Color Kinetics COLORBLAST User Manual

GETTING STARTED

Congratulations on your purchase, not to mention your good taste.
Welcome to a more colorful world brought to you by Color Kinetics
and Chromacore®, our patented technology that generates colored
light and effects using a microprocessor to control Red, Green and
Blue LEDs. This guide contains important information not only on
operating your new ColorBlast™, but also on using it safely. For your
protection, please read it carefully before you embark on your color­ful adventure. There are very few rules, but those that exist are there
for your safety.

Included in this box:

(1) ColorBlast with base and canopy assembly
(2) fastening screws for indoor installation
(1) swivel bracket for indoor installation
(1) user guide

IN THE BEGINNING

Setting Up Your New System

This section examines how to find your way around ColorBlast and
how Chromacore tells ColorBlast to “think.”

Lay of the Land

Fig.1: ColorBlast Light Fixture below indicates the components of each
ColorBlast fixture.

Installation

This fixture should be installed by a qualified electrician in accor­dance with NEC and relevant local codes for Class 2 power sources.

ColorBlast can be installed indoors or outdoors. When mounting on
walls and ceilings, an electrical junction box must be in place (electri­cal junction box is not included with ColorBlast) and a 24V DC
Class 2 power supply must be available for each light. Color Kinetics
offers a number of power supply options. Contact Color Kinetics for
recommended power supplies.

MOUNTING COLORBLAST INDOORS
Flush mounting to electrical box on surface i.e., wall, ceiling

Attach the flat legs of the swivel bracket to the electrical junction box
using the screws supplied with the junction box. (See Fig. 2.)

Place the two fastening screws (included with ColorBlast) through
the two holes in the base and canopy assembly as shown in Fig.2.
Insert the screws in the holes in the bent leg of swivel bracket, but do
not tighten them. Rotate the light to the desired position. Tighten the
screws to hold the light in place.

Standing on floor without connecting to electrical box

When the light will be standing on the floor or other level surface,
you can choose to use it with or without the canopy. We recommend
removing the cable from passing through the baseplate, so that the
unit lies flat. To remove the cable from the baseplate, loosen the lock­nut on the topside of baseplate. Pull the cable through the grommet. If
you wish to remove the canopy, remove the locknut on the underside
of the baseplate. Remove the canopy and remove the grommet from
the baseplate. The unit can now be placed securely on the floor.

MOUNTING COLORBLAST OUTDOORS

When used outdoors, ColorBlast must be mounted to a 4" electrical
junction box rated for outdoor use. To insure a tight seal, the canopy
must first be removed.

To remove the canopy, remove the locknut on the underside of the
baseplate. Remove the canopy and replace the locknut on the grom­met. To mount to an outdoor electrical junction box, be sure to use the
screws that come with the junction box (not included with ColorBlast).

Note: Do not use the screws included with ColorBlast.

Place the two outdoor mounting screws through the two holes in the
baseplate. Place the screws through the gasket (supplied with the out­door electrical junction box) and into the electrical junction box.
Tighten the screws to hold the light in place, as shown in Fig.3 below.

MAKING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO COLORBLAST

WARNING: DO NOT HOT SWAP. Make sure the power supply is

off before connecting or disconnecting fixtures. Otherwise, damage to
the fixture may result.

Power connections

ColorBlast requires 24V DC. Once the product is installed, run the
power/data cable to your power supply (for most multiple light
installations) or your Power/Data Adapter (for most single light instal­lations).

NOTE: Each light must receive power directly from a power supply.
It is not possible to daisy chain power from ColorBlast to ColorBlast.
ColorBlast must use only the cable supplied with the unit. Use of other
cables may result in light failure. Custom cable lengths are available
from Color Kinetics.

ColorBlast cable contains five color-coded wires. The color-coding is:

• Black = Ground

• White = +24VDC

• Red = Data input +

• Green = Data input –

• Bare = Data shield

For details on connecting ColorBlast to a power supply, refer to the
power supply documentation.

Data connections

For multiple light installations, data connections for ColorBlast can be
made through the power supply (See Fig.4).

For single light installations, data connections can be made through
the Power/Data Adapter (See Fig.5).

Do the DIP

Your ColorBlast has been pre-programmed with an assortment of
Shows. The back of each ColorBlast light holds the key to setting your
colorful world. Control, Effects and Variations are all determined by
setting the DIP switches. We suggest you reposition DIP switches with
a blunt object such as a stylus or pen cap, not with a sharp object
which may damage the units.

In order to select or change the Control, Effects, or Variations, discon­nect the power to ColorBlast, configure the DIP switches according to
the desired Show, and then repower the unit. New Shows will not be
displayed until the unit is repowered.

TALK THE TALK

For the most part, the language of Color Kinetics and Chromacore is
oriented around three categories: Control, Effects, and Variations.

If you look at nothing else in this guide, don’t miss Table 1: Settings
Table. This table is the key to what each DIP switch setting governs.
You’ll see from this table that in general, DIP Switches #10-12 deter­mine the method of Control and the Effect. DIP Switches #1-9 govern
the Variations within the Effects.

