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Installation and Users Guide

1. To select which game you want to edit select the game color here To help with the time it takes to maintain custom names for every player for every game You can use the Copy button to copy the vest names to any of the 6 scheduled games It is STRONGLY recommended that you not use the Allow Game Colors feature The nature of a busy dynamic laser tag center causes too much chaos when you try to queue up the names and colors of the phasers in advance The Send Names Now button is used if you want the radio to send the names immediately instead of waiting until the Start button is pushed In addition you can make things easier but not as much fun for the customer by unchecking the Allow Game Colors checkbox If this is unchecked then the computer will use the same list of phaser names for every game and the whole idea of color coded games becomes a way to manage token sales and collection only If the game you have selected assigns roles by color then if you change the color of the vest it will also change its role If the game you have selected assigns its roles by vest number then you can use this screen to do a final selection of the role prior to starting the game 47 Phaser 1 RG After selecting the game and vest you want to edit simply type in the new vest name and select which team you want them to play on You may also check a Special Action for this vest v Birthday Perso
2. Power a Power Speakers Police Beacon i L i oud Blue l tel Strobe Blue EG Mission Briefing Room Opto lsolator Black IR Floodlight i Computer 3 VG THE CONTROL COMPUTER Scanner Serial Port Blue USB Vite A 0 T LCD Monitor 0 Serial Adapter 1 Power g Printer d Power The Control Computer Unpack and arrange the HyperBlast control computer on the counter The control computer is typically located very close to the cash register or managers work area or main customer counter Some arenas with mature referees prefer to locate the control computer near the vesting room to make it easier to change game settings although this convenience can create problems with less mature referees If you are using a dual arena system you must select a location for both control computers Your LaserBlast control computer was preloaded with software and pretested so that all you have to do is place it on a shelf or counter and plug in the following cables Q Printer Cable Most systems use a USB cable to connect to the printer Follow the instructions from the printer manufacturer Printer Power Cord Plug the printer power cord or printer power supply into a NON BATTERY BACKED outlet on the UPS Uninterruptible power supply Keyboard The keyboard plugs into the connector on the rear of the computer with the keyboard icon on it or in the case of USB ke
3. exploded Click this button to select the sound to be played when the MegaBlaster is de activated COHYPERB 1 Sounds EXPLOSS WAV Dea Exploded Flag Captured Flag Returned Sound played when a base has been captured and returned Click this button to select the sound to be played when the MegaBlaster explodes Select the base that you want to edit Volume Corro inn Wav Volume You can adjust the relative balance between the MP3 s and the base announcements using this volume control 44 Sound Control Time Triggered Microblasters Bases Megablasters Game Sound Selection Turnover Timer Announcements fe HY PERB 1 Sounds STARTO 1 WAY 941 k HYPERB 1 tooundsENDOFG 1 WAY xl le HYPERB 1 Sounds BANGBOOM WAY V Enable Announcements Change Voice H Michael Custom Sound 1 Minutes before game end 0 disabled Open Sound CoH YPERB 1 Sounds Boing way J warning you have only a fevy minutes left Hear Message Custom Sound 2 Minutes before game end 0 disabled Open Sound le HYPERB1 Sounds 44imag way i 7 Get the Megablaster Hear Message Custom Sound 3 Minutes before game end 0 disabled Open Sound CHYPERE 1 Sounds Ricochet wav AeA eRe AEAEE Ne REAR SE ot eae eee J DaNGER DANGER No running in the arena Volume Control Wav Volume SOUND CONTROL SETUP SCREEN Time Triggered This
4. BB Rabbit of the Arena El k E f abbit Inactivity Time Seconds Team Play Individual Play Capture the Flag E Delete the selected game Save the settings using the selected Game Name Enter the Edit Roles Screen Exit this screen without saving the settings Save the settings using a new name Save the settings using the This button restores all of the game and selected Game Name and close role files to their original as shipped this window state Caution there are no backups The function of all of the settings is fully described on the next page 29 Game Options The following game setup options affect all of the vests and therefore are configured as part of the game setup screen Other aspects of the game can vary depending on the vest or the role These are covered under the Role Editor section This portion of this screen allows you to adjust the following Q Game Time This is the length of the game in minutes You can override the game time on the main screen for 1 game This affects the game time for the next game that starts You can also change the game time once you have started the vests by clicking on the and signs next to Time Remaining Game Type This section of the screen allows you to select the basic scoring method These are described below a Team Play vs Individual Play The only difference between
5. Basic Caring for the HyperBlast System The HyperBlast system was designed to require an absolute minimum of care and maintenance The following is recommended Clean the outside of the plastics once every 6 months with Windex for the best IR info exchange A light spray and wipe down keeps the range up on the vests Do not use any organic solvents stronger than isopropyl alcohol or you will weaken or destroy the polycarbonate cases 2 Check the chest back and shoulder plastics for loose screws every 2 weeks The equipment is used in a very rough environment and the screws become loose even with lock washers installed and custom locking screws Tightening or replacing a missing screw prevents equipment failure Clean off the dust and dirt once every 3 months where you keep the battery chargers Blow off any dust on the cooling fan of the battery charger Shut down the computer properly using the proper windows shutdown sequence Turning off the p propertly g the prop q g power without shutting down the windows operating system may corrupt the hard drive 4 When not in use clip the phaser to the vest drop strap clip Do not modify the configuration of the LaserBlast computer Things such as using the LaserBlast screen as wallpaper or disabling the hard drives in the CMOS setup screens cause downtime and lost revenue Even some screensavers have ended up being the cause of system malfunctions We recommend keeping the system compute
6. Deac This setting controls how many stuns phaser and shoulder hits are needed to cause the vest to deactivate For example if this is set to 3 the stun time is set to 1 second and the deactivation time to 10 seconds then the first 2 times a person is tagged in the shoulder they will be out for 1 second The 3 time they get tagged in the shoulder they will be out for the full 10 seconds If you look carefully at the chest LED s you can tell your relative health by how many LED s are chasing each other If you only have 1 LED chasing itself then the next hit to your phaser or shoulder will cause a full deactivation Lives Allowed If you are using an elimination game format described below this setting controls how many times you can be hit before the game is over for you If elimination is not checked then this setting does not matter AntiStalker This feature is used to prevent people from timing their shots so that you keep being hit immediately after your vest become active If you check this box the player has about 2 of a second advantage where they can fire but they can t be hit This keeps older kids from picking on younger kids Recommended that you always keep this enabled Limited Consecutive Hits This feature enables a special game format that works like this vA person is can only tag another person a limited number of times in a row For example if the setting is set to 3 then one person can only
7. RJ12 RS485 output jacks When planning your target locations and daisy chain wiring diagram you should plan on a maximum of 8 targets on a chain preferably fewer If you have a short daisy chain lt 75 feet 8 targets is fine If the chain is gt 100 feet you should keep it to 7 and if the chain is gt 200 feet you should keep it to 6 17 Each microblaster is programmed with a unique ID written on the side If a target ever needs to be replaced you must make sure to replace with one that has the same ID as the one that was removed 1 Create all of the daisy chain connections betwen the targets Label the wire used to go from the first target on the chain RUN 1 on both sides The next chain should be labeled RUN 2 etc 2 Make a 6 wire cable from the RJ12 connector labeled Opto PC to the Opto Isolator Label the wire TO PC on the controller side and MICROB on the Opto Isolator side Plug the MICROB side into the RJ12 jack on the OPTO Isolator After all the wires are connected you can power on the controller and the system will do some self tests These tests are a little confusing so we will explain Each target has its own self test when it is powered on It will flash the LED s and display it s ID in binary for about 1 second If it does this that does NOT mean that the data wires are good It only means that at least one of the two 12V and two Ground wires are good The controller
8. and the computer will push the FINISH button for you 7 The score sheets will print automatically if enabled or click on PRINT ALL SCORES if automatic printing is not enabled That s all you have to do to play games with the HyperBlast System 23 Chapter The Software Bells and Whistles This section of the manual describes the software operation in detail The HyperBlast system allows a lot of flexibility but most of our customers rarely change the settings once they are set the way they want them MAIN SCREEN Most of the functions you need can be accessed from the main screen a START BUTTON This button will send the signal to start the game Clicking this button will do the exact same thing as pushing the yellow wall mounted Start Button Pak Status System Setup Reporting Game Setup Phaser Names Owner 0 Reports Last Game JOIN BUTTON Push this button if you want to add players to a game that is already in progress Any player added will end the game at the same time as everybody who is already in the game Current Game Radio Status View 3 Scores Turnover Time Game Time Remaining Com TeamGame ete AGU TeamGame XCar uote i After you have verified that all players have exited the arena and none of the vests have their yellow LED lit push this button The computer will tally the final scores ABORT BUTTON Push this button
9. does its own self test when it is powered on The LED s will flash and then go out while the controller waits for the targets to finish their self test and go out Once the targets go out the controller tries to communicate with each target and build of table of which targets are installed While it is doing this it tells all of the targets to go on for 2 seconds and then back off If you see a target finish its self test go off then go on for 2 seconds and then go back off that means that the controller the target and the wires connecting them are good There is another way to verify all of the targets are wired correctly and working Go to the System Setup screen and select MicroBlaster Status The following screen will be displayed FF Inquire 8 oo mt 2 E OEL u E E 6 m CE m o N CE nm as an um E N 7 L E E Sass Push the Inquire button and wait for the test to be complete If the microblaster is plugged in and working properly the checkbox in this screen will be checked 18 Installation of the HyperBlast Software Minimum PC Requirements The LaserBlast software requires a dedicated computer with at least 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 8 Ghz processor 1 RS232 serial port for the scanner 1 RS232 serial port for the RF Master Base 1 RS232 serial port for membership if membership is desired 1 RS232 serial port for MicroBlasters if using this opt
10. on the pin turns on Green LED 1 56 Green LED 0 A high on the pin turns on Green LED 0 57 Trigger This pin is pulled high when there is no trigger switch attached or when the trigger is not pulled Pulling the trigger switch should make this pin go low 58 IR_IN This is the gated sum of all three IR sensors If any of the IR sensor outputs are low this pin should be low 59 WE Write Enable Low to the Flash Memory chip 60 NC No Connect 61 OE Output Enable Low to the Flash Memory chip 62 NC No Connect 63 AD7 Sound Address 7 64 AD6 Sound Addtess 6 65 AD5 Sound Address 5 66 AD4 Sound Address 4 67 AD3 Sound Addtess 3 68 AD2 Sound Addtess 2 69 AD1 Sound Address 1 70 VSS 5 Volts 71 VDD Ground 72 ADO Sound Address 0 73 AD15 Sound Address 15 74 AD14 Sound Address 14 63 75 AD13 Sound Address 13 76 AD12 Sound Address 12 77 AD11 Sound Address 11 78 AD10 Sound Address 10 79 A16 Sound Address 16 80 A17 Sound Address 17 64 The Phaser Chest Connector JP2 on Phaser RX from Chest 2 Black TX to Chest The Phaser Chest Connector JP1 on Chest The Chest Back Connector JP4 on Chest ao pe 5o Bases S eo Deaan SSS 7o eenaa SSS e Daoa SS 65 The Chest Left Shoulder Connector JP2 on Chest 30 Growd S O 5 Shoulder IR Sensor SSS fs ream OOOO Ground SSS Beo Ceen O The Chest Right Shoulder Connector JP3 on Chest ea Gond S
