Gilderfluke&Co old Smart Brick User Manual
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- Operating Instructions -
- for the -
- Smart Brick System-
June 10, 1999
The Smart Brick System is a modular Animation Control System which consists of One
Brick Brain per installation, and any number of Smart Bricks and Heads Up Displays attached to it. Since the number of Smart Bricks attached to each Smart Brick Brain is unlimited, Animation Control Systems of any size to be assembled just by plugging them together.
LaserDisk
Player
SMPTE
source
external clock
source
Smart Brick
Heads Up
Display
Card cage with playback-only
Smart Brick Cards
Smart Brick
Heads Up
Display
Brick
Brain
terminator
playback-only
Smart Brick
Card cage with playback-only
Smart Brick Cards
Smart Brick
up to a mile
playback-only
Smart Brick
playback-only
Smart Brick
terminator
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The Parts of the Smart Brick System .......................................................... 1
Brick Brain ........................................................................................................................ 1
Smart Bricks ...................................................................................................................... 1
Heads Up Display .............................................................................................................. 2
Quick Start ............................................................................................ 2
Time Bases ........................................................................................... 3
LaserDisk .......................................................................................................................... 3
SMPTE ................................................................................................................................ 4
Internal Time Base ............................................................................................................ 4
External Time Base ............................................................................................................ 5
IBM Backup Box Mode ...................................................................................................... 5
Countdown Between Shows ..................................................................... 7
Smart Brick Brain Dipswitches .................................................................. 8
Brick Brain Connections .......................................................................... 9
Power ............................................................................................................................... 9
SMPTE Input ....................................................................................................................... 9
Tape Deck Control ............................................................................................................ 9
1/4 J-6 input ..................................................................................................................... 9
J-8 input ......................................................................................................................... 10
J-8 output ....................................................................................................................... 10
To Smart Bricks ............................................................................................................... 10
RS-422 Serial Port ........................................................................................................... 10
Smart Brick Configuration ..................................................................... 12
6264LP RAM .................................................................................................................... 12
62256LP RAM .................................................................................................................. 13
27C32 Eprom .................................................................................................................. 13
27C64 Eprom .................................................................................................................. 14
27C128 Eprom ................................................................................................................ 14
27C256 Eprom ................................................................................................................ 15
27C512 Eprom ................................................................................................................ 15
Enabling the Outputs When Stopped ............................................................................... 16
Disabling the Outputs When Stopped ............................................................................. 17
J-6 Digital Output Cables ...................................................................... 19
Output Capacity ............................................................................................................. 21
Programming ...................................................................................... 23
Smart Brick System Commands ............................................................. 27
Global ............................................................................................................................. 28
Track Specific .................................................................................................................29
Cocked ........................................................................................................................... 29
Group (Rack Smart Brick Brain only) ............................................................................... 29
Enter Interactive Echo Mode ...................................................................................... 30
Exit Interactive Echo Mode ......................................................................................... 30
Enter Global Echo Mode ............................................................................................ 30
Exit Global Echo Mode ............................................................................................... 30
Enter Echo All Mode ................................................................................................... 30
Exit Echo All Mode ...................................................................................................... 31
Enter Echo Mode ....................................................................................................... 31
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Exit Echo Mode .......................................................................................................... 31
Track Status Mode ...................................................................................................... 31
Brick Brain Status ........................................................................................................ 32
Switch Status .............................................................................................................. 33
Enter Setup Mode ...................................................................................................... 33
Memory Address Status .............................................................................................. 33
Dipsw1 Status ............................................................................................................. 33
J-6 Port Status ............................................................................................................ 33
Configuration Dump .................................................................................................. 34
Load Configuration .................................................................................................... 34
Start Commands ........................................................................................................ 35
Start Track ................................................................................................................ 35
Start Global ............................................................................................................. 35
Start Cocked ............................................................................................................ 35
Start Group (Rack Smart Brick Brain Only) ......................................................................... 35
Stop Commands ........................................................................................................ 35
Stop Track: ............................................................................................................... 35
Stop Global: ............................................................................................................ 35
Stop Cocked: ........................................................................................................... 35
Stop Group (Rack Smart Brick Brain Only) ......................................................................... 35
Reset Commands ...................................................................................................... 35
Reset Track: ............................................................................................................. 35
Reset Global: ........................................................................................................... 35
Reset Cocked: ......................................................................................................... 35
Reset Group (Rack Smart Brick Brain Only) ....................................................................... 35
Cock Track: ................................................................................................................ 35
Un-Cock Track: ........................................................................................................... 36
Un-Cock Global: ........................................................................................................ 36
Loop Commands: ...................................................................................................... 36
Loop Track: .............................................................................................................. 36
Loop Global: ...........................................................................................................36
Loop Cocked: .......................................................................................................... 36
Loop Group (Rack Smart Brick Brain Only) ........................................................................ 36
Stop at End Commands ............................................................................................. 36
Stop at End Track: ..................................................................................................... 36
Stop at End Global: ................................................................................................... 36
Stop at End Cocked: ................................................................................................. 36
Stop at End Group (Rack Smart Brick Brain Only) ............................................................... 36
Select Show Commands ............................................................................................ 37
Select Show Track: ..................................................................................................... 37
Select Show Global: ................................................................................................... 37
Select Show Cocked: ................................................................................................. 37
Select Show (Rack Smart Brick Brain Only) ........................................................................ 37
Set Delay ................................................................................................................... 37
Set Brick Address ........................................................................................................ 37
Advance One Frame ................................................................................................. 38
Go Back One Frame .................................................................................................. 38
Summary of Commands ....................................................................... 39
Smart Brick Brain Configuration ............................................................. 41
Main Menu ..................................................................................................................... 41
Enter Track Number .................................................................................................... 43
Direct Select .............................................................................................................. 43
Odd Parity Toggle ....................................................................................................... 43
Running Delay ........................................................................................................... 43
Error Count ................................................................................................................ 43
Select from J6 ............................................................................................................ 44
Delay Reload ............................................................................................................. 44
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Tape Deck Pulse ......................................................................................................... 44
Debounce ................................................................................................................. 44
Allow Chains .............................................................................................................. 45
Baud Rate .................................................................................................................. 45
Early Starts ................................................................................................................. 45
More..... ..................................................................................................................... 45
Frame Rate ................................................................................................................ 45
Player Type ................................................................................................................ 46
Input Triggering Commands ....................................................................................... 46
'GREEN' Input Closing Edge ........................................................................................ 46
'GREEN' Input Opening Edge ......................................................................................46
'BLUE' Input Closing Edge ........................................................................................... 46
'BLUE' Input Opening Edge ......................................................................................... 46
'PB' Input Closing Edge .............................................................................................. 46
'PB' Input Opening Edge ............................................................................................46