Control

“Control” refers to input— how the user chooses to control ColorBlast
in order to produce the desired Shows. ColorBlast can operate via
either of these control methods:

• Networked Control (externally directed control)
If externally controlled, ColorBlast will run according to the data fed
to it from the external controller. You can set ColorBlast to take exter­nal signal via either of the following methods of Networked control:
DMX512 control or PC control. If this is your method of Control,
you can skip directly to the “Wired” section of this user guide.

• Stand Alone (“on-board” or built-in control)
In Stand Alone mode, ColorBlast will repeat the same Show for as
long as it is being powered. If you are using Stand Alone mode,
proceed directly to the next section to choose the desired effect.

Effects (For Stand Alone operation only.)

“Effects” refer to what type of output, or displays, are produced. With
ColorBlast you can select any of the following Effects in Stand Alone
mode:

• Fixed Color • Random Color

• Color Wash • Fixed Color Strobe

• Cross Fade • Variable Color Strobe

Variations (For Stand Alone operation only.)

Once you have chosen the desired Effect, you can then choose differ­ent Variations which will further modify the Effect by adjusting factors
such as:

• Color • Saturation

• Speed • Cycle Direction

• Brightness • Strobe Rate

Not every Variation is available with every Effect. Each Effect has
a unique combination of variables. But if you follow the Color
Kinetics Easy Step Program you can start experimenting to your
heart’s content:

1. Pick a desired Effect

2. Customize the Effect within the existing range of Variations

3. Sit back and enjoy the compliments—ColorBlast isn’t the only thing

with a brain!

FIXED COLOR

Fixed Color allows the static display of any one of 512 possible col­ors. A Fixed Color Effect is generated by blending the primary colors
of Red, Green and Blue (remember additive color mixing and that
smart microprocessor).

To select Fixed Color, first set the switches for the Fixed Color Effect
(remember that ON is the UP position).

CHOOSE THE EFFECT: FIXED COLOR

Switches #10, 11 and 12: ON

CHOOSE THE VARIATION: FIXED COLOR

The Variation on Fixed Color is choosing one of 512 discrete colors.

◆ Discrete Color

Switches #1-3 control hues of Red. Switches #4-6 control hues of
Green. Switches #7-9 control hues of Blue. To illustrate the principles
behind the DIP switch configurations let’s look at Blue (display of Reds
and Greens follow similar principles). In general, the fewer switches
in the ON position, the lighter the shade of color which is displayed.
So, to get a very light “sky
blue,” turn ON only
Switch #7. The next hue
would be Switch #8 only
and so on. Remember,
throughout this guide, this
symbol ■ indicates the
switch should be ON.
(See Example 1)

With additive color mixing
(thanks to Chromacore
technology’s ability to
think), you can mix Reds,
Greens and Blues to pro­duce secondary colors.
The illustration at right
shows how secondary
colors are produced.

In other words, if you want:

Desired Color Mix

Green Green
Yellow Green and Red
Magenta Blue and Red
Cyan Green and Blue
White Red, Green, Blue

Let’s look at one more example before we move on
to the next Effect. Refer to the following table

(Example 2). If you’d like to produce purple (or “Magenta”) hues,
you’ll need to mix Red (Switches #1-3) and Blue (Switches #7-9).
That means that Switches #4-6 (the Greens) should remain in the
OFF position.

EXAMPLE OF FIXED COLOR EFFECT

Full Intensity Red

COLOR WASH

The Color Wash Effect moves sequentially around the spectrum of
colors in either clockwise (ROYGBIV) or counterclockwise (VIBGYOR)
direction, repeating the same cycle over and over, at user-definable
speeds. The Color Wash differs from Random Color which has no
distinct or sequential pattern of color generation.

To select Color Wash, first set the switches for the Color Wash Effect
(remember that ON is the UP position).

CHOOSE THE EFFECT: COLOR WASH

Switches #10 and 11: ON
Switch #12: OFF

CHOOSE THE VARIATION: COLOR WASH

The Color Wash can be varied by Speed, Saturation, Brightness
and Cycle Direction.

colorblast

™

USER GUIDE

Color Kinetics Incorporated

10 Milk street, Suite 1100

Boston, MA 02108 USA

Tel 888 Full RGB

Tel [phone]

Fax [phone]

[e-mail]

www.colorkinetics.com

A GLOSSARY OF TERMS

BRIGHTNESS: aka (that’s detective talk foralso known as ) “intensity” or “luminance” of

light. A measure of the rate of flow of light energy (luminous flux) per unit area leaving a sur­face in a particular direction. (For the purpose of this guide, a lower level of Brightness has
nothing to do with being intellectually challenged.)

COLOR: Color specification can be described in many ways, but in general three qualities
describe “color:” brightness (the intensity of the color), hue (the wavelength which determines
how similar it is to one or a combination of the perceived colors red, yellow, green or blue),
and saturation (the amount of white light mixed in). We can see approximately 200 hues
with the naked eye. The other colors we can identify are due to variations in brightness and
saturation.