11. plugged in 3 Check the crimp pin is in the connector and that the crimp looks good 4 Check the speaker for puncture and or damage May need to replace speaker 57 NO PHOTONS OR SHIELDS 1 2 3 Check that you do not have shields and photons on the computer set to 0 Check that the option switch is plugged in Check that the options switch wires are not damaged and the crimp pins are in the connector and the crimp looks good 4 Ifnone these fixes the problem you have a broken option switch SAFETY SENSOR NOT WORKING SHOOTS BUT NOT TAGGING OTHER VESTS NOT SHOOTING NO SOUND LASER OR SHOTS ON THE LCD 1 2 AeN gt l 2 3 Check that there is no tape or gum or residue on the sensor Check that Use Heat Sensor is checked on Game Setup Screen Check that the IR Tube is not blocked with debris at the front of the phaser Check that the IR Tube is plugged in all the way the wires are not damaged The IR DIODE may have failed The Friendly Fire checkbox is unchecked in the game setup screen Check that the Trigger is setting on top of the switch lever in phaser handle Check that the Trigger spring is not broken Trigger will not bounce back after being pulled Check that the Switch wire is not broken and the switch is plugged in to board completely and that the crimp is good and the crimp is completely seating in the connector housing 58 HARDWARE PIN_OUTS Some of our customers prefer t
12. the inside Be very careful about getting the right cable on the right connector and oriented the right way The connectors are labeled and marked Pin 1 is identified on the ribbon cable by the red wire and on the circuit board by the word PIN 1 15 It is very common for installers to connect these ribbon wires wrong either backwards or one row off or one pin off Get a flashlight and double check that these ribbon cables are connected properly Route the 2 ribbon cables out of the side of the radio module in the notch provided and close the covet Do not pinch the ribbon cables Make sure that they are in the notches before tightening the screws of the cover 4 Mount the radio module to the base surface using the 2 brackets on the sides 5 Plug the power connector from the metal relay box into a 110VAC source or the transformer for 220VAC systems 6 Mount the police beacon and strobe and plug them into the metal relay box Make sure the strobe speed control is adjusted as desired on the back of the strobe 7 Mount the speakers and plug them into a 110VAC source or the transformer for 220VAC systems 8 Plug the 1 8 audio plug into the audio jack on the radio module 9 Make a 6 wire connection from the RJ12 jack labeled Opto PC to any of the RJ12 jacks on the opto isolator located at the PC Label this wire PC on this end and RADIO on the PC end 10 Plug the external 12VDC Power supply 110 220 autosw
13. to abort a game in progress 24 Team Scores This section displays the Team Total Scores Turnover Time This displays the amount of time that has elapsed since the end of the previous game It is useful to know when the referees need to speed things along in ees seee Senay ENSUED TEESESTNSWrSrrT Trrreaiitt Pak Status ee Reporting 0 The amount of time remaining in the game urrent Game Uwner 0 Reports Last Game Game Time Remaining Q mI a ag Tl s 7 Dar LAL Exit BUTTON Press this button to exit the Hyperblast program Game Time Remaining t Turnover Time T emca O NOoacturee TeamGame f B Nert Game Color Lia Next Game Time 1 Current and Next Game The next game time can be set in the game setup screen but it can also be overwritten for one game here on the main screen and the next game Next Game Color This button selects the next set of names and teams The next color in the sequence will automatically be selected when a game is completed but this button allows you to override and select the next color manually 25 Displays the names of the current game Paks Reporting The number of Paks that are currently in radio contact Current Game The number of Paks that are currently playing the game A Pak will report that it is in the game after the trigger is pulled for the
14. 28 Chest Sensors Input Normally high when no IR present The Phaser MicroProcessor Pinout is listed below Pin Name Function Comments 1 A18 Sound Address 18 2 Safety_In Reads the amount of light coming back from the safety sensor A strong reflection hand present should put low voltage on this pin No hand present should put a 5 signal on this pin The Safety Sensor Power pin 24 must be high in order for this sensor to function properly 3 AD9 Sound Address 9 4 AD8 Sound Address 8 5 Main IR Output Feeds a 10 Amp HEXFET switch to turn the narrow beam main IR LED on or off at 40 Khz A high on this pin turns the LED on a low turns it off 6 TX2 This is the serial output pin to the RF module It operates at 57600 baud 7 RX2 This is the serial input from the RF module 8 VOLUME This is a PWM output that sets the audio volume It is under software control 9 RESET _ This active low reset line is pulled high with a 10K resistor A low on this pin during power up resets the processor 10 RF_SLEEP A high on this pin puts the RF module to sleep to save battery draw 11 GND Battery Ground 12 VSS 5 volts 13 Laser Feeds a 2N3904 transistor switch that turns the laser on or off A low on this pin means laser off A high means laset on 14 LCD Data0 These are outputs from the main micro to the LCD module 15 LCD Datal These are outputs from the
15. 5 35 57 PM SCORE SHEET MESSAGE The HyperBlast system allows you to add a message to every score sheet You can use this for a Happy Birthday message or to announce specials contests or any other message Make sure you select a color first ot the message may not be visible white Score Sheet Message Enter Promotional Message fs is a test promotional message Pick Color Pick Color Save Cancel 42 MUSIC MP3 SETUP SCREEN The HyperBlast system utilizes the Winamp MP3 player software The HyperBlast system allows you to create and edit playlists of your MP3 software It also allows you to adjust the volume and balance of the MP3 audio stream Winamp has a funny quirk regarding it s Shuffle property It always plays the first song in the playlist first regardless of whether shuffle is selected We use a workaround We created a very short MP3 file called SHORT MP3 If you put this as the first song in every playlist you will not even hear it play and the remaining songs in the list will be shuffled Music Licensing LaserBlast does not provide any licensed music with the system It is your responsibility to obtain the proper licenses to play any music in your facility Delete an existing playlist Select an existing playlist Run the selected playlist HS SESS zl OL OS DREPE STEFE EEErE EFESE E ETErEETi isc EFESE Status STOPPED Music Contr Create a new playlist R
16. Each of the bases is capable of driving 2 BetaBrite scrolling signs for displaying realtime scores in the arena or the lobby BASE IDS Each base is built at the LaserBlast factory with a unique ID 1 2 or 3 The RF Master is always ID 1 and should be located in a central location in the arena If there is a preferred base location close to the vesting room that is still somewhat centralized then this is the ideal location for the RF Master base Any base ID can be set up to be any color by plugging in the appropriate Cool Blinky Light CBL module and changing the settings in the HyperBlast software Assemble and mount the RF Master base as follows 1 Mount the Cool Blinky Light CBL module This is the module that has 8 flashing lights and the IR sensor A dual arena system requires that the RF Master base use the RED CBL Other systems can assign any color to the RF Master base ID1 Make sure that the ribbon cable from the CBL can reach the radio module connector on the inside of the radio module 2 Mount the metal relay box Make sure that the power cord for the metal box can reach the AC outlet for 110VAC systems or the transformer for 220VAC systems Also make sure that the ribbon cable from the relay box can reach the radio module connector on the inside of the radio module 3 Open the black radio module ID 1 The ID is on a label on the outside Connect the ribbon wire from the relay box and the CBL to the 2 connectors on
17. O 5 Shoulder IR Sensor O eo feam K e SSS Beo Cee oS VEST PHASER FIRMWARE POWER ON SELF TESTS POST If you know the proper power up sequence of the vests you can isolate a lot of problems By observing which power up activities were completed you know where the failure is The following sequence represents a properly functioning vest If the vest does not execute this sequence then the step before is the likely cause The power on self test only helps if there is 5 volts making it to the phaser and chest microprocessors If the LED s on the phaser and chest blink when you put the battery in then power is OK and you may skip the power debugging steps Here are the easiest steps to verify the power is getting where it belongs POWER VERIFICATION 1 Put the black lead of a voltmeter on the green wire Pin 4 of the chest phaser connector JP1 on the chest 66 2 Verify that there is between 7 5 and 10 3 volts on the white pin Pin 3 of JP1 If this voltage is OK then you have verified the battery connections inside the battery the fuse inside the battery the fuse in the vest and the chest to back cable If there is a short from 5 to ground anywhere on any of the circuit boards the fuses in the battery and on the vest will automatically melt and you will get only about 0 1 volts on this pin Disconnect the phaser and shoulder circuit boards by unplugging them 1 at a time from the chest until the battery voltage is seen
18. OUR XBEEPRO The HyperBlast system complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions i this device may not cause harmful interference and ii this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation BWARNING RF Exposure To satisfy FCC RF exposure requirements for mobile transmitting devices a separation distance of 20 cm or more should be maintained between the antenna of this device and persons during device operation To ensure compliance operations at closer than this distance is not recommended Battery Safety Please read and follow the following handling instructions Improper use of the batteries may cause heat fire explosion damage or capacity deterioration of the battery eDANGER 1 Do not let leaked electrolyte come into contact with the eyes or skin In such a case immediately wash the area of contact with clean water and seek help from a doctor If not treated quickly prolonged contact may cause serious injury 2 Do not put the battery into a fire Do not use it or leave it in a place near fire heaters or high temperature sources In such a case the insulator in the battery may be melted the safety vent and structure may be damaged or the electrolyte may catch fire all of which may cause heat generation explosion or fire 3 Do not use charge or leave the battery near fire or in a car under the blazi
19. S Clear Sound In Game 3 AN4 CAHYPERB 2 Sounds WWAKEUP 1 v Clear Sound Game Over 1 AN5 CAHYPERB 2 Sounds TALKN WAY Clear Sound Game Over 2 AN6 CAHYPERB 2 Sounds QOPEN WAY Clear Sound Volume Control Password Way Volume m a If you are lucky enough to have an Operator Interface Panel OIP in your vesting room your referee can push a button and have pre recorded announcements or sounds played over the arena This screen is where you select these sounds 46 PHASER NAMES AND COLORS The HyperBlast system allows you to assign phaser names and team colors up to 6 games in advance This allows you to let each customer use any name they wish The drawback to this is that it takes employee time to enter in the names and pick the team colors in advance Your other choice is to choose cool names save them to all of the game colors and then also save them on the hard drive and in permanent memory in the phasers To change the name or team color of this vest click on this button Phaser Names and Colors Game Displayed To select which game you want to edit select the game color here Once you have typed in your favorite names you can click this button and all of the vests that have batteries in them will have these names and team colors stored in them These will be the names and team colors that will show up when the battery is first installed in the vest
20. TA AAE EAA sects AA EE EAE IAA FEAE PAT AEN FETAN ARTA ten esp OVATE EREA SCORE SHEELSETUP SCREEN ini anena NS oa ia S EEN aS S EKES E EAA E Eaa S AA SEAS S ENEA SES AA EEEE AE AE EA A EAAS 36 BLANK SCORESHEET LANDSCAPE FORMAT OWNER REPORTS SCREEN GAMES REPORT SCREEN y SCORE SHEEEMESSAGE mios rrearen r rere EES AEREE EEEN Ee ERa AER EAEE AEREE EES AERO na ules cues teesseanblacips touauses clas EE E quemateuenaee 42 MUSIC MP3 SETUP SCREEN 008 ee 43 SOUND CONTROL SETUP SCREEN BASES SOUND CONTROL SETUP SCREEN BASES SOUND CONTROL SETUP SCREEN TIME TRIGGERED PHASER NAMES AND COLORS ceceeceseseeteeteeteenee ee RADIO STATUS SCREEN 2 149 VIEW SCORES SCREEN BATTERY MONITOR SCREEN RADIO COLOR TES Tor cess A E E EATE TAS E van Cada bac d a eeu ce ds ETES d dee Was kde Gack E Gade daa ETA otde baa Sitka 52 TROUBLE SHOOTING AND SYSTEM REPAUIR bi iccscccsssssscsssovscsessssacsessesassoctsesdsecsesnesessevecessorsecssscsseasssnsosaconstenesescsesssescsvesssscssesacsasseanscaaseasssastensste 53 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS HARDWARE TROUBLESHOOTING HARDWARE PIN OUTS The 13 IR Sensors The Phaser Chest Connector JP1 on Chest The Chest Back Connector JP4 on Chest The Chesi Left Shoulder Connector JPZ on Chest ics cesh sed ssa reves E na case be sodas ta Saeed ase carats isdah det eee a aw ieeise a Meise A The Chest Right Shoulder Conn