1/4 J6 Port' Input Closing Edge ..................................................................................... 46
1/4 J6 Port' Input Opening Edge ................................................................................... 46
Countdown End ....................................................................................................... 46
Reset ............................................................................................................. 47
+ Frame ........................................................................................................ 47
Start ............................................................................................................... 47
Loop .............................................................................................................. 47
Stop ............................................................................................................... 47
Stop at End .................................................................................................... 47
Tape Deck ..................................................................................................... 47
eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 47
Show and String Setup .................................................................................................... 49
Show Number ............................................................................................................ 50
Time Code ................................................................................................................. 50
Brick Start ................................................................................................................... 51
Brick End (non-LaserDisk shows only) ........................................................................... 51
LaserDisk Start (LaserDisk shows only) ........................................................................... 51
Start String ................................................................................................................. 51
End String .................................................................................................................. 51
Next Show .................................................................................................................. 52
Immediate ................................................................................................................. 52
Delay ......................................................................................................................... 52
More... ....................................................................................................................... 52
eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 52
Setup String Commands ............................................................................................ 53
Setup String 1 ........................................................................................................... 53
Setup String 2 ........................................................................................................... 53
Setup String 3 ........................................................................................................... 53
Setup String 4 ........................................................................................................... 53
Setup String 5 ........................................................................................................... 53
Setup String 6 ........................................................................................................... 53
Setup String 7 ........................................................................................................... 53
Setup String 8 ........................................................................................................... 53
Setup String 9 ........................................................................................................... 53
Rack Smart Brick Brain .......................................................................... 55
Rack Smart Brick Brain Connections .............................................................................. 56
BS-LDMUX ................................................................................................................... 56
Backplane Connections ............................................................................................. 56
1/4 J6 Input ............................................................................................................... 58
J-8 input .................................................................................................................... 58
Rack Smart Brick Brain Messages .................................................................................. 59
Rack Smart Brick Brain Configuration ............................................................................ 61
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Enter Track Number .................................................................................................... 62
Baud Rate .................................................................................................................. 62
Odd Parity Toggle ....................................................................................................... 62
VT-52 Mode ............................................................................................................... 62
Numbers .................................................................................................................... 63
Download Configuration Eprom ................................................................................. 63
Respond to Group ..................................................................................................... 63
Set Clock ................................................................................................................... 63
InfraRed Mode ........................................................................................................... 63
Coin-Op Mode ........................................................................................................... 64
Select from J6 ............................................................................................................ 65
Direct Select .............................................................................................................. 65
Debounce ................................................................................................................. 65
Running Delay ........................................................................................................... 65
Tape Deck Pulse ......................................................................................................... 66
Error Count ................................................................................................................ 66
Frame Rate ................................................................................................................ 66
Brick Record Enable ................................................................................................... 66
Early Starts ................................................................................................................. 66
Allow Chains .............................................................................................................. 67
Countdown Hold ........................................................................................................ 67
Player Type ................................................................................................................ 67
LaserDisk Time ............................................................................................................ 67
Dropout Protection ..................................................................................................... 67
Input Triggering Commands ....................................................................................... 68
Pause/Return to Zero (RTZ) ............................................................................................. 68
Continue/Increment ................................................................................................... 68
Start ....................................................................................................................... 69
Loop ...................................................................................................................... 69
Stop ....................................................................................................................... 69
Stop at End .............................................................................................................. 69
Tape Deck ............................................................................................................... 69
More..... ..................................................................................................................... 70
Load Defaults ............................................................................................................. 70
eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 70
Rack Smart Brick Brain Show Menu ................................................................................ 71
Time Code ................................................................................................................. 71
Brick Start ................................................................................................................... 72
Brick End .................................................................................................................... 72
Next Show .................................................................................................................. 72
Immediate ................................................................................................................. 72
Delay ......................................................................................................................... 73
Start String ................................................................................................................. 73
Multi-Disk String .......................................................................................................... 73
End String .................................................................................................................. 74
LaserDisk Starts ........................................................................................................... 74
LaserDisk 1 .............................................................................................................. 74
LaserDisk 2 .............................................................................................................. 74
LaserDisk 3 .............................................................................................................. 74
LaserDisk 4 .............................................................................................................. 74
LaserDisk 5 .............................................................................................................. 74
LaserDisk 6 .............................................................................................................. 74
LaserDisk 7 .............................................................................................................. 74
Next Entry .................................................................................................................. 75
Last Entry ................................................................................................................... 75
Kopy Another Show .................................................................................................... 75
More..... ..................................................................................................................... 75
Load Defaults ............................................................................................................. 75
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eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 75
Rack Smart Brick Brain String Setup Menu ...................................................................... 77
Alter Strings ................................................................................................................ 77
More..... ..................................................................................................................... 77
Load Defaults ............................................................................................................. 78
eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 78
Rack Smart Brick Brain Delay Setup Menu ...................................................................... 79
Set Delays .................................................................................................................. 79
More..... ..................................................................................................................... 79
Load Defaults ............................................................................................................. 79
eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 79
Rack Smart Brick Brain 1/4 J6 Setup Menu ..................................................................... 81
Input Triggering Commands ....................................................................................... 81
Pause/Return to Zero (RTZ) ............................................................................................. 82
Continue/Increment ................................................................................................... 82
Start ....................................................................................................................... 82
Loop ...................................................................................................................... 82
Stop ....................................................................................................................... 82
Stop at End .............................................................................................................. 83
Tape Deck ............................................................................................................... 83
Input Triggering Commands ....................................................................................... 83
Select from J6 ............................................................................................................ 83
Direct Select .............................................................................................................. 84
More..... ..................................................................................................................... 84
Load Defaults ............................................................................................................. 84
eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 84
Rack Smart Brick Brain Schedule Setup Menu ................................................................ 87
Alter Entry .................................................................................................................. 87
Next Entry .................................................................................................................. 87
