the screws holding the stock/factory module in place, disconnect the power wire, replace with the Brickstuff module, replace the screws, and re-connect the power wire.

The Brickstuff module is very thin and fragile-- use extreme care when flexing it so it fits within the contour of the KITT front end as you replace the stock/factory module.  If you bend the circuit board too much, the lights may disconnect and you may see one or more segments that either do not light or that are an incorrect color.  If this happens, your module has been damaged and will need to be replaced.


Here is a rendering of the front and back sides of the Brickstuff module:

FIGURE 1: Module "BACK" side


FIGURE 2: Module "FRONT" side with eight LED lights

As shown in the "BACK" side render, there is a QR code you can scan with a smartphone that will link back to this article.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Your Brickstuff kit includes a small pushbutton switch connected to a wire with a small white connecting plug on the end.  You can connect that plug to the socket marked "BUTTON" on the board as shown in Figure 1 above.  Connecting this button gives you access to several functions of the module.  These are described below.

Button Usage

To access the button functions, there are two types of "presses" you need to make (a "press" is when you push the button, hold it for a period of time, then release).  All use of the button needs to happen when the power to the module is on and you see the scanner LED lights in motion.
  1. A "Short Press" is when you press and release the button quickly (pressing it for less than one second)
  2. A "Long Press" is when you press and hold the button for 1-2 seconds, then release
Using these two types of "presses", you can change the functions of your KITT module.

Use a "Short Press" to turn "fast scanner mode" on and off.  You will know "fast scanner mode" is active because the LED lights on the scanner will speed up and scan more quickly for a period of time.  After this, the scanner speed will switch back to "normal" speed.  From that point on, when the scanner is turned on, the speed of the scanner will switch between "fast scanner mode" and "normal" speed every 10-20 seconds.

To turn "fast scanner mode" off, use a "Short Press" of the button again.  If the scanner is currently in "fast scanner mode," it will switch back to "normal" speed.  If it is currently on "normal" speed when you turn "fast scanner mode" off, you will not see any changes in speed on the scanner (but the mode will still be changed).  If you are unsure of what mode your scanner is in, you can press the button until your scanner moves faster than normal-- this will be the "fast scanner mode."  After that, you can press once more to switch back to "normal" speed mode.

Note that your speed settings are saved even when power to the scanner is turned off.

Use a "Long Press" of the button to switch between KITT and KARR modes.  When in KARR mode, the scanner's LED lights will change color from the normal KITT red to a yellowish color (like the KARR personality in the original TV series).  To switch back to KITT mode again, use another "Long Press" of the button.  Your "personality" settings are saved even when power to the scanner is turned off.

NOTE: because the Fanhome kit includes a scanner cover that is made of transparent red plastic, you will not be able to see the full color of the yellow KARR lights through the transparent red plastic.  If you plan to keep your model in KARR mode, you can replace the transparent plastic scanner cover with a cover made of different color transparent plastic.  We do not offer a scanner cover replacement, so we suggest you check online in customer Fanhome forums that discuss possible sources for such a scanner cover replacement.  (we are not able to provide any further information about where to find this information)


Attaching the Button

Depending on when you purchased your kit, you will have either a small button or a larger button.

For kits purchased before 2024, your kit will have a small button and several small double-sided foam tape squares.  You can use one of these to attach the button in a hidden location on your KITT model (such as under the main body frame).

For kits purchased in 2024 or later, your kit will have a larger button with mounting tape already attached to the back side.  You will see the tape has a red covering-- carefully peel this to expose the adhesive.  You can then attach to a hidden location on your model.

Because the adhesive on the back side of the larger button is permanent, do not remove it until you have a location in mind for mounting your switch and are ready to mount it.

The larger button also has a connecting plug on its circuit board.  A black connecting cable is included; connect one end of this cable to the button board and the other end to the main controller board as described above.


Turning the Scanner On and Off

You can use the watch from your Fanhome kit to turn the scanner on and off.  The operation is the same as with the original scanner board that came with your Fanhome kit.


Common Questions

Here are some common questions you may have about the Brickstuff scanner module:
  1. Why does your scanner board have a "SPEAKER" label on the back side?  Answer: We had originally planned to release this kit with a sound chip loaded with the KITT and KARR scanner sounds, along with additional KITT and KARR quotes from the TV show.  Upon further testing when connected to the main Fanhome controller board included with the model, it was determined based on beta tester feedback that these sounds conflicted and overlapped with the "stock" sounds on the main Fanhome controller board.  Since our kit doesn't replace any of the core functionality on the "stock" controller board, we were unable to develop a solution where our sounds would not interfere with the stock sounds.  Thus our scanner is delivered with the sound chip removed. (this also lowers the price of the Brickstuff kit considerably)
  2. Why does the scanner sound start playing at the same time as the lights are in their "power up" stage?  Answer: the sound comes from the Fanhome controller board, and unfortunately that is not something we're able to control, delay, or change.  Our scanner module replicates the TV-accurate "power up" sequence for the scanner, but since we don't control anything on the Fanhome original board, we are not able to adjust or change the timing of the sound to make it start after the scanner "power up" sequence.
  3. (for kits purchased before 2024 only) The polarity of the connecting power wires seems to be backward (red connected to - and black connected to +).  Why?  Answer: for kits made before 2024, we used plugs from a different supplier who could only give us plugs with the opposite polarity Fanhome used for their wires.  This will not affect the operation of your kit-- we wired the plug so the actual polarity of the power is correct, even though the color of the wires appears backward.  For kits purchased in 2024 or later, we are now making our own plug assembles, so we're able to match the polarity of the Fanhome wires.

Thank You!

Thank you very much for purchasing this Brickstuff scale model kit accessory.  We worked hard over more than two years to refine the design, and we hope you agree that it makes your 1:8 scale KITT more realistic and TV-accurate.

We are a small company, based in Minnesota, USA, and we make each of these scanner boards by hand right in our shop (you can watch this Instagram video to see the boards being made in our shop!).  Your continued support makes it possible for us to wake up in the morning and do what we love every day: creating kits that take your models and hobbies to the next level.

If you have any questions or trouble with your Brickstuff kit, please send us a message.  We will respond and help.  Also, if you post any photos or videos of your scanner online, be sure to tag us (@brickstuff on most platforms, @brickstuffcorp on YouTube) so we can see your work and share with our fan community!

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