COLOR WASH: A Color Wash Effect moves sequentially around the spectrum of colors in
either clockwise (ROYGBIV) or counterclockwise (VIBGYOR) Cycle Direction at user definable
speeds. Color Wash differs from the Random Color Effect which has no distinct or sequential
pattern of color generation.

CROSS FADE: Cross Fade Effects slowly increase the intensity of one color of light while
simultaneously reducing the intensity of another color. A Cross Fade Effect differs from a
Color Wash Effect in that a Cross Fade alternates between only two colors while the Wash
cycles through the color spectrum. In Cross Fades, users will select a Starting Color and an
Ending Color (don’t choose the same color!) and then select the desired Speed to go from the
first to the second and back again.

CYCLE DIRECTION: The sequence in which colors move through the spectrum. The
sequence can be in either clockwise (ROYGBIV) or counterclockwise (VIBGYOR) direction.

DMX AND DMX512: DMX is a shortened form of “digital multiplex.” It describes a stan­dard method of data transmission that makes possible the interconnection of lighting control
equipment by different manufacturers. The DMX512 protocolwas developed in1986 by a
committee of the USITT (United States Institute for Theater Technology) to provide a standard
interface with which to control dimmers from lighting consoles. In DMX512, each data link
supports up to 512 dimmers (hence the name and number – clever, no?).

DIP SWITCH: Dip switches are tiny binary devices located on the back of each C-Series
lighting fixture in banks of 12, signaling either ON or OFF. With a single dip switch there

are two possible combinations or settings, with two dip switches there are 2

2

or 4 possible

settings, and so on. With nine switches,a total of 512 (remember DMX512), or 2

9

, combina-

tions are possible. Color Kinetics products use a “base zero” address where a given setting
is determined by the sum of the value of the switches in the ON (or “up”) position, plus one.

ENDING COLOR: This Variation allows the user to define the Ending Color of the Cross
Fade Effect. For instance, if a Cross Fade goes from red to blue, the Starting Color Variation
would be set to red and the Ending Color would be set to blue.

FIXED COLOR: (aka, Constant Color) The Fixed Color Effect allows the static display of any
ONE of 512 possible colors. Fixed Color is generated by blending (or independently dis­playing) any of the primary colors (Red– 8 shades of red, Green–8 shades of green, and
Blue–8 shades of blue). White light will be produced when all colors (Red, Green and Blue)
are added together (remember additive color mixing, where all colors combine to white?).

LED: (Light Emitting Diode) The source of light used by the Color Kinetics™ C-Series and the
secret to its ultra-long source life, LEDs have a predicted source life rated at 100,000 hours
under normal operating conditions—that’s 11.4 years of continuous use! An LED is a p- n
junction, solid-state diode that emits light through the combination of specially prepared high
purity semiconductor material and two additives. One additive produces negatively charged
output (excess electrons) and the other produces positively charged material (a shortage of
electrons, or holes, which act as positive charges). Please forgive this foray into techno-speak,
we had to use it somewhere in the manual.

NETWORKED: Refers to a method of control. Networked control utilizes the C-Series‘ data
interface ports for external direction of the units. Information is perceived from an external
source such as a DMX512 controller or PC instead of from the on-board microprocessor.

ON: (Dip Switch Position) A switch is considered to be ON if it is in the UP position.
Throughout the guide, we will use the symbol

■ to indicate a switch is ON.

RANDOM COLOR: aka “step” or “jump.” Each Random Color Effect produces a ran­domly generated set of 128 colors at user definable speeds. Colors step (in discrete
increments) from one hue to the next in increments of at least 25% of the color spectrum
so no two colors in a row will have similar values. Random Color differs from a Color
Wash which sequentially and smoothly moves through the color spectrum.

ROY G. BIV: An acronym used by many to remember the order of the longest to the
shortest wavelengths of the visible spectrum (R=red, O=orange, Y=yellow, G=green,

B=blue, I=indigo, V=violet). Also, a popular friend of all users of ColorBlast lighting.

SATURATION: This Variation refers to the purity of color, or the amount of white light which
has been mixed into a color. More technically, it describes how much of a color is near the
dominant wavelength. Primary colors are fully saturated, while pastels are less saturated.

SHOW: In Stand Alone operation, a “Show” is the display generated by one complete cycle
of an Effect. In Networked operation, a “Show” is determined by the controller being used.

SPEED: Determines the duration of an Effect. In Color Wash, Speed is defined as the amount
of time which elapses between the initial display of the Starting Color in cycle one (red in
ROYGBIV, or violet in VIBGYOR), and its next display which begins cycle two. In Cross Fade,
Speed is defined as the amount of time which elapses between the initial display of the
Starting Color to the display of the Ending Color and back again (round trip). In Random
Color, Speed is defined as the amount of time a color is displayed before it “jumps” to the
next color. In Variable Color Strobe, speed determines how fast the colors advance around
the spectrum which in turn affects what color will be flashed at each strobe.