Last Entry ................................................................................................................... 87
Kopy Entry .................................................................................................................. 87
More..... ..................................................................................................................... 87
Load Defaults ............................................................................................................. 88
eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 88
Rack Smart Brick Brain Calendar Setup Menu ................................................................ 89
Alter Entry .................................................................................................................. 89
Next Entry .................................................................................................................. 89
Last Entry ................................................................................................................... 89
Kopy Entry .................................................................................................................. 89
More..... ..................................................................................................................... 90
Load Defaults ............................................................................................................. 90
eXit Setup Mode ........................................................................................................ 90
Smart Brick MiniBrain ............................................................................ 91
Brick Memory Size ....................................................................................................... 92
Double Show ............................................................................................................. 92
Frame Rate ................................................................................................................ 93
Stop On Green Opening ............................................................................................ 93
Run Continuous ......................................................................................................... 93
Micro Console ..................................................................................... 95
Micro Console Configuration ......................................................................................... 97
Micro Console mode ................................................................................................. 99
Numbering System ..................................................................................................... 99
VT-52 mode ............................................................................................................... 99
DMX Checksums ........................................................................................................ 99
Assignment Range ................................................................................................... 100
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Dumb Bricks ............................................................................................................. 100
Step Forward ............................................................................................................ 100
Step Backward ......................................................................................................... 100
Go To Frame ............................................................................................................ 100
Set Start Frame ........................................................................................................ 100
Set End Frame ......................................................................................................... 100
Save Eprom ............................................................................................................. 101
Verify Eprom ............................................................................................................ 101
Restore Eprom ......................................................................................................... 101
Save Archive ............................................................................................................ 102
Verify Archive ........................................................................................................... 102
Restore Archive ........................................................................................................ 103
Clear Brick ............................................................................................................... 103
Restore Default Config. ............................................................................................ 103
Save Current Config. ............................................................................................... 103
Test Brick .................................................................................................................. 103
Test Playback-Only Brick ............................................................................................ 104
Micro Console Buttons ................................................................................................. 105
Hex/Decimal/Percent ................................................................................................ 105
Alternate/Reverse ..................................................................................................... 105
Analog/External/Digitals ............................................................................................ 105
Assign ...................................................................................................................... 106
Unassign .................................................................................................................. 107
Togglodyte Animation Test Tool ............................................................ 109
Assign ...................................................................................................................... 110
Alt./Rev. ................................................................................................................... 11 0
Analog/Digital .......................................................................................................... 111
Setup ....................................................................................................................... 111
Special Encoder Prescaler ......................................................................................... 112
Digital Name ......................................................................................................... 112
Digital Number .......................................................................................................112
Analog Number ...................................................................................................... 112
Timer A .................................................................................................................. 112
Timer B .................................................................................................................. 112
Timer C ................................................................................................................. 112
Timer D .................................................................................................................. 112
Backlighting Stay On ................................................................................................ 113
Battery Stay On ........................................................................................................ 113
Default to Digital/Analog Input .................................................................................... 113
Default Digital Channel ............................................................................................113
Digital Default Momentary/Alternate Action .................................................................... 113
Default Analog Channel ........................................................................................... 113
Analog Default Normal/Reversed Direction .................................................................... 113
Default Analog Resolution ......................................................................................... 113
DMX-512 Checksum ................................................................................................ 113
Write to EEprom/Read from EEprom .............................................................................. 113
Light ........................................................................................................................ 113
Sequencer Record .................................................................................................. 113
Start/Stop Sequencer ............................................................................................... 114
Heads Up Display .............................................................................. 115
Error Messages ............................................................................................................. 116
Start and End Strings .......................................................................... 119
ASCII Characters to be Sent Out ................................................................................... 121
ASCII Characters to be Received ................................................................................. 122
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PIONEER LaserDisk Commands ............................................................. 123
SONY LaserDisk Commands ................................................................. 127
Panasonic LaserDisk Commands ......................................................... 131
HEXadecimal to Decimal to Percentage ................................................ 134
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- The Parts of the Smart Brick System -
The Brick Brain is a small microprocessor controlled unit which can synchronize any
number of Smart Bricks to a LaserDisk player, SMPTE time code, internal time base, or external time base. In addition it can control the LaserDisk player or tape deck and provide a
countdown timer for the delay between shows. For all but the SMPTE time code, it can instantly randomly access any show stored in the system (SMPTE synchronized shows are
slaved to whatever show the SMPTE time code is requesting). At the end of any show it can
automatically jump to any other show, either with or without a user adjustable delay before playing this next show. If it is already playing a show and it gets a request for another
show, it can be told to ignore the request, store it until done with the current show, or jump
to it immediately.
Brick Brains are attached to the Smart Bricks and Heads Up Displays by up to a mile of
6 conductor modular telephone wire. (This is the same type of wire and connector as
found on the standard Bricks, but is incompatible with the signals which they use.) Just
about any number of Smart Bricks can be attached to a single Brain (If the wire runs are
long and there are a lot of Smart Bricks attached, a repeater may be required in the line.)
Make sure that this cable does not have its wires flipped from one end to the other. If the
wire run is long, then a terminator should be installed at the two extreme ends of the line.
The Smart Bricks are available as record/playback Smart Bricks, playback-only Smart
Bricks, or card cage mounted playback-only Smart Brick cards. Each Smart Brick can
control up to four 8 bit channels. These can be used as 32 on/off ÔdigitalÕ controls, as four
8 bit wide analog channels, or as any combination of the two. If one Smart Brick doesnÕt
have enough outputs, you simply add more, stacking them until you have enough outputs to do the job. Analog resolutions greater than eight bits can easily be achieved by
combining the outputs from more than a single channel.
The Smart Bricks can all be located at one or more central locations, or they can be
built right into whatever it is they are controlling. This latter method allows you to wire an entire attraction by just stringing up a 6 conductor modular telephone line to connect all
your figures. It also allows you to remove a figureÕs animation system along with the figure
when it is removed for maintenance, and then run them both on a service bench away
from the rest of the show for testing and adjustment. A Smart Brick System can consist of
any combination of record/playback Smart Bricks, playback-only Smart Bricks and card
cage mounted Smart Bricks.
Record/Playback Smart Bricks store the data as it is recorded into static RAM memory
chips. These are protected from power outages and data loss by a nickel-cadmium battery. This battery is always on a trickle charge when the Smart Brick is plugged in, and
should hold the data safe for years. A keyswitch on the front of each record/playback
Smart Brick, as well as a small switch inside the Brick Brain, keep down the possibility of accidental or unauthorized tampering with recorded show data.
Playback-only Smart Bricks store their data in Eprom type memory chips. This is about
the safest way known to store any type of data. One Eprom is used to store each individual eight bit wide channel, which means that when you have to perform a minor change
in one output, you donÕt have to replace all the Eproms in the system.
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Since the Smart Bricks donÕt have any frame counters on them, two styles of Heads Up
Display are available for use in the Smart Brick System. One is a stand-alone unit, while
the other is made to mount in a standard 19Ò rack. They will provide you with a large format display of the show time (SMPTE time code if using it), and frame number in the Smart
Bricks being accessed. Additionally, they will display the countdown until the start of the
next show if this feature is used. Like the Smart Bricks, any number of these Heads Up
Displays can be placed anywhere in the system by simply plugging them into the same
6 conductor telephone line which connects the Smart Bricks with the Brick Brain. They can
be installed as a permanent part of the system or temporarily for use while programming
the show. The stand-alone Heads-Up-Display is not multiplexed, which allows it to appear
on film or video without any flickering
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Quick Start:
When shipped, the Brick Brain is usually configured to start
playing show number one when the 'manual start' pushbutton on its front is pressed. This show is set up to clock
from the internal time base at 30 frames per second. To
see the system work, attach some Smart Bricks and Heads
Up Displays to the connector marked 'to smart bricks' on
the Brick Brain and plug everything in. When you push the
'manual start' pushbutton, you should see the system start
clocking through the frames. If you then attach a Micro
Console to a record/playback Smart Brick, you should be
able to turn on the key on Smart Brick's front and actually
start recording show data. Each time you push the 'manual start' button, show number one should start over from its
beginning.
