Gilderfluke Br-miniBrick4 User manual

Br-miniBrick4
Digital Output Show Control System
The Br-miniBrick4 is a complete, stand-alone Show Control System. It features
Four Digital (on/off) outputs and one trigger input. Once programmed, the
Br-miniBrick4 runs from onboard nonvolatile memory. No PC is needed. All you need
to add is a 9-24 VDC power supply, whatever you want to control, and (optionally), a
switch closure to tell it to start.
The Br-miniBrick4 is normally programmed using the buttons on its top. You also
have the option of programming a miniBrick4 using our free PC•MACs Show Control
software. Once your show is ‘drawn’ or recorded 'live' using the PC•MACs software, it
is sent to the Br-miniBrick4 through a Br-miniBrick4 Serial Adapt2 USB. The
Br-miniBrick4 can then be disconnected from the PC and it will run all by itself.
Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 1of 72

Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 2of 72
Safety Disclaimer: Any electronic or mechanical
system has a potential to fail. Certain applications using
Gilderfluke & Company equipment may involve potential
risks of death, personal injury or severe property or
environmental damage (“Critical Application”).
Gilderfluke & Company equipment is not designed,
intended, authorized or warranted to be suitable in life
support applications, devices or systems or other
critical applications. Inclusion of Gilderfluke & Company
products in such applications is understood to be fully
at the risk of the customer. In order to minimize risks
associated with the customer's applications, adequate
design and operating safeguards should be provided by
the customer to minimize inherent or procedural
hazards.
Gilderfluke & Company assumes no liability for
applications assistance, customer produced design,
software performance, or infringement of patents or
copyrights. Nor does Gilderfluke & Company warrant or
represent that any license, either express or implied, is
granted under any patent right, copyright, mask work
right, or other intellectual property right of Gilderfluke &
Company covering or relating to any combination,
machine, or process in which Gilderfluke & Company

Br-miniBrick4 Overview!7
Attaching an Audio and/or Video Player to a Br-miniBrick4!9
Br-miniBrick4 LEDs, Switches and Connections!10
LEDs:!10
Red LEDs!10
Green LED:!10
Buttons:!10
Red 'Record' button:!10
Green 'Go' button:!11
Blue 'Data' button:!11
Connections:!11
Trigger Input:!11
Power Supply:!11
Digital Outputs:!11
TTL Level Serial Port:!12
Programming Your Br-miniBrick4 Without a Computer!13
To Enter Programming Mode on Your Br-miniBrick4:!13
‘Clear All’ Mode On Your Br-miniBrick4:!13
‘Record One’ Mode On Your Br-miniBrick4:!14
Setting Operating Modes:!14
Attaching Your Br-miniBrick4 to Your Computer!16
Br-miniBrick4 LED Dimmer/Flicker Mode!17
Br-miniBrick4 Serial Port Commands!19
Reset ‘j5AA500’!19
Status ‘i’!19
AutoDownload ‘sA5A5’ nn!19
Start Global ‘u’!20
Stop Global ‘y’!20
Loop Global ‘”’!20
Select Show Global ‘*’ [nn] (show#)!20
Pause Show ‘<00’!21
Continue Show ‘>00’!21
Getting Started with Pc•MACs and a Br-miniBrick4 (quickly)!22
Install the Software........!22
Getting started........!23
Select the serial port........!23
..........................................Starting a New Br-miniBrick4 Show in Pc•MACs:!24
Open Pc•MACs:!24
Select ‘new’ show from under Pc•MACs’ ‘File’ menu:!24
Select a ‘new’ or existing ‘Site’ file:!24
Close the ‘New Show’ dialog / Open the ‘Channels List’ dialog:!25
Select the ‘Add Device with Channels’ command:!25
..................................................'Offline' Programming & Editing Your Show:!27
...............Moving Channels to the OffLine Editing Window for Editing........!27
..................................................Quick Tour the OffLine Editing Window........!28
.......................................................................Where in the show are we?........!29
...........................................................................Transport Time Markers.........!29
.....................................................Change the amount of show you see.........!29
Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 3of 72