STAND ALONE: aka “built-in,” “on board,” or “automagic” (when automatic mixes with
magic). Refers to a method of Control. Stand Alone means that the unit is controlled by the
built-in microprocessor, thus utilizing “on-board” Effects which are set via the unit’s dip switch­es.Stand Alone differs from Networked in that the unit is controlling itself versustaking direc­tion from an external source such as a DMX512 controller or PC.

STARTING COLOR: Allows the user to define the beginning color of an Effect. For instance,
if a Cross Fade goes from red to blue, the Starting Color Variation would be set to red and
the Ending Color would be set to blue. Each time the unit is repowered with this Effect, it will
begin with red.

STROBE: A “stop motion,” or rapid series of very short intense light flashes which can make
actions seem intermittent. The Color Kinetics Variable Color Strobe Effect cycles through a
sequence of colors, generating flashes of different color which can then be customized with
various Speed, Cycle Direction or Strobe Rate settings. The Color Kinetics Fixed Color Strobe
allows for a single color to be flashed which can then be customized by altering the Strobe
Rate.

STROBE RATE: Refers to the number of flashes per second or how many times in one
second the light is illuminated.

ON

OFF

10 11 12

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

SWITCH#

COLOR

1 2 3

No magenta
Lightest
A little more
A bit more
Still more
Even more
More intense
Most intense

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

7 8 9

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

123

ON

OFF

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

ON

OFF

10 11 12

On On On

On On

On

On

On

OnOnOn

Add levels of

Red

Add levels of

Green

Add levels of

Blue

Bright-

ness

Cycle
Direc­ tion

Speed

.5 sec - 2 hrs

Starting Color

red, green, blue,

cyan, magenta, yellow,

white, black

Speed

from starting color
to ending color and

back again

Satura-

tion

Ending Color

red, green, blue,

cyan, magenta, yellow,

white, black

Speed

.05 sec - 3 min

PC Address

DMX512 Address

Satura-

tion

Color

red, green, blue, cyan,

magenta, yellow, white, black

Starting Color

red, green, blue,

cyan, magenta, yellow,

white, black

Strobe Rate

20/sec - 2/sec

Cycle
Direc-

tion

Speed

(color advance)

Strobe Rate

20/sec - 2/sec

FIXED
COLOR

SWITCH #

COLOR
WASH

CROSS
FADE

RANDOM
COLOR

FIXED
COLOR
STROBE

VARIABLE
COLOR
STROBE

PC-DMX

DMX512

red

789101112123456

example 2

POSITION LOCKING
SET SCREWS (3)

FRONT VIEW

Fig.1: ColorBlast Light Fixture

DIP SWITCH
ACCESS CAP

POWER/DATA
CABLE

WATERTIGHT
GROMMET (2)

BASE

HINGE

CANOPY

Table 1: Settings Table

SIDE VIEW

BACK VIEW

INDOOR ELECTRICAL
JUNCTION BOX

*

BRACKET SCREWS

FASTENING SCREWS
(INCLUDED WITH
COLORBLAST)

CANOPY

SWIVEL BRACKET

Fig.2

3.5" CENTER TO CENTER

WALL

/CEILING

OUTDOOR MOUNTING SCREWS*

BASEPLATE

GASKET

4" OUTDOOR
ELECTRICAL
JUNCTION BOX

*

Fig.3

RED

CYAN

WHITE

MAGENTAYELLOW

GREEN

BLUE

WALL/CEILING

*SHADED ITEMS NOT INCLUDED

*SHADED ITEMS NOT INCLUDED

WALL

/CEILINGWALL/CEILING

Fig.4

CMOPS POWER

SUPPLY

DATAIN

Fig.5

POWER DATA

ADAPTER

DATAIN

C-SERIES

POWER SUPPLY

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

SWITCH#

Table 2:

Color Wash Speed

SPEED

1 2 3 4 5 6

0.5 sec

0.6 sec

0.7 sec

0.8 sec

0.9 sec

1.1 sec

1.2 sec

1.4 sec

1.6 sec

1.9 sec

2.2 sec

2.5 sec

2.9 sec

3.3 sec

3.8 sec

4.4 sec
5 sec

5.8 sec

6.7 sec

7.7 sec

8.8 sec

10.2 sec

11.7 sec

13.4 sec

15.4 sec
18 sec
20 sec
24 sec
27 sec
30 sec
35 sec
40 sec

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

■

■■

■■

■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■■

■■■■

■

■■

■■

■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■ ■

■■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■■

■■ ■■

■■■

■■■■

■■■■

■■■■■

SWITCH#

COLOR

7 8 9

No blue
Lightest blue
A little more
A bit more
Still more
Even more
More intense
Most intense

