Spectacle Light Kit Hookup Guide

Contributors: SFUptownMaker

The Configuration Utility

Spectacle Button Board

For the Button board, there are five options: three which produce a momentary pulse type output and two that produce a continuous switch type output.

Action on press

Trigger an action when a button is first pressed, regardless of how long it is subsequently held down.

• "When button number ... is pressed" - This is the number of the button we wish to assign to this action. The button numbers are printed on the board, and run from 0 through 8.
• "trigger channel number ..." - A single, momentary pulse will be sent out on this channel. It is suitable for starting a sound, initiating a motion, or setting the color of a light strip, but not for continuous sound playback or for turning on a light strip effect, for instance.

Action on release

Trigger an action when a button is released, regardless of how long it has been held down prior to being released.

• "When button number ... is released" - This is the number of the button we wish to assign to this action. The button numbers are printed on the board, and run from 0 through 8.
• "trigger channel number ..." - A single, momentary pulse will be sent out on this channel. It is suitable for starting a sound, initiating a motion, or setting the color of a light strip, but not for continuous sound playback or for turning on a light strip effect, for instance.

Action on press or release

Trigger an action when a button is pressed, then trigger the same action again when the button is released.

• "When button number ... is either pressed or released" - This is the number of the button we wish to assign to this action. The button numbers are printed on the board, and run from 0 through 8.
• "trigger channel number ..." - A single, momentary pulse will be sent out on this channel both at the time the button is pressed and at the time it is released. It is suitable for starting a sound, initiating a motion, or setting the color of a light strip, but not for continuous sound playback or for turning on a light strip effect, for instance.

Action while holding

Trigger an event as soon as a button is pressed, then continue to trigger that event as long as the button is held down.

• "While button number ... is pressed" - This is the number of the button we wish to assign to this action. The button numbers are printed on the board, and run from 0 through 8.
• "activate channel number ..." - A continuous will be sent out on this channel. It is suitable for triggering and repeating a sound, or for turning on and keeping on (at least, while the button is held) a lighting effect.

Latch On/Latch Off

This action is like a latching power switch. One press turns the signal on, another later press turns the signal off.

• "While button number ... is pressed" - This is the number of the button we wish to assign to this action. The button numbers are printed on the board, and run from 0 through 8.
• "activate channel number ... until button is pressed again" - A continuous will be sent out on this channel. It is suitable for triggering and repeating a sound, or for turning on and keeping on a lighting effect.

Spectacle Light Board

The Light board supports 9 different actions. Most of them want a continuous-type signal input, although a couple of them can be used with momentary input signals. We'll cover the difference under each action. Each action will have a field for the number of pixels the lightstrip that action is being applied to has, and we won't mention it again.

Rainbow Effect

The rainbow effect displays a rainbow of colors across the strip, changing the color of each pixel indvidually to make it appear as though the rainbow is scrolling along the lightstrip.

• "While channel number ... is active" - The rainbow effect persists only while the channel is active, so a continuous input signal is needed.
• "rainbow scroll lightstrip number ..." - Select which lightstrip you wish the rainbow effect to operate on. To have the same effect on multiple lightstrips, you must create multiple actions.
• scroll speed slider - controls how fast the pattern moves as it scrolls past.

Theater chase

Theater chase mode behaves like a marquee light border. The lights will march along making it appear as though the lightstrip is moving in steps.

• "While channel number ... is active" - The theater chase effect persists only while the channel is active, so a continuous input signal is needed.
• "theater chase lightstrip number ..." - Select which lightstrip you wish the theater chase effect to operate on. To have the same effect on multiple lightstrips, you must create multiple actions.
• chase speed slider - controls how fast the pattern moves as it scrolls past.
• color picker input - allows you to select the color of the lights.

Scanning effect

Scanning mode sees a small group of lights bouncing back and forth along the length of the lightstrip, reminiscent of Cylons from Battlestar Galactica.

• "While channel number ... is active" - The scanning effect persists only while the channel is active, so a continuous input signal is needed.
• "scan lightstrip number ..." - Select which lightstrip you wish the scanning effect to operate on. To have the same effect on multiple lightstrips, you must create multiple actions.
• scan speed slider - controls how fast the pattern moves as it scrolls past.
• color picker input - allows you to select the color of the lights.

Twinkle effect

Causes individual lights on the selected strip to perform a twinkling action.

• "While channel number ... is active" - The twinkle effect persists only while the channel is active, so a continuous input signal is needed.
• "twinkle lightstrip number ..." - Select which lightstrip you wish the twinkle effect to operate on. To have the same effect on multiple lightstrips, you must create multiple actions.
• color picker input - allows you to select the color of the lights.
• speed slider - controls how fast the twinkles are moves as it scrolls past.
• magic slider - controls how magical the twinkles are. Play with it!

Lightning effect

Causes the entire strip to strobe in a manner that looks a lot like a lightning flash.

• "While channel number ... is active" - The lightning effect persists only while the channel is active, so a continuous input signal is needed.
• "lightning on lightstrip number ..." - Select which lightstrip you wish the lightning effect to operate on. To have the same effect on multiple lightstrips, you must create multiple actions.
• color picker input - allows you to select the color of the lights.
• speed slider - controls how often the lightning strike occur moves as it scrolls past.
• fury slider - controls how furious the lightning is. Play with it!

Flame effect

Causes the entire strip to crackle like a fire.

• "While channel number ... is active" - The flame effect persists only while the channel is active, so a continuous input signal is needed.
• "make fire on lightstrip number ..." - Select which lightstrip you wish the flame effect to operate on. To have the same effect on multiple lightstrips, you must create multiple actions.
• color picker input - allows you to select the color of the lights. Experiment with different colors!

Fade effect

The lightstrip will change from one color to another over time, then back to the first.

• "While channel number ... is active" - The fade effect persists only while the channel is active, so a continuous input signal is needed.
• "fade lightstrip number ... back and forth" - Select which lightstrip you wish the fade effect to operate on. To have the same effect on multiple lightstrips, you must create multiple actions.
• "from color" color picker - This is the initial color that the lightstrip will power up with.
• "to color" color picker - The other color, which the strip fades to and from periodically.
• "fade speed" slider - Controls how fast the fading action occurs.

Fill

Fills some number of lights on the light strip with a single color. Blanks the other lights to off.

• "listen to channel number ..." - A momentary signal on this channel is all that is needed to trigger a fill operation, and the fill will persist until another effect starts.
• "wait for ... seconds" - This delay allows for sequencing effects. Most often you'll probably set it to 0.
• "clear lightstrip number ..." - Select the lightstrip to operate upon.
• "and fill ... pixels" - The number of pixels, from closest to the Light board out, to turn on.

Light pixel

Turns on one light and blanks the rest of the lights to off.

• "listen to channel number ..." - A momentary signal on this channel is all that is needed to trigger a light pixel operation, and the lit pixel will persist until another effect starts.
• "wait for ... seconds" - This delay allows for sequencing effects. Most often you'll probably set it to 0.
• "clear lightstrip number ..." - Select the lightstrip to operate upon.
• "and light pixel number ... " - The number of the pixel, from closest to the Light board out, to turn on.