Prop Control

In developmentFeatures, hardware and screens may change before release.

Prototype · In development Show control for haunts and props

Fog. Air. Strobe.
On cue.

The Dead Run on Time™

Controllers that run your scares from a phone, tablet, PC or Mac. The Prop Controller plays a timed sequence, using up to eight relays to activate your props. The Prop Manager controls multiple Prop Controllers wirelessly, activating each one with the push of a button on a central Dashboard. Both host their own web pages, so there is no app to install and no account to make.

Prop Controller · Timeline view · example sequence · The Dead Run on Time™
0 ms
PROP CONTROLLER RIP R1 · Fog machine R2 · Air blast R4 · Coffin lid R3 · Strobe

Step 1 activates fog and strobe together, holds until both are off, then pauses 500 ms. Step 2 hits the air blast, then the strobe and coffin lid together 300 ms later.

Trailers · sound on

See it run a haunt

Four short animated trailers: a how-to with the builder, and three narrated by the graveyard skeleton, including a tour of the DIY props. Press play, and use the Voice button to watch with music and effects only.

Opening Night

How-to · 1:29

Thirty days to opening night. Michael wires a Prop Controller, sets it up from his phone and laptop, presses Run, and the graveyard runs the show.

The Haunt Awakens

1:25

A dark graveyard comes alive as the Prop Controller and Prop Manager activate its props.

The Night Crew

1:35

Lightning brings a skeleton to life. It wires a Prop Controller and builds the show that animates the graveyard.

Build It. Scare Them.™

DIY props · 1:30

The skeleton builds a gravedigger in its workshop, gives it its own Prop Controller, then the Prop Manager brings eight of the DIY props to life across the graveyard.

The props, screens and settings shown follow the Prop Controller and Prop Manager prototypes, which are still in development.

Two controllers

Pick the job, or run both

Sequencer

Prop Controller

Build a show once and play it back the same way every time. Each relay gets its own duration and pause, down to the millisecond, and you edit it as a list of steps or drag clips on a timeline.

  • Up to eight outputs, one per prop scene
  • Steps run one at a time; rows inside a step can overlap or trigger together
  • Name and color each relay so “Fog Machine” will replace “Relay 1” everywhere it appears
  • Test any relay alone from the Dashboard before running the whole show
  • Edit the same show as a step list or a drag-and-drop timeline
Start a sequence from
Physical buttonPaired wireless remoteRun All Steps on the web page
Wireless hub

Prop Manager

A browser-friendly dashboard with one trigger button per Prop Controller. Each button tap sends a wireless signal to the Prop Controller at the prop, which activates the prop scene.

  • Controls up to eight Prop Controllers, each paired with a button on the Dashboard
  • Prop Controllers activate wirelessly over a WiFi network
  • Rename props, set button colors and reorder them from the Buttons page
  • Approve or block devices from a live table; approved Prop Controllers pair themselves to a button on the Dashboard
  • Settings are stored locally and are remembered during reboots and power loss
Activate a prop from
Trigger buttons on any phone or laptop
Row

One relay, on for its duration, then a pause before the next row starts. A pause of 0 activates the next row at the same moment.

Step

A group of rows. It finishes only when every relay it turned on is off again, then waits its own pause.

Sequence

Steps in order, never overlapping. A new trigger is ignored while one is running, so it never stacks.

Placeholder

A row with 0 ms duration activates nothing. Use it to add a pause inside a step.

Prop Manager · try the dashboard

Tap a prop. It activates across the yard.

Each button below is a prop. Tap one and it activates for half a second out at the prop. Names and colors are examples.

192.168.4.1ScareNET

Dashboard

Prop Manager
At the propWaiting…Tap a button to activate

Each Prop Controller only answers the buttons paired to it, so props never activate by mistake.

1 · Tap TRIGGERYour browser tells the Manager which prop to activate.
2 · SendThe Manager sends the signal wirelessly to that prop's Prop Controller.
3 · Prop activatesThe prop runs for half a second and its name shows on the Prop Controller.
Screens

The web pages

Join the controller's WiFi, open its address in any browser, and these pages are there. Nothing to install. Click any screen to see it full size. Prop names shown are examples.