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

example 1

45 sec
50 sec
1 min

1.1 min

1.3 min

1.5 min

1.8 min
2 min

2.3 min

2.7 min
3 min

3.5 min
4 min

4.5 min
5 min

5.5 min
6 min

6.5 min
7 min
8 min
9 min
10 min
12 min
15 min
20 min
25 min
30 min
40 min
50 min
1 hr

1.5 hrs
2 hrs

32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63

■

■■

■■

■■ ■

■■

■■ ■

■■ ■

■■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■■

■■ ■ ■

■■ ■

■■■■

■■■ ■

■■■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■■

■■ ■■

■■■

■■■■

■■ ■■

■■■ ■■

■■■

■■■■

■■■■

■■ ■■■

■■■■

■■■■■

■■■■■

■■■■■■

ITEM # 102-000001-00, 102-000001-01

U.S. PATENTS 6,016,038 AND 6,150,774
OTHER PATENTS PENDING

©2001 Color Kinetics Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Chromacore, Color Kinetics, the Color Kinetics logo, iColor, and iPlayer are registered trademarks and
ColorBlast, ColorPlay, ColorScape Coup de Color, and Smartjuice are trademarks of Color Kinetics
Incorporated.

PUB-000013-00 Rev. 00

Specifications subject to change without notice.

◆ Speed

In Color Wash, Speed is defined as the amount of time which elapses
between the initial display of the Starting Color in Cycle One (Red in
ROYGBIV, or Violet in VIBGYOR), and its next display which begins
Cycle Two. There are 64 different speeds which can be set in the
Color Wash Effect, ranging from as fast as .5 seconds to as long as 2
hours to complete a single cycle. Switches #1-6 control the speed
options. For the fastest speed (.5 sec.), all switches between #1-6 are
OFF. For the slowest speed (2 hrs.), all switches between #1-6 are
ON. The previous table (Table 2: Color Wash Speed) illustrates the
available options, and their switch settings.

◆ Saturation

In the Color Wash Effect, you can vary the Saturation by choosing
light Saturation (pastels) or full Saturation. Switch #7 controls
Saturation. For light Saturation, set Switch #7 OFF. Full Saturation
is achieved by setting Switch #7 ON.

◆ Brightness

In the Color Wash Effect, Switch #8 controls the level of Brightness.
The Brightness, or intensity, of the light can be set to either half
intensity or full intensity. For half intensity, set Switch #8 OFF. For
full intensity, set Switch #8 ON.

◆ Cycle Direction

The direction of the sequential flow of colors can be controlled in the
Color Wash Effect through Switch #9. When Switch #9 is OFF, the
direction of the flow of colors is clockwise from Red to Violet (ROYG­BIV). When Switch #9 is ON, the direction of the flow of colors is
counterclockwise from Violet to Red (VIBGYOR).

EXAMPLE OF COLOR WASH EFFECT

Speed of 20 seconds, Full Saturation, Full Brightness, in a clockwise
direction (ROYGBIV)

CROSS FADE

The Cross Fade allows you to set ColorBlast to smoothly move from
one color to another. The Cross Fade differs from a Color Wash in
that it alternates between only two colors while the Color Wash cycles
through the entire spectrum of colors. The Cross Fade slowly increases
the intensity of one color of light while simultaneously reducing the
intensity of another color. For example, a Cross Fade set to begin with
red and end in blue will first display a fully intense red, then mix in a
bit of blue (producing pinkish hues), then mix more blue (to produce
magenta hues), then display fully intense blue, and reverse the process
(magenta, pink, red) before beginning the next cycle (red-pink-magen­ta-blue-magenta-pink-red).

CHOOSE THE EFFECT: CROSS FADE

Switch #11: ON
Switches #10 and 12: OFF

CHOOSE THE VARIATION: CROSS FADE

The Cross Fade can be varied by choosing one of eight Starting
Colors and one of eight Ending Colors at one of eight different
speeds.

◆ Starting Color

In the Cross Fade Effect, Switches #4-6 govern which color begins
the fade. Choose one of the following eight colors: black, red, green,
yellow, blue, magenta, cyan or white. Table 3below illustrates all
available options and their switch settings.

◆ Ending Color

In the Cross Fade Effect, Switches #1-3 govern which color to fade
to before it reverses back to the Starting Color. Choose one of the
following eight colors: black, red, green, magenta, blue, yellow,
cyan or white. Table 4 below illustrates all available options and their
switch settings.

Do not set your Starting Color and Ending Color to the same color.
If you want a static color display, choose the Fixed Color Effect.

◆ Speed

In Cross Fade, Speed is defined as the amount of time which elapses
between the initial display of the Starting Color to the Ending Color
and back again. There are eight different speeds which can be set for
the Cross Fade Effect, ranging from as fast as 5 seconds for the round
trip to as long as 1 hour to complete the round trip. Switches #7-9
control the speed options. For the fastest speed (5 sec.), all switches
between #7-9 are OFF. For the slowest speed (1 hr.), all switches
between #7-9 are ON. Table 5 below illustrates all available speed
options and their switch settings.

