RSX Engineering Ultra Sabers Diamond User manual

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www.ultrasabers.com
DIAMOND
CONTROLLER
USER MANUAL
Rev. 1.2 / 2017-12-29
By RSX Engineering

1. Overview …………………………………………….
2
2. Getting started ……………………………………..
3
Power On! …………………………………………………………………………………..
3
Basic moves ……………………………………………………………………………….
4
Gestures …………………………………………………………………………………….
6
3. Diamond control …………………………………...
7
Adjusting the volume …………………………………………………………………….
7
Changing fonts ……………………………………………………………………………
8
Learning gestures ………………………………………………………………………..
9
4. The Launcher …………………………………........
11
Installing and connecting ………………………………………………………………
11
Main settings ………………………………………………………………………………
13
Board configuration ……………………………………………………………………...
14
The express font wizard ………………………………………………………………..
17
The advanced font wizard ……………………………………………………………..
21
The effect editor …………………………………………………………………………..
27
Updates ……………………………………………………………………………………..
35
5. Technicalities …………………………………........
37
Wiring ………………………………………………………………………………………..
37
Specifications ……………………………………………………………………………..
40
6. Troubleshooting …………………………………...
41
Common issues …………………………………………………………………………..
41
Running a diagnose ……………………………………………………………………..
43
Restoring factory defaults ……………………………………………………………...
45
Reporting errors …………………………………………………………………………..
46
CONTENT
Click on any title to jump to the corresponding section!

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Diamond Controller is the complete
sound and light controller of your
saber. It responds to motion by
triggering sound and light effects. It
is fully configurable through the USB
port using the Ultrasabers Launcher
software on PC and MAC.
The Diamond Controller is a sound board combined with an LED driver. The sounds are loaded
on the board from a computer and stored in a large internal memory. A dual sensor detects
any motion and a powerful processor runs advanced detection algorithms, allowing it to
recognize not just basic saber actions such as a swing or a clash, but also complex moves.
Such complex moves, called gestures, can be learned from you after a single execution and
when they’re recognized they trigger special sound and light effects. Gestures can be used for
practice, saber artistry, and if you’re really skilled, even in combat!
The Diamond Controller is able to drive up to 8 LED channels: 4 power channels, which are
usually combined to drive a single Red-Green-Blue-White LED, and 4 accent channels, which
drive independent, low power LEDs, for accessories such as an illuminated switch or a crystal
chamber. Any accent channel can be used by the built-in battery monitor to signal the
charging state of your batteries. For special configurations such as double-blade or
cross-guard sabers, each accent channel can be turned into a power channel by using an
Onyx buck regulator.
On the Diamond Controller the sounds and lights are synchronized, packed together into a
single entity called an effect. Effects are triggered by your actions and they define how your
saber looks and sounds. The identity of your saber is composed by 15 effects, which define a
font. You can have up to 16 different fonts loaded in the internal memory and you can easily
select any one of them with just a few simple moves, without the need to connect the board to
the computer.
1. OVERVIEW
Disclaimer
This version of the user manual is valid for Diamond Controller firmware version 2.43 and Ultrasabers Launcher
software version 2.45. Any other firmware or software version may differ. Changes can be made without notification.

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Power On!
The Diamond Controller comes already configured to drive a Red-Green-Blue-White LED and
with preinstalled fonts. There’s no need to connect your saber to the computer unless you want
to make some significant changes. It is ready to use and full of possibilities straight from the
box.
A font is a collection of effects that define how your sabers looks and sounds. Your board can
hold up to 16 fonts and comes with 9 preinstalled:
♦Obsidian
♦Black Star
♦Sith
♦Ancient Saber
♦Episode I
♦Episode II
♦Episode IV
♦Episode V
♦Episode VI
An effect is a package of lights and sounds that are triggered and played simultaneously. The
Diamond Controller can store and play up to 15 effects per font, each assigned to a specific
action. Most effects are triggered by motion (basic moves or gestures –see following
paragraphs), while 4 of them are static:
When you power on your saber by connecting the batteries or removing
the kill switch, you’ll hear a sound and see the blade changing colors.
This is the Tag effect (“boot sound” on ancient sound boards), which
identifies the current font that runs on your saber. After playing the Tag
effect, the Diamond Controller will go in standby mode.
When the saber is in standby mode, you can turn it on with a short press
of the switch. What you’ll see and hear is the Power On effect, and then
your saber will get in active mode.
While your saber is in active mode and no motion is detected, it will play
continuously the Idle (Hum) effect. Each time a motion is detected the
saber will play a different effect –this is detailed in the following
paragraphs –and then return to playing the Idle effect.
If you keep the switch pressed for 2 seconds, the saber will run the
Power Off effect and then go in standby mode.
2. GETTING STARTED

