Fright Ideas BooBox Flex Quick Start Manual

Power Supply

Solid-State Outputs

Quick-Start Guide

BooBox Flex

MORE INFORMATION ONLINE

This guide covers only a fraction of what the Flex can do.

Tutorial videos and a full manual are available online.

Solid-State Output Wiring Diagrams

12/24 VDC

DEVICE

MUST BE 500mA OR LESS
(6W at 12V, 12W at 24V)

EXAMPLES OF DEVICES COMPATIBLE
WITH SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS:
LED LIGHTS, SOLENOIDS, RELAYS.
ANY 12/24 VDC LOAD UNDER 500mA.

12/24 VDC

DEVICE

PWR

12-24

VDC

DMX

12-

-

1

2+3

24VGND

POWER CAN BE SUPPLIED
USING THE BARREL CONNECTOR
OR THE TRIGGER TERMINAL
BLOCK.

Selecting your Power Supply

The Flex requires a 12 or 24 volt DC power supply. We generally recommend
using a 24 volt power supply. This will enable you to use larger solenoids
without exceeding the maximum current capacity of the solid-state outputs. It
will however require that all the devices connected to your outputs be rated for
24 volts.

Sizing Your Power Supply

To size a supply you must calculate for the worst-case scenario. Add up the
wattage for the most outputs that will be on at any one time, then add 2 watts for
the Flex.

Example:
2 watts Flex (If using ScareMaster use 5 watts)
+ 18 watts 3 x 6 watt solenoids
+ 1 watt LED Light
= 21 watts Total - Need at least 21 watts

12/24 VDC

DEVICE

12/24 VDC

DEVICE

12/24 VDC

DEVICE

1 2

+

BOOBOX

GND

24V

-

+

RELAY

N.O.

N.C.

12-

C

VOLTAGE

IN

PWR

12-24

VDC

24VGND

12-

2

­3

+

5 - 24 V DC/AC

C

INPUTS

1 2

PLAY

AUDIO

OUT

LINE

EXPANSION

+

1 2

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

BooBox Flex

SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS

3

4 +

+

5 6

FI-206PROP CONTROLLER

7

8 +

SD CARD

About Solid-State Outputs

Solid-state outputs are great for reliably controlling relays, solenoids, and
LED lights. They cannot be used to directly control high-current, 110 volt, or
contact-closure devices like a relay can. However, unlike relays, they have
no moving parts that wear out over time. Keeping these moving parts
outside of the controller allows them to be easily replaced when they wear
out.

Connect directly to the solid-state outputs when appropriate, then use
external mechanical or solid-state relays for high current or high voltage
loads. This will result in a highly reliable and maintainable system.

Solid-State Driver Chip Failure

If you accidentally short the outputs you may notice some or all of the
outputs will be stuck on or off, even after cycling the power. This usually
means the solid-state output chip needs to be replaced. We sell replace­ments on our website for a few dollars.

TAKE APPROPRIATE
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

>500mA

12/24 VDC

DEVICE

!

WHEN WIRING HIGH
VOLTAGES.

N.C.

RELAY

-

C

N.O.

+

12/24 VDC

COIL RELAY

VOLTAGE

=

OUT

TO WALL
OUTLET

1 2

4 +

3

+

ANY 12 OR 24 VDC DEVICE

1 2

C

RELAY BOARD

C

3 4

N.O.

N.C.

N.C.

N.O.

N.C.

N.C.

TO POWER SUPPLY

N.O.

N.O.

C

C

USING A BOOBOX RELAY BOARD

TO WALL

OUTLET

EXPANSION

+

1 2

4 +

3

+

FOUR 12 OR 24 VDC DEVICES

BLUE = FAST
GREEN = SLOW

1 2

C

RELAY BOARD

C

N.O.

N.O.

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

N.O.

N.O.

C

C

3 4

USE OUR RELAY BOARD IF YOU NEED A FEW RELAYS.

TWO CAN BE LINKED TO GET 8 RELAYS

12 VDC MOTOR IN FORWARD AND REVERSE

TO 12 VDC POWER
SUPPLY

+

EXPANSION

12 OR 24 VDC DEVICE > 500mA

FOG

HIGH

VOLTAGE

N.C.

RELAY

-

+

1 2

FOG MACHINE

MACHINE

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR A
CABLE SO YOU DON’T HAVE
TO HACK YOUR REMOTE.

C

N.O.

+

OR

1. UNPLUG FOG MACHINE

2. OPEN REMOTE

3. LOCATE FOG BUTTON PINS

4. SOLDER WIRES TO PINS

5. CONNECT AS SHOWN

FOG

+

1 2

ANY 110 VOLT LOAD

8 OUTPUT

4 OUTPUT

FI-304

ADAPTER CABLE

USE ONE OF OUR AC RELAY PACKS WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT

OF 110 VOLT DEVICES TO CONTROL.

