The light control button allows you to automate your train layout without needing a computer. It's compatible with all our traffic and level crossing lights.

The light control button can handle the following lights:

• train traffic lights
• level crossing lights

In order to send the correct instructions to the lights, the control buttons have to be configured for that specific device. The control buttons can be configured without the need of an external computer or programmer. The control buttons have two modes:

• Operational mode: in this mode you can use the buttons to control the motors in your layout.
• Configuration mode: in this mode you can change the configuration of your control button.

When you power up the control button it will always go into operational mode.

There are several types of control buttons. You can identify a servo control button by looking at the back panel. The light control buttons have:

• the part number 2.01.102 engraved on the left-hand side
• have an icon of a LED engraved on the right-hand side

This section explains how to assemble your control button system.

The control buttons are powered by a power brick. Make sure the power brick is switched off and slide the 5 pin connector of the control button into the 5 pin receptacle of the power brick. You can also power a control button by inserting its 5 pin connector into the 5 pin receptacle of another control button that is already powered. As such you can create a panel of control buttons all powered by the same power brick. You can combine light control buttons and servo control buttons, in any order you want, into one control panel.

Make sure the control buttons are not powered, i.e. the power brick needs to be switched off, when you connect the lights. Connect the cable of the light to the 3 pin connector at the back of the control button like shown on the image below; the brown wire should on the same side as the part number 2.01.102. You can use servo extension cables to move the light further away from the control button.

The control buttons connect to each other with 5 pin connectors. The base of the control buttons are fully anti-studded. So once they are connected you can secure the connection between the control buttons by adding LEGO® plates. The control buttons have a foot print of 8 x 8 studs.
The top of the control button is studded. You can customize it by added transparent 1x1 bricks or tiles (not provided) to change the color of the LEDs. You can cover the other studs with the custom tile that is provided with your control button. Alternatively you can use standard LEGO® tiles (not provided).

To power up the system, push the green button of the power brick. The LED of the power brick will immediately light up. The LED should be green. If the LED is red, shut down the system and consult the power brick manual on how to resolve the issue. The control buttons connected to the power brick will start up, one by one, in a random order. This is an intended behavior. Each control button executes a random delay between 0 and 1 second while starting up. That's to avoid that all control buttons power up at the same time and cause a peak in power consumption. At start up, all control buttons will go to their default state: the state defined by a left button click. Note that in case the control button is configured as a level crossing light no LEDs will light up at start up.

The control buttons have been programmed to handle a range of different lights. Before you can use your control button, it has to be configured for the light you want to use it for. It does not matter whether the light is connected to the control button or not. The selected settings are stored in the control button and will be reloaded the next time you switch the control button on.

To enter configuration mode, hold both buttons down for more than 1 second. When the control button enters configuration mode, both LEDs will rapidly flash 3 times. So hold both buttons down and release them when both LEDs start flashing. Each time the button changes mode or moves on to a next step of the configuration, both LEDs will flash 3 times. The table below gives an overview of the operations you can perform in configuration mode.

Button Click	Action
	Enter configuration mode
	Select next option
	Go to the next configuration step or Exit configuration after the last step is done

The first step of the configuration is to select the type of light you want to control.

• Power the control button up.
• Put the control button into configuration mode by pressing both buttons (left and right) for 5 seconds. When the control button enters configuration mode, both LEDs will blink three times.
• Press the left button to select the device you want to control. By pressing the left button you will cycle through the supported devices. The selected device is indicted by blink sequences of the LEDs. The blink sequences have the following meaning:
  
  

  Left LED	Right LED	Motor Type
  		Train Traffic Light
  		Level Crossing Light - Anti-Phase (Both LEDs will blink in an alternating way)
  		Level Crossing Light - In-Phase (Both LEDs will blink in the same way)
  		Push button
  		Toggle button

  
  
• Store the selected device by pressing the right button for 2 seconds. When your selection is stored, both LEDs will blink 3 times.
• If you selected the traffic light, pushbutton or toggle button as device, the configuration is done and you will return to operational mode. When the control button enters the operational both LEDs will blink three times.
• If you selected the level crossing light you will enter the next step of the configuration: Blinking rate Both LEDs will blink three times to indicate you have moved on to the next step of the configuration.



Light Type	Advaced Configuration
Train Traffic Light
Level Crossing Light - Anti-Phase	Blinking rate
Level Crossing Light - In-Phase	Blinking rate
Push button
Toggle button

By changing the blinking rate you can make the lights blink faster or slower.

• There are 6 levels of blinking rate, each level is indicated by blink sequences of the LEDs. You can cycle though these 6 levels by pressing the left button.
  
  

  Left LED	Right LED	Blinking rate
  		Very fast: 50ms interval
  		Medium Fast: 100ms interval
  		Fast: 150ms interval
  		Slow: 200ms interval
  		Medium Slow: 300ms interval
  		Very Slow: 400ms interval

  
  
• When you have selected the desired blink rate, hold the right button down for 2 seconds. The control buttons will store the configuration, both LEDs will flash 3 times and the control button will return to operational modes.

These control buttons are not mechanical switches like the 12V LEGO® controls from the eighties. They contain a microcontroller and can thus be used in a multi-functional way. There are two ways to control the behavior of the button:

• the device for which the button is configured
• the time you hold the button down when pressing it

Whey click a button it will send the instruction to the l on the moment you release the button. The instruction that is sent depends on the time you held the button down. The buttons can execute three different operations:

• holding the button down less than ½ second, i.e. just tap the button
• holding the button down longer than ½ second but less then 1 second
• holding the button down longer than 1 second

In this manual, these 3 operations are represented by the following icons: The operation the button performs also depends on the configuration. This section provides an overview on how to operate the control button.

If the control button is configured for train traffic lights, the light will respond as follows:

Button Click	Response

If the control button is configured for anti-phase level crossing lights, the light will respond as follows:

Button Click	Response

If the control button is configured for in-phase level crossing lights, the light will respond as show below. Note that this configuration is very similar to the one of anti-phase level crossing lights. The main difference is the way the lights blink when you click the right button. This configuration just makes it easier to have the lights blink the same way.

Button Click	Response

This mode has been added for future applications. It does not actuate the motor, it just generate a signal indicating the button has been pressed. If the buttons are connected to a computer running nControl the computer can detect the button press and respond accordingly.

This mode has been added for future applications. It does not actuate the motor, it just generate a signal indicating the button has been pressed. If the buttons are connected to a computer running nControl the computer can detect the button press and respond accordingly.