EXAMPLE OF CROSS FADE EFFECT

A. Starting from red, fading to blue at a speed of 30 seconds
round trip

RANDOM COLOR

Random Color or “step” produces a randomly generated set of colors
at user definable speeds. Colors step in discrete increments from one
hue to the next. This differs from a Color Wash which sequentially
and more gradually moves through the color spectrum.

CHOOSE THE EFFECT: RANDOM COLOR

Switches #10 and 11: OFF
Switch #12: ON

CHOOSE THE VARIATION: RANDOM COLOR

The Random Color Effect can be varied by Speed, Saturation and
Starting Color.

◆ Speed

In Random Color, Speed is defined as the amount of time a single
color is displayed before it “jumps” to the next color. There are 32
different speeds which can be set for the Random Color Effect, rang­ing from as fast as .05 seconds to as long as 3 minutes before jump­ing to the next color. Switches #1-5 control speed. For the fastest speed
(.05 sec.), all switches between #1-5 are OFF. For the slowest speed
(3 min.), all switches between #1-5 are ON. Table 6 below illustrates
the available options, and their switch settings.

◆ Saturation

In the Random Color Effect, you can vary the Saturation by choosing
light Saturation (pastels) or full Saturation. Switch #6 controls the

amount of Saturation. For light Saturation, set Switch #6 OFF.
Full Saturation is achieved by setting Switch #6 ON.

◆ Starting Color

You can choose from one of eight different starting colors in the
Random Color Effect. From these eight different starting points it will
cycle through a set of 128 colors which step in discrete increments of
at least 25% of the color spectrum so no two colors in a row will have
similar values. Switches #7-9 govern the Starting Color. Table 7below
illustrates all available options and their switch settings.

EXAMPLE OF RANDOM COLOR EFFECT

At a speed of every 2 seconds, Fully Saturated, Starting with Color 1

In this example, if a second ColorBlast is set to the same settings as
the example above except for Starting Color, each would change
colors at the same rate but not follow the same color display.

FIXED COLOR STROBE

Strobes are a “stop action,” or rapid series of very short intense light
flashes which can make actions seem intermittent. In the Fixed Color
Strobe Effect, the same color is strobed at each flash.

CHOOSE THE EFFECT: FIXED COLOR STROBE

Switch #11: ON
Switches #10 and 12: OFF

CHOOSE THE VARIATION: FIXED COLOR STROBE

The Fixed Strobe Effect can be varied by Color and Strobe Rate.

◆ Color

In the Fixed Color Strobe Effect, switches #1-3 AND #4-6 govern
which single color will be displayed during the flash. Choose one of
the following eight colors: black, red, green, yellow, blue, magenta,
cyan, or white. Both Switches #1-3 AND #4-6 must be configured in
exactly the same way. Table 8below illustrates the available colors
and their switch settings.

◆ Strobe Rate

In the Fixed Color Strobe Effect, Switches #7-9 govern the strobe rate
which can be set from as fast as 20 flashes per second to as slow as
2 flashes per second. For the fastest speed (20/sec.), all switches
between #7-9 are OFF. For the slowest speed (2/sec), all switches
between #7-9 are ON. Table 9 below illustrates all available options
and their switch settings.

EXAMPLE OF FIXED COLOR STROBE EFFECT

Strobing Red at a rate of 20 flashes/second

VARIABLE COLOR STROBE

Strobes are a “stop motion,” or rapid series of very short intense light
flashes which can make actions seem intermittent. The Variable Color
Strobe Effect cycles through a sequence of colors, generating strobes
of different colors.

CHOOSE THE EFFECT:
VARIABLE COLOR STROBE

Switches #10 and 12: ON
Switch #11: OFF

CHOOSE THE VARIATION: VARIABLE COLOR STROBE

The Variable Color Strobe Effect can be varied by Speed, Cycle
Direction and Strobe Rate.

◆ Speed

In the Variable Color Strobe Effect, Switches #1-5 govern the pattern
of colors displayed during the flash of the strobe. The pattern of colors
displayed depends on how fast the colors are advancing through the
spectrum. This advance is measured as a percentage around the spec­trum. At the lower Speeds, each strobe will flash sequential colors
since it is slowly advancing through the spectrum. Faster Speeds will
flash colors further apart in the spectrum, with the fastest Speed
flashing complementary colors. Table 10 below illustrates all available
options and their switch settings.

◆ Cycle Direction

The direction of the flow of colors can be controlled in the Variable
Color Strobe through Switch #6. When Switch #6 is OFF, the direc­tion of the flow of colors is clockwise from Red to Violet (ROYGBIV).
When Switch #6 is ON, the direction the flow of colors is counter­clockwise from Violet to Red (VIBGYOR).

◆ Strobe Rate

In the Variable Color Strobe Effect, Switches #7-9 govern the strobe
rate which can be set from as fast as 20 flashes per second to as slow
as 2 flashes per second. For the fastest speed (20/sec.), Switches #7­9 are OFF. For the slowest speed (2/sec), Switches #7-9 are ON.
Table 11 below illustrates all available options and their switch set­tings.