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- Time Bases -
The Smart Brick System can be used with four normal time bases, as well as one special mode for use with an IBM Backup Box. As long as the frame rate being used is the
same for all shows, you can use all of the time bases within the same system. The supported time bases are:
1) LaserDisk: The Smart Brick Brain has an RS-422 serial port on it which can be attached directly to
the serial port on many professional quality LaserDisk players. The Brick Brain talks to the LaserDisk player
to synchronize the entire system to the show being played. All control for the LaserDisk player is provided
by the Brick Brain. Systems with LaserDisk players in them are limited to running either 15 or 30 Frames
Per Second (FPS), as the latter is the frame rate at which the video signal from the player is reproduced.
A Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) format LaserDisk has the capacity of 1/2 hour per surface, and so this
usually serves as the show capacity limitation for the system. Show capacities of the Smart Bricks are as
follows:
15 frames/second (show capacity of 1092 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 4369 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
30 frames/second (show capacity of 546 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2184 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
As of this writing the Smart Brick Brain has not been tested for compatibility with PAL and SECAM video
format LaserDisk players running at 25 Frames per second, so the operation with these can not be guaranteed. Capacity at this frame rate is:
25 frames/second (show capacity of 655 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2621 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
The LaserDisk players which are currently supported are the Pioneer ÔLD-Õ and Sony ÔLDP-Õ series. The
Pioneer LaserDisk code was developed and tested on an LD-V8000, which is PioneerÕs top of the line
unit. It should be compatible with all of the earlier models in this series as well. Current Pioneer LaserDisk
models are:
LD-V8000 (recommended)
LD-V6000A
LD-V6000
LD-V3000
LD-V7820-3
The advantages of the LD-V8000 are: four audio channels (two analog and two digital), frame
memory during random access, separate front panel controls, and faster access times than all of itÕs
predecessors.
The Sony LaserDisk code was developed and tested on an LDP-2000. It should be compatible with all
of the other models in this series as well. Current Sony LaserDisk models are
LDP-180 (requires an IF-180 serial port option)
LDP-1000A
LDP-1500
LDP-2000
If more than a single LaserDisk is to be controlled from a single Smart Brick System, then a LaserDisk
Multiplexer must be used. Each of these allow four LaserDisk players to be connected to the Smart Brick
Brain. Each additional player requires an additional ÔshowÕ to hold the disk frame numbers used by that
player. This lowers the total number of shows the system can support by half each time you add an additional LaserDisk player to be controlled.
LaserDisks are available in two different recording formats. These are Constant Angular Velocity
(CAV) and Constant Linear Velocity (CAV). The only format which will work with the Smart Brick System is
the CAV format. This is because the CAV format is the only one which can be used with all of the commands a LaserDisk player support. Capacity of CAV LaserDisk is up to 54,000 frames or 1/2 hour per side.
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2) SMPTE: (pronounced ÒSIMP-TÒ) is a time code which was developed by the Society of Motion
Picture and Television Electronics for use in audio, film, and television production. It is normally recorded
on a spare audio track on the medium being used (audio tape, video tape, or film), and then used to
synchronize various pieces of compatible equipment together. As an industry standard, virtually every
audio, video or film studio will have the equipment to lay down a SMPTE time code track.
SMPTE is usually recorded at 30 frames per second (although 25 frames per second is used in
Europe and places where this is the normal television frequency, and 24 frames per second is occasionally used in film production). What this means is that 30 (or 24 or 25) times each second a number is
recorded on the tape or film which represents the hours, seconds, minutes and frame (00:00:00.00)
represented by this particular little stretch of medium. Since each little stretch is represented by a unique
number, SMPTE is known as an ÔabsoluteÕ time code. No matter where the tape is, the Brick Brain will instantly evaluate the numbers it gets from the SMPTE time code, and play the appropriate animation
data.
With SMPTE synchronized shows, the SMPTE ÔhourÕ is used to tell the Brick Brain which show it is actually
running. The ÔhoursÕ SMPTE supports are 00 through 23 to give you 24 possible SMPTE synchronized shows
(SMPTE hour Ô00Õ is mapped to show number Ô24Õ by the Smart Brick Brain, since 00 isnÕt a valid show
number). Any individual show can be as long as an hour. When told to start running a SMPTE show, the
Brick Brain will start listening for any SMPTE coming in. When it picks up a good SMPTE signal, it looks at the
ÔhourÕ, and then checks to see if it is the number of a SMPTE synchronized show, and if so, plays it. Note
that if the show number the Brick Brain expects to be played when it starts listening for the SMPTE is not
the show number it actually receives, it will play the latter. If the show number it receives isnÕt assigned
as a SMPTE show, then it will display an error message on the Heads Up Display and not play anything.
For this reason random access commands for SMPTE synchronized shows are somewhat at the mercy of
whatever SMPTE hour is actually received from the SMPTE source.
If more than 24 SMPTE synchronized shows are required, you can use an output from the animation
system to stop the system Ômid showÕ. This technique can be used to break up a single long show into as
many shorter sequences as you would like.
Since SMPTE is often provided by an audio or video tape deck, the Brick Brain has three outputs
which can be programmed to send signals to the tape deck at the beginnings and ends of the shows.
These are typically used to start, stop and rewind the tape deck. These outputs are simple relay closures,
which can usually be attached directly to the remote control inputs on a tape deck.
Frame rates supported by the Brick Brain are 15 or 30 FPS when using SMPTE recorded at 30 FPS, 25
FPS when using SMPTE recorded at 25 FPS, and 12 or 24 FPS when using SMPTE recorded at 24 FPS. All
type of SMPTE must be recorded Ônon-drop frameÕ for compatibility with the Brick Brain. Show capacities
for Smart Bricks are as follows:
12 frames/second (show capacity of 1365 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 5461 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
15 frames/second (show capacity of 1092 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 4369 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
24 frames/second (show capacity of 682 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2730 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
25 frames/second (show capacity of 655 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2621 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
30 frames/second (show capacity of 546 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2184 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
SMPTE is a type of time code which is prone to minor errors. The Brick Brain automatically bridges over
these until it gets a number of consecutive consistent SMPTE frames. You can set the size of this number
when configuring the Brick Brain to anywhere from 1 to 256 consecutive frames.