+

EXPANSION

PROGRAMMER

GND

PWR

PWR

12-24
VDC

+

1 234 +
MAX 500mA EACH (6W at 12V or 12W at 24V)

INCORRECT WIRING WILL DAMAGE DEVICE

SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS

BooBox Flex

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

1

IN

GND
12V

DMX INPUTS

5 - 24 V DC/AC

12-

-

1

2+3

C

24VGND

FI-308

8 +

567

FI-206PROP CONTROLLER

SD CARD

2

IN

GND

AUDIO

12V

LINE
OUT

PLAY

1 2

AC RELAY PACKS

Trigger Input Wiring

PWR

BLACK

RED

WHITE

GREEN

PWR

DMX INPUTS

12-

1 2- 3+ C 1 2

GND

24V

SENSOR WIRES

GND (-)

12VDC (+)

RELAY C

RELAY N.O.

DMX INPUTS

12-

1 2- 3+ C 1 2

GND

24V

INPUTS

C 1 2

NOTE: PIR SENSORS CAN TAKE UP TO A
MINUTE TO “WARM UP”. DURING THIS TIME
THE BOOBOX’S INPUT LIGHT WILL BLINK
AND THE SENSOR WILL NOT RESPOND.

PIR MOTION SENSOR

SENSOR WIRES

BLUE

BROWN

WHITE
BLACK

BEAM SENSOR

INPUTS

C 1 2

INPUTS

C 1 2

GND (-)

12VDC (+)

RELAY C

RELAY N.O.

PWR

GND

12-

24V

DMX INPUTS

1 2- 3+ C 1 2

PUSH BUTTON

PRESSURE MAT

PRESSURE MAT OR PUSH BUTTON

PWR

CONNECT THESE ONLY IF THE BOOBOX AND BASE
STATION USE THE SAME VOLTAGE AND THE BASE
STATION’S POWER SUPPLY IS NOT CONNECTED.

GND

12-

24V

DMX INPUTS

1 2- 3+ C 1 2

C

N.O.

+

-

WIRELESS TRIGGER

PWR

GND

12-

24V

DMX INPUTS

1 2- 3+ C 1 2

PUSH BUTTONS

BASE STATION

RELAY
OUTPUT

POWER

Audio

Connecting Speakers

The Flex audio output is designed to connect to powered speakers or external amplifiers.

PLAY

AUDIO

LINE
OUT

STEREO

MONO

AMPLIFIER

PLAY

AUDIO

LINE
OUT

POWERED SPEAKERS

Copying Audio Files to the BooBox

The recommended method to get your audio files onto the BooBox is to use our free Director software. It will copy
the sounds to your BooBox or ScareMaster and ensure the filenames and folder structure are correct. If you are
using a Mac, or prefer to copy the files on your own, see the full manual for SD card layout details.

Programming

BooBoxes can be easily programmed with our free Director software and an SD card. The Director Connect allows
you to see your work in real-time, rather than having to save the program to an SD card first. The ScareMaster is a
great real-time programming option for those who don’t want to be tethered to a computer.

8 +

+

567

+

1 234 +

EXPANSION

MAX 500mA EACH (6W at 12V or 12W at 24V)

INCORRECT WIRING WILL DAMAGE DEVICE

SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS

BooBox Flex

DIRECTOR

SOFTWARE

SD

CARD

DIRECTOR SOFTWARE

PROGRAMMER

GND

PWR

PWR

12-24
VDC

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

1

IN

GND

12V

DMX INPUTS

5 - 24 V DC/AC

12-

-

1

2+3

C

24VGND

FI-206PROP CONTROLLER

SD CARD

2

IN

GND

AUDIO

12V

LINE
OUT

PLAY

1 2

BATTERY

9 VOLT

BUTTON

OPTICALLY-ISOLATE CIRCUITS FROM DIFFERENT POWER

SUPPLIES, OR WHEN WIRE LENGTHS ARE EXCESSIVE.

-

SOLID­STAT E

OUTPUT

+

C N.O.

+

-

RELAY OUTPUT

OPTICALLY-ISOLATED INPUT

DMX

Master Mode (Default)

The Flex can be linked to our BooTunes or BooTunes
Amped MP3 players to add more audio channels to
your show. The MP3 players will automatically start
and stop in sync with the Flex. The Flex will not output

DMX data to control other DMX devices.

Slave Mode

The BooBox Flex can be setup as a DMX slave to a
FlexMax or any DMX master. The master can control
the Flex’s outputs and audio, or trigger scenes
depending on the DMX mode.