EXAMPLE OF VARIABLE COLOR STROBE EFFECT

Speed of 10% advance, Clockwise Direction, Strobe Rate of 10/sec

* this Speed will display advancing complementary colors.

WIRED

ColorBlast can be operated via either Stand Alone or Networked
control. Networked control will allow you to utilize either a DMX512
controller or a PC to operate any connected units. If you are using an
external control source, you must set the DIP switches to receive exter­nal data.

DMX512

To make the light receive DMX data from a DMX512
controller, Switches #10, 11 and 12 should be in the
OFF position.

DMX512 operates at 250,000 baud.

DMX512 controllers include:

• Synchronizer and Multi Synchronizer

• iPlayer

• Smart Jack 3 Adapter (USB)

• Most professional lighting control consoles

PC DMX

To make the light receive DMX data from a PC, set switch #10 to ON
and Switches #11 and 12 to OFF.

PC DMX operates at 115,200 baud.

PC DMX controllers include:

• Smart Jack 1 Adapter (Serial)

Refer to the Recommended Practice for DMX512 guide for additional
wiring configuration guidelines. This guide is available from PLASA
and USITT.

PLASA Ltd.
7 Highlight House St. Leonard’s Road
Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3WH
United Kingdom
Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.plasa.org.uk

USITT Inc.
6443 Ridings Road
Syracuse, NY 13206
USA
Tel 800 93 USITT (938 7488)
Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.ffa.ucalrary.ca/usitt

COLORBLAST SPECIFICATIONS

COLOR RANGE 16.7 million (24bit) additive RGB colors

Continuously variable intensity output range

SOURCE Variable intensity colored LEDs

DATA INTERFACE DMX512 (RS485) compatible; serial

port compatible with Smart Jack Adapter

CONTROL Stand Alone, DMX512 or PC

PACKAGING Black or white powder coated

aluminum housing

CONNECTORS Unified power and data cable

LISTINGS UL listed

POWER REQUIREMENT 1.3 A @ 24 VDC (33 W)

SOURCE LIFE

Color Kinetics illumination products utilize high brightness LEDs as the
illumination source. LED manufacturers predict LED life of up to
100,000 hours MTBF (mean time between failure), the standard used
by conventional lamp manufacturers to measure source life. However,
like all basic light sources, LEDs also experience lumen depreciation
over time. So while LEDs can emit light for an extremely long period of
time, MTBF is not the only consideration in determining useful life. LED
lumen depreciation is affected by numerous environmental conditions
such as ambient temperature, humidity and ventilation. Lumen depreci­ation is also affected by means of control, thermal management, cur­rent levels, and a host of other electrical design considerations.

Color Kinetics systems are expertly engineered to optimize LED life
when used under normal operating conditions [ambient temperature: ­4oF to 104oF (-20oC to 40oC), humidity: 0-95% non-condensing
humidity, adequate ventilation and air volume] and when operated

using typical color-changing effects. Long-term operation outside of
these ranges or conditions, or at the upper limits of these ranges or
conditions, may subject the product to further degradation of the LED
source life, or in extreme cases, failure of internal components. Source
life information is based on LED manufacturers‘ data, as well as other
third party testing.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Important Information

Please read all instructions before using ColorBlast products.

Warning

Do not open, alter or tamper with the product case. This will void the
manufacturer’s warranty. Follow all instructions in user guide, and
observe all warnings carefully. To avoid electrical shock, never open
the ColorBlast housing. Do not attempt to service the electronic compo­nents yourself. Non-expert handling may damage the product and
cause injury to the user.

Strobe Warning

There is some anecdotal evidence that strobe lighting may induce
epilepsy in certain susceptible individuals, although no associated
product warnings have been issued by United States government
according to the Food and Drug Administration.

If strobe lights are used, some international regulatory agencies1rec­ommend keeping flicker rates at or below four flashes per second (as
less of the flicker-sensitive population will then be at risk of an attack).
This flicker rate applies only to the overall output of any group of lights
in direct view. However, when more than one strobe light is used, the
flashes should be synchronized. End users should also consider issuing
a warning, alerting audience or viewers to the
presence of strobe lighting.

The Don’ts

• Do not hot swap. Make sure the power supply is off before connect­ing or disconnecting fixtures.

• Do not block metallic cooling fins or vents.

• Do not insert anything into these openings.

• Do not use ColorBlast if the power cable has been damaged.

• Do not allow anything to rest on the power cable.

• Do not keep cables in high traffic areas.

• Do not paint, dye, repackage or alter the physical housing.

• Do not store units in dirty, dusty areas.

• Do not tamper with grounded plug configuration.

The Dos

• Make sure the fins are clear and unobstructed.

• Operate only in places where sufficient airflow to cool the unit

is present.

• Keep the unit interior dry. Precipitation, humidity and liquids contain
minerals that corrode electronic circuits.