3) Internal Time Base: If there is no need for synchronization to an audio or video source, you can
use the crystal controlled time base in the Brick Brain to clock the entire system. This type of show is often
used for chase sequences, test shows, when you just donÕt need to synchronize a show to anything else,
or to keep the figures moving between the main SMPTE or LaserDisk synchronized shows. Frame rates
supported are:
1 FPS (show capacity of 16,384 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 65,536 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
2 FPS (show capacity of 8192 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 32,768 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
4 FPS (show capacity of 4096 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 16,384 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
5 FPS (show capacity of 3276 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 13,107 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
8 FPS (show capacity of 2048 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 8192 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
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10 FPS (show capacity of 1638 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 6553 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
12 FPS (show capacity of 1365 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 5461 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
15 FPS (show capacity of 1092 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 4369 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
16 FPS (show capacity of 1024 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 4096 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
20 FPS (show capacity of 819 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 3276 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
24 FPS (show capacity of 682 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2730 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
25 FPS (show capacity of 655 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2621 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
30 FPS (show capacity of 546 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2184 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
32 FPS (show capacity of 512 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 2048 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
50 FPS (show capacity of 327 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 1310 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
60 FPS (show capacity of 273 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 1092 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
64 FPS (show capacity of 256 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 1024 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
75 FPS (show capacity of 218 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 873 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
100 FPS (show capacity of 163 sec. for 16K Smart Brick, 655 sec. for 64K Smart Brick)
4) External Time Base: This is generally used when you need to tie the Smart Brick System to an ex-
ternal clock. Typical uses of external time base sync are to lock the system to a mechanical device like a
motion picture camera or projector so that it will follow at any speed, or to synchronize two incompatible
systems so that data can be transferred between the two. Frame rates supported are from 1 to 100 FPS
(this is simply the number of frames displayed on the Heads Up Display, as the actual rate will follow
whatever clock rate is fed to the Brick Brain).
5) IBM Backup Box Mode: This is a special mode which is used only when using the IBM Backup Box
with the Smart Brick System. It makes the Smart Brick System look to the IBM Backup Box more like a standard externally clocked Micro MACs system. It is entered by turning on SWITCH 8 in the dipswitch inside
the Brick Brain. When in this mode, the hours, minutes, seconds, and frame numbers on the Heads Up
Display will not be updated and the Smart Bricks will be treated as a single block of 16K or 64K bytes of
memory. If you have broken up the memory into any separate ÔshowsÕ, these will simply be ignored.
These shortcuts are to save time so that the system can run at the higher speeds the IBM Backup Box
wants to see. Even so, you may find that the Smart Brick System still isnÕt as fast as the IBM Backup Box
wants to see it (a lot of this depends on how fast your IBM compatible runs). For this reason you may
need to slow down the IBM Backup Box software by setting the ÔFast Forward SpeedÕ. Larger numbers slow
the Backup Box down, while smaller numbers run faster. To test the speed to determine the proper settings for the Ôfast forward speedÕ, do the following:
1) Connect the IBM backup Box to the Smart Brick System normally by:
a) connect the Smart Brick to the Micro Console and Brick Brain as you would normally.
b) run a 6 conductor telephone style cable between the ÔJ8 inputÕ on the Brain and the ÔJ8
outÕ in the IBM Backup box.
c) connect the 1/4 J-6 for the channel you will be using to the IBM backup Box.
d) connect the parallel port from the IBM compatible you will be using to the IBM Backup
Box.
2) Turn on dipswitch number 8 in the Smart Brick Brain.
3) Using the Ôsingle stepÕ command (ÒsÒ) in the IBM Backup Box software, program in a simple and
easily recognizable sequence in the first few frames of the Smart Brick
4) Write this data to the disk of the IBM compatible using the instructions in the IBM Backup Box
manual.
5) Read this data back into the Smart Brick using the instructions in the IBM Backup Box manual.
6) Now single step through the first few frames of the reloaded data and see if they are the
same as when you programmed them, and especially that the data is in the same frame
numbers as they were when you programmed them.
7a) If the data has changed or has moved, then you need to use a larger number for the Ôfast for-
ward speedÕ. Enter the Ôfast forward speedÕ and repeat this sequence starting at step 3 above
again to make sure that the IBM Backup Box is now running slowly enough.
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7b) If the data has not changed, then the two systems are staying in sync. You can use the cur-
rent setting for the Ôfast forward speedÕ, or you can try speeding it up a bit by lowering the
number in the Ôfast forward speedÕ, and repeat this sequence starting at step 3 to see if it is
now too fast. You should leave a little bit of a safety margin over which the system wonÕt run in
sync to allow for longer wire runs and other factors which might slow the system down further.
8) Turn dipswitch 8 off if you are done with the IBM Backup Box to return the Smart Brick System to
itÕs normal operating modes.
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- Countdown Between Shows -
At the end of any show you can tell the Brick Brain to either stop, chain immediately to the next
show, or start a countdown. At the end of this countdown, you can tell the system to start the next show,
or just close one of the relay outputs which are normally used to control the tape deck if you need to
trigger some other piece of equipment
The length of the countdown can be set at any time by setting a thumbwheel switch located on the
front of the Smart Brick Brain. The positions set the delays as follows:
1) 1 x 'delay reload' (for 15 seconds delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
2) 2 x 'delay reload' (for 30 seconds delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
3) 4 x 'delay reload' (for 1 minute delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
4) 8 x 'delay reload' (for 2 minutes delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
5) 20 x 'delay reload' (for 5 minutes delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
6) 40 x 'delay reload' (for 10 minutes delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
7) 80 x 'delay reload' (for 20 minutes delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
8) 120 x 'delay reload' (for 30 minutes delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
9) 240 x 'delay reload' (for 1 hour delay when delay reload is set to 15 seconds)
0) stops cycling shows
The 'DELAY RELOAD' value is set in the configuration menu. A typical value is 15 seconds. This give
you the delays shown above. If the value for the 'DELAY RELOAD' were doubled, then the delays would
also double. If it were set to a value of 90 seconds, the maximum delay would be 6 hours. If during the
course of a countdown the Brick Brain gets any ÔRESETÕ command (either through the serial port or any of
the hardware inputs) it will re-start the countdown from the initial value as set by the thumbwheel switch
and 'DELAY RELOAD' value.