8 +

+

567

+

1 234 +

EXPANSION

MAX 500mA EACH (6W at 12V or 12W at 24V)

INCORRECT WIRING WILL DAMAGE DEVICE

SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS

BooBox Flex

FI-206PROP CONTROLLER

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

12­24VGND

1

12­24VGND

DMX INPUTS

2+3

SERVOS

DMX

2

1

IN

IN

GND

GND

12V

12V

5 - 24 V DC/AC

-

C

1 2

SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS

BooBox FlexMax

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

-

+

A

B

S

-

1

2+31

C

SD CARD

AUDIO

LINE
OUT

PLAY

FI-216PROP CONTROLLER

INPUTS

5 - 24 V DC/AC

C

3

567

2

4

PROGRAMMER

GND

PWR

PWR

12-24
VDC

1 234+5 678+9 101112+13 141516

+

MAX 500mA EACH (6W at 12V or 12W at 24V) INCORRECT WIRING WILL DAMAGE DEVICE

OUTPUTS 1-8

EXPANSION

PROGRAMMER

PWR

12-24
VDC

TWO TRIGGERS

9 -24

LINE OUT

VDC

PWR

AUDIO

BooTunes

FI-408

C

MP3 PLAYER

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

PWR DMX

BUSY

9-24V

GND

PLAY

8

SD CARD

INPUTS

5 - 24 V DC/AC

-

C

1 23C45678

1

2+3

L R

4 - 8 OHM

SPEAKERS

MIX IN AUDIO

MP3 AUDIO

SD CARD

AUDIO

LINE

SPEAKERS

OUT

MP3

MIXINMIX

(MP3)

VOL

VOL

L

L

R

R

+

1 234 +

EXPANSION

MAX 500mA EACH (6W at 12V or 12W at 24V)

INCORRECT WIRING WILL DAMAGE DEVICE

SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS

BooBox Flex

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

PROGRAMMER

GND

PWR

PWR

12-24
VDC

12­24VGND

BooTunes

MP3 PLAYER

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

PWR DMX

9-24V

GND

DMX INPUTS

-

1

2+3

BUSY

5 - 24 V DC/AC

1

DIRECTOR

2

SOFTWARE

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

Director
Connect

DIRECTOR USB INTERFACE
FOR REAL-TIME CONTROL

ACTIVE

PN: 201

DIRECTOR IN REAL-TIME

+

1 234 +

EXPANSION

MAX 500mA EACH (6W at 12V or 12W at 24V)

INCORRECT WIRING WILL DAMAGE DEVICE

SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS

BooBox Flex

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

PROGRAMMER

GND

PWR

PWR

12-24
VDC

12-

GND

24V

DMX INPUTS

-

1

2+3

+

5 - 24 V DC/AC

8 +

567

FI-206PROP CONTROLLER

SD CARD

2

1

IN

IN

GND

GND

AUDIO

12V

12V

LINE
OUT

PLAY

C

1 2

WITH DIRECTOR CONNECT

LINE
OUT

SD

CARD

AUDIO

SHORTCUTS

• HOLD ENABLE AND TAP PLAY FOR THE MENU

• HOLD ENABLE AND TAP REC TO SAVE ALL SCENES

• HOLD PLAY TO SELECT A SCENE

• HOLD REC TO SELECT DMX/OUTPUT CHANNELS

REC

ScareMaster

ANIMATION PROGRAMMER

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

PLAY

MENU

9 -24

LINE OUT

VDC

PWR

AUDIO

FI-408

C

SD CARD

INPUTS

5 - 24 V DC/AC

-

C

1 23C45678

1

2+3

ENABLE 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

EXPANSION PORT

A B

TO

+

-

AUX

CONTROLLER

9-24VDC

(OPTIONAL)

PWRFRIGHTLINK / DMX

A B

FI-200

ENTER

+

EXPANSION

GND

PWR

PWR

12-24
VDC

1 234 +
MAX 500mA EACH (6W at 12V or 12W at 24V)

INCORRECT WIRING WILL DAMAGE DEVICE

SOLID-STATE OUTPUTS

BooBox Flex

WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM

PROGRAMMER

DMX INPUTS

5 - 24 V DC/AC

12-

-

1

2+3

24VGND

8 +

+

567

FI-206PROP CONTROLLER

SD CARD

2

1

IN

IN

GND

GND

AUDIO

12V

12V

LINE
OUT

PLAY

C

1 2

SCAREMASTER IN REAL-TIME

Tips and Tricks

8 +

+

567

FI-206PROP CONTROLLER

SD CARD

2

1

IN

IN

GND

GND

AUDIO

12V

12V

LINE
OUT

PLAY

C

1 2

The BooBoxes have some great features that are often left undiscovered. Below are just a few examples:

Ambient Resume - Tells the Ambient scene to resume from where it left off after an input scene has finished.
Play All Sound Mode - Fill a scene folder with audio files and the BooBox will play them all. Great in Ambient mode!
Fade on Interrupt - If a scene is interrupted before completion it will fade out the audio before stopping.
Manual Playback - Hold the PLAY button for a few seconds to select which Input scene you’d like to trigger.