Dashboard. Run or stop the show, test any relay on its own, and see triggering, sound, network and air pressure at a glance.
Relay Sequence. Build the show as steps of relay rows, each with its own duration and pause.
Timeline. The same show laid out in time. Drag clips to move or resize them.
Relay Names. A name and color for every relay, used on every page.
Sound. Upload an ambient loop, a scare sound and a startup sound, each with its own volume.
Setup. Page style, local trigger, controller name and air pressure alarms.
Network. Join your WiFi with a scanner, or host its own network anywhere.
The hardware

Built to sit in a haunt

A graphite case with orange trim for each unit. Every connection on the Prop Controller is a screw terminal on an open ledge around the edge. Click any view to see it full size. These are design mockups; final cases may differ.

Prop Controller. Screen, RUN button, speaker and a light for each output on top. Prop, power and air terminals sit on open ledges.
Every side. Prop outputs on the front, power and air on the left, trigger and speaker on the back, USB and microSD on the right.
Prop Manager. A compact unit with a screen, speaker and antenna.
Side by side. Both units and a phone, to scale.
Connections

Hooking it up

Everything connects with screw terminals, so there are no special plugs. Props wire in along the front, power on the left, and the speaker and trigger on the back.

PROP CONTROLLER · OUTPUT 1 NOCOMNC WALL OUTLET FOG MACHINE Hot, switched Neutral, straight through While the step runs, COM connects to NO and the fog machine turns on.

Prop outputs

Each of the eight outputs is a plain switch. The controller never sends power out of it. Wire the switch in line with your prop's own power, and the sequence turns the prop on and off.

Terminals
NO · COM · NC screw terminals, one set per output
Use COM + NO
Prop is on only while its row runs (most props)
Use COM + NC
Prop stays on and switches off while its row runs
Rating
Switches up to 120 V AC or low-voltage DC, 5 A per output
Cables
One cable gland per output keeps wires tidy and strain-relieved

If a prop runs on wall power, unplug it before you wire it in, and fuse it.

OPTION A · DC JACK 12 V 2 A +− center + OPTION B · SCREW TERMINAL +− from a 5–24 V supply 5–24 V

Power

Plug in a DC adapter, or wire a supply straight into the power terminal. Anything from 5 to 24 volts works.

DC jack
5.5 × 2.1 mm, center positive
Terminal
2-pin screw terminal, + and −
Suggested
12 V, 2 A adapter
Protected
Against a reversed supply, overload and spikes
Air sensor
Separate 6-pin terminal for the air pressure add-on

Use the jack or the terminal, not both at once.

TRIGGER SPEAKER +5VGNDTRIG SPK−SPK+ BUTTON OR MAT

Sound and trigger

Connect a speaker for the scare sounds, and add a button or mat so guests start the show themselves.

Speaker
4–8 Ω speaker, up to 3 W, on SPK− and SPK+
Sounds
Ambient loop, scare and startup sounds, uploaded on the Sound page
Trigger
Any switch that closes between TRIG and GND: button, pressure mat, motion sensor
+5V
Powers a small sensor, such as a motion detector
Wireless
The Prop Manager can activate it too, no cable needed
Add-on · for air props

Air pressure add-on

A small box that lets the Prop Controller read the air pressure feeding your cylinders. The pressure shows on the controller's screen, the Dashboard and the Setup page, with low and high alarms, and the controller can refuse to start a show when there isn't enough air to run it properly.

AIR ADD-ONPWR3V3 GND SCL SDA +5V GND+5V GND SIG1234
Enclosure concept · A

Air add-on

A palm-sized box that sits near your air supply. One cable runs to the Prop Controller and one to the pressure sensor, both on screw terminals, like everything else in the system.