At the end of the countdown, the Brick Brain again checks the value on the thumbwheel switch. If it
is now set to Ô0Õ, then the Brick Brain takes no further action. If it is set to anything else, then it treats the
end of the countdown just like an input coming from one of the Brick BrainÕs switch inputs. You can tell
the Brick Brain to do any of the following:
1) Reset
2) + Frame
3) Start
4) Start Looping (normal setting)
5) Stop
6) Stop at end
7) a) close ÔstopÕ relay output
b) close ÔrewindÕ relay output
c) close ÔplayÕ relay output
Setting the ÔResetÕ, Ô+ FrameÕ, ÔStopÕ, or ÔStop at EndÕ settings are fairly pointless in that there will be
no shows running when the countdown ends, and so should never be needed. Setting the ÔSTARTÕ command will start whatever the next show should be as set by the Ônext showÕ entry in the configuration for
the last show which was played (see the show configuration section of this manual). At the end of that
show, however, nothing more will happen.
The normal setting for the end of the countdown is to ÔSTART LOOPINGÕ. This tells the Brick Brain to
start the ÔnextÕ show playing just as with the ÔSTARTÕ command, but at the end of this show, it will check
the configuration for the show to see if the ÔIMMEDIATEÕ or ÔDELAYÕ flags are set. If they are, then the next
show or a new delay will be started as appropriate. The Smart Brick System can then continue cycling
shows until it is told to stop. Any one of the tape deck output commands can be used by themselves or
in conjunction with any of the other commands.
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- Smart Brick Brain Dipswitches -
There is one eight position dipswitch located inside the cover of the Smart Brick Brain. Once set, it is
not normally used again. Most of these settings are available through the menus on the Rack Smart Brick
Brain.
SWITCH 1: not used
SWITCH 2: Bridge LaserDisk errors. When on, the Brick Brain will try to bridge over any dropouts in
the communications with a LaserDisk player. This is used to bridge over the three or more seconds it takes a LaserDisk player to recover from a glitch.
SWITCH 3: Countdown Halt mode: When on, any input on the BLUE line will freeze the countdown
between shows at the current value. When this input is released, the countdown will continue
just as if nothing had happened.
SWITCH 4: Coin-Op mode. Turning this switch on puts the brick into a special mode used for coin
operated games. A show will be started each time a start command comes in on the green
input (A number of shows are normally set up so that a different show plays at each start). The
countdown selects and plays show 3Fh each time it ends. If the RED input gets a closure,
then show 3Eh will play.
SWITCH 5: This dipswitch is used to tell the Brick Brain how big the memory installed in the Smart
Bricks is. This switch should be turned ÔonÕ when using 64K Smart Bricks, and ÔoffÕ when using
16K Smart Bricks. When running at 15 frames per second, a 64K Smart Brick has a capacity of
just over 72 minutes while a 16K one is around 18 minutes. At 30 frames per second the capacities are 36 minutes for a 64K Brick and 9 minutes for a 16K Brick.
SWITCH 6: This switch can be used to disable all of the ÔRecord KeyswitchesÕ on all of the Smart
Bricks in your installation. When this switch is ÔonÕ, it is possible to record data into the Smart
Bricks. When it is ÔoffÕ, there is no way to put the Smart Bricks into ÔrecordÕ mode, even if the
ÔRecord KeyswitchÕ on the Bricks is turned ÔonÕ. The record LEDs on the front of the Smart Bricks
will not even turn on if recording has been disabled in this way. After programming a show
you should turn this switch ÔoffÕ to absolutely eliminate the possibility of someone turning on a
Smart BrickÕs ÔrecordÕ keyswitch and altering any data.
SWITCH 7: This switch is used to load the default values into the EEprom on the Brick Brain. You
should never need to use this switch. What it does is sets the serial port to 9600 baud and the
card address to number 00. This brings a new Brick Brain up far enough for us to load the remaining parts of the configuration and test it.
SWITCH 8: This switch should be turned ÔonÕ when using an IBM Backup box with the Brick Brain. At
all other times it should be left ÔoffÕ. If it is on, the Brick Brain will ignore any inputs on the PB or
1/4 J-6 inputs, and will only reset and step frames in response to inputs from the J-8 input.
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- Brick Brain Connections -
There are 8 connections which can be made to the Smart Brick Brain. These are:
1) Power: This is a small 12 VDC wall mounted transformer which just needs to be plugged in to
117 VAC.
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2) SMPTE Input: This is a female RCA jack which should be attached to the source of SMPTE time
code being used (if any). This input has a 10 Kohm input impedance, and expects to see a
SMPTE signal level of about 0 VU.
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3) Tape Deck Control: This input is normally used to control any tape decks attached to the Brick
Brain. The connections are as follows:
1) Ground
2) +5 VDC
3) Foil A: This is a non-optoisolated 5 volt logic level version of the BLUE input on the J-8
input. There is a 4.7 Kohm pullup resistor to 5 VDC on this input.
4) Foil B: This is a non-optoisolated 5 volt logic level version of the GREEN input on the J-8
input. There is a 4.7 Kohm pullup resistor to 5 VDC on this input.
5 & 6) Rewind Output: These are the relay outputs which close when a ÔRewindÕ command
is encountered in a string being sent at the start or end of any show.
7 & 8) Play Output: These are the relay outputs which close when a ÔPlayÕ command is en-
countered in a string being sent at the start or end of any show.
9 & 10) Stop Output: These are the relay outputs which close when a ÔSTOPÕ command is
encountered in a string being sent at the start or end of any show.
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4) 1/4 J-6 input: This is a standard optically isolated 1/4 J-6 input which can be used to randomly
access shows in the Smart Brick System. This input can be configured to operate in one of two
ways. The first of these is a Ôone-of-eightÕ, in which each of the inputs can be used to select
any of the first eight shows in the system (bit 0 selects show #1, bit 1 selects show #2, etc.).