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Basic moves
The Diamond Controller detects 5 different types of basic moves and reacts to each one with a
different effect:
SWING
The Swing effect is triggered by a swing motion of the
saber in any direction.
IMPACT
The Impact (Clash) effect is triggered every time the blade
encounters a rigid object, e.g. hits another blade in combat.
SPIN
The Spin effect is triggered by a 360°in-plane rotation
of the saber, in any direction.
STAB
The Stab effect is triggered by a forward / backward
thrust of the saber (stab motion).

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♦You can see an instructional video on Diamond Controller basic moves, here.
♦When your saber is in lockup mode, it will not react to basic moves, gestures or menu
commands.
♦You can adjust the detection sensitivity, for each of the basic moves, to suit your own
style. This is done on the “Diamond Controller” tab of the Ultrasabers Launcher software.
See chapter 4 for details.
FORCE
The Force effect is triggered by rotating the saber
from your wrist, continuously, clockwise and counter
clockwise at least ¼ of a full rotation on each
direction.
LOCKUP
Although not triggered by a special move, the
Lockup effect is closely associated with combat
moves. It is triggered by a short press of the switch
and is played repeatedly until the switch is pressed
again.
Tips

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Gestures
One of the most advanced features of the Diamond Controller is the ability to learn and
recognize gestures. A gesture is a sequence of moves of any complexity that lasts up to 5
seconds. It is learned by the Diamond Controller from a single execution and can be detected
any time while the saber is in active mode. Each time a gesture is recognized you’ll be rewarded
with a special effect. They can be used for practice, saber artistry, and if you’re really skilled,
even in combat!
Each font can hold up to 5 gestures. You can have the same gestures on all fonts or you can
have different ones on each font, so your saber can recognize up to 80 distinct gestures.
The Diamond Controller comes from factory with the same 5 gestures programmed on all fonts.
You can see the default gestures in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHeOli1DUhU
Gestures can be learned directly from the on-board menu –see chapter 3 for details.
Gestures can be saved in files, loaded to another font or even to another saber and have their
sensitivity adjusted through the Ultrasabers Launcher software –see chapter 4 for details.

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This chapter teaches you how to control your Diamond saber using just the saber itself. More
advanced control capabilities are available through the Ultrasabers Launcher software, which
is dealt with in the following chapter.
Adjusting the volume
You can also adjust the volume using the Ultrasabers Launcher software. See chapter 4 for
details.
1. Initiate
Trigger two clashes in less than 1 second while keeping the
switch pressed. The easiest way to do this is by hitting the
blade or the hilt with your hand.
Release the switch. The saber will turn off the lights, pause
for half a second then play the idle hum of the current font.
2. Adjust
You can now adjust the sound volume in real-time
while the Diamond Controller is playing the idle hum.
Point the tip of the saber upwards to increase the
volume and downwards to decrease it.
3. Confirm
Press and release the switch. The light will turn on and
the saber will resume normal operation, with the
volume set at the new level.
Tip
3. DIAMOND CONTROL