• Use a 3-wire grounded plug for powering all ColorBlast products as
a mandatory safety feature. The plug will fit only into a grounded
outlet. If it does not fit, contact an electrician to upgrade the obso­lete outlet. Do NOT defeat the purpose of this by cutting that pin
off the plug.

• Handle ColorBlast as you would any delicate product. Be careful
not to drop the units.

• Have fun with ColorBlast and let Chromacore® open your
imagination.

If any problems occur during usage, unplug the product immediately
and call or email:
Color Kinetics Technical Support Group:
1-888-FULL RGB or 617-423-9999 or
[e-mail]

U.S. AND FOREIGN PATENTS AND PATENTS PENDING

Color Kinetics Incorporated grants the purchaser of its lighting prod­ucts and controllers a personal and non-transferable license to use
Chromacore®, its patented technology for networkable control of
LED-based color changing lighting fixtures for illumination, display and
design. This license is granted only by Color Kinetics Incorporated,
and may not be transferred except by the grantor. The design, dupli­cation, manufacture, or sale of other products using networkable con­trol of LED-based color changing lighting may be prohibited and is not
licensed hereunder. Other patents pending.

ON

OFF

10 11

12

ON

OFF

10 11

12

Automagic Trick of the Trade: Single Color Fade. To set a

ColorBlast unit to a single color (no saturation/darkness

to full saturation), set the Starting Color to black. If you

want to go from white light through pastel shades to full

saturation, set your Starting Color to white.

1

Guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at Pop Concerts and Similar Events,
HMSO Publications (UK)

Automagic Trick of the Trade: You can achieve a unique

converging display when two ColorBlast units are set

to the same speed but different cycle directions, one

going clockwise, the other counterclockwise.

123

ON

OFF

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

ON

OFF

10 11 12

SWITCH#

SPEED

7 8 9

5 sec
10 sec
30 sec
1 min
2 min
15 min
30 min
1 hr

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

123

ON

OFF

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

ON

OFF

10 11 12

SWITCH#

COLOR

1 2 3 4 5 6

Black
Red
Green
Yellow
Blue
Magenta
Cyan
White

■■

■■

■■ ■■

■■

■■■■

■■ ■■

■■■■■■

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

ON

OFF

10 11 12

Automagic Trick of the Trade: For an asynchronous

display of colors in ColorBlast units, set the units to

the same speed but different starting colors.

SWITCH#

COLOR

7 8 9

starting color 1
starting color 2
starting color 3
starting color 4
starting color 5
starting color 6
starting color 7
starting color 8

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

ON

OFF

10 11 12

123

ON

OFF

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

SWITCH#

STROBE RATE

7 8 9

20/sec
13/sec
10/sec

7.5/sec
5/sec
4/sec
3/sec
2/sec

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

SWITCH#

SPEED

1 2 3 4 5

0.07%

0.13%

0.20%

0.26%

0.33%

0.39%

0.46%

0.52%

0.65%

0.78%

1.00%

1.20%

1.40%

1.60%

2.00%

2.30%

2.90%

3.60%

4.20%

4.90%

5.90%

7.20%

8.50%
10%
12%
15%
18%
22%
26%
33%
38%

49.9%

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

■

■■

■■

■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■■

■■■■

■

■■

■■

■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■ ■

■■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■■

■■ ■■

■■■

■ ■■■

■■■■

■■ ■■■

table 5: cross fade speed

Table 7: Random Color Starting Color

Table 8: Fixed Color Strobe

Table 9: Fixed Color Strobe Rate

Table 10: Variable Color Strobe Speed

SWITCH#

COLOR

4 5 6

Black
Red
Green
Yellow
Blue
Magenta
Cyan
White

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Table 3: Cross Fade Starting Color

SWITCH#

COLOR

1 2 3

Black
Red
Green
Yellow
Blue
Magenta
Cyan
White

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Table 4: Cross Fade Ending Color

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

SWITCH#

SPEED

1 2 3 4 5

0.05 sec

0.06 sec

0.08 sec

0.12 sec

0.15 sec

0.21 sec

0.25 sec

0.3 sec

0.4 sec

0.5 sec

0.75 sec
1 sec

1.2 sec

1.5 sec
2 sec

2.5 sec

3.5 sec

4.5 sec
5 sec

7.5 sec
10 sec
12 sec
15 sec
20 sec
25 sec
30 sec
45 sec
1 min

1.5 min
2 min

2.5 min
3 min

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

■

■■

■■

■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■■

■■■■

■

■■

■■

■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■ ■

■■■ ■

■■

■■■

■■■

■■ ■■

■■■

■■■■

■■■■

■■■■■

Table 6: Random Color Speed

123

ON

OFF

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

SWITCH#

STROBE RATE

7 8 9

20/sec
13/sec
10/sec

7.5/sec
5/sec
4/sec
3/sec
2/sec

■

■

■■

■

■■

■■

■■■

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Table 11: Variable Color Strobe Rate

123

ON

OFF

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12