The second operation mode is used when you need to randomly access more than the first
eight shows. In this mode you send the port a binary number to select any of the 63 possible
shows stored in the system. The pin out for the 1/4 J-6 is as follows:
PIN #1
PIN #2
PIN #3
PIN #4
PIN #5
PIN #6
PIN #7
PIN #8
PIN #9
PIN #10
GROUND (not used)
DATA BIT 7
DATA BIT 6
DATA BIT 5
DATA BIT 4
DATA BIT 3
DATA BIT 2
DATA BIT 1
DATA BIT 0
+ 5 to 24 VDC SUPPLY
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5) J-8 input: This input has two optically isolated inputs on it which can be used for starting, stop-
ping, stepping, resetting, or a variety of other functions in the system.The exact function of
these inputs is set when you configure the Smart Brick Brain. This input has the same pinout
and polarity as the J-8 connections found on all of our normal Micro MACs Bricks. Facing the
end of the plug with the latch upward, the order of these inputs is as follows:
COLOR SIGNAL NAME:
1) WHITE: not used
2) BLACK: common + 5 to 24 VDC (15 Volts nominal) input
3) RED: not used
4) GREEN: optically isolated input
5) YELLOW: not used
6) BLUE: optically isolated input
The Connections to the J-8 input are as follows. As these are feeding into an optoisolator,
you must provide a voltage to the Brick Brain on the BLACK input line (#2):
GREEN #4
BLUE #6
BLACK #2
+ 5 to 24 VDC SUPPLY
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6) J-8 output: Not used
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7) To Smart Bricks: This is the start of the cable which runs to all of the Smart Bricks and Heads
Up Displays installed in the system. All signals are compatible with RS-422 and RS-485 signal
levels. Facing the end of the plug with the latch upward, the order of these outputs is as follows:
pin # COLOR SIGNAL NAME:
(left) 1 WHITE + data output
2 BLACK - data output
3 RED + clock output
4 GREEN - clock output
5 YELLOW + strobe output
(right) 6 BLUE - strobe output
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8) RS-422 Serial Port: This is the serial port which is used to send commands to the Smart Brick
System or to connect a LaserDisk to the Smart Brick System. It must be connected to a terminal or computer running a modem or terminal emulation program for configuring the Smart
Brick System. This is the same style of connector and pin out as is used on the AB-100 Digital
Audio Repeaters, and can be attached to both Brick Brains and Digital Audio Repeaters simultaneously, just so long as their addresses donÕt conflict. Facing the end of the cable with the
release latch upwards, its pin out is as follows:
pin # COLOR SIGNAL NAME:
(left) 1 WHITE signal ground
2 BLACK - serial data out from Brick Brains
3 RED + serial data out from Brick Brains
4 GREEN - serial data in to Brick Brains
5 YELLOW + serial data in to Brick Brains
(right) 6 BLUE signal ground
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To cross wire the RS-422 / RS-485 signals from the Smart Brick System to the RS-232 serial
port of an IBM compatible or Pioneer LaserDisk player, cross connect the signals as follows:
IBM IBM Pioneer LaserDisk
DB-25 DE-9 DB-15 SIGNAL SIGNAL FROM/TO BRICK BRAIN
2 3 2 DATA OUT - serial data in to Brick Brain (GREEN)
3 2 3 DATA IN - serial data out from Brick Brain (BLACK)
7 5 1, 11 or 15 GROUND signal ground (BLUE or WHITE)
Apple Macintosh computers have true RS-422 serial ports built in. To connect to the Smart
Brick System, the pin out is as follows for a Macintosh mini-DIN-8:
to + serial data in to card (#5 yellow)
to - serial data in to card (#4 green)
signal ground (#1 blue or #6 white)
678
345
12
from + serial data out from card (#3 red)
from - serial data out from card (#2 black)
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U
F
F
F
F
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- Smart Brick Configuration -
The majority of the configuration for the Smart Bricks is handled in the Brick Brain. The exceptions to
this are those jumpers which set the size and type of memory used in each Smart Brick, and whether or
not you would like the outputs from a Smart Brick to be disabled when ever the system is not advancing
frames.
The one jumper which the Smart Bricks have on them retain the same callout as are used in the normal Micro MACs Bricks. All configuration is done on JP-2. The two things which Smart Bricks must be configured for are the memory size and type and the Ôenable/disable when stoppedÕ.
In all of the following drawings, the jumper pins are shown as circles contained within an outline of
the header assembly. Pins which are used for a given configuration are shown as filled-in, while those
which remain hollow are not being used. The jumper plugs (used for connecting adjacent pins)or wires
(used for connecting pins which are not adjacent) which connect the pins are shown as black lines. Any
pin which is shown filled in with black, but which does not have any wire or jumper plug shown on it,
must have all wires and/or jumper plugs removed from it in the actual Smart Brick you are configuring.
- 6264LP RAM -
To configure a Record/Playback Smart Brick for use with 6264LP static RAM Chips for a
capacity of 16,384 (16K) frames.
4
3
2
4U
1
channel channel channel channel
1U
32
5U
11U
6U
U2
7U
U3121U
41U
3U
2
PJ
01
8
3-PJ
71U
LED
9U
01U
51U
61U
81U
91U
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U
8
2
3
U
U
7
3
01U
51U
6
8
9
U
U
U3121U
2
3
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- 62256LP RAM -
To configure a Record/Playback Smart Brick for use with 62256LP static RAM Chips for a
capacity of 65,536 (64K). (This is the only configuration which requires a wire wrapped
jumper between two pins which arenÕt adjacent.
4F
3F
2F
4U
1F
channel channel channel channel
32
1U
5U
11U
6U
U2
3U
2-PJ
01
7U
U3121U
8U
3-PJ
71U
41U
- 27C32 Eprom -
To configure a Playback-only Smart Brick for use with 27C32 Eprom Chips for a capacity
of 4096 (4K) frames.
LED
9U
01U
51U
61U
81U
91U
4F
F
F
4
1F
channel channel channel channel
32
1U
5
11
6U
U2
U
41
U
-PJ
01
U
-PJ
71
LED
9U
1U
1U
1U
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U
8
2
3
U
U
7
3
01U
51U
6
8
9
U
U
U3121U
2
3
U
8
2
3
U
U
7
3
01U
51U
6
8
9
U
U
U3121U
2
3
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- 27C64 Eprom -
To configure a Playback-only Smart Brick for use with 27C64 Eprom Chips for a capacity
of 8192 (8K) frames.
4F
F
F
4
1F
channel channel channel channel
32
1U
5
11
6U
U2
U
41
U
-PJ
01
U
-PJ
71
LED
9U
1U
1U
1U
- 27C128 Eprom -
To configure a Playback-only Smart Brick for use with 27C128 Eprom Chips for a capacity of 16,384 (16K) frames.
4F
F
F
4
1F
channel channel channel channel
32
1U
5
11
6U
U2
U
41
U
-PJ
01
U
-PJ
71
LED
9U
1U
1U
1U
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U
8
2
3
U
U
7
3
01U
51U
6
8
9
U
U
U3121U
2
3
U
8
2
3
U
U
7
3
01U
51U
6
8
9
U
U
U3121U
2
3
GILDERFLUKE & CO.¥ 205 S. FLOWER ST.¥ BURBANK, CA 91502 ¥ 818/840-9484 ¥ 800/776-5972 ¥ FAX 818/840-9485
- 27C256 Eprom -
To configure a Playback-only Smart Brick for use with 27C256 Eprom Chips for a capacity of 32,768 (32K) frames.
