How Animator Works

Power Details

Power can be provided either of these 2 sources:

• USB Phone Charger
  • A USB phone charger powers the Animator at 5 Volts, whatever the charger's rating. Chargers that offer higher voltages (e.g. 9V or 20V) still supply 5V to the Animator.
  • 5V works well with red, yellow and orange LEDs. White, blue and green LEDs may be dim or may not light.
  • Any standard phone charger is safe to use. It won't damage the Animator or the LEDs.
  • To light all colours, use a 12V wall power adapter (see below).
• Wall Power Adapter
  • 12Volt / 2Amp adapters work well for the most common lighting situations. SmartModelz sells a 12V / 2A adapter.
  • An adapter that provides more than 12 Volt, up to 24 Volt will work too. Some model layouts use up to 24V. The Animator is designed to support these layouts.
  • The Power Adapter positive and negative wires must be connected to the Animator. The Animator has a pair of positive / negative terminals. The adapter wires are screwed into their corresponding terminal (red to positive; black to negative).
• Layout Bus
  • If you have a DC accessory bus that supplies 12V up to 24V then you can power your Animator devices directly from your DC bus.

App Details

• The app requires an iPhone or iPad.
• Search for “ModelAnimator” (no spaces) on the App Store and scroll down past the ads. Then download the app. It is free with your Animator purchase.

LED Details

• The LEDs are available from many sources. They must be rated at 30 milliamps (mA) or less. This includes the great majority of LEDs used in model railroads. They are also available for sale from SmartModelz.