SkullTroniX (tm) Support

SkullTroniX

SkullTroniX READ ME FIRST!

STOP! Don’t plug ANYTHING in until your PC has the software properly installed.

First a few warnings about servos: These tiny little computer controlled motors move your skull around. They are notoriously sensitive to abuse. Your SkullTroniX must be free to move. Don’t load it down with hats, block the movement with clothing or otherwise obstruct the movement. Do not connect the power to your SkullTroniX until you have followed the setup instructions below. Unplug the power to the SkullTroniX whenever you aren’t using it. The servos are working whenever the power is on, not just when the skull is moving.

Don’t carry the skull by the neck! Before proceeding mount the SkullTroniX to a vertical 5/16” steel shaft or bolt using the set screw on the bottom of the neck. Do not loosen the top set screw of the neck except when disassembling the SkullTroniX for repair.

Servos in the SkullTroniX are limited in their motion by settings in VSA. These settings are vital to preventing the servos from binding against physical barriers inside the skull, which would cause the servos to burn out. You must respect these limits for every VSA routine that you use. If you want to create a new VSA routine start by making a copy of the SkullTroniX template routine, then add your own sound file and animation to it. All of the SkullTronix animation routines already have the appropriate limits for YOUR SkullTroniX unit built into it. Please don’t modify the min/max settings!

Jaw warning! If you create your own routines please don’t try to make the jaw open when the head is tilted fully forward. You will be forcing the jaw servo to push the jaw against the neck bone, which will burn out both the jaw servo and the nod servo.

Let’s get started:

1: Mount your SkullTroniX on a 5/16” rod using the bottom set screw on the neck. Never loosen the top set screw unless you are repairing the servos.. To mount the SkullTroniX on a Bucky Skeleton: remove the Bucky skull and all the skeleton neck bones down to the shoulder. Cut the skeleton’s steel shaft off 2” above the shoulders. Drill a hole through the skeleton shaft at the shoulder, slip a washer over the shaft to keep the skeleton from falling apart and put a cotter pin, nail or similar pin through the hole to keep the washer in place. You could also use a 5/16” collar with set screws. Now slip the SkullTroniX over the skeleton shaft and secure with the bottom set screw. Important note: The shaft MUST be vertical. The SkullTroniX will not work properly if the shaft is leaning.

2: Run the wires such that they do not bind on anything. Tension on the wires is bad..

3: Install the VSA software from the CD. DON’T RUN IT!

4: Put the SkullTroniX CD in the drive. Now plug in the SkullTroniX USB cable. When you do this the first time you will invoke Window’s “Found New Hardware” installer. When asked to locate the driver for the new device tell the installer to look on the CD. After the installation you will need to restart. You may be asked a second time to install the driver. Do it again and then restart again (stupid pcs).

Now you are ready to use your new hardware..

5: Copy the sound files and VSA files from the enclosed “SkullTroniX Animation Routines” CD to your desktop.

6: Double click on the SkullTroniX Template routine that you copied from the CD earlier. Press the F3 key to bring up the SETTINGS window.
Click on the “Port Settings” tab and set the speed of every COM port to 38400. Close the window.
You will now be looking at the list of servos from channel 0 through 11 for the SkullTroniX and lower down in channels 43 to 81 are the DMX light channels. For setup simplicity click on the checkboxes next to the DMX lights to turn them off. We’ll workj on them later.
In the servo channels (0-11) uncheck all the ports except the eye lights. We’ll test the communications on the eye lights first to make sure the SkullTroniX is set to the correct COM port.

In the eye light channel the port will most likely be set to NONE. Click on the port channel to see what COM ports are available on your system. It varies by system because Windows sucks. The COM port you will want oto use is usually the very lowest COM port on the list. (do not select Enttec).

Choose the lowest COM port. Now close the window and save the file. Next hit the Return/Enter key to start the animation. You will see either and error message saying the communications port could not be opened or you will see the progress line march across the screen at the same time the eye lights flash colors.

If the eye lights change colors you have found the correct COM port. You can now hit F3 to return to the SETTINGS window and set the rest of the servos to the same COM port you used for the eye lights. Check the boxes next to the servos, including the Power channel. Close the window, save the changes. Hook up the power cord and press the return/enter key to run the test animation. If all goes well the skull will start moving around. You can now make the same changes to port settings for your other SkullTroniX routines and save them.

If you got the communications error we mentioned earlier you have selected the wrong COM port. This is trial and error. Quit VSA (it won’t clear the error unless you do). Load the template routine again and try a different COM port for the eye lights and run the routine again. Repeat this process for each COM port until you find the one that works.

7. Plug the USB-DMX interface into your PCs USB port. Hit F3 to bring up the SETTINGS window. Now scroll down to the DMX light channels labeled PAR 83 and set the ports to the lowest Enttec port on the list. This is another trial and error method. Close the window, save the changes and run the routine. The DMX lights should change color. If so, make the same port changes to your other SkullTroniX routines and save them. If you get the Communications error quit VSA, run the template again and try the other Enttec port.

DMX note: If you have not purchased the USB-DMX interface be sure to turn off the light channels before running the VSA routines. To do this, load the animation routine in VSA and then press the F3 key to bring up the SETTINGS window. Scroll down to the higher numbered channels and uncheck the light channels.

8. When done, unplug the power to the SkullTroniX

Problems? First, unplug the USB cable, restart the computer, plug the USB cable back in and start the process above once more. If that doesn’t work - Call Jerry Jewell at 916 600-2295 between the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday – Friday, Or email info@skulltronix.com

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Jerry Jewell
Owner, SkullTroniX
916 600-2295