..........................................................................Which channel is which?........!29
...................................................................How Much Time Is Selected?........!30
...............................................................OffLine Editing Window Presets.......!30
......................................................................................Selected Channels...…!30
.......................................................OffLine Editing Window shortcut menu.....…!31
...........................................Adding Drag-n-Drop Triggers to Your Timeline.....…!32
..................................Selecting one or more channels for modification........!32
......................................................Changing the channels you selected........!33
...............................Another way to change the channels you selected........!33
..........................Yet another way to change the channels you selected........!33
...........................Still more ways to change the channels you selected........!34
............................Sorting the channels on the OffLine Editing Window........!35
....................Saving and recalling the OffLine Editing Window Presets........!35
...................................................Changing the amount of time selected........!35
...............................................Drawing digitals with a right mouse click........!36
...................................Moving digitals with a <shift>+right mouse click........!36
.......................Duplicating digitals with a <Control>+right mouse click........!36
...............Making a Chase with a <shift>+<Control>+right mouse click........!36
...........................................Modifying analogs with a right mouse click........!37
...................................Cut, Copy and Paste, just like a word processor........!41
......................................................Paste in something a bunch of times........!42
.............................................................Copy to a file…. Paste from a file........!43
..............................................................................Reverse events in time........!43
.......................................................................Flip your show on its head........!44
.......................................................................Stretch and compress time........!45
....................................................................Adding and subtracting time........!46
..................................................Generating a ramp between two points........!48
................................Copying from digital channels to analog channels........!50
................................Copying from analog channels to digital channels........!55
..........Copying from Audio/Video tracks to analog or digital channels........!57
...........................................................................Ramp analogs to a color........!59
...............................................Scale Analogs without stopping patterns........!61
....................................................More ways to modify a digital channel........!62
.................................................More ways to modify an analog channel........!63
.............................................................................Save your show (again)........!63
..............................................................'RealTime' Programming Your Show:!64
................................................................................Turn On Manual Mode…...!64
...............................................................................Open the Soft Console…...!64
......................................................................................Analogs at the Top…...!65
.................................................................................Digitals at the Bottom…...!65
.......................Assigning your Analog and Digitals to the Soft Console…...!65
.......................................................................Test Drive the Soft Console…...!66
............................................................................Try recording something…...!66
......................................Reverse, Alternate and Punch Out Checkboxes…...!67
..............................................................Save and Recall Console Presets…...!67
................................................................................AutoDownloading Shows:!68
Open the 'File' menu's ‘Save to AutoDownload’ dialog:!68
Pick Your ‘Target Device’ for this AutoDownload:!68
Pick the Range of Channels for this AutoDownload:!68
Pick the ‘Shows to AutoDownload to Your Br-miniBrick4’:!68
Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 4of 72

Set what your Br-miniBrick4 does on StartUp:!69
Set what your Br-miniBrick4 does on each Trigger Input:!69
Download your AutoDownload file:!69
Close the AutoDownload dialog:!70
FCC and CE Compliance:!71
EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY!71
HEXadecimal to Decimal to ASCII to Percentage!72
Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 5of 72

Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 6of 72
A note about this manual:
This manual covers the specifics of the
Br-miniBrick4. The Br-miniBrick4 can be
programmed using the three buttons on its top, or
using our free Pc•MACs software.
To program the Br-miniBrick4 using our free
Pc•MACs software you will also want to refer to the
'QuickStart' sections of this manual which cover
programming using the PC•MACs software. These
are excerpted from the main Pc•MACs manual,
and edited with the content specific to the
Br-miniBrick4.
The Br-miniBrick4 is typically programmed in
‘Software-only’ or ‘Hardwareless Realtime’ mode
through a Br-miniBrick4 Serial Adapt2. No
Pc•MACs license is ever needed for the Pc•MACs
software when programming a Br-miniBrick4.
The full PC•MACs manual can be downloaded
from our web site at:
http:/ /www.gilderfluke.com