21. The Referee ee Switch Towards Rear SwitchTowards Front IDLE Mode Playing Game Mode Aim directly at shoulders and hold for 3 seconds to start a default 15 minute game This is useful if you have a power failure or computer failure Aim at any sensor and the player will get a 40 second penalty If you want to terminate the player aim the terminator at their PHASER sensors during the 40 second penalty and pull the trigger without your hand on the sensor 22 Aim at the phaser and pull the trigger to change the color of the vest Keep pulling the trigger until the vest is the color you want This is only applicable if you are not using the radio based computer This causes a vest to be Stunned It is a warning shot that causes the player to be out for the Stun Time Set by the computer 7 EASY STEPS TO PLAYING A GAME To play a game with the HyperBlast System following these steps 7 EASY STEPS 1 Plug a battery into each vest and place it into the pouch 2 Change the color of any vests if you like using the Phaser Names Screen 3 Provide instructions to the players and push the START button on the scanner or click on START on the main screen 4 Monitor the game play for rules violations 5 When the game is over assist players with hanging up their vests 6 When everyone has scanned in press the FINISH button on the computer screen or wait for 25 seconds
22. VASER OEHOI ADVANCED AVIONICS INC Installation and Users Guide wrerBilast Role Playing Edition V2 1 21 2003 2010 Advanced Avionics Inc All Rights Reserved 6118 Gotfredson Plymouth MI 48170 Phone 734 332 0256 Fax 734 418 2017 Updated December 17 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABER OF ICONTENTS si2s2Aeiscecssisd ins a a a sa istestssidsanieeiessescesse duets saasyde sdevsbdcsuevsagaadeesguecaasninasdeusidesuessaeasessvaueseueauepenats EES 2 WARRANTY AND WARNING cscssssssssscsssssssvssscssscesssssssssssesssesessssessesssssssssesessessassssessesssssssesasessessassssessasesscssssasessssasssseseesssssessasossessessssesseseseeses 2 Laser Safely essences e euE dae eee wag Sas use ac Seatac ETE E uses Secu E cs ve esbone dast sa vedeusaeddess vag sacs haedders E E E EA AEA 2 ECG COMPLAIN CE ienesa esT E S AT A EAS E E AR E A RA A AN OAT 2 RF Exposure R BOUT SACL AEREE EI PS E OER AOE EA NE O EA EEEE E S EE EATE 2 Battery Charger Safe fase een a A ak de dae vind a Ba se da aa tas Saba cee Gate PNG desc 3a A a aad ok hb ae saad sda aghh sheaths 4 AVENA SALOU ETRE TES E EE E E E E E E EO gerd uadades EO EEE EOE EE EE O EEO E A werk cavene dee 5 BASIC CARING FOR THE HYPERBLAST SYSTEM s erererseoreeeeeeoreeeeeeeeeeeocororororororororororosoeoeoeeeeeeeeerorererorororororororororororeeereererosorosororororororeeeeeesese 6 INSTALLATION OF THE HYPERBLAST HARDWARE cscssssssssssssssssssssssssssesscssssscssscssssssssssse
23. abbit If this feature is enabled the player will automatically be selected as the intial rabbit More than one player can be selected to be the intial rabbit Scoring Section This section of the Game Setup Screen allows you to customize how many points each target is worth It also controls whether points are awarded for accuracy or whether points are deducted for hitting your own teammates in a team game Q Chest Shoulder Back Phaser This is the number of points you get for tagging opponents in each location Hit Penalty You can set up the scoring system so that you lose points for being hit By selecting something other than 0 you can control how many points you lose for being hit For example if the chest is set to 200 points and the hit penalty is set to 10 then you will lose 20 points for every time you are hit in the chest In this example the person who tagged you would get 200 points This feature encourages defensive play Friendly Fire Penalty You can set up how big a penalty there is for tagging your own teammates or your own base This field is a fraction For example if you set it to 0 2 and you tag someone on your own team you will have 20 of the points for that target deducted from your score MegaBlaster This is how many bonus points are awarded for tagging the megablaster Bases This is how many bonus points are awarded for tagging an opponent s base y p geing PP Accuracy Threshold and Count Acc B
24. all being very careful to avoid putting staples through the phone line Never staple a wire at the corner where it changes direction Instead staple it 3 before changing direction and 3 after Make sure to leave enough slack in the line to allow you to position the control computer where you want it Make sure the computer is turned off and plug one end of the phone wire into the scanner connector 2 connector from the right see photo and the other end into the scanner serial adapter already mounted on the computer If the scanner serial adapter has a B label on it this indicates that it is wired backwards and requires the connectors on the 6 conductor wire to be attached in opposite directions All other wires in the LaserBlast system are wired with the connector using the same orientation on both sides 13 THE start The Start Switch SWITCH The Start Switch mounts on the wall and connects to the terminal block inside the scanner It is used to send a signal to the game control computer to start or join a game Pick a location in the vesting room that is close to the entrance of the arena You want it high enough that young kids can t reach it and low enough that your employees can reach it 1 2 Drill or punch a hole in the wall approximately 1 5 38mm in diameter Identify the 6 conductor wire that came with the start switch It has a connector on one end and two soldered wire bundles on the other It
25. aser or the curly cable the vest never receives the ID and hangs in an infinite loop You can tell if the vest ID is received because the vest will flash the yellow jumbo LED twice as an indicator Once a vest ID is received from the phaser the chest waits to make sure that the shoulder signal is low pin 27 of the chest micro If this pin never goes 68 ie low the chest micro will hang in an infinite loop Check option The chest micro looks to see if the option button on button switch the chest is pushed pin 14 of the chest micro If this pin is stuck low the chest micro will hang in an infinite loop member button port and looks for a proper response If a member button is found the member information is sent to the phaser and the jumbo LED flashes 6 times Look for valid If all the LED s are blinking normally on the chest start data coming then it is monitoring the shoulder pin pin 27 of the in from the chest micro for valid start data Valid start data shoulders consists of 16 bytes with 2 CRC s for data integrity These 16 bytes have to be received twice and be identical for the vest to recognize it as valid data Strobe lights or bright fluorescents can interfere with valid start data Send start data to If valid start data was received by the chest through the phaser the shoulders it forwards the good start data to the phaser and continously blinks the yellow LED If the yellow LED never quits bl
26. devices off in the following order Oo Printer O Computer Oo Monitor o UPS If you don t turn the UPS off before turning off the outlet then you will discharge the UPS battery every night wear out the battery and lose the protection it is intended to provide Q Scanner Serial Port Plug the Scanner Serial Port adapter into a 9 pin male serial port on the back of the computer This 9 pin female to 6 pin RJ12 telephone wire adapter is shown below You may use any serial port COM1 thru COM6 You will later tell the software where everything is plugged in Use the thumbscrews to attach the adapter securely to the computer Q Audio Output Cable to Arena amplifier This cable is used to feed your audio amplifier and maze speakers with game messages automated announcements and MP3 music Plug the 1 8 stereo jack into the green audio connector Speaker Out on the back of the computer Connect to Audio Mixer Input Supp by Audio company Connect to Speaker Out of Computer Green Jack Connect the 2 RCA connectors to the Audio Mixer Usually not supplied by LaserBlast using an RCA extension if required shown below 10 Membership Serial Port Optional Plug the membership adapter into a 2 serial port connector on the back of the computer The membership adapter is shown below Use the thumbscrews to secure the adapter to the serial port Plug the membership button cable into the Membership Serial Port Adap
27. e connectors to the chest circuit board to make it more difficult to tug the connector loose Wiggle all the cables that carry the battery power to the phaser This includes the battery cable itself the power cable leading to the back circuit board the 10 pin ribbon cable going from the back circuit board to the chest circuit board and lastly the curly cord going to the phaser Gently flex each cable about every 1 inch looking to see if the phaser power gets interrupted Make sure that both sides of the ribbon cable are firmly seated Check to see if any of the crimp pins on the curly cords have become loose You can do this by wiggling each wire near the connector Check that the shoulder lights on both shoulders are blinking If one of the shoulders lights are not blinking the chest to shoulder cable could be broken Check that all sensors on the boards have good solder joints and that no sensor is broken or has a broken leg If a solder joint is broken or leg broken you can bridge it with solder or replace the sensor INTERMITTENT LASER 2 3 NO LASER OR 1 Check that the crimp connecting the laser wire to the connector is not broken You can wiggle the wire while firing the laser and see if the laser begins working The crimp pin may need to be recrimped or soldered Check that the wire on the laser is not broken or pinched May need to cut out and resolder wire If the above does not fix the problem the laser is probably blown R
28. ected from the list on the left View the current most recent game Blue 7 28 2006 11 4216PM View Si cores View Current Scores Select a previous game to view or print Click on this button if you want to print all of the scores from the game shown Select a score and then click this button if you only want one or a few scores printed 50 BATTERY MONITOR SCREEN Battery Voltage Monitor CHANGE BATTERY Hi NO DATA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 ee ee ee ee ee ee On oO nh W N N oo The voltage of each battery in the system is reported to the radio and the PC once per minute There are 4 ways to tell when it is time to charge the battery The voltage on this screen is shown in red The vest of a low battery shows up on the lower right of the main page The voltage shown on the back of the phaser LCD is below 7 6 volts The yellow low battery lights on the shoulder are on or flickering on when the trigger is pulled The status of the batteries is recorded on the hard drive The software creates a new file in the C HyperBlast DebugData folder called batteriesXXX txt This is one way to determine if your batteries are aging and need to be replaced 51 RADIO COLOR TEST This screen can be used as a radio integrity check If you click on the Start Color Test button all of the vests should change color between red blue and green If a particular vest skips a colo
29. ector JP3 on Chest cccescesosscssi sca re senses soa ses ese sn ese ch soos eu ES seve uncut vaseen sevsvebusuua EEEE VEST PHASER FIRMWARE POWER ON SELF TESTS POST CHEST POWER UP SEQUENCE Bio vaca hr an eE css vaes dea ea EDN AENA vy cues ountonevetan eva ESNE eeu sus Seabesa A buy Seca s Deneve en AR E a ORATE PHASER POWER UP SEQUENCE Warranty and Warnings delivery Shipment to Advanced Avionics Inc is the responsibility of the customer Advanced Avionics will pay for return shipment in the same manner as the item was shipped to Advanced Avionics Damage due to excessive abuse is not covered Examples of such abuse include but are not T he standard LaserBlast warranty includes all parts and labor for a period of one year from the date of limited to e Pinched wires cut wires or broken speakers that result from unauthorized opening of the phaser covers e Coiled cords damaged from the vest strap being disconnected or cut from the phaser e Battery cables being ripped apart due to not pushing on the release knob on the battery cable on the back of the vest and on the chargers e Batteries being dropped on the floor e Batteries being carried by the connector or wires and not by the body of the battery Laser Safety LaserBlast products comply with CDRH 1040 10 and CDRH 1040 11 regulations governing laser product safety Do not allow anyone to purposely stare into the laser beam x ee EXPOSURE FCC Compliance Contains FCC ID
30. eplace the IR Laser assembly VERY DM LASER Laser Diodes have delicate mirrored surfaces that make up their optical cavity If the laser diode receives a static discharge or a power spike the mirror surfaces can be cracked This causes the laser to put out about 10 of the light that it normally would Replace the IR Laser assembly he phaser is monitoring 3 infrared sensors between games looking for a Change VEST CHANGES COLOR BY y Color command from a referee unit TOET 1 Determine if somebody is playing tricks on you and changing the color of the vest with a referee unit from a distance Check the solder joints on the sensors in the phaser check to see if the sensor legs are broken If all three sensors do not have any broken leads then the sensor has probably failed If you want to check this use a voltmeter put black to ground and check the pins on the sensor with the red 55 probe two of the pins of the sensor should read 4 85Volts to 5 volts and the other pin should be close to ground NO LEDS ON BACK ONLY 1 LED LIT ON CHEST 1 Check that the chest chip is in the socket firmly 2 Check that the chest to back cable is plugged in properly and completely 3 Unplug the phaser and the 2 shoulders from the chest If there is a short or other failed component on these 3 boards the resettable fuse in the back will be tripped and prevent any LEDS from coming on 4 Ifthe chest LEDs are working pr