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Changing fonts
Your saber can store up to 16 fonts in the internal memory and comes from factory with 9
preinstalled. You can select which is the active one using the on-board menu.
♦If you change your mind and wish to cancel the font selection, keep the switch pressed
for 2 seconds. This will exit the font selection menu without making any change.
♦When the Diamond Controller detects a rotation, it will not react to another one for
1 second. This gives you time to rotate your wrist back to the initial position without
triggering an opposite command.
♦You can adjust the detection sensitivity for the menu rotations using the Ultrasabers
Launcher software. See chapter 4 for details.
1. Initiate
Execute a STAB motion with the switch pressed.
Release the switch. The saber will play the tag effect of the
current font
next
previous
2. Select
Rotating the saber clockwise will select the next font
and rotating it counter-clockwise will select the
previous font. You can cycle through the entire list of
installed font in any direction.
Each time you choose a new font, the Tag effect of that
font will play once.
3. Confirm
Press and release the switch. The saber will exit the
menu and resume normal operation with the new font
selected.
Tips

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Learning gestures
A gesture is a sequence of moves of any complexity that lasts up to 5 seconds. It is learned by
the Diamond Controller from a single execution and can be detected any time while the saber
is in active mode, triggering a special sound and light effect.
Each font can have up to 5 gestures. When your saber is learning a new gesture, it will be
stored in the current font. Here’s how to teach your saber a new gesture:
1. Initiate
Execute a FORCE motion with the switch
pressed.
Release the switch. The saber will turn off
the light and enter the gesture learning
mode.
2. Select
Rotating the saber clockwise and counter-clockwise will
cycle trough gestures 1 to 5, and for each one you’ll be
informed if is an empty slot or already in use.
When you’re at the number you wish to program, press the
switch to confirm selection. If the gesture you selected is
already in use, it will be overwritten.
next
confirm
previous
start
stop
move
3. Record
Place the saber in the start position and press the switch to
start recording.
Execute the gesture. The saber will pulse a white light,
signaling that it is now recording your moves.
When done, press the switch again to stop recording. The
saber will play a confirmation message, then exit the menu
and resume normal operation.

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♦You can see an instructional video on Diamond on-board controlls, here.
♦Execute the gesture a few times before recording it, to make sure you’ll reproduce it
accurately.
♦Take your time. The saber records the last 5 seconds of the gesture you’re executing, so
you don’t have to start moving the saber the instant you pressed the switch to start
recording.
♦While recording the gesture the blade will pulse once a second.
♦If your Diamond saber has the volume set to 0 (mute), it will still play the audio messages
at about 1/3 of the maximum volume. When you complete recording the gesture and
return to normal mode, it will revert to mute.
♦You don’t have to listen to the full instruction message “Place your saber in the start
position…”. If you know what to do, just press the button. The message will stop and you
can start recording the gesture.
♦When you stop the recording, if the board doesn’t play the confirmation message it means
the gesture was too short, the motion too slow or there’s a problem with the internal
memory. If there’s no confirmation message, the gesture was not recorded.
♦If you change your mind and wish to cancel learning the gesture, keep the switch pressed
for 2 seconds. This will exit the menu without recording the gesture.
♦If you’re recording gestures that are too simple, they might be triggered too easy so you
will end up with the gesture effect each time you move the saber. If this happens,
overwrite the gesture or decrease its sensitivity using the Ultrasabers Launcher software.
♦For accurate gesture recognition it is very important to adapt the detection sensitivity to
the complexity of each gesture. Simple gestures need lower sensitivity to avoid false
detection and complex gestures need higher sensitivity to make sure they’re recognized
at all. You can adjust the sensitivity for each gesture of each font using the Ultrasabers
Launcher software. See chapter 4 for details.
♦Gestures can be saved on your computer as files and loaded to another font of your
saber or even to another saber, using the Ultrasabers Launcher software. See chapter 4
for details.
Tips

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Ultrasabers Launcher is the software that allows you to fully configure the Diamond Controller.
This chapter teaches you how to use it.
Installing and connecting
Do not connect the Diamond Controller to the computer until Ultrasabers Launcher is installed.
For Windows 7 and 8, the Diamond Controller USB driver will be installed together with the
application; on Windows 10 and on MAC, the USB driver is built into the operating system.
First uninstall any previous version of the Ultrasabers Launcher (if any), then run the installer
and follow the steps on the screen. Under Windows you’ll need to run the installer “As
Administrator”.
The Launcher is organized into 4 tabs: “Main”, “Obsidian sound board”, “Emerald LED driver”
and “Diamond Controller”. It will start with the Main tab active, where you can control the
connection, upgrade the firmware and get system messages. Also from here you can access
the documentation of all our saber electronics using the Resources button.
4. THE LAUNCHER
System messages will be listed here as you work.

