Category: Controller FAQs

Many escape room operators use props from third-party manufacturers alongside Escape Room Techs equipment. This guide explains how to integrate these props with your BAC V controller for remote monitoring and override control from game master software like Escape Room Master, M3 or other systems.

Understanding the Challenge

Third-party props typically include their own control board that manages puzzle logic and controls an integrated magnetic lock. When guests solve the puzzle, the prop’s ‘brain’ releases the maglock.

The challenge is that these props operate as opaque boxes — the BAC can’t directly control the puzzle logic or see when they’re solved or control their locks without additional wiring.

This guide covers two approaches to integration, each with different tradeoffs.

Approach 1: Power Switching (Simpler Installation)

Best for: Operators who primarily need remote override capability and don’t need automated show control triggers based on puzzle completion.

In this approach, the BAC acts as a computer-controlled switch that cuts power to the entire prop, similar to a physical override switch. When you need to bypass a puzzle, you simply cut power to the prop, which – as part of turning off the entire prop – de-energizes its maglock and releases the lock.

Advantages

• Simple wiring — just interrupt the power line
• Can preserve existing physical override switches
• Works with any prop regardless of internal design
• Fastest installation time

Disadvantages

• No feedback to game software when puzzle is solved by guests
• Cannot trigger show control effects (lighting, sound, etc.) based on puzzle completion
• Cuts power to entire prop, not just the lock

What You’ll Need

For up to 2 props per BAC:

• Your BAC V controller (uses built-in relays)
• Appropriate-gauge wire for power connections

For 3-8 props per BAC:

• Your BAC V controller
• 8-Channel 12V Relay Module — one example is the HiLetgo 8 Channel 12V Relay Module (~$15)
• Appropriate-gauge wire for power and signal connections

Wiring Guide: Power Switching with External Relay Board

The relay board acts as 8 computer-controlled switches. Each relay has three terminals:

Terminal	Function
COM (Common)	The shared connection point — wire your incoming power here
NC (Normally Closed)	Connected to COM when relay is OFF — prop receives power
NO (Normally Open)	Connected to COM when relay is ON — power is cut

⚠️ SAFETY WARNING: Always disconnect power before making any wiring changes. Verify all connections before re-energizing. Incorrect wiring can damage equipment or create fire hazards.

Relay Board Configuration

The HiLetgo relay board has jumpers for selecting trigger level:

Setting	When to Use
HIGH	Use this setting with BAC V outputs set to “High side” (recommended)
LOW	Triggers the relay when the signal goes to ground, which is opposite how the BAC is typically configured unless “Low side” is selected.

Important: Set the jumpers to HIGH level trigger before connecting to your BAC. The BAC V’s outputs go HIGH (+12V) when activated, which will then trigger the relay.

Step-by-Step Wiring

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  POWER SWITCHING SETUP WITH 8-CHANNEL RELAY BOARD                           │
│                                                                             │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────┐                                            │
│  │ 12V POWER SUPPLY UNIT (PSU) │                                            │
│  │   +12V    GND               │                                            │
│  └────┬───────┬────────────────┘                                            │
│       │       │                                                             │
│       │       ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│       │       │                                                         │   │
│       │       │    ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐              │   │
│       │       │    │         BAC V CONTROLLER            │              │   │
│       │       │    │                                     │              │   │
│       │       │    │  Power Input: +12V ─────── GND      │              │   │
│       │       │    │               ↑             ↑       │              │   │
│       └───────┼────┼───────────────┼─────────────┘       │              │   │
│               │    │               │                     │              │   │
│               └────┼───────────────┘                     │              │   │
│                    │                                     │              │   │
│                    │  Output Header:                     │              │   │
│                    │  [+] [-] [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]    │              │   │
│                    │   │   │   │   │   │   │   │   │     │              │   │
│                    └───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼─────┘              │   │
│                        │   │   │   │   │   │   │   │                    │   │
│                        │   │   │   │   │   │   │   │                    │   │
│  ┌─────────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼────────────────┐   │   │
│  │  8-CHANNEL RELAY    │   │   │   │   │   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │  MODULE             │   │   │   │   │   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │                     │   │   │   │   │   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │  Power: DC+ ────────┘   │   │   │   │   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │         DC- ────────────┘   │   │   │   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │                             │   │   │   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │  Inputs: IN1 ───────────────┘   │   │   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │          IN2 ───────────────────┘   │   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │          IN3 ───────────────────────┘   │   │   │                │   │   │
│  │          IN4 ───────────────────────────┘   │   │                │   │   │
│  │          IN5 ───────────────────────────────┘   │                │   │   │
│  │          IN6 ───────────────────────────────────┘                │   │   │
│  │                                                                  │   │   │
│  │  (Note: IN7, IN8 can connect to BAC Relay 0 and Relay 1          │   │   │
│  │   COM terminals if you need all 8 channels active)               │   │   │
│  │                                                                  │   │   │
│  │  Relay Outputs (typically top of board):                         │   │   │
│  │  ┌─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┐...      │   │   │
│  │  │ NC1 │ COM1│ NO1 │ NC2 │ COM2│ NO2 │ NC3 │ COM3│ NO3 │         │   │   │
│  │  └──┬──┴──┬──┴─────┴──┬──┴──┬──┴─────┴──┬──┴──┬──┴─────┘         │   │   │
│  └─────┼─────┼───────────┼─────┼───────────┼─────┼──────────────────┘   │   │
│        │     │           │     │           │     │                      │   │
│        │     │           │     │           │     │                      │   │
│        │     └───────────)─────┼───────────)─────┼──────────────────────┘   │
│        │     │           │     │           │     │                          │
│        │  +12V from PSU  │  +12V from PSU  │  +12V from PSU                 │
│        │  goes to each   │                 │                                │
│        │  COM terminal   │                 │                                │
│        │                 │                 │                                │
│     ┌──┼──────────┐   ┌──┼──────────┐   ┌──┼──────────┐                     │
│     │  │PROP 1    │   │   PROP 2    │   │   PROP 3    │   ... etc.          │
│     │  │          │   │             │   │             │                     │
│     │ +12V ── GND │   │ +12V ── GND │   │ +12V ── GND │                     │
│     │         │   │   │         │   │   │         │   │                     │
│     │         │   │   │         │   │   │         │   │                     │
│     └─────── ─┼───┘   └─────────┼───┘   └─────────┼───┘                     │
│               │                 │                 │                         │
│               └─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────── all to PSU GND   │
│                                                                             │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────-─┘

Wiring Steps:

1. Disconnect all power before beginning.
2. Power the BAC: Connect +12V and GND from your power supply to the BAC’s barrel jack or terminal block.
3. Power the relay board: Connect the BAC’s output header + terminal to the relay board’s DC+ terminal, and the BAC’s output header – terminal to the relay board’s DC- terminal.
4. Connect trigger signals: Wire BAC Output 0 to relay board IN1, Output 1 to IN2, and so on through Output 5 to IN6.
5. Wire +12V to relay COMs: Connect +12V from your power supply to each relay’s COM terminal. You can daisy-chain these connections.
6. Wire props to relay NCs: Connect each relay’s NC (Normally Closed) terminal to the +12V input of its corresponding prop.
7. Complete ground connections: Connect each prop’s GND terminal to the power supply’s GND.
8. Double-check all connections before applying power.

Preserving Physical Override Switches

If you have existing physical override switches and want to keep them functional alongside the BAC control, wire them in series between the relay’s NC terminal and the prop’s +12V input:

PSU +12V → Relay COM → Relay NC → Physical Switch → Prop +12V Input

This way, either the BAC OR the physical switch can cut power to the prop.

---

Approach 2: Full Integration with Solve Detection (Advanced)

Best for: Operators who want automated show control (lighting changes, sound effects, etc.) triggered when guests solve puzzles, or who want to see real-time puzzle status in their game master software.

This approach uses two boards:

1. An optocoupler board to safely read the prop’s maglock signal as a BAC input
2. A relay board to independently control the maglock

The BAC sits “in the middle” — it monitors when the prop’s brain tries to release the lock (input), and it controls the actual lock release (output). This gives you full visibility and override capability.

Advantages

• See when each puzzle is solved in your game master software
• Trigger show control effects automatically when puzzles complete
• Full override capability independent of prop brain
• Can preserve automated unlock behavior while adding override

Disadvantages

• More complex wiring
• Requires intercepting maglock wiring inside each prop
• Higher parts cost
• More points of potential failure

What You’ll Need

• Your BAC V controller
• 8-Channel Optocoupler for reading prop signals on inputs; choose based on your power supply situation:
  • If your props all share the same 12V power supply:
    8-Channel Shared-Ground Optocoupler (~$12)
  • If your props have separate/independent power supplies:
    1-Channel Individual Optocoupler Modules, 1 Per Input (~$10/6)
• 8-Channel 12V Relay Module for controlling outputs:
  HiLetgo 8 Channel 12V Relay Module (~$15)
• Appropriate-gauge wire for power and signal connections

Understanding Optocoupler Boards

Optocouplers provide electrical isolation between circuits. They use an internal LED and light sensor to transmit signals without any direct electrical connection. This is important because:

1. It protects the BAC from voltage spikes or faults in the prop’s circuitry
2. It prevents ground loops that can cause erratic behavior
3. It allows connecting equipment with different power supplies safely

Shared-Ground Optocoupler (8-Channel Module)

This board has 10 pins on the input side:

Pin	Connection
COM (×2)	Both connect to the negative side of your signal (prop’s GND when using NPN/active-low)
X1-X8	Connect to the positive signal from each prop’s maglock output

⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING: The two COM terminals are internally connected. Connect them ONLY to positive OR negative — never both simultaneously, or you will short your power supply.

Output side (top to bottom): +12V power, – (GND), O1-O8 (outputs to BAC inputs)

When to use: All props share the same power supply, so they have a common ground reference.

Isolated Optocoupler (Individual Channel Type)

Each board has two independent input terminals, “IN+ and IN-“, which connect to the mag lock power from the prop.

Pin	Connection
IN+	Positive signal from prop
IN-	Negative/ground from prop

The output side has three pins: VCC (for the BAC’s 12V power), OUT (output to BAC input), and GND (- terminal of BAC’s 12V power).

When to use: Props have different power supplies or you need complete isolation between channels.

How Prop Maglocks Typically Work

Most third-party prop maglocks are powered-to-lock (also called “fail-safe” or “fail-insecure”):

• When the maglock receives power, it stays locked
• When power is cut, the lock releases

The prop’s brain controls a small relay or transistor that switches power to the maglock. When guests solve the puzzle, the brain cuts power to the lock.

To intercept this signal:

1. Locate the wires going from the prop’s control board to its maglock
2. These are typically two wires: +12V (switched) and GND
3. The +12V wire will show voltage when locked, no voltage when unlocked

Wiring Guide: Full Integration

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  FULL INTEGRATION: SOLVE DETECTION + OVERRIDE CONTROL                       │
│                                                                             │
│  Inside each third-party prop:                                              │
│                                                                             │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐                 │
│  │  PROP INTERNAL WIRING (you will modify this)           │                 │
│  │                                                        │                 │
│  │  ┌──────────┐      Original wiring    ┌──────────┐     │                 │
│  │  │  PROP    │  +12V (switched) ──X──► │ MAGLOCK  │     │                 │
│  │  │  BRAIN   │  GND ──────────────X──► │          │     │                 │
│  │  └──────────┘       (disconnect)      └──────────┘     │                 │
│  │                                                        │                 │
│  │  New wiring:                                           │                 │
│  │  ┌──────────┐                                          │                 │
│  │  │  PROP    │  +12V (switched) ──────► To Optocoupler  │                 │
│  │  │  BRAIN   │  GND ──────────────────► To Optocoupler  │                 │
│  │  └──────────┘                          (reads solve)   │                 │
│  │                                                        │                 │
│  │  ┌──────────┐                                          │                 │
│  │  │ MAGLOCK  │  +12V ◄─────────────── From Relay Board  │                 │
│  │  │          │  GND ◄──────────────── From PSU GND      │                 │
│  │  └──────────┘                         (BAC controlled) │                 │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘                 │
│                                                                             │
│                                                                             │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  CENTRAL CONTROL PANEL                                               │   │
│  │                                                                      │   │
│  │  ┌─────────────────────┐         ┌─────────────────────────┐         │   │
│  │  │ SHARED-GROUND       │         │ BAC V CONTROLLER        │         │   │
│  │  │ OPTOCOUPLER         │         │                         │         │   │
│  │  │                     │         │ Inputs: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 │         │   │
│  │  │ Inputs:             │         │         ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ │         │   │
│  │  │ COM ── to PSU GND   │         │         │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │         │   │
│  │  │ COM ── to PSU GND   │ Outputs │         │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │         │   │
│  │  │ X1 ◄── Prop 1 +12V  │ O1-O8 ──┼────────►┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │         │   │
│  │  │ X2 ◄── Prop 2 +12V  │ go to   │                         │         │   │
│  │  │ X3 ◄── Prop 3 +12V  │ BAC     │                         │         │   │
│  │  │ ...                 │ inputs  │                         │         │   │
│  │  │ X8 ◄── Prop 8 +12V  │         │                         │         │   │
│  │  │                     │         │                         │         │   │
│  │  │ Power:              │         │                         │         │   │
│  │  │ + ◄── 12V from PSU  │         │ Outputs: 0 1 2 3 4 5    │         │   │
│  │  │ - ◄── GND from PSU  │         │          │ │ │ │ │ │    │         │   │
│  │  └─────────────────────┘         └──────────┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼────┘         │   │
│  │                                             │ │ │ │ │ │              │   │
│  │                                             ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼              │   │
│  │  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │   │
│  │  │ 8-CHANNEL RELAY MODULE                                         │  │   │
│  │  │                                                                │  │   │
│  │  │ Power: DC+ ◄── from BAC output header +                        │  │   │
│  │  │        DC- ◄── from BAC output header -                        │  │   │
│  │  │                                                                │  │   │
│  │  │ Inputs: IN1 IN2 IN3 IN4 IN5 IN6 IN7 IN8                        │  │   │
│  │  │          ↑   ↑   ↑   ↑   ↑   ↑   ↑   ↑                         │  │   │
│  │  │         From BAC outputs 0-5 and relays                        │  │   │
│  │  │                                                                │  │   │
│  │  │ Relay Outputs:                                                 │  │   │
│  │  │ NC1┐    COM1┐  NO1┐       NC2┐    COM2┐  NO1┐   ...            │  │   │
│  │  │    │        │     x          │        │     x   ...            │  │   │
│  │  │  Prop 1   +12V             Prop 2   +12V        ...            │  │   │
|  |  |  Lock +                    Lock +               ...            │  │   │
│  │  │                                                                │  │   │
│  │  │                                                                │  │   │
│  │  └─────┼────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┘  │   │
│  │        │                        │                                    │   │
│  │        ▼                        ▼                                    │   │
│  │        +   - ◄── GND from PSU   +   - ◄── GND from PSU               │   │
│  │      Prop 1                   Prop 2                                 │   │
│  │      Maglock                  Maglock                                │   │
│  │                                                                      │   │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step-by-Step Wiring:

1. Disconnect all power and verify no voltage is present.
2. Modify each prop internally:
   • Locate the wires from the prop brain to its maglock
   • Disconnect the maglock from the prop brain
   • Route the prop brain’s maglock output wires to your central control panel (these go to the optocoupler inputs)
   • Route new wires from the relay board back to the maglock
3. Set up the optocoupler board:
   • Connect the COM terminal(s) to the – terminal of the prop power supply
   • Connect the input(s) to the +12V switched lock output(s) from each prop brain
   • Power the board on the output side from the BAC, + to 12V, – to GND
   • Connect the output(s) to BAC inputs 0-7
4. Set up the relay board:
   • Set jumpers to HIGH level trigger
   • Connect DC+ and DC- to BAC output header + and –
   • Connect IN1-IN6 to BAC outputs 0-5
   • Connect IN7-IN8 to the NO terminals of BAC Relay 0 and Relay 1 if you need all 8 channels (and then wire a jumper wire from COM to the BAC’s +12V to complete the circuit)
5. Wire the relay outputs to maglocks:
   • Connect +12V from PSU to each relay’s COM terminal
   • Connect each relay’s NC terminal to its corresponding maglock’s +12V input
   • Connect all maglock GND terminals to PSU GND
6. Configure the BAC in BAM:
   • Set inputs to trigger on appropriate level (typically LOW when optocoupler activates)
   • Set up events to echo inputs to outputs for automatic unlock behavior
   • Configure game control software integration for more advanced control

Programming the BAC for Auto-Unlock with Override

To make the BAC automatically release the lock when the prop is solved, while still allowing manual override:

1. Open BAM and navigate to Events → Input Events
2. For each input (e.g., Input 0):
   • Set “Trigger On” to match when the prop signals solved (test with your specific optocoupler)
   • Add action: “Turn Off Output 0” (or “Turn On Relay 0” depending on your wiring)
3. This creates automatic pass-through behavior
4. GMs can still manually trigger outputs/relays for override

---

Channel Limitations and Solutions

The BAC V provides:

• 8 inputs (0-7)
• 6 outputs (0-5)
• 2 relays (0-1)

Maximum channels per BAC: 8 (using all outputs and relays for control)

Using the BAC Relays as Outputs

If you need 7 or 8 channels of control, you can use the BAC’s two onboard relays as additional outputs instead of just the 6 digital outputs.

Wire +12V from your power supply (or from the + terminal on the BAC’s output header) to the relay’s COM terminal, then connect the relay’s NO (Normally Open) terminal to your load — whether that’s a maglock directly or an input on an external relay board.

When you activate the relay via software, COM connects to NO and your load receives power, just like turning on a digital output. This gives you a full 8 channels: outputs 0-5 driving IN1-IN6 on your relay board, and the two onboard relays driving IN7-IN8.

If You Have More Than 8 Props

Solution	Description
Multiple BACs	Use two or more BAC V controllers, each handling up to 8 props
Keep some manual	Designate 1-2 props as manual-only with physical switches
Group props	Wire multiple props to single channel if they’re always overridden together

---

Troubleshooting

Relay doesn’t switch when BAC output activates

• Verify relay board jumpers are set to HIGH level trigger
• Check BAC output mode in BAM → Hardware → Configure IO (should be High Side for most relay boards)
• Verify DC+ and DC- connections from BAC to relay board

Optocoupler doesn’t detect prop solve signal

• Verify prop brain is actually outputting voltage when locked (measure with multimeter)
• Check COM connections on optocoupler (should go to same reference as prop brain GND)
• Verify optocoupler output voltage matches BAC input requirements

Prop doesn’t unlock when relay activates

• Verify you’re using NC (Normally Closed) terminal, not NO
• Check that +12V is connected to COM terminal
• Verify maglock polarity and connections

Erratic behavior or random triggering

• Check for ground loops — all equipment should share common ground reference
• Add flyback diodes across maglock terminals if not already present
• Verify adequate power supply capacity

---

Safety Reminders

⚠️ Always disconnect power before making wiring changes.

⚠️ Verify all connections with a multimeter before applying power.

⚠️ Use appropriate wire gauges for your lock’s current draw.

⚠️ Never connect optocoupler COM terminals to both positive AND negative simultaneously.

⚠️ Ensure adequate power supply capacity — maglocks can draw 200-650mA each; calculate total load and validate your power supply before adding props.

⚠️ Consider fire safety — secure all wiring, use appropriate enclosures, and follow local electrical codes.

---

Additional Resources

• What is a relay? How is it different from a digital output?
• How do I change my BAC V’s outputs between High Side or Low Side?
• BAC/BAM Manual
• Master Command Table (for network control)

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Need Help?

Integration projects can be complex! We’re happy to assist:

• Email: escape@escaperoomtechs.com
• Facebook Messenger: m.me/escaperoomtechs (fastest response)

Please note that while we’re always happy to help with BAC setup and configuration, a consulting fee may apply for custom engineering or extensive troubleshooting of third-party equipment we didn’t manufacture.

The Sprite is a versatile audio and video player that makes a great companion for your BAC! There are two ways you can connect the Sprite:

Recommended Solution: Serial Control

With the help of an FX45 Expander and one of our I2C cables, slightly modified, you can gain full control over your Sprite through the BAC’s event system (and even via the network from a server package like M3)

Disconnect power to your BAC. Then, connect your FX45 expander to your BAC V. The FX45 plugs into the port on the right side of the BAC.

Make sure to install the expander with the connectors facing up, and pay careful attention to make sure all of the pins are aligned correctly in both rows of the connector as you plug it into the BAC. Some revisions of the BAC have a connector that is smaller than the one on the FX45, and you may need to double-check your alignment when installing it to ensure every pin is connected correctly.

Locate the special adapter cable we enclosed in your MedeaWiz Sprite box. If you did not receive a cable or purchased your Sprite separately, see below for instructions on creating your own cable – or contact us for information about obtaining a premade one. The technical name for this cable is “JST-PH to TRRS Minijack”, and it can be fashioned out of the adapter that comes with your Sprite and one of our I2C cables if needed.

Plug the completed adapter into the Sprite’s I/O port. (You may need to rotate the plug 90 degrees to avoid conflicting with the HDMI cable.)

Load your audio or video files on an SD card, then insert it into the Sprite. Name your files with a three digit number; 000 is the file that will always loop in the background when no other file is being played (and can be a black screen or silent sound file), while 001 and above are files to be triggered via the BAC. Keep the original file extension intact.

Power on your BAC and the Sprite.

Configuring the Sprite

Connect your Sprite to a monitor temporarily for this step if you are planning on using it for audio only.

Press the Setup button on the remote to enter the setup menu.

Change the settings as shown below:

Play Mode: Video Control Mode or Audio Control Mode (choose based on whether you are trying to control video or audio; this selection needs to correctly reflect the types of files you wish to play back.)

Control Mode: Serial Control

Baud Rate: 9600 bps

Address Mode: Do Not Use Addressing

Configuring your BAC

Ensure your BAC is running at least software version 1.10 before continuing. (Version 1.10 includes an important fix to looping file control for the Sprite.)

Click Configure in BAM to open the settings window.

Click the Hardware tab. Scroll down to the Sprite Player section. Check the enabled box, then click Save. Then return to the Sprite Player section, and ensure Hardware Serial is selected.

Now, you can control your Sprite from the BAC! Click the Events tab to add a new Sprite control command. Locate an event you would like to use to trigger a video. Select “Play Sprite Video” or “Set Sprite Loop”, depending on whether you want to play your file once or repeatedly. For settings, type the number of the file you’d like to play. Click Save, then click Trigger to test your newly modified event.

You can also perform these functions over the network by sending a message with the number of the file you’d like to play to BACNAME/set/playSprite or BACNAME/set/loopSprite .

Troubleshooting

Verify the FX45 is installed and aligned correctly with the BAC connector.

Make sure the Sprite is receiving power correctly.

Try playing your files using the provided remote and ensure they play correctly. If the Sprite can’t play the files via the remote, the BAC won’t be able to either.

Ensure your cable’s pin connections matches the section below.

Addendum: Creating a Sprite Cable

Obtain a JST-PH 2.0″ pitch, 4 conductor cable from our store or another vendor.

Plug one end of the connector into the Serial connector of the BAC. Then, cut the other end off of the cable and strip about 1/4″ of insulation from each of the four wires.

Find and identify the screw terminal connector that comes with your Sprite. (If you have misplaced it, you can purchase a replacement from Amazon.)

It contains four screw terminals- L, R, a third labeled blank or V, and Ground; these correspond to the tip (1), ring (2), ring (3), and base (4) pins of the connector.

Identify the wires coming out of the FX45 by the silkscreened indicator on the board. On newer revisions of the FX45, each pin is labeled. On older revisions, look for the numeral 1, identifying the side that is Pin 1, and then count the other pins in sequence going from left to right.

Make the connections as shown below:

BAC Serial Pin 1 (RX) <> Sprite IO Ring (“V”/blank, 3)
BAC Serial Pin 2 (TX) <> Sprite IO Ring (“R”, 2)
BAC Serial Pin 3 (V+) <> Do not connect
BAC Serial Pin 4 (GND) <> Sprite IO Base (Ground)

You will not connect any wires to the L (1) port of the Sprite connector.

Plug the completed adapter into the Sprite’s I/O port. (You may need to rotate the plug 90 degrees to avoid conflicting with the HDMI cable.)

Additional Resources

Sprite DV-S1 Manual 4.0

The best way to set up a BAC’s network connection is to plug it into your main router, or to a connected Ethernet switch. This allows the BAC to get an IP address from your router’s built in “DHCP Server”, which is a piece of software that controls your network and hands out IP addresses. It ensures that any other computer on your network will be able to access the BAC, making it easy to integrate with M3 and other software packages.

Sometimes, you might need to configure your BAC without access to your router, though. If you’re using a phone hotspot for connectivity and don’t have an office network, or if you’re setting up a BAC in a new location before a network is available, you might need an alternate approach.

In these situations, you can connect your BAC directly to your computer via an Ethernet cable. In some cases, this will just magically work – so we recommend you start by simply connecting the cable and opening Bad Ass Manager. If you see your controller there, you can skip the rest of this article.

Unfortunately, sometimes just making the connection isn’t enough – both your computer and the BAC will make up random ‘local’ IP addresses, and they won’t be able to find and talk to each other.

The solution is to “share” your Wi-Fi connection temporarily to your Ethernet port. This causes Windows to set up its own local server to hand out addresses, and enables BAM and your BAC to find each other and communicate. We don’t recommend this arrangement for more than temporary setup – you’ll want to invest in a router, perhaps a small travel router like this one that can connect an Ethernet device to a Wi-Fi network – but in a pinch this can get you up and running.

Before getting started, make sure to download BAM from our Downloads page; it’s possible that in some situations this process will cause your computer to not connect to the Internet properly until you’re done configuring your BAC and disable the sharing feature.

1. Find the Ethernet port on your Windows 10 computer and plug in your BAC using a standard cable. If your computer is a laptop without an Ethernet port, you can buy an affordable USB adapter like this one from TP-Link.
2. Open your Start Menu. Search for “Network Connections”, and when “View network connections” appears, select it.
   

3. In the window that appears, examine the network connections. You may have several, but you’re looking for two connections: your standard Wi-Fi connection that connects you to the Internet, and the second Ethernet adapter that is connected to the BAC.

The Wi-Fi adapter should be easy to find; the Ethernet adapter might be a little harder, but it probably will have “Ethernet” in the name, potentially followed by a number. If you see other items in the list with words like “Virtual” or “VPN”, you can ignore them.

6. Check “Allow other users to connect through this computer’s connection”. Then, in the dropdown box, choose your Ethernet connection that is plugged into your BAC. Uncheck “Allow other users to control or disable the shared Internet connection.” When you’re done, the dialog should look like this:

7. Click OK.

8. Launch BAM. When it opens, you may be asked about firewall access; make sure to permit it to communicate on all network types:

10. If all goes well, you should see your BAC in BAM. If not, try clicking Discover; if it still doesn’t appear, unplug and replug the power to your BAC and wait two minutes, then click Discover again.

Still no luck? Contact our support team and we’re happy to help.

11. Important: when you’re done configuring your BAC, reverse the process by right-clicking your Wi-Fi adapter and unchecking the options on the Sharing tab. If you forget this step, your Ethernet adapter will no longer work for other network connections, and you may even cause problems if you attempt to plug your computer into another network (because your computer will be competing with the network’s router to hand out IP addresses).

The SD card that comes with your Audio BAC is prepared at the factory with the correct file system, but if you need to prepare another card, it should be formatted with the FAT16 or FAT32 file system only.

Do not use NTFS or exFAT, and do not store files on your card other than audio files intended for playback via the BAC. Many SD cards ship from the factory with an exFAT file syste

Warning

The act of formatting a storage card erases all data on it permanently. Before formatting your card, back up any files on it that you wish to save.

Exercise special caution when formatting your storage card to ensure you don’t accidentally format the wrong device – if you aren’t careful, you could accidentally format other external storage devices or even your computer’s secondary hard disk or recovery partition. When in doubt, stop and consult your operating system manual for assistance.

Files should be named with short filenames – 8 characters or less with a 3 character extension. We recommend simple numbers (for example, 001.wav).

The Audio BAC supports .WAV, .MP3, .OGG, .AAC and .WMA file formats. We recommend the industry-standard 44100Hz 16-bit stereo .WAV format for shorter sounds and 192Kbps CBR MP3 for longer sounds, but most sample rates and formats should work well.

Great question! While both can be used to build your escape room technology, we designed the Bad Ass Controller to solve several key problems we frequently encountered when using Arduino-based controllers.

At the core, both are surprisingly similar devices – both the Arduino and the Bad Ass Controller are based on industry-standard Atmel microcontrollers.

Arduino microcontrollers are generic control devices designed to be used in a wide variety of DIY projects. They operate at a low voltage – typically 3.3V or 5V – and have pin connectors designed for temporary breadboard assembly of circuits. While they offer a great deal of flexibility, the responsibility is on you as the user to design circuits to integrate them with other devices you want to control and to write software implementing your game logic using C++ or a similar programming language.

The Bad Ass Controller builds on this foundation. We designed it to be a turnkey approach, and the BAC improves on the Arduino for escape room use in several ways:

• The BAC can be configured to run most common escape room game scenarios right out of the box, no programming required. Our easy-to-use configuration tool, Bad Ass Manager, makes configuring game behavior an easy point-and-click operation.
• The BAC comes with a built-in Ethernet port and integrated support for common escape room software platforms, allowing custom game logic and easy integration with other sound/lighting/gameplay elements. Adding network support to an Arduino requires extra costly hardware and time-consuming software development.
• The BAC uses industrial screwdown connectors that ensure a safe, secure connection. Loose or poorly soldered wiring is one of the top causes of unreliable escape room props.
• The BAC uses higher voltages (12V or 24V DC), which better withstand long wiring runs. 3.3V or 5V signals like those generated by an Arduino are not intended to travel more than a few inches from the circuit board and are unsuitable for long in-wall wires.
• BAC inputs and outputs have extensive protection against electrical faults, protecting your controller in case of wiring mistakes or transient electrical noise. Most Arduino boards have no protection and the controller can be easily damaged by electrical noise.
• The BAC includes high-current driver circuitry and multiple relay suitable for controlling magnetic locks, which are commonly used in escape rooms. Arduino boards require additional modules and custom wiring to control locks.

We love the Arduino platform, and in fact many elements of the BAC are inspired by its foundation. (In fact, the BAC can actually be used as a fancy Arduino for complex projects, so please reach out to us if you’re interested in that option!)

But our years of experience building escape rooms have taught us there are many challenges encountered when using Arduino devices as the core of an escape room, and we’re proud to have solved many of them with the BAC.

While the upfront investment may be a bit more expensive, we’re confident the time you save by using our products will pay for itself many times over by helping you get up and running faster and by keeping your games reliable over the lifetime of your experience.