31. er Both of the electronic blank files are on the hard drive in the Hyperblast folder M WCREATIVE1 EPSON TM T8sl Receipt Wblast1 LBLASTS Er Special Menage M Use Landscape Format Save and Exit Full Sheets PASSWORD Cancel Save Values Print Test C Half Sheets The owner can set a password to prevent operators from changing this screen If a password is set you must enter it here before you can change any settings on this screen 37 BLANK SCORESHEET STANDARD FORMAT This is a copy of the blank Standard Scoresheet A copy of this scoresheet is available on your hard drive so that you can customize it to your location CODE NAME Shoulders Chest You Hit You Hit Hit Ye Hit Ye Score ou ou Shots Back taser Aside You Hit You Hit F if X Hit You Hit You Bases Hit Rank b GREEM RED BLUE Score You Hit Ye Hit Player Hit You Score Player Sit You Score CODE NAME 4 T Shoulders Chea You Hit You Hit Hit You Hit You Score Shots Back laser Aesuiee You Hit You Hit 4 HitYou Hit You Bases Hit Rank b GREEN RED BLUE Score You Hit Ye Hit Player Hi You Score Player Nit You Score 38 LASETLAG TREME FUN Green Red Blue You Hit Player Hit You Score LASERLAG REPORT TREME FUN Geen Red Blue You Hit Player Hit You Score BLANK SCORESHEET LANDSCAPE FORMAT This is a copy of the blank alternate Landscape Scoresheet A copy of this scoresheet is also available on your hard drive so t
32. first time Le eye ny Al oe Reporting Game Setup Phaser Namas Current Gi Owner 0 Reports Last Game s w Q gl call ogl J eee o ce a Radio Status ESUE L View E Scores Turnover Time i i i Game Time Remaining TCC Team Game f Next Game Time Nocturne TeamGame J Next Game Color Last Game The number of Paks that played in the previous game 26 Set up the printer to be used and align the text with the preprinted SYSTEM SETUP SCREEN form System Setup rn Saas SS Configure the Membership Options Verify proper operation of MicroBlaster Targets Select the MicroBlaster Serial Port Set up a promotional message that gets printed on every score sheet Set up the radio channel COM port and other advanced diagnostic features Configure the sound effects for the system View the battery condition of all of vest batteries EZA Check radio integrity Set up the MP3 music player and playlists Configure the BetaBrite ports Only used during initial setup Configure the base ID s Only used during intial setup Allows the 2 4 monitor to be moved around the desktop Controls the timing of the 2 4 monitor Change the action verbs used on the 2 4 monitor 27 GAME SELECT SCREEN All of the vest behaviors scoring and setups can be configured in advance and
33. hat you can customize it to your location 39 OWNER REPORTS SCREEN The Owner Reports Screen is protected by a password to prevent unauthorized tampering The system is originally shipped with no password so you should click on Change Password when first setting up the system Change Print Daily oe You will be asked to reconfirm the password If you forget the password you entered LaserBlast can give you a new one Once a password has been entered you are taken to the screen shown on the next page As an owner you can assign passwords or disable passwords to various other screens that control the LaserBlast system Many years of arena experience have shown that passwords prevent system problems We recommend you restrict immature employees or customers from all of the screens listed The Print Daily Report is a handy button that does not require the password It prints a list of the games and number of players for the day It assumes a 7AM to 7AM 24 hour shift If you are concerned about employee theft then you should make sure that discrepancies between this report and your cash register are reconciled 40 Each of the screens listed below can have a password enabled to restrict access to these screens To restrict access click on the checkbox You can set individual passwords for each screen if you like If no individual password is set then the main Owner s password will be used for all screens that have rest
34. he computer randomly selects a player to be the new rabbit when the rabbit is tagged If it is unchecked then the player who tags the Rabbit of the Arena becomes the new Rabbit There is now a way to decide who will be the initial rabbit using the role editor a Rabbit Inactivity Limit This setting limits how long the Rabbit of Arena can hide in an arena without tagging anybody or being tagged You can still stay the Rabbit of the Arena for the entire game as long as you tag somebody before the Rabbit Inactivity Limit is up Printer Options This section of the Game Setup Screen allows you to control the way the software buttons work on the main screen a AutoScorePrint If this feature is checked the score sheets will be printed automatically when the Finish button is pressed on the main screen If this feature is not checked then you have to manually select Print All Paks after each game on the View Scores screen This is great for a busy Saturday but it nice to be able to turn it off for overnight lockins etc Handicapping Options This section of the Game Setup Screen allows you to control whether the system uses handicapping and if so what type 31 Q Boost Bad Players The computer will give an advantage to the weaker players The good players will not have their scores affected If Automatic mode is selected here s how it works o Once per second the computer calculates the scores based on the total
35. ich jack you plugged it into Label the wire on both ends with BETABRITE X X 1 2 or 3 2 Identify the 7 5VDC power supply It is labeled 7 5VDC but in 220 volt locations it looks the same as the other 12VDC power supplies we provide Plug the 3 5mm power plug into the 7 5VDC input jack on the right hand side Make sure the jack is firmly pressed in Plug the DC power supply into the AC outlet 110 220 autoswitching The sign should light up and display characters MicroBlasters MICRO BLASTERS Ihe MicroBlaster system consists of a controller box with the power supply in it targets and optional metal relay boxes With the HyperBlast system these microblasters are able to be tagged score points and play sound effects on the arena PA The target also energizes the optional relay box to allow anything lt 5 amps to be energized for a few seconds when a target is tagged Locate a good spot for the microblaster controller The location should be out of the fogged area if possible It needs to be within 6 feet of an AC outlet 110 220 autoswitching Groups of targets are daisy chained and then connected to the controller For this reason you may want to use a more central location to shorten the length of the wires required from the end of the chains to the controller Heavy wet fog can accelerate corrosion so it extends the life of the equipment to locate the controller in a non fogged area The controller contains six
36. inking then the phaser probably never received the start of game data Wait for an activate command from the phaser Check for option If the option button is stuck low the chest micro will button pushed be stuck in an infinite loop Check for Chest If one of the chest sensors pin 28 of the chest sensor hit micro has a broken lead and is stuck low the chest micro will be stuck in an infinite loop Check for Back If the back sensor signal pin 26 of the chest micro sensor hit is stuck low the chest micro will be stuck in an infinite loop Check for If any of the 6 shoulder sensors or should cables are Shoulder sensor failed and the shoulder input pin Pin 27 of the chest i micro is stuck high the chest micro will be stuck in an infinite loop PHASER POWER UP SEQUENCE Description Comments 1 Clear LCD If the LCD has one line of squares on it then this Cl ee 2 Put the Phaser This writes the phaser name to the second line of the e 3 Say Phaser Name De reo la er Scan the game Look to see whether this power up is from a battery memory failure To determine this the phaser looks to see whether the previous game ended correctly If the trigger This test sends high speed data back and forth switch is activated through the curly cord to the chest micro As long run a non stop as the trigger is activated you can massage the cable cable test yank it gently etc to look for intermittent cable ca prob
37. ion 1024 x 768 main monitor video card and monitor 1024 x 768 2 Monitor video card and monitor for audience monitor 1024 x 768 3 Monitor video card and monitor for audience monitot CD ROM for software loading 2 Hardrive for image backup strongly recommended 10 Windows XP Home or Professional Edition SP2 or later 11 128 Mbytes of RAM minimum 12 Sound Card The LaserBlast software is distributed on a CD The steps to install the software on your PC are listed in the file called ReadMeReleaseNotes txt on the CD These instructions are kept up to date as improvements and new features are added so we will not repeat them here in this manual Double click on this file and follow those instructions 19 HARD DRIVE BACKUPS Each computer in a HyperBlast system is provided with two hard drives The 2 hard drive is an exact backup image of the 1 hard drive and is left unplugged from the power and data cables This prevents any system corruption or lightning damage or electrical damage from destroying the spare hard drive After installation you may periodically make changes to the system add MP3 files configure new games change sound effects add members and member scores etc You should periodically re image your spare hard drive to maintain a current backup If your original hard drive is damaged you will be glad that you spent the time to make a backup 20 Chapter Basic Game Play using the HyperBlast Sy
38. iple Opto Isolator 4 Tighten 9 pin connectors gently The standoffs can be broken easily With the PC on there should be a bright green LED lit on the Triple Optolsolator The Scanner THE SCANNER The Scanner is an electronic module mounted in the vesting room that performs several functions It acts like a traffic cop and coordinates all of the electrical signals between the megablasters the computer and the START GAME pushbutton With the migration of the scanner to the HyperBlast radio system it no longer is needed to communicate between the computer and the vests It still acts as a traffic copy for the start button and the megablasters In fact in the HyperBlast system the scanner case is painted black so it does not transmit IR light 12 START BUTTON Terminal MegaBlaster TO IR bii Bria a FLOOD DC POWER MegaBlaster COMPUTER RS485 THE SCANNER Select a location to mount the scanner to a wall in the vesting room or tech room The location should be within 5 feet of a power outlet and close to where you want the start button mounted Once a suitable location has been found anchor the scanner to the wall using 3 drywall screws in the outer brackets Don t plug the scanner power supply into the wall outlet at this time Make and route a 6 conductor phone line between the scanner and the computer Make sure that the RJ12 connectors are oriented the same on both sides of the wire Secure the phone line to the w
39. is approximately 25 long Route this wire from the blue terminal block in the scanner to the start button hole The soldered wire bundle side goes to the scanner Terminate each of the soldered wire bundles into the blue terminal block inside of the scanner using a small straight slot screwdriver Connect the connector side of the wire to the start switch Secure the plastic switch plate to the wall using screws to cover the hole THE MEGA pixstens Fhe MegaBlasters The Megablasters act like a mine A player tags the device 2 times which sets the device Seven seconds later the MegaBlaster explodes sending out an IR signal tagging anybody within about 25 feet The megablaster uses the ID of the person who tagged it when sending out the IR signal Select a location for the megablaster that is within about 8 feet from a power source and not aimed at any microblasters If the IR signal from the megablaster can reach a microblaster the microblaster will go off anytime a person tags the megablaster The Megablaster has a relay built into it in order to turn a strobe light on and off The strobe lights LaserBlast provides are 110VAC so a 110 220 tranformer is provided if necessary The following connections need to be made to the Megablaster 1 Plug the brown relay input wire into a 110VAC outlet using the 110 220 transformer if necessary 2 Mount the 110 VAC strobe light and plug it into the brown relay output wire Make s
40. itching into an outlet 11 When all other system connections have been made plug the 3 5mm DC connector into the DC power jack on the radio module The base will energize the relay for about 1 second after power is supplied This allows you to test the relay and strobe connections The base speakers should also say It s alive on power up so you can test the audio and speaker connections The relay is only capable of switching 5 amps maximum so make sure you never plug anything into the relay box that draws more than 5 amps If they do not activate then make sure that the switches for each are turned on the speaker volume is adjusted ot the strobe speed is not turned all the way down Adjust the speaker volume and the strobe speed Do not adjust the strobe speed too fast because it will interfere with the IR tagging if set too fast If it is set too slow the strobe won t come on during the 1 second power up test Slave Bases SLAVE BASES You can install up to 2 additional slave bases These slave bases have everything that the Master Base does except there is no radio in them and they cannot connect to a PC There are 3 RS485 connectors available on the slave bases to allow convenient daisy chain connections between all of the base devices The 3 connectors ate all internally connected and it makes no difference which one s you use Follow exactly the same steps as the master base except step 9 Substitute this step in
