User guide

Br-miniBrick8 LEDs, Switches and Connections

There are only a small number of connections on each Br-miniBrick8. You will

need to attach a power supply, whatever you are controlling, and (optionally) a switch

(or two) to start the Br-miniBrick8:

LEDs:

1. Eight red LEDs show the status of the eight outputs. They also ﬂash in a fast, very

bright ʻdouble ﬂashʼ to indicate that an individual channel is enabled for programming

using the buttons on the Br-miniBrick8. These eight LEDs ﬂash in a back-and-forth

chase to indicate that the Br-miniBrick8 is in the ʻclear allʼ mode, and that the but-

tons will be used to clear the memory of the Br-miniBrick8. During serial down-

loads, these eight LEDs will chase in a sequential pattern.

2. Two green LEDs show the status of the two optically isolated inputs. These LEDs

are located on the ʻ insideʼ of the optical isolators. They will operate if the input is re-

ceiving a signal, and it is getting to the Br-miniBrick8ʼs microprocessor. While set-

ting the ʻoperating modeʼ for the Br-miniBrick8 using the buttons on its front, these

LEDs will ﬂash in the same quick double-ﬂash pattern as the red ʻoutputʼ LEDs.

When receiving DMX-512 or serial RealTime data, the Br-miniBrick8 no longer

needs the two trigger inputs or their indicator LEDs:

a. The ʻAʼ inputʼs LED is borrowed to toggle on each frame received. If receiving

DMX-512 data at 30 FPS, the LED will be ﬂashing at 15 Hz.

b. The ʻBʼ inputʼs LED is borrowed to ﬂash each time there is an error in the re-

ceived DMX-512 or Serial RealTime data. If you see this ﬂashing any more

than occasionally, check your DMX-512 wiring. You may need to terminate

the DMX-512 data lines with a 120Ω resistor.

3. One LED is attached to the serial data transmission line on the Br-miniBrick8. The

Tx LED is used as a ʻheartbeatʼ so that you can see that the Br-miniBrick8 is alive.

If the RS-232 serial port is attached to a PC, then the ﬂash will be very short and

quick, as the Br-miniBrick8 sends out a ʻfʼ to mark a frame, or a ʻ.ʼ if it is not cur-

rently running a show. When the RS-232 cable is disconnected, then this LED will

ﬂash with a 50%/50% duty cycle. If this LED doesnʼt ﬂash at least once per second,

you should power down the Br-miniBrick8 and check the power supply and connec-

tions to the Br-miniBrick8.

4. One LED is attached to the serial data received line on the Br-miniBrick8. If the RS-

232 serial port is attached to a PC, you will see this LED ﬂash each time a data is

received through the serial port. If the RS-232 serial cable is disconnected, then the

LED will ﬂash at a high rate of speed as DMX-512 data is being received.

Red ʻRecordʼ button:

The red ʻrecordʼ button is used for programming the Br-miniBrick8 without a com-

puter. See the ʻProgramming without a Computerʼ section of the manual for details on

the use of this button. The red ʻRecordʼ button electronically locks the Br-miniBrick8ʼs

nonvolatile EEprom memory whenever it is released. Nothing in the programming can

change unless this button is being held down. With the memory write protected, it

should retain whatever has been programmed into the Br-miniBrick8 for at least forty

years.

Gilderﬂuke & Co.• 205 South Flower Street • Burbank, California 91502 • 818/840-9484 • 800/776-5972 • fax 818/840-9485

Br-miniBrick8 v3.+ Manual / 8/17/12 / page 4 of 36