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To connect the Diamond Controller to the Launcher:
♦Make sure the board is powered and the batteries are charged at least 50%. If the
batteries discharge completely when you’re writing something on the board, you might
end up with a corrupt memory. The built-in battery monitor can help you prevent that.
♦Press the switch to turn on the saber. You should hear the idle hum and see the LED
lighting.
♦Connect the board to your computer using a microUSB cable. The sound will stop, the
light will turn off and you’ll see the following message:
Each time you start the Launcher, on the first connection to Diamond it will read the entire
memory content, which can take up to a few minutes. After that a normal reconnect should only
take a few seconds, depending on how much of the memory content you changed. It is therefore
recommended not to close the Launcher unless you finished working with it: if you want to test
your saber, disconnect it but leave the Launcher running, to avoid long waiting times.
Once the connection is established, the Launcher will automatically open the “Diamond
Controller” tab. If you wish you can go back to the “Main” tab in order to:
♦Manually disconnect and reconnect the saber to the computer
♦Manually reset the saber (normally not required)
♦Check the serial number and firmware version of you Diamond Controller (those are
marked with green on the message area)
♦Check for connectivity errors (those will be marked with red on the message area)
♦If you want to check how your board behaves with updated settings, you don’t have to
physically disconnect the USB cable: you can use the “Disconnect” button on the “Main”
tab. When the board is disconnected, this button will turn into “Connect”.
♦Once you manually disconnected the board, it will not reconnect automatically. You’ll
have to use the “Connect” button.
Tips

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Main settings
The main settings are available on the “Diamond Controller” tab of the Launcher.
Here you can:
♦Adjust the detection sensitivity of the basic moves (Swing, Impact, …) and menu
rotations, using the corresponding sliders.
♦Change the current font.
♦Play the Tag effect of the current font.
♦Adjust the board volume using the green slider.
♦Save all the settings in a file or load all the settings from a file.
♦All the main settings apply in real-time, there’s no need to press any “Write” button.
♦The little speaker on the left of the green volume slider is the “Mute” button.
♦You can also change the volume and current font from the on-board menu.
See chapter 3 for details.
♦If you want to revert to the default factory settings, all you need to do is press the “Load
Defaults” button. It will overwrite the main settings and board configuration, but leave the
fonts and gestures unchanged.
Tips

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Board configuration
You don’t need to change the board configuration unless you wired the board yourself. If you
bought a Diamond saber, the board is already wired and configured so you can skip this
chapter.
The Diamond Controller can drive up to 8 LEDs. It has 4 power channels for blade illumination,
able to drive a RGBW LED at up to 1 A/channel, and 4 accent channels for accessories such
as an illuminated switch or a crystal chamber, able to drive independent low-power LEDs at up
to 50 mA/channel. Any accent channel can be assigned to the built-in battery monitor, which
visually signals the charging state of your batteries. See chapter 5 for details on LED wiring.
The LED configuration used by your saber has to be programmed on the board before wiring
the LEDs. Please be very careful: if the board configuration is incorrect, you may damage the
board and / or the LEDs. Normally you should receive de board already configured so you don’t
need to change the configuration unless you change the wiring.
To adjust the board configuration press the “Board Config” button on the “Diamond Controller”
tab.
There are three sections related to the board configuration:
Power LEDs
Here you can enable / disable and set the maximum current for each Power LED channel.
Please use this setting with caution: if you allow the Diamond Controller to provide a higher
current than the LED is able to withstand, it will most likely damage the LED.