4F
F
F
4
1F
channel channel channel channel
32
1U
5
11
6U
U2
U
41
U
-PJ
01
U
-PJ
71
LED
9U
1U
1U
1U
- 27C512 Eprom -
To configure a Playback-only Smart Brick for use with 27C512 Eprom Chips for a capacity of 65,536 (64K) frames
4F
F
F
4
1F
channel channel channel channel
32
1U
5
11
6U
U2
U
41
U
-PJ
01
U
-PJ
71
LED
9U
1U
1U
1U
15 of 134
U
8
2
3
U
U
7
3
01U
51U
6
8
9
U
U
U3121U
2
3
GILDERFLUKE & CO.¥ 205 S. FLOWER ST.¥ BURBANK, CA 91502 ¥ 818/840-9484 ¥ 800/776-5972 ¥ FAX 818/840-9485
- Enabling the Outputs When Stopped -
This jumper plug must be installed for the Smart Brick to work. It has two possible positions. This position should be used if you want the outputs to be active at their programmed
levels, even when the system is not advancing frames. This is used if you donÕt care that
some outputs might stay on even when the system is no longer advancing frames. It is almost always used if there are any analog functions attached to a Smart Brick, as disabling
the outputs which feed a D/A converter would cause it to slam to one of itÕs extremes.
4F
F
F
4
1F
channel channel channel channel
32
1U
5
11
6U
U2
U
41
U
-PJ
01
U
-PJ
71
LED
9U
1U
1U
1U
16 of 134
U
8
2
3
U
U
7
3
01U
51U
6
8
9
U
U
U3121U
2
3
GILDERFLUKE & CO.¥ 205 S. FLOWER ST.¥ BURBANK, CA 91502 ¥ 818/840-9484 ¥ 800/776-5972 ¥ FAX 818/840-9485
- Disabling the Outputs When Stopped -
This jumper plug must be installed for the Smart Brick to work. It has two possible positions. This position will cause all of the outputs to turn off whenever the Smart Brick System
stops advancing frames and the Ôrunning delayÕ counter has run out. This is useful if damage might result from leaving certain outputs in your system turned on indefinitely, as could
occur if the system were stopped while those outputs were active.
4F
F
F
4
1F
channel channel channel channel
32
1U
5
11
6U
U2
U
41
U
-PJ
01
U
-PJ
71
LED
9U
1U
1U
1U
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GILDERFLUKE & CO.¥ 205 S. FLOWER ST.¥ BURBANK, CA 91502 ¥ 818/840-9484 ¥ 800/776-5972 ¥ FAX 818/840-9485
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GILDERFLUKE & CO.¥ 205 S. FLOWER ST.¥ BURBANK, CA 91502 ¥ 818/840-9484 ¥ 800/776-5972 ¥ FAX 818/840-9485
- J-6 Digital Output Cables -
In all animation systems made by Gilderfluke & Company all input and output cabling on the Smart
Bricks is through what we call ÔJ-6Õ standard output cables. These are 40 wire cables which are made up
of four identical eight bit wide ÔchannelsÕ. A J-6 cable is often split up into four individual channels. As
each channel also includes a common power supply and ground wire, each Ô1/4 J-6Õ cable is made up
of 10 wires, and can be used to control eight individual ÔdigitalÕ (off/on) devices, or one eight bit wide
ÔanalogÕ device.
In all animation systems made by Gilderfluke & Company, all outputs are open collector switches to
ground, and all inputs are opto isolators. Flyback diodes are included in the outputs for driving inductive
loads:
fuse
flyback
supply supply
diode
typical output
typical input
To simplify wiring to any MACs animation system, the connectors used on the J-6 cables are what
are called Ôinsulation displacement connectorsÕ. These simply snap on to an entire cable, automatically
ÔdisplacingÕ the wire insulation and making contact with the wires within. This means that an entire 40
wire cable can be terminated in seconds. All connectors are polarized, to keep them from being
plugged in backwards. Although there are tools made specifically for installing these connectors, the
tool we find works best is a small bench vise.
Each J-6 cable is arranged in the following order:
wire number color wire function
1 brown circuit ground
2 red channel 0 data bit 7
3 orange channel 0 data bit 6
4 yellow channel 0 data bit 5
5 green channel 0 data bit 4
6 blue channel 0 data bit 3
7 violet channel 0 data bit 2
8 gray channel 0 data bit 1
9 white channel 0 data bit 0
10 black +15 VDC unregulated power supply (fused for 1 amp)
11 brown circuit ground
12 red channel 1 data bit 7
13 orange channel 1 data bit 6
14 yellow channel 1 data bit 5
15 green channel 1 data bit 4
16 blue channel 1 data bit 3
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d
d
d
d
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GILDERFLUKE & CO.¥ 205 S. FLOWER ST.¥ BURBANK, CA 91502 ¥ 818/840-9484 ¥ 800/776-5972 ¥ FAX 818/840-9485
17 violet channel 1 data bit 2
18 gray channel 1 data bit 1
19 white channel 1 data bit 0
20 black +15 VDC unregulated power supply (fused for 1 amp)
21 brown circuit ground
22 red channel 2 data bit 7
23 orange channel 2 data bit 6
24 yellow channel 2 data bit 5
25 green channel 2 data bit 4
26 blue channel 2 data bit 3
27 violet channel 2 data bit 2
28 gray channel 2 data bit 1
29 white channel 2 data bit 0
30 black +15 VDC unregulated power supply (fused for 1 amp)
31 brown circuit ground
32 red channel 3 data bit 7
33 orange channel 3 data bit 6
34 yellow channel 3 data bit 5
35 green channel 3 data bit 4
36 blue channel 3 data bit 3
37 violet channel 3 data bit 2
38 gray channel 3 data bit 1
39 white channel 3 data bit 0
40 black +15 VDC unregulated power supply (fused for 1 amp)
Any eight digital devices or one eight bit analog device can be connected to any 1/4 J-6 cable as
shown. The LED between the ground (pin #1 brown) wire and supply (pin #10 black) wire acts as an indicator which is lit if the fuse for that channel is OK:
#1 ground (brown)--
#2 bit 7 (red)--
#3 bit 6 (orange)--
#4 bit 5 (yellow)--
#5 bit 4 (green)--
#6 bit 3 (blue)--
#7 bit 2 (violet)--
#8 bit 1 (grey)-
#9 bit 0 (white)--
#10 supply (black)-
load
load
load
load
loa
loa
loa
loa
2.2 K ohm
LED
#1 ground (brown)--
#2 bit 7 (red)--
#3 bit 6 (orange)--
#4 bit 5 (yellow)--
#5 bit 4 (green)--
1/4 watt resistor
#6 bit 3 (blue)--
#7 bit 2 (violet)--
#8 bit 1 (grey)--
#9 bit 0 (white)--
#10 supply (black)-
any
eight bit
analog
device
The supply line for each 1/4 J-6 is fused for 1 amp. You should treat each 1/4 J-6 as an individual,
and not cross the outputs or supply lines from one channel to the lines from any other channel. Doing
this wonÕt cause any damage, but can reduce the protection for the outputs that the fuses normally
provide.
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