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Troubleshooting
Operating Manual
Getting Familiar
PicoVolt
Sizing your Power Supply
Your PicoVolt does not include a power supply as
the size required will vary depending on what it’s
used to control.
If you are using the PicoVolt with a motor, a 12V
5A power supply is generally used. If it’s used for
lighting, add up the current (or watts) required by
all the lights/LEDs and select a power supply that
can handle the load.
Power can be supplied via the barrel connector
or the terminal block. They are connected
internally.
Recording Animation
NOTE: If at any point you want to start from scratch, see Operating Modes for details on how to Factory Reset.
The LED is blinking yellow and the PicoVolt won’t trigger.
The PicoVolt is currently ignoring the trigger. It does this at startup to allow a PIR motion sensor to warm up, or
anytime a triggered scene is cancelled by pressing the button. It will resume normal operation shortly.
Recording won’t start.
Write protection is enabled. See Operating Modes for instructions on disabling the write-protect.
Motor stops for a few seconds and PicoVolt resets.
The power supply has likely seen a surge and reset. Try making smoother transitions from one direction to another.
Motor/Lights turn off, PicoVolt LED blinks red.
The PicoVolt overheated, the power supply voltage dropped too low (power supply might be too small), or the output
was shorted. The PicoVolt will automatically clear the fault within 15 seconds.
MOTOR SPEED / DIRECTION
OR LIGHT BRIGHTNESS WHEEL
DC MOTOR / LIGHT
TERMINAL BLOCK
REC / PLAY BUTTON
POWER
CONNECTOR
TRIGGER INPUTS
If you just need the PicoVolt to keep a motor running at a constant speed, or a light at a constant brightness, then
you don’t need to record animation. Simply move the wheel until your motor or light is where you want it and leave
it there. If you would like to record some motor animation or lighting effects that can be triggered by a sensor or
constantly looped, follow the steps below.
Recording Animation
Motor Speed /
Direction or
Brightness Wheel
CONNECTIONS AND CONTROLS
Power
Rec. / Play Button
Trigger
Terminal Block
Motor / Light
Terminal Block
When the PicoVolt is used with a DC motor, this wheel controls the speed and direction of
the Motor. When the PicoVolt is connected to DC Lights or LEDs, this wheel will control
the brightness.
If you’re using a trigger to start your animation, or a jumper to loop it, that will connect
here. Your power supply can be connected to the -/+ of this screw-down terminal block if
it’s more convenient than the barrel connector.
Your power supply should plug in here. The connector is a center-positive 2.1mm barrel
connector.
The motor or lights being controlled must connect to this screw-down terminal block.
Tap this button to play your animation, hold it to start recording.
SET STARTING
SPEED
Animate the Motor or Adjust Light Brightness
Use the wheel to animate the motor or create your
lighting effect. If you’re using a motor, any
combination of speed and direction can be recorded.
Avoid quick direction changes. This can overload the
power supply causing it to reset and interrupt
recording. You can record up to 66 seconds of
animation.
4
Stop Recording
Tap the button when you’re finished recording. If you’d like
to try again simply go back to step 1.
If you’re using one of the parking modes, do not try to stop
the motor at the park position. Set the motor at the speed
you’d like it to be at as it returns to the park position. Stop
recording BEFORE the motor reaches the park position.
The PicoVolt will keep the motor at the last set speed and
stop it automatically.
5
BLINKING
Set the Starting Speed/Brightness
Once the LED starts blinking red you
can set your motor’s starting speed or
starting brightness level. Note that if
you are in one of the Park modes there
will be no movement at this step.
2
Start Recording
Let go of the button, the LED
should stop flashing.
3
LET GO
Hold the Button
1
HOLD
KEEP HOLDING
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SET AMBIENT SPEED
OR BRIGHTNESS
Set the Ambient Speed/Brightness
If before your animation starts you’d
like the motor to be moving at a
particular speed, or the lights to be at
a particular brightness, set that now
using the wheel.
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SPEED
(BRIGHTNESS)
WWW.FRIGHTIDEAS.COM
PicoVolt
DC MOTOR AND
LIGHT CONTROLLER
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MOTOR
(LIGHTS)
IN
TRIGGER
+
-
P
+
-
PWR
+
-
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TAP
Start Playback
Tap the button or trigger the
input to start playback.
1
2
3
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TAP TO PLAY
Stop Playback
You can let the animation play
to the end, or stop it early by
tapping the button again.
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TAP TO STOP
ANIMATE
Playing the Animation
