Gilderfluke&Co Br-miniBrick8 - Manual (Page 11)

Green ʻGoʼ button :
The green ʻgoʼ 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
green ʻgoʼ button will start the Br-miniBrick8 as though the
trigger input ʻaʼ had been activated. Typically, this will start the first show playing.
Blue ʻDataʼ button :
The blue ʻdataʼ 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. If not actually recording a show using the buttons on the Br-
miniBrick8, this button can be used to cancel ʻrecordʼ mode, or to stop a show which is
playing by pressing it three times quickly.
RS-232 Serial Port:
This is a standard nine position PC-AT serial port connection. A nine pin male to nine
pin female serial cable (with ʻstraight throughʼ wiring!) should be used to connect the Br-
miniBrick8 to your PC. The only pins that the Br-miniBrick8 actually uses are the Txd,
Rxd and ground (pins #2, #3 and #5). This connection is used to download data to the
Br-miniBrick8. It can also be used with any GilderTerm or any standard modem pro-
gram to talk to the Br-miniBrick8.
DMX-512 Input/Output:
The DMX-512 input/output on the Br-miniBrick8 is active ONLY when the RS-232
serial cable is not connected.
Note that DMX-512 output is available only on hardware versions 3.1 or greater and
firmware revisions 3.07 and later of the Br-miniBrick8. Version 3.0 Br-miniBrick8s can
be modified to output DMX at the Gilderfluke factory by updating the firmware and add-
ing two wire jumpers.
DMX-512 is the serial data standard used to control ALL professional theatrical light-
ing equipment.
When used as an input, The DMX-512 terminals accept standard DMX-512 data
from any source of DMX-512 data. This DMX-512 can come from a lighting control
board, Br-SmartMedia, Br-Brain4, Sd-50, or any other source of DMX-512. The Br-
miniBrick8 will accept data with or without GilderChecksums. If receiving GidlerCheck-
sums, the Br-miniBrick8 will not update its outputs on any DMX-512 packet that con-
tains an error.
When used as an output, the Br-miniBrick8 can send up to sixty-four channels
worth of DMX-512 data to control dimmers, wiggle lights, smog machines, strobe lights,
or any other devices which accept DMX-512 data.
If used to send DMX-512 data to any Gilderfluke devices (other Br-miniBrick8s,
SER-DMX, etc.), the GilderChecksums can be enabled to assure that the data is re-
ceived perfectly before it is used.
When GilderChecksums are not enabled, DMX-packets will be 512 channels in
length. This will allow frame rates up to about 40 FPS. If GilderChecksums are enabled,
the the DMX-512 packets will normally be limited to 256 channels (plus two channels for
the GilderChecksums) unless the data stored on the eeprom extends past the 256th
channel. This will cause the packets to be 512 channels in length.
To connect the Br-miniBrick8 to another DMX-512 device, wire the screw terminals
as follows:
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 5 of 36