Outside96 × 70 × 32 mm
MaterialABS or PETG, matte
  1. Name label. Printed orange label, matching the controller.
  2. Power light. Green when the add-on is getting 5V from the controller.
  3. Controller terminal. 6-pin screw terminal, 3V3 · GND · SCL · SDA · +5V · GND, wired pin for pin to the AIR terminal on the controller's left ledge.
  4. Sensor terminal. 3-pin screw terminal, +5V · GND · SIG, for the pressure sensor.

Back: two keyhole slots for hanging it on a screw near the regulator. These are design mockups; the final case may differ.

What it does

Readout
Live pressure in psi or bar, on the screen, Dashboard and Setup page
Alarms
Low and high, each can be turned off
Low-air lock
Optionally stops the show from starting when the pressure is low
Sensor check
Tells you when the sensor is unplugged or faulty, instead of showing a false reading
Power
From the controller's AIR terminal. No separate supply needed

The sensor

Type
3-wire pressure transducer, 0.5–4.5V output, 5V supply
Range
150 psi, or 200 psi if your compressor cuts out above about 140 psi
Thread
1/4" or 1/8" NPT, to match your fittings
Cable
3-conductor, shielded for runs longer than about 3 ft
Firmware
Prop Controller 1.11.1 or later

Buy the right sensor: the listing must say "0.5–4.5V output, 5V DC supply." Some look identical but put out 4–20 mA or 0–10V, and those won't work with the add-on.

Hooking it up

Wiring

SENSOR red black signal +5V GND SIG AIR ADD-ON SENSOR +5V GND SIG CONTROLLER 3V3 GND SCL SDA +5V GND PROP CTRL AIR · 6-PIN 3V3 GND SCL SDA +5V GND — +5V — 3.3V — SCL / SDA — signal 0.5–4.5V
Every pin goes to the pin with the same name. The controller cable carries power to the add-on and the readings back, so it's the only cable the add-on needs besides the sensor.
Add-on terminalPinWire to
Sensor+5VSensor red wire
SensorGNDSensor black wire
SensorSIGSensor signal wire, usually yellow, green or blue
Controllerall 6The same-named pins on the controller's AIR terminal. Don't swap SCL and SDA

Sensor wire colors vary by brand, so check the label or the datasheet before you power it up.

Plumbing

Fitting the sensor

  1. Release all the pressure from the line first.
  2. Put the sensor in a tee after the regulator, so it shows the pressure your cylinders actually get. Put it on the tank instead if you'd rather watch the compressor.
  1. Wrap the threads with PTFE tape, 3–4 turns clockwise, and tighten on the hex, never the sensor body.
  2. Point the port sideways or up so any water drains away from the sensor.

Safety: the controller only watches the pressure. Keep your compressor's pressure switch and relief valve in place.

Setup page

Turning it on

Prop Controller · Setup
Setup/ Graveyard
Air pressure sensor
Live reading58 psi
Sensor2.05 V · OK
Sensor range
150 psi
Units
psi ▾
Low alarm
35
High alarm
90
Zero sensorSave
The Air pressure sensor card on the Setup page. The values shown are a typical prop setup: a 150 psi sensor after a regulator set to about 60 psi. Layout simplified.
  1. Tick Pressure sensor connected. With the line vented, the reading should show about 0.5V and 0 psi.
  2. Set Sensor range to the rating printed on the sensor, and choose psi or bar.
  3. With all the air let out, press Zero sensor.
  4. Set the Low alarm and High alarm. 0 turns an alarm off.
  5. Optionally tick Don't start the sequence when pressure is low.
  6. Pressurize and compare with a mechanical gauge. They should agree within a few psi.

With the low-pressure option on, the trigger button, the wireless remote and the Run buttons are ignored while the pressure is below the low alarm, and the screen shows "Low air!" Testing a single step or relay still works, and an unplugged sensor never blocks the show.

If something's wrong

What the status means

You seeWhat it meansCheck
Power light offThe add-on isn't getting 5V+5V and GND on the controller cable, terminal screws tight
no ADS1115The controller can't talk to the add-onAll six controller wires in the right terminals, SCL and SDA not swapped
no sensorThe add-on is found, but no sