To start using the Grimlight, simply insert the coin cell battery in the battery holder. The circuit fits perfectly inside your standard Warhammer base but can be placed wherever you find convenient. Use adhesive tape to stick the top of the battery holder to the inside of the miniature base. We suggest you experiment with the lights and how to use them. Take care not to pull too hard on the wiring. They are tougher than they look but can be damaged if treated roughly.
To add diffusion we suggest adding cotton or a drop of glue on top of the light. This also makes it easier to color them the way you prefer. If you want to color the lights be sure to apply a very thin coat of thinned paint such as a wash. Increase the amount of paint gradually until you achieve the desired color. It usually takes a single layer of wash to change the color.
To turn them on and off simply hold the magnets roughly half an inch above the circuit for a second. The sensor is on the side of the circuit so the distance may vary a bit depending on which side you are holding the magnet on. To switch effects on the lights simply keep holding the magnet close for about 10 seconds and you will see the lights changing effect.
To change or remove the battery use the magnets to slide it out. The tip of a pen also works.
How to install and remove the battery
Be sure to use CR1220 (or CR1216 if you absolutely must have the lowest possible height) and slide it in from the side into the battery holder.
The lights should blink 3 times to indicate that the circuit is working and ready to be turned on. If they don’t there are two things you can do to improve connectivity. First, press lightly on top of the “wings” in the center of the battery holder to make them bend slightly downward. If that does not improve connectivity, try using a small metal file or similar object to scrape off any oxidization on the pad below the battery holder. See the pictures below.
How you remove the battery depends on how you installed the Grimlight. If you can access the circuit, simply pushing the battery gently from the side with a blunt object is enough. You can also use your magnet to remove a battery if you cant access the circuit itself (i.e. if you mounted in in a miniature base).
When you mount it, you can either place it upside down for easier access to the battery or mount it so that you leave the maximum amount of space available for the battery to slide out.
Using the magnet to remove a CR1216 battery
Lightly scratching the pad to remove oxidization
Removing the battery by pushing it gently from the side
Pressing on the wings to increase connectivity
How to switch effects and use the magnet
Here´s a clip showing how the switching works.
Changing firmware
To update the firmware on the Grimlight you need a few things.
The microcontroller used on the Grimlight is a Microchip PIC10F322. The pads for programming are exposed along the edge.
The other components on the PCB is a battery holder, a couple of resistors for limiting current to the PCB and a MOSFET to protect everything if the battery is installed the wrong way.
The code delivered on all the Kickstarter Grimlights can be downloaded from here. A stripped down version with additional comments is included below. All code is useable under standard 3-clause BSD license.
Assemble your own Grimlight
Battery holder and PCB can be bought directly from us, just drop us a mail and we will send you some! In addition to that the following parts are needed.
Part
Quantity
Part name
Decription
Farnell ID
U1
1
PIC10F322-I/OT
Microcontroller
2079389
U2
1
IRLML6244TRPBF
Reverse current protection
1864517
U3
1
TLE4913
Magnet switch
2215553
C1
1
100 nF 0402 capacitor
Decoupling capacitor, use any you have on hand
1758896
C2
0
Not populated, decoupling capacitor for Hall sensor
R1-2
2
0402 resistor
Current limiting resistor, value depends on LED and battery