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The Red channel of the LED has to be wired to Power1, Green to Power2 and Blue to Power3.
The color of the LED wired to Power4 can be selected from the board configuration window
and is used by the Effect Editor and Express Font Wizard to correctly display the color mixing,
but other than that, it has no impact on the functionality of the Diamond Controller.
Accent LEDs
Here you can enable / disable and set the nominal voltage and current for each accent LED
channel. For the correct values, please check the datasheet of the LED you’re using.
Accent channels are designed to drive low power LEDs, but with the Onyx LED buck regulator
you can use the same accent channels to drive high power LEDs. You can find details about
wiring with Onyx in chapter 5.
If any accent channel is wired to an Onyx board instead of a low power LED, you should check
the corresponding “Onyx LED Buck” checkbox. In this situation there’s no need to specify
current and voltage: the maximum current is determined by the type of Onyx board used
(could be 0.7A or 1A) and the voltage is handled by the Onyx regulator.
Battery Monitor
The battery monitor is a built-in measurement unit that checks the charging level of your
batteries. Here you can enable / disable it and, if enabled, choose which accent channel should
be used to signal the charging state of the batteries.
There are two thresholds below which the battery monitor will signal the charging state:
♦Warning level –below this, the accent LED blinks slowly
♦Critical level –below this, the accent LED blinks fast

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♦The board configuration is not applied in real-time, you need to press the “Write” button.
♦The “Read” button reads the configuration from the board. Normally you don’t need to
use it, reading is done automatically when the board connects to the Launcher.
♦If you assign an accent LED to the battery monitor, you can no longer use that accent
channel for anything else.
♦The battery monitor is active even if your board is connected to the Launcher, so you can
prevent working with discharged batteries.
♦You can save the board configuration on your computer, in a .dcfg file, using the “Save
to file” button. This file will contain both the main settings and the board configuration.
When you load a .dcfg file, it will instantly program the main settings and the board
configuration.
♦If you load the default configuration using the “Load Defaults” button, you will change
both the main settings and the board configuration. Just like loading a .dcfg file, the “Load
Defaults” button instantly writes to the board.
Tips

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The express font wizard
The font wizard is the software module that allows you to change how your Diamond saber
looks and sounds. You can activate it using the “Font wizard” button from the “Diamond
Controller” tab.
You can run the font wizard in express or advanced mode. The express wizard is faster but
offers less choices, while the advanced wizard allows full customization but takes a little more
effort to configure.
You can switch between express and advanced wizard any time: if you’re in the express wizard
press the “Advanced wizard” button and when you’re in the advanced wizard press the
“Express wizard” button. The software will remember your preference so next time you run the
wizard, it will start in the same mode.
Express fonts are created from sound & light presets which are customized based on your color
preferences. Being based on presents means that you have less control over an express font
as compared to an advanced font (advanced fonts are covered in the next paragraph), but
creating an express font is an easy 4-step process.

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1. Select slot
The Diamond Controller can store up to 16
fonts in the internal memory, so there are
16 slots to choose from.
If you select a slot that is already used by
a font, it will be overwritten.
2. Select preset
You can choose any of the 9 font presets
which come as default on any Diamond
Controller. The preset that you select at
this step determines the sounds that your
saber will play with this font.
3. Select colors
The color of each effect can be customized using the
diamond-shaped control of the express font wizard. Each face
of the diamond corresponds to an effect, with the main blade
color in the middle.
A few more details about color customization on the next page…
4. Write
Press “Finish”. You will see an overview of the font that
was created based on your options.
Press “Write Effects”. This will write the new font on the
board.

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The express font wizard provides a visual overview of the entire font, with the color of each
effect displayed in a diamond-shaped control.
Clicking on any face of the diamond allows you to change the color, as well as to enable or
disable the sound and light, for the corresponding effect.
You can set the color of the effect using either the
color picker or the 4 sliders which control the
intensity of each LED channel. They’re linked.
The color preview on the computer is not 100%
accurate. Unlike computer screens, the LEDs used
in sabers have unbalanced intensities on their color
channels, so they mix in a different ratio on the
saber than on the computer screen. It is therefore a
good idea to preview the colors directly on the
saber, using the “Test Color”button. Color testing
works in real time, so as long as your saber is in test
mode, any color change you make in the Launcher
will instantly be applied to the saber.
Power On
Power Off
Swing
Lockup
Stab
Impact
Force
Spin
Idle Hum
Blade color
Tip
Color preview on the computer
Color preview on the saber