41. itor the trigger phaser IR sensor safety sensor and chest micro Say Scanning memory on LCD Say vest name and number of hits on the LCD Notify the chest of the end of the game Wait for the scanner commands on the phaser IR sensor This should happen after 15 seconds During the game these items are monitored If the phaser IR line is stuck low the phaser will get stuck in an infinite loop This should get caught in step During this time the phaser is sorting through the game memory U4 and condensing all of the player information to make it faster to transmit to the computer The yellow LED on the chest should go on at this point The phaser uses the wide angle photon IR LED and the 3 IR sensors on the phaser to communicate with either the holsters or the scanner The easiest way to test the photon LED is to actually fire a photon during a game and make sure you can hit other vests Gobackwo Sept O SSS 71
42. lder joints on LCD connector board are good 4 The main IC on the phaser may have been damaged Unsolder and replace the main phaser processor A LaserBlast technician needs to do this repair because the chip needs to be reprogrammed e LCD will say VEST RESET every time when it loses battery power while a game is being played This can occur because the battery is fully discharged or it can also happen LCD SAYS VEST RESET 54 if a wire is broken somewhere along the path between the battery and the phaser It can also happen if there is some metal to metal short somewhere in the vest such as a speaker bouncing around not in its cradle or an LCD bouncing around not in its cradle In order to get the vest ready to play a new game without keeping the previous game scores you need to start the vest using the referee unit and then terminate the game If you have determined that the VEST RESET message is not the result of simply a discharged battery during a game follow these steps to isolate the cause 1 Check that the Coiled Cord is completely plugged in on both sides of the cable The white part of the connector should be fully plugged in It is not too uncommon for the connector to get pulled loose a little bit You can tighten the strain relief nut as tight as you can with your bare hands Do not torque strain relief nut with a wrench because it will dent the curly cord and cause premature failure We glue th
43. lems Ifa problem is found you will get a CABLE ERR message on the LCD If not VEST If the VEST is RESET then the 1 line says VEST RESET put the RESET version on the 1 line of the LCD 7 The laser is turned on during a power up 5 6 Flash the red ee 9 Flash the green ae 10 Flash the blue LEDs 11 Test the game The phaser writes a test byte to the game memory memory U4 If this fails then the phaser lights a single green LED D4 and stays in an infinite loop with the laser on Tam the asero SCS Say Vest Active S 14 Tell the vest what This should cause the vest to blink the yellow LED IDF it is twice 15 Check the phaser If pin 9 of the phaser micro is stuck low the phaser IR sensors for a will be stuck in an infinite loop Ifa change of color change of color command is received by the phaser it changes the command color of the vest and phaser 16 Say Enabled LCD is written when a start command is received HIDE on LCD from the chest 17 Say Game Start message on the speaker 18 Erase the previous game data from the Game memory U4 70 19 Put the countdown message on the LCD If the game memory U4 won t erase properly this step will never be executed and the phaser could hang in an infinite loop This problem should be caught at step 11 but step 11 only checks one memory location 20 Make backtolife noise Say GO and number of hits on the LCD Mon
44. main micro to the LCD module 16 LCD Enable This pin is pulsed when the main micro is reading or writing data to the LCD 17 LCD Data2 These are outputs from the main micro to the LCD module 61 18 LCD Data3 These are outputs from the main micro to the LCD module 19 Phaser IR input2 This pin should be high when there is no IR present on the phaser 20 Phaser IR input1 This pin should be high when there is no IR present on the phaser 21 Photon Output Feeds a 2N3904 transistor switch that turns the photon LED on or off This pin should switch between high and low when firing a photon 22 Safety Sensor Power This output is normally low but goes high when the micro is actively taking a light reflection measurement on the safety sensor 23 LCD Data4 These are outputs from the main micro to the LCD module 24 LCD Data5 These are outputs from the main micro to the LCD module 25 AVDD Analog 5 volts Used to scale the battery voltage measurement 26 AVSS Analog Ground 27 Red LED2 A high on this pin turns on red LED 2 28 Red LED1 A high on this pin turns on red LED 1 29 Red LEDO A high on this pin turns on red LED 0 30 Battery Input This pin reads a scaled down version of the battery voltage This voltage is scaled properly in the software 31 VSS Ground 32 VDD 5 volts 33 Blue LED2 A high on this pin turns on Blue LED 2 34 RE_CTS This in
45. n Replace when usage time between charges becomes short 3 Nicad NiMH and Li lon batteries should be recycled Be environmentally conscious do NOT throw these batteries in the trash If you don t know where your local recycling facility is call the Portable Rechargeable Battery Association at 1 800 822 8837 They will provide you with the address of the recycling center nearest to you Battery Charger Safety Safe operation of the battery charger requires following these instructions e Do not put anything on top of a battery charger e Allow a 2 space at the rear of the charger for airflow to release heat e Only connect Advanced Avionics Inc Laser Blast batteries NEVER anything else e Always push release button to remove batteries from charger e If charger or battery wires are damaged or frayed discontinue use immediately and call Advanced Avionics for service BWARNING Arena Safety In order to minimize the chances of injury in your arena you must provide sufficient supervision to prevent running eliminate sharp edges in your arena design your arena to highlight edges provide a safety briefing for your customers eliminate sources of slip and fall accidents and all other unsafe conditions around your facility Advanced Avionics Inc assumes no responsibility for accidents in your facility caused by player collisions slips ot falls The design and safety of the arena is entirely your reponsibility Chapter
46. n Gets 10 Extended Length Photons and 10 Extended Time Shields V Super Hero Gets 25 First Trigger Photons 3 Extra Photons and 3 Extra Shields vV Extra Shields Gives 3 Extra Shields Extra Photons Gives 3 Extra Photons 48 RADIO STATUS SCREEN The Radio Status screen is helpful if you want to verify the functionality of the radios in each vest The yellow LED on the phaser is the radio Awake LED It is lit when the phaser is awake and listening for radio messages and is not lit when the radio is asleep and saving battery power The master base sends out a GO TO SLEEP command every of a second The phasers wake up on their own right before the next GO TO SLEEP message is received This way you can tell if the radios are working propertly if the yellow LED blinks about every 4 of a second If none of the phaser yellow LED s are blinking make sure the power switch is turned on to the Master Base If necessary turn the power off and then back on to the Master Base Radio Status Padio Strarus 49 VIEW SCORES SCREEN The HyperBlast system allows you to monitor the game as it happens The main computer has a View Scores screen as shown below If you right click on a player while the game is underway you can eject them from the game You will be asked to confirm this ejection View the scores from the game sel
47. ng sun Such a high temperature may cause damage of the protecting device in the battery which may result in an abnormal chemical reaction and then heat generation explosion or fire 4 Do not charge the batteries with any charger other than the Advanced Avionics Inc LaserBlast charger Use of any other charger may cause heat generation explosion or fire 5 Do not throw or drop the battery Strong impact may damage the protecting device which may cause an abnormal chemical reaction and result in heat generation explosion or fire 6 Do not disassemble or alter the battery The battery employs a safety mechanism and a protecting device in order to avoid any danger If these are damaged heat explosion or fire may be caused BWARNING 1 Do not use the battery in other than the following conditions otherwise the battery might cause heat generation damage or deterioration of its performance Operating environment When the battery is charged 0 C 40 C 32 F 102 F When the battery is discharged 10 C 60 C 14 F 40 F When stored less than a month 20 C 50 C 4 F 122 F When charged 50 When stored more than a month 20 C 35 C 4 F 95 F When charged 50 NOTICE 1 Read the instructions of your equipment regarding the battery installation and removal from the equipment so as not to mishandle and waste the battery 2 Despite being rechargeable the battery has a limited life spa
48. o Connect 8 Ground 9 4 Mhz Resonator 10 4 Mhz Resonator Ti No Connect 12 No Connect 13 No Connect 14 Option Button Pulled high through a resistor This pin should go low when the option switch button is pushed 15 Jumbo Yellow LED Feeds a 2N3904 transistor switch that turns the yellow LED on or off This pin should be high when the Yellow LED is turned on and low when turned off 16 Member Button Input Pulled high through a resistor The chest micro sends very short low pulses to this pin looking for a member button before the game begins 17 TX to Phaser This pin should be high unless there is some activity between the chest and phaser 18 RX from Phaser This pin should be high unless there is some activity between the chest and phaser 19 Ground 20 VCC Should be 5 volts 21 Blue LED Clear This signal is used to turn off all of the blue LED s on the chest back and shoulders 22 Red LED Clear This signal is used to turn off all of the red LED s on the chest back and shoulders 23 LED Clock There should be pulses on this signal every time the LED s change position 24 Green LED Clear This signal is used to turn off all of the green LED s on the chest back and shoulders 25 LED Data This signal should be alternating between high and low as the LED s blink 60 26 Back Sensor Input Normally high when no IR present 27 Shoulder Sensors Input Normally low when no IR present
49. o do their own component level troubleshooting In order to do this you need to know some key information including the functions of some of the pins of the IC s on the circuit boards and the functions of the various pins on the connectors These are listed below The 13 IR Sensors Each sensor has 3 pins Ground Pin 1 The pin on the outside of the 2 pins grouped together 5V Pin 2 The center pin Output Pin 3 This is the pin all by itself Each IR sensor is connected to a NAND buffer The pin is listed below U1 U5 U3 GIGGZ 4 Pin 13 GIG 6 Pin 3 Back U2 6 Pin 1 2 amp 13 G1e ele Each sensor can be tested by looking at the voltage on the pin listed in the chart above A good sensor will have a voltage of between 4 7 and 5 15 volts When a terminator is aimed at the sensor the voltage should drop noticeably about 0 1 to 1 0 volts This means that the sensor is working Keep in mind that some types of bright fluorescent lights can cause a sensor to respond as if it were being hit with IR 59 The Chest Microprocessor pinout is listed below Pin Function Comments 1 Reset Tied directly to 5V 2 Left Shoulder Normally high with no IR present 3 Right Shoulder Normally high with no IR present 4 Vibrator Feeds a 2N3904 Transistor switch A high means vibrator on 5 No Connect 6 No Connect 7 N
50. on Pin 3 The fuse will reset immediately and automatically when a short is removed If the proper voltage shows up on Pin 3 then the fault is isolated to the last circuit board or cable you just unplugged If you see between 2 and 7 volts on Pin 3 then your problem is inside of the battery Either charge the battery or try another one 3 Verify that there is 5 volts on the chest circuit board Leave the black lead of the voltmeter on Pin 4 of JP1 and measure the voltage on pin 1 of the chest micro This should be between 4 8 and 5 2 volts If there is the proper battery voltage on pin3 of JP1 but the 5 volts is not correct it is probably caused by a solder ball getting dislodged under a cap or an IC that has failed A failed IC will usually feel much warmer than the other IC s on the board This is a very rare problem 4 Verify that the battery voltage has reached the phaser The easiest place to verify the battery voltage is across the large blue 680 uf cap on the phaser board 5 Verify the 5 supply on the phaser board Measure the voltage between ground Pin 4 of JP5 on the phaser and pin 1 of the main micro Since this pin is tied to 5 through a diode it should read about 4 3 volts This is just a handy spot to measure the 5 volt supply If the battery voltage is present but there is no 5 supply there is probably a failed IC The 5 volt regulator has a thermal shutdown protection circuit in it but whatever IC has failed is often
51. onus These two settings work together to determine how many extra points you get for good accuracy The Accuracy Threshold determines how good a player s accuracy has to be before they get any bonus points at all If the player s accuracy is below the amount selected here they get no accuracy bonus points If a player has accuracy higher than the Accuracy Threshold then the player gets an accuracy bonus This bonus is calculated as their accuracy times their score times the Count Acc Bonus multiplier For example if the Threshold is set to 3 and the Count Acc Bonus is set to 2 the player s score is 10 000 points and the player s accuracy is 5 then the accuracy bonus points that will be added to the 10 000 points is 5 times 10 000 points times 2 1000 points 35 SCORE SHEET SETUP SCREEN The Score Sheet Setup screen is used to select options for printing The Windows operating system also has a printer settings screen that is used for printer settings such as ink level draft quality bin selection color greyscaling and color calibration The Windows printer settings vary from printer to printer Refer to your printer manual or call LaserBlast for assistance optimizing your Windows printer specific settings The Horizontal and Vertical Start settings are used to align the text with preprinted score sheets The Separation slide bar adjusts how much space is between the top and bottom score sheet when prin
52. operly replace the chest to back cable 1 2 Check to see if the trigger switch has popped out over the trigger actuator If it has remove the 2 screws holding the trigger and reinstall the trigger so that the trigger actuator holds the trigger switch down when not pulled The proper orientation is shown in the photo below PHASER ONLY SHOOTS 1 SHOT PER SECOND he phaser updates the LCD display every time a shot is taken If the LCD is broken ot not working properly the phaser has to wait for a timeout when it tries to write data to the LCD This causes the phaser to fire a little slower than usual 1 Check that LCD is plugged in completely 2 Trigger may be sticking due to dirt or debris that a customer stuffed in the phaser NO YELLOW LIGHT ON CHEST NO LEDS COME ON AT ALL LEDS ON CHEST BLINK BRIEFLY THEN GO OUT PHASER LEDS ARE NOT LIT 1 Micro on chest may have taken a static hit you can try a micro from another vest to see if the vest works with the other micro If so then replace the chest micro Check that all cables on vest are plugged in completely and correctly If you are in a game check that the game setting is not on Stealth Check that all cables on vest are plugged in completely and correctly If you are in a game check that the game setting is not on Stealth Use a voltmeter and make sure that pin 1 of the main micro reads between 4 5 and 5 2 volts If not find out if the 7805 reg
53. put pin reads the RF Module CTS line Clear to Send to determine if it can accept new data for transmission 35 DA_FS Digital to Analog Converter Frame Sync Frame Sync Signal This signal toggles with every byte sent to the D A chip 36 DA_CS This pin goes low every time the main micro Chip Select sends data to the D A chip 37 TX1 This pin transmits serial data to the chest at 62500 bps 38 RX1 This pin receives serial data from the chest at 62500 bps 39 NC No Connect 40 CE This active low signal enables the Sound Flash Memory Chip 41 NC No Connect 42 NC No Connect 62 43 AMP This pin when low turns the amplifier off to SHUTDOWN save power 44 SCK This is the clock line for a SPI connection to the D A chip for playing sounds 45 Blue LED 1 A high on the pin turns on Blue LED 1 46 SDO This is the data line for a SPI connection to the D A chip for playing sounds 47 PGD This is the program Data line used by the emulator and chip programmer during manufacturing 48 VDD 5 volts 49 OSC1 One side of a 16 Mhz resonator 50 OSC2 The other side of a 16 Mhz resonator 51 VSS Ground 52 PGC This is the program clock line used by the emulator and chip programmer during manufacturing 53 Blue LED 0 A high on the pin turns on Blue LED 0 54 Green LED 2 A high on the pin turns on Green LED 2 55 Green LED 1 A high
54. quire someone else from your own team to tag the base before it will allow you to tag it again This setting encourages teamwork but can be impossible for young players to understand We recommend leaving it unchecked for normal public play Q Megablasters A megablaster is an optional maze device that acts sort of like a mine A player tags it to arm it 7 seconds later it goes off tagging anybody within 20 feet and 45 degrees The player that armed the megablaster gets bonus points plus the points for anybody the megablaster tags as if the player tagged them himself This setting controls the number times each player is allowed to tag each megablaster in the arena Recommended 2 Special Games This section of the Game Setup Screen allows you to select special games 30 Q Capture the Flag This checkbox changes the way the bases behave If the box is checked then a player must shoot the enemy base the normal 4 times but in addition must make it back to their own base and shoot it in order to get the points for the base When you attack the enemy base and capture the flag an announcement is made over the arena PA your vest will give you an audible and LCD message as well as flash a special LED pattern on the vest This alerts your enemy that their flag has been captured and they will try to prevent you from making it back to your own base and shooting it If you do make it back with the enemy flag still in your vest shoot your o
55. r there may be a question about the integrity of the radio link on that vest This is useful if you suspect interference from a new nearby source such as a neighbors new Wifi router a Wifi security camera in the near vicinity or other source of interference The test will operate until you click on stop the test Radio Vest Color Test his test will use the radio to change the color of the vests every 2 seconds 52 Chapter Trouble Shooting and System Repair Frequently Asked Questions Q I forgot my passwords What can I do A Advanced Avionics maintains a corporate password which will let you in Q I accidentally deleted one of my games What can I do A The LaserBlast system can restore the system to its As_Shipped files You should keep copies of all of the mdb files in the c HyperBlast directory for backup on whatever backup media you like Q One of my customers didn t scan in what can I do to retrieve their score A Unfortunately nothing can be done to append a game s data once the FINISH button has been clicked and the game scores have been calculated Unplug the battery from the vest and plug it back in again to set the vest in waiting for game mode Q The Control Program has reported an unusually large small score for a player What is happening A The vest retains the score data even when a battery is removed from a vest If the vest LCD says VEST RESET when a game is
56. r off of the Internet as viruses can damage your system Chapter Installation of the HyperBlast Hardware The HyperBlast system was designed to be installed by people with sufficient skill to connect telephone lines and plug in printers computers and monitors Each HyperBlast system is customized so your system may not have all of the peripherals and options described in this section of the manual Unpacking Unpack the LaserBlast System and compare it to the Invoice to make sure everything arrived after shipment Everything is easy to recognize except possibly the bases megablasters scanner and IR floodlight These items look alike and are labeled so you can tell the difference UNPACKING BLock General Overview and Block Diagrams DIAGRAMS The LaserBlast system is actually very simple to use and install but it does help to have an overview of the pieces and how they fit together The following block diagrams show the names of the pieces and the types of cables that connect them Later sections will describe how to connect them and provide more detailed information so don t worry Arena Far End power Brick Power Red Base g 9 f Speakers Police Beacon Hyperblast Ie A RD vity Diagram i l Audio JN am Ao l y EY Strobe Red Beta Brite Blue Team J 20 9 Beta Brite Red Team J 21 Arena Center R 7 Mega Blaster g Arena Near End Strobe 2 Power Brick lt
57. ricted access Owner Reports This button activates the Games Report 41 GAMES REPORT SCREEN This screen displays game play information from the previous 3 weeks The data can be printed Every game that is played is recorded in a file called C HyperBlast HyperBlast CSV This file is compatible with XL Word or any other ASCII compatible spreadsheet or word processor If you would like to view game data from more than 3 weeks ago you can load this file into any other spreadsheet or word processor program and view it or analyze it as you like w Owner Report Game Records Number of Players Number of Games Played Tonight This Week This Month This Year Tonight This Week This Month This Year i ia Listing of games since Saturday 4 5 2003 Games on Saturday 4 5 2003 2 34 58p for 0 01 33 Players 1 for 0 20 30 Players 2 ames 2 Players 3 Games on Tuesday 4 15 2003 3 53 4lp for 0 05 17 Players 2 4 00 34 for0 11 29 Players 2 Total Games 2 Players 4 Games on Wednesday 4 16 2003 for 0 03 28 Players 15 for 0 02 10 Players 1 for 0 01 37 Players 2 for 0 01 22 Players 2 for 0 01 39 Players 1 for 0 05 26 Players 1 for 0 02 51 Players 4 for 0 05 12 Players 2 for 0 01 31 Players 1 for 0 35 07 Players 7 for 0 13 28 Players 1 for 0 01 58 Players 1 for 0 13 18 Players 11 for 0 03 21 Players 2 for 0 03 52 Players 3 for 0 04 01 Players 1 Report Complete 4 26 2003
58. s 3 seconds for older players a Deac Time This is the number of seconds that the vest will be unable to fire when you have been deactivated by a megablaster or by being tagged by another player in the chest or the back Recommended 4 seconds for younger players 8 seconds for older players Q Shot Delay This is the number of seconds between shots Recommended 13 seconds You can create a really fun game if you set this to 3 seconds and call it a Sniper game a Bases Allowed You can control the maximum number of times that each person can hit each base Recommended 2 or 3 Q Photons The phaser is equipped with a wide angle IR emitter in the front that is capable of tagging anything within 20 feet and within a 45 degree angle It is activated by tapping the option button on the chest You can control how many photons are allowed per game using this setting Recommended 2 to 5 Q Ammunition This setting controls how many shots can be fired in a game Once this many shots have been taken the player is out of ammo and cannot reload Recommended 10 000 essentially unlimited 33 Shields This setting controls how many shields you are allowed A shield is activated by holding the chest option button until the shields are activated about 3 seconds When the shields are activated the chest and back LED s spin very fast and the player can fire but can t be tagged Shields last 8 seconds Recommended 3 shields Stuns
59. screen allows you to setup vatious announcements that play automatically during the game The following are the sounds that you can pick Each time triggered event can be preceeded with a wav file and then the text to speech announcement You can also use just the wav file or just the text to speech or both e Start This is the sound that is played when the start game button is pushed e End This is the sound that is played at the end of the game e Abort This is the sound that is played if the game is aborted e Custom Sound 1 This sound can be set to play at a predetermined amount of time before the game ends Typically you would announce the game time with it e Custom Sound 2 This is the other sound that you can specify to play at a predetermined time before the game ends e Safety Message This sound or message can be set to play every few minutes to remind players that there is no running in the arena or other similar message 45 e TurnOver Time These announcements will play in between games to make automated announcements about when the next game will start It is often used to motivate slow players to hang their vests up on the racks so the next group can get vested up and started Sound Control Time Triggered g Microblasters Phasers ja Bases Megablasters Pre Game CAHYPERB2 Sounds MICROB 1 M Clear Sound In Game 1 AN2 CHYPERB 2 Sounds MICROB 1 M Clear Sound In Game 2 AN3 C AHYPERB 2 Sounds WWHOOSHO
60. simply selected from a game list The game select screen shown below allows game operators and referees the ability to select the game from the list but requires a password to edit the game and role configurations ENF PRR OS ae Select the game you want to play from i the list and click on the Use This Game button to select it Team Game You can press this button and get a printed copy of every setting associated with this game Useful for member nights if you keep a book of these printouts GAME SETUP SCREEN The Game Setup Screen is used to configure the game aspects that have to affect all of the vests The Hyperblast Role Playing edition uses the idea that each vest can take on different powers and capabilities and can have different roles Some of the settings have to be shared by all of the vests and these are adjusted in the screen shown Once the game setup password is entered you have access to the Edit Roles button the Setup MicroBlasters button and the Reset to Defaults button 28 Many of the settings are defined as a Role This is how you select which method is used to assign a role to a vest Role Assignment Method hee ore 4 Mit Delay sec Relay Delay sec Assign Roles by Color Assign Roles by Vest KI O l K D 208 All Vests Use the Same Role Base Tags Required 7 Te Lo Team SkillShot 5 Sec ff Allow Consecutive Base Tags same
61. sos EE EEI OEE E O et nick T meee te SOUR RAVES EE e SURAT NGM 23 THE SOFTWARE BELLS AND WHISTLES scsccccsccsceccencscccteccssuccessssncesscsonsescsscacesscsensdeossvecevecsvuncseassyacscseuscsesscedesscsevecdessveccssesssecsdcestenssacsdectessserecte 24 INFATING SGR EEN AEE EN EE ss seue ees EEE saad iaea heb ia susan dateastes asaseadsiea shes tues seadaiea E NEEE tio fusisenl seas thos fas thei ana tesesnean faded ean ee SYSTEM SETUP SCREEN GAME SELECT SCREEN GAME SETUP SCREEN The junction of all of the settings 1s fully described On Lhe NOL Pagers EERE EENE EN date ba hey Seba Seo Ss eS Os de Se aba bea de tetas E NER ERRE ge 29 Game Options 000000 GAME TY Pee eid vee ane MEAs bce SALLE ernie Uahashh site N seneesnea te tests T E E Slavica eas E EIET BASELOPUONS 23s AEE Sea Lah alah al hin ala bees ila a A MR oo an alld asad dal ahaha ih aah Pn als te tai ales lies of ot 30 Special Games 30 Printer Options sol Handicapping Options n31 MP3 Playliste ea ae a a n E e E A A ENRE E EAEE EIA E TEE REE R ESE EER E AEE AS EENE EA aA a 32 OIP Operator Interface Panel Game Announcement oeeeeseseseesrereierererrrrrrereseresrerestseseststststttttetetttttett ttrt tter ts tsentr trte tttrtstststrtststsesesesrsrere 32 Referee Script Ro IMPOR T nd EXPORT GAME e PE ENET EEE EE A AEEA dela ddl E NARAS 32 ROLE EDITOR SCREEN E E E TEE E EE AE SE Role Options 0 00000 SCOriINE SECHON vosie r ara E EA TE ENAA ETA A EEA RETE
62. sssssssesssessssssesssssassessssesesscsessasessessesessesssseseeses 7 UNPACKING ea e peas Sessa E E E E E E E E E E E uaaua eens T GENERAL OVERVIEW AND BLOCK DIAGRAMS aT THE CONTROL COMPUTER cscceeseeeteeeeees 8 THE TRIPLE OPTO ISOLATOR be THE SCANNER AAAA E AARSE AS AEA TA diss cu eee E Ca Sach duos dhs ya Sade Succbde veda Caden EE E EE GA POCO Ca Ron SON SON Baidu bint A THE STARTS WILGH sc yy IE E EEAS AIAN EAA DIA N EEATT ITT EAI TAE TAAI TEATE TAA A ev EATE TET REA THE MEGABLASTERS se THEBASES aa a N E EEN N N E uouteceu ga svegeeetusviecea da ssuaee E A O Lucente A EGU aad aR CAEL ARRON PEETS A PAN POSAY eI EAEE A EAEE E PNE E E EEE E EN EE NE E EEEE 15 SLAVE BASES BETABRITE SCROLLING SIGNS IMIGROBLASTERS irna rrr A E EEN A EE AE AEAEE EN A A A O O RR INSTALLATION OF THE HYPERBLAST SOFTWARE csccssccsssssssssssssssssssssssssonssonssencsescssscssccssccsssesscssssscssscssscsescseasseasseossacssnccsscssscsssessssscsenoe 19 HARD DRIVECBA GRUP ses foscisa ch eases case da ca dyn oRR ys ORS tah va AEST da Sass OEE PRE a REI GES OBE AES a SN ag da RRA 20 BASIC GAME PLAY USING THE HYPERBLAST SYSTEM ccssssssssssscssscssscssssssccsscsssccsscsssesssscssscsssccsscssscssscssscssscssncssscsssesesessnssesesesescseces 21 GAME MODES 23st tail aa cous ctde Mie ae hec as AN ARES MNOS N Ste LN 21 ALT RICE PEAS EI e snc tes hulp EEA EENE EE EAA kes acc paw a ci S E rca a avs aaa dpa ome eee 22 TEAS Y SEEPS PLAY INGA GAME G5 ca
63. started it will have previous game data in it This is done so that game data is not lost in the event a battery dies during a game In order to get rid of previous game data you must start a game and end a game You can do this with a 1 minute game from the computer or you can start a vest with the referee unit and then terminate the vest Q My control program reports that there are 3 seconds left but my game is ending Why is this A Due to the minor variations in phaser clocks over time game time may be a few seconds off Q My printer isn t printing Why A Check to make sure the printer is turned on and then check that the cables are plugged in Finally check the user s manual included with your printer for assistance with printer operation and maintenance 53 HARDWARE TROUBLESHOOTING There are several diagnostic features built into the HyperBlast system to assist with inevitable repairs Most of the problems that come up with LaserBlast vests and phasers are actually caused by one of the following 1 A connector has been jarred loose 2 A cable has a broken wire 3 A wire has been pinched in the phaser or chest 4 The LCD glass is cracked or broken These 4 problems account for the majority of the required repairs Many problems can be corrected by doing a very careful visual inspection of all of the connectors to make sure they are fully seated Also carefully examine the wires to see if they have been pinched bet
64. stead 9 Make a 6 wire connection from any of the three RJ12 jacks labeled RS485 to any of the RJ12 jacks labeled RS485 on the master base Additional slave bases can be daisy chained from either another 16 slave base or go back to the master base Label this wire To ID 1 if connected to the master base ot To ID X if connected to another slave base BetaBrite Scrolling Signs BETABRITES If you purchased BetaBrite scrolling signs you can use them to provide score updates to the players in the arena During a team game the signs will display the team scores During a solo game the signs will display the 1 2 and 3 place players There is a checkbox in the software to allow you to choose whether you want the remaining game time displayed or not The BetaBrite signs can be wired to any of the bases depending on which is the most convenient The software will then allow you to choose which base and which connector on the base is assigned to each team color This is done once during installation and will be covered later Select a location that can be seen as easily as possible from different areas of the arena and mount the sign Make the following connections 1 Make a 6 wire connection to the closest base Plug one end of it into the right side of the BetaBrite sign and the other end into either the SIGN1 RJ12 jack or the SIGN2 RJ12 jack You will configure the software later to tell it wh
65. stem This section of the manual describes the basic operation of the HyperBlast system and everything you need to know to start and stop games scan the data in at the end and print score sheets Game Modes The LaserBlast System is setup to run games all day long with very little operator interaction The system consisting of the computer RF Master Base the scanner and the vests move between the following modes GAME MODES 1 Idle Mode 2 Game Playing Mode 3 End of Game Mode When the system is first turned on the computer the scanner and the vests are all in IDLE Mode In this mode the game clock is 00 00 the vest LCD s all display the player name battery voltage and the phaser number and the scanner has 2 LED s chasing themselves In order to start a game you can either click on the START button on the screen or push the start button in the vesting room Either of these actions causes the computer to send the game setup information to the scanner and RF Master Base and enter Game Playing Mode The computer starts the game timer Part of the game information that is broadcast to the vests includes the length of the game so the vests know when the game is over This game setup information is sent to RF Master Base You can verify that the vests received the start game command because their large yellow LED on the chest will blink and their LCD s will countdown the time before activation When appro
66. t this game OIP Operator Interface Panel Game Announcement Some arenas have a small Operator Interface Panel OIP installed in the vesting room to allow the referee to make some computer selections If the OIP is used to select a game then this is the sound effect that is played over the PA arena Referee Script You can record a script for the referee for each different game This gives you a large area to store text to remind you of the details of the how to play each game without having to examine all of the roles and the details of each game This script is displayed on the Game Select screen so that a referee can view the script even without the game editing password IMPORT and EXPORT Game These buttons allow you to import and export an individual game setup You can use this feature to share game setups with other laser tag centers 32 ROLE EDITOR SCREEN Role Setup Send a copy of everything about this Role to the printerEnter the Edit Roles Team SkillShot 5 Sec e ore a a a o_o The Role Editor Screen is used to configure the settings for each Role You can create as many roles as you want and combine them in different ways and assign them to Games Role Options Q Stun Time This is the number of seconds that the vest will be unable to fire when a stun has occurred A stun happens when someone is tagged in the shoulder or the phaser Recommended 1 second for younger player
67. tag another person 3 times in a row If another person tags that same person then the first person can tag them all over again v If this setting is set to 0 then Limited Consecutive Hits is disabled Rapid Fire This feature allows you to fire continuously without having to release and pull the trigger every shot Elimination This feature enables Limited Lives If this box is checked then the game will end when the game time has expired or sooner if the number of limited lives has been reached Some arenas call this game King of the Arena If you set the limited lives to 10 and enable this feature there is sometimes only 1 player left at the end of a 15 minute game Stealth Mode This feature allows the vests to operate with none of the LED s turned on In a dark arena this changes the game play a lot The vest will always LIGHT UP when hit even in stealth mode Change Colors If this feature is enabled the vests will take on the color of whoever tags them This feature works in conjunction with the two special game formats Rover and Domination described below Enable Heat Sensor If this feature is enabled the player must hold the phaser with 2 hands or it will not fire and will honk at them It will also say USE TWO HANDS on the back of the LCD This 34 feature reduces the likelihood of injury by discouraging people from swinging their phaser Recommended Always leave this on Q Initial R
68. tags during the game The computer starts with a handicap of 1 000 for everybody As the game goes along the computer looks at the difference between your score and the score of the leader If you re score is less than 25 of the leader s score your handicap gets a small boost and your scores goes up a little bit If one second goes by and your score is still less than 25 of the leader s score your handicap goes up a little bit more Handicap is limited to 1 500 or a 50 handicap bonus o If Member Mode is selected handicaps are selected at the beginning of the game based on the cumulative rank score of the members who are playing in this game The handicaps of the members are based so that the poor players should score exactly the same as the best players on any given day The handicaps of any non members are given the average handicap of all of the members a Boost Bad and Cut Good This operates the same as above unless your score is gt 90 of the leaders score Ifyou fall into this category your handicap is reduced below 1 000 slowly The net effect of automatic handicapping is to reduce the spread in points between good and bad players The score sheets show you your unhandicapped score as well as your handicapped scote just so the really good players can still have bragging rights if they want MP3 Playlist Each game can have a different playlist associated with it The playlist will automatically be loaded when you selec
69. ter shown below Find a convenient place to stick the reader peel the adhesive liner off the back and press the cable into place Aa NY EEOAE ENDAR The Triple Opto Isolator ISOLATOR The Triple Opto Isolator is a device that accepts RS232 using a standard 9 pin connector nd converts the signals to an optically isolated current loop Both the MicroBlaster controller and the RF Master base have the other side of the optically isolated current loop in them This 11 device makes the system more immune to noise when RS232 needs to be run over a long distance or in an electronically noisy environment The Triple Opto Isolator has three 9 pin RS232 connections and three RJ12 connectors to go to the arena devices The power for this device is recetved from a standard USB port from the computer The USB port does not use the data pins only the 5 volt power pins so it doesn t matter which USB it comes from 1 Connect a serial port from the PC to any of the RS232 inputs on the Triple Opto Isolator We will setup the software later to tell it which RS232 COM port on the PC was used for the RF Master Base 2 If you are using Microblasters connect another serial port from the PC to any of the RS232 inputs on the Triple Opto Isolator We will setup the software later to tell it which RS232 COM port on the PC was used for the MicroBlasters 3 Connect a USB cable from any USB plug on the computer to provide power to the Tr
70. these basic game types is whether or not your score is penalized for hitting other people or bases with the same color Some players manage to get negative scores by hitting their own team s color too often If you don t want negative scores you can either always run Individual Play or uncheck the Friendly Fire checkbox or change the Friendly Fire setting to 0 penalty Q Friendly Fire This only applies to a team game If this box is UNchecked then two vests of the same color won t be able to tag each other This box is always checked for a solo game so that all vests can tag each other Base Options This section of the Game Setup Screen allows you to customize how difficult it is to hit the base Q Hit Delay It takes 4 shots to get credit for hitting the base This setting determines how much time must elapse between each of these 4 shots If you set it somewhere around 3 seconds it makes it difficult to hit the opponents base and easier to defend your own base We recommend that you always set it to at least 1 second although young kids like a shorter delay Q Relay Delay This setting determines how long the base relay will be energized after the base has been hit and thus the amount of time before the base can be hit again Typically 7 seconds is a good setting Q Base Tag Required This checkbox determines whether the base allows the same person to attack it twice in a row If you check this box the base will re
71. ting 2 score sheets pet 87 2 x 11 Check this box if you are using a black and white printer so that the printer doesn t try to Greyscale the colors Score Sheet Setup HORIZOHTAL START r V L NS o a Printer Name M EPSON Stylus Photo R220 Series M Auto LBlast Printer 2 on LBLAST4 M WLBLAST HPB12 lv WLBLASTILBLASTS CPA aA am e Prints a blank form and saves any changes you made to the settings wt Cancel f Full Sheets Half Sheets pw Save Values amp Print Test Select whether you prefer perforated 8 x 11 full sheets with 2 score sheets per page or half sheets Most people prefer full sheets 36 Check this box if you want helpful game hints printed on the score sheets Checking this box on some printers causes problems because some printers can t print close enough to the bottom of the page If you have blank sheets printing after each score sheet uncheck this box Another solution would be to adjust the vertical position of the score sheet up so that the printer does not try to print lower than it can m Score Sheet Setup Printers The system can print out two different formats of score SSS 0 sheets This format can be used to print on half sheets 4 f ts Some customers prefer one style over the oth
72. ulator has battery input on one leg and 5 volts on the other leg with ground in the middle 56 2 There could be a short somewhere else in the vest or phaser causing the resettable fuse in the back to not let any current through You can unplug the shoulder cables in the chest to eliminate the shoulders and shoulder cables 1 Check the chest to shoulder cable s 2 Check the socketed chest chip swap with another vest AND BACK NEVER BLINK 3 The crystal on the chest could have failed Unsolder and replace the crystal LEDS ON CHEST SHOULDER 1 Try another battery you know is charged you may have a low battery SHOULDER LOW BATTERY 2 Check the chest to shoulder cable for damaged wires 3 Check the shoulder board for an open or a short on the board ARISA bad hie ON 4 The low battery IC or the Low battery LED may be broken unsolder and replace the low battery IC _ 1 Inspect the chest to shoulder cable for damage and make sure they are plugged in completely GAME WON T START ON THIS and correctly VEST ONLY 2 Check the shoulder boards for shorts or open solder joints 3 Check that the Coiled cord wires are not broken and are plugged in completely 4 Check the solder joints on the Shoulder boards on the sensors and or voltage across the sensor it should be 4 85 5 volts 5 The U4 chip may be blown Unsolder and replace or replace the entire shoulder circuit board 1 Make sure that the sho
73. ulders are not covered by long hair this will slow down communication by blocking the sensors on the shoulders 2 Check the chest shoulder cable for any damage Make sure the ribbon cables are secured 3 Check the voltage on the shoulder sensors 4 85 5V May need to replaced sensor GAME STARTS SLOW 1 Up to 10 seconds early is a normal variation in crystal tolerances between vests GAME ENDS TOC EARLY 2 The most likely cause of a vest ending early by more than 10 seconds is that the vest was started early or was not in Waiting for Game mode when the game was started It is very easy to get confused and let the vests get out of sync with the computer and the scanner VEST WON T SCAN IN 1 Make sure that shoulders aren t being blocked by a very dirty plastic cover or by long hair covering sensors 2 Inspect the Chest to shoulder cable for kinks and unplugged connectors 3 Check the voltage and the solder joints on the shoulder sensors as in No start game 4 Check that the IR tube opening at the end of the phaser is not blocked or partially blocked 5 Check that the crimp pin and wire on the Wide beam IR is a good crimp and the wire is not damaged 6 Ifduring a game you can shoot a photon and tag vests with the photon the Wide beam IR is OK 7 The transistor at the Phaser diode may be damaged Replace the transistor w_ee 1 Check that the Speaker wires are not damaged NO SOUND EFFECTS 2 Check that the speaker is
74. un Playlist New Playlist F volute E Paree i Use these checkboxes to Soe et ne le E I Select al MP3s Shuffle lt gt Stop Play select songs that you want to move up and down in the playlist 2000 Dub 7th Virgin Living by Numbers 8 Minute Medley A Drug Against Wiar E PEENE jsasieas usw eoe Airhead DJ Brisk B Select this option if you want the MP3 s to play between games as well as during the games The MP3 s will always stop playing during SCANNING mode to allow the referee to give instructions Adds all selected MP3 s to the playlist Select a folder and all of Remove Selected MP3 s from the playlist the MP3 s from that directory to the playlist 43 SOUND CONTROL SETUP SCREEN Bases You can customize the sound effects that are played over the arena sound system using the following screens Ean Click this button to select the sound to be played when the selected base is first attacked Click this button to select the sound to be played when the MegaBlaster is activated Microblasters Megablaster Sound Selection Megahlasters Owned Selected Megablaster Click this button Bases Owned Selected Base to select the M P Bue Base 24 sound to be ve a T Green played when the selected base is Attacked CoHYPERBH1 oundsidevice wav Activated
75. ure the speed adjustment on the back is turned up high enough 3 Make and install a 6 conductor wire from either of the RJ12 jacks RS485 on megablaster to the RJ12 jack RS485 on the scanner Additional megablasters can be daisy chained from either the scanner or the 2 RJ12 jack on the megablaster Label this wire Scanner if it goes to the scanner or MEGA ID if it goes to another megablaster 14 4 Connect the external 12VDC power supply to the AC power 110 220 autoswitching 5 Plug the 3 5mm DC connector into the DC jack on the megablaster The Megablaster will energize the relay for about 2 seconds after power is supplied This allows you to test the relay and strobe connections Each megablaster has a unique ID from 6 to 12 You will have to identify which ID s you have installed in the computer when you setup the software The ID is written on the micro in the megablaster The Bases THE BASES The bases consist of an electronic module a set of speakers a police beacon a strobe light and a relay controlled outlet box You should provide a themed structure for mounting the components ae The RF Master Base MASTER BASE All HyperBlast systems need one RF Master Base ID 1 This device contains the radio that allows communication between the computer and all of the vests This RF Master Base also acts as a hub for the communication between the computer and any other bases in the HyperBlast system
76. warmer than the others 67 CHEST POWER UP SEQUENCE Turn Vibrator on Flash Red LED s Flash Green LED s Flash Blue LED s Loose connector on vibrator Chest Micro not fully seated Vibrator Motor damaged Power supply or battery problem See paragraphs above to verify proper power supply on chest and phaser boards Isolate the cause by disconnecting cables from the chest 1 at a time Start with the phaser cable then the shoulders Try replacing the chest to back ribbon cable Use a spare cable to try it first on the outside of the vest before pulling the new cable through the vest Isolate the cause by disconnecting cables from the chest 1 at a time Start with the phaser cable then the shoulders Try replacing the chest to back ribbon cable Use a spare cable to try it first on the outside of the vest before pulling the new cable through the vest Isolate the cause by disconnecting cables from the chest 1 at a time Start with the phaser cable then the shoulders 2 Try replacing the chest to back ribbon cable Use a spare cable to try it first on the outside of the vest before pulling the new cable through the vest Turn off all vest LED s Turn off Vibrator Receive Vest ID Wait for Shoulder IR to stay high The chest turns off all vest LED s and the vibrator and does nothing else while waiting for the phaser to tell it which phaser ID it is connected to If there is a problem with the ph
77. ween the phaser plastic halves To test the 3 ribbon cables in the vest you should keep a spare ribbon cable that you know is good so that you can replace a suspicious cable To temporarily verify whether a vest ribbon cable is good or bad remove the chest cover and either the back or shoulder cover Disconnect the suspicious ribbon cable but leave it in the vest Connect the known good ribbon cable on the outside of the vest making sure to pay attention to the red stripe pin 1 orientation If the problem goes away you can tape the new ribbon cable to the old one and pull it through the vest fabric This section of the manual contains a list of symptoms and their suggested repairs 1 Check that the LCD cable is plugged in correctly and completely NOECD SCREEN 2 Check that the cable has no damage or pinched areas on the cable OR DIM LCD 3 Check that the Coiled Cord is plugged in on the chest and the phaser 4 Check that the LCD is not cracked 5 Check that the Speaker and LCD are in their plastic cradles and not moving around causing shorting to each other 6 Check that the solder joints on the LCD connector board are good excessive vibrations can crack them 7 If none of these work replace the LCD assembly 1 Unplug and plug the battery to the vest If the battery connector is bounced LCD HAS SQUARES ON just right the LCD powers up with all squares SCREEN 2 Check that the LCD cable is not damaged 3 Check that the so
78. wn base with one shot and you will be given credit for hitting the enemy base In addition an audio announcment will be made Q Allow Flag Passing This checkbox allows a player who has captured the enemy flag to shoot someone from their own team and pass them the flag A good strategy would be to put someone in a balcony position and someone near your own base Capture the enemy flag shoot the person in the balcony and have them shoot the person near your own base The person near your own base would have the flag and could take one shot to their base and get the credit It was necessary to create this option because it was too difficult to make it back to your own base while still carrying the flag Q Rabbit of the Arena This is a special game format that works like this v The computer randomly selects someone to be the Rabbit of the Arena and lights up their vest with all 3 colors of flashing LED s This person collects 25 points per second for as long as they can stay the Rabbit of the Arena without being tagged When they are tagged the computer randomly selects another player to be Rabbit of the Arena The random selection makes it fun for younger kids playing with older kids or adults because their chance of being the King of the Arena is just as good as anybody elses The interactive Scoreboard says next to the player who is currently the Rabbit of the Arena Q Random Rabbit If this box is checked t
79. ximately 3 minutes has elapsed on the game counter any vest that does not have its trigger pulled will automatically switch from Game Playing Mode to IDLE Mode This allows the next group to put the unused vests on while the previous game is still going on This saves turnaround time and lets you make more money with your HyperBlast system 21 When the computer game clock counts down to 00 00 the computer and the vests enter End of Game Mode You can verify the computer is in Scanning Mode because the game clock will be 00 00 and the FINISH button will be enabled After the game is over the computer needs about 15 seconds to get all of the shot accuracy data from the vests using the radio For this reason the FINISH button will automatically press itself after 25 seconds You may manually press it sooner but if you don t wait at least a few seconds the radio may be still recetving the shot data The HyperBlast system transmits the player data to the computer as it happens so there is no need to scan in at the end of the game This is all you have to know to run basic games The Referee Phaser The HyperBlast System is provided with referee terminator devices These devices serve 2 functions when the system is in IDLE Mode and 2 different functions when the system is in Playing Game Mode The functions ate selected by changing the rocker switch on the bottom of the handle TERMINATORS Functions of
80. yboards into a USB port Mouse The mouse plugs into the connector on the rear of the computer with the mouse icon on it or in the case of USB mice into a USB port Monitor Power Cord Plug the monitor into the monitor power supply and plug the monitor power supply into the battery backed up outlet on the UPS If your monitor does not have a separate power supply then plug the main power cord directly into the UPS Main Monitor Video Cable Plug the 15 pin male video cable into the 15 pin female video connector on the back of the computer The main monitor connector is labeled MON1 Audience Monitor Video Cable Plug a 15 pin male video cable into the 15 pin female video connector on the back of the computer labeled MON2 Computer Power Cord Plug the computer into a battery backed up outlet on the UPS UPS The UPS provides power monitoring battery backup and surge protection for the control computer and accessories plugged into it Most of the UPS s used by LaserBlast have 3 outlets that are battery backed up and 3 outlets that are only surge protected Plug the UPS into an AC outlet The UPS also has an on off switch Once everything is plugged in turn the UPS on and leave it on Use the switches on the individual computer printer and monitor to turn them on and off Do not turn off the computer printer or monitor using the UPS switch If you are going to turn off the outlet powering the UPS at night then you must turn the

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