Br-miniBrick4 Overview
The Br-miniBrick4 is a complete stand-alone Show Control System with four
digital outputs and one 'trigger' input. Starting with firmware v3.39, the
Br-miniBrick4 can also be used as a four channel LED lighting/flicker controller,
with four pulse width modulated LED outputs and one 'trigger' input.
The Br-miniBrick4 can be used to control animated shows and displays, fountains,
fireworks, lighting, sound systems, window displays, motors, pneumatic and hydraulic
systems, special effects, signs, machines and machine tools in process control, or
anything else that can be controlled by an electrical signal.
Br-miniBrick4s can be used singly, or in combination
with additional Br-miniBrick4s, Br-miniBrick8s,or any
other control equipment from Gilderfluke & Co.. To add
sound, use Sd-10 or Sd-25 Audio Repeaters. For more i/o,
use the Br-miniBrick8s or Br-ZBR. For a single unit with
built in animation and lighting control, audio playback and
amplification, use our Sd-50 series of controllers. The
Sd-50s are even available with GPS-based triggering
based upon time to within 1/1000 of a second.
You can program the digital outputs of a Br-miniBrick4
without a computer. Press and hold the Red 'Record' button
until the first output flashes. Tap Red 'Record' button again
until the output you want to record flashes. When you are
ready to record, press the Green ‘Go’ button. While you
press (and hold!) the Red 'Record' button, anything you do
on the Blue 'Data' button is recorded on this one output. Anything previously recorded
on the other outputs will play back as you record this output. The Br-miniBrick4 will
remember exactly what you do and precisely when you did it. You repeat this until you
have all four outputs programmed just the way you want them.
The optional Br-miniBrick4 Serial Adapt2 allows you to program the
Br-miniBrick4 using your PC using and our free PC•MACs software. You can ‘draw’
the sequence on your computer's screen, or record it 'live' using the mouse and
keyboard. PC•MACs will remember exactly what you do and precisely when you did it.
You can then use PC•MACs’ powerful editing tools to perfect the sequences you have
programmed in RealTime. When all of your shows are completed (or you just want to
take a look at them), you can download them to a Br-miniBrick4 through the
Br-miniBrick4 Serial Adapt2. It takes about ten seconds. You can then make
additional changes and download again and again until you are completely satisfied
with your show. Once your show is 'perfect', the PC can then go away, and the
Br-miniBrick4 will run all by itself.
Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 7of 72
0 1 2 3
+ +
Record Go Data
Trigger
Input -+
Outputs
9-24 vdc
9-24 vdc
Br-
miniBrick4
Gilderfluke & Company
B u r b a n k , C a l i f o r n i a
2.75"
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
1.00"
.75"

Features of the Br-miniBrick4 include:
•Automatic ‘program in place’ download optional Br-miniBrick4 Serial Adapt2
USB serial port adapter on your PC. It takes about five seconds to download a
four minute show.
•Once programmed, shows are retained for approximately forty years, with or
without power applied.
•Each Br-miniBrick4 has a show capacity of over four minutes at thirty updates
per second!
•You can rewrite the memory approximately fifty thousand times.
•Red ‘Record’, Green ‘go’ and Blue 'Data' buttons for programming in RealTime
without any computer at all.
•One non-polarized isolated input is used to trigger the Br-miniBrick4 from push
buttons, motion sensors, or any other kind of switch. LED shows all input
activity.
•Four outputs are rated for a continuous load of 300 ma., or 500 ma. peak at 24
vdc. This is enough to drive many solenoid valves, relays, lights, and similar
loads. The LEDs show all output activity.
•Multiple Br-miniBrick4s can be triggered simultaneously or sequentially.
•High quality cage clamp-style screw terminals for all power, trigger, and output
connections.
•The optional Br-miniBrick4 Serial Adapt2 USB serial port adapter allows
RealTime programming and ‘downloading’ through our easy-to-use PC•MACs
software. This lets you program with greater accuracy, or program lots of
Br-miniBrick4s identically. When downloaded, a Br-miniBrick4 can hold up to
255 shows at one time and supports update rates from one frame per second to
a maximum of one hundred frames per second. This allows you to program
‘delay’ shows that tick along at low frame rates between your main shows. The
‘Next’ show can be set for the end of any show, allowing you to build ‘chains’ of
shows. Shows can be accessed sequentially or directly using the single input.
The input can also be set to start, stop, pause, continue, or directly select a
specific show.
•The Br-miniBrick4 runs on anything from 9 to 24 VDC . Br-miniBrick4s can
even be run from batteries or solar cells where AC power is unavailable.
•Sturdy 2.75” x 1.1” x .75” aluminum case.
•Br-miniBrick4s mount in standard Augat 2.75” ‘Snap Track’, velcro, or using a
pair of screws.
Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 8of 72

Attaching an Audio and/or Video Player to a Br-miniBrick4
The normal method of connecting an audio or video player to GilderGear is
via the DMX-512 network. Since the Br-miniBrick4 doesn't have a DMX-512
port, you will need to revert to using the older style of Audio/Video triggering,
and connect an Sd-10, Sd-25 or BrightSign video player to one or two of the
digital outputs of the Br-miniBrick4.
Hint: If you are running out of outputs, and only have a single SoundFile to
trigger, you can set the SoundFile as 'unsteppable', and use any outputs that are
triggered early in the show to start the audio playing. After the first pulse on this
output, the audio will start, and because the audio player has been set to be
unsteppable, it will ignore all subsequent pulses on this output as long as the
SoundFile is playing (make sure the SoundFile is at least as long as your show).
In that way, the audio player won't eat up any additional outputs from the
Br-miniBrick4.
For synchronizing the audio playback on your PC while you are programming
using Pc•MACs, you will need to use the older method of triggering a SoundFile
in Pc•MACs.
1) Open the 'Show Information' dialog from under the 'File' menu.
2) On the right of the dialog, select audio/video for the method of syncing
your audio.
3) Choose your A/V file that you want to use for this show. If the A/V file is
longer than your show, Pc•MACs will offer to extend the length of your show to match the
length of the A/V file for you.
4) Set the A/V file offset to one second (or anywhere in your show, so long as it is at least
four frames after the start of your show).
5) Open the OffLine Editing Window, and move the digital bit you are using to trigger the
Audio/Video file onto the OffLine Editing Window so you can draw in the trigger. Find the
spot in the show that is the time you set for the Audio/Video offset on the Show Information
dialog.
6) Right+Click on the line that represents your Audio/Video trigger, three frames before the
time you set for the Audio/Video offset on the Show Information dialogi. While still holding
down the Right mouse button, slide your mouse towards the right to draw a line that is
about a second long.
7) Before you can hear the audio from the Sd-10 or Sd-25, you will need to Drag-n-Drop
your SoundFile(s) onto an Sd card, and insert the card into the audio player. On Sd-10s,
the order you drop your files onto the Sd card will be the order in which they are played.
By contrast, if your were triggering an Sd-25 w/DMX or BrightSign video player using
DMX-512, Pc•MACs would do almost all of this work for you. All you'd need to do is pick a
Sound or VideoFile and set a marker in the timeline where you would like it to start. Pc•MACs
would allow you to have hundreds of Audio/Video triggers in your shows, and would wrangle all
the files and triggers for you. Pc•MACs even leaves you a nice little note (it's a .TXT file you
can open with Windows NotePad) that tells you how the dipswitches need to be set on the
Sd-25 w/DMX.
Br-MiniBrick4
Gilderfluke & Co.
Burbank, California
0
1
2
3
Record
Go
Data
Trigger
9-24
vdc
Outputs
Outputs
Triggering from a
Control System
A
Inputs
B
Sd-10
Sd-10
or
Sd-25
Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 9of 72
iIf you set the start time to one second into your show, you would start drawing in your trigger at
27 frames in (assuming a 30 FPS Show).

Br-miniBrick4 LEDs, Switches and Connections
There are only a small number of connections on each Br-miniBrick4. You will
need to attach a power supply, whatever you are controlling, and (optionally) a switch
to start the Br-miniBrick4:
LEDs:
Red LEDs
1. Four red LEDs show the status of the four outputs. They also flash in a fast,
very bright ‘double flash’ to indicate that an individual channel is enabled for
programming using the buttons on the Br-miniBrick4. These four LEDs
flash in a back-and-forth chase to indicate that the Br-miniBrick4 is in the
‘clear all’ mode, and that the buttons will be used to clear the memory of the
Br-miniBrick4. During serial downloads, these four LEDs will chase in a
sequential ‘chase’ pattern.
Green LED:
2. One green LED shows the status of the optically isolated input. This LED is
located on the ‘inside’ of the optical isolator. It will operate if the input is
receiving a signal,
and it is getting to
the Br-miniBrick4’s
microprocessor.
While
setting
the
‘operating
mode’ for the Br-miniBrick4 using the buttons on its front, the
green LED will flash in the same quick double-flash pattern as the red ‘output’ LEDs.
When receiving serial RealTime data, the Br-miniBrick4 no longer needs the trigger
input or their indicator LEDs:
a. The ‘A’ input’s LED is borrowed to toggle on each frame received. If receiving
serial data at 30 FPS, the LED will be flashing at 15 Hz.
Buttons:
Red 'Record' button:
The Red 'Record' button is used
for programming the
Br-miniBrick4 without a
computer. See the
‘Programming without a
Computer’ section of the manual
for details on the use of this
button. The Red 'Record' button
electronically locks the
Br-miniBrick4’s 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-miniBrick4 for at least forty years.
0 1 2 3
+ +
Record Go Data
Trigger
Input -+
Outputs
9-24 vdc
9-24 vdc
Br-miniBrick4
Gilderfluke & Company
B u r b a n k , C a l i f o r n i a
Switch
Battery or Power Supply
Input 'A'
or 'B'
MiniBrick4
2.2 KΩ
Switch or Button
+ -
9 to 24 VDC
-
+
OptoIsolator
Input 'A'
or 'B'
Self-Protecting
MOSFET
MiniBrick4
-
+
PTC Fuse
Relay/Solenoid
Gilderfluke & Co.•205 South Flower Street •Burbank, California 91502 •818/840-9484 •800/776-5972 •fax [phone]
Br-miniBrick4 v1.1+ Manual / March 22, 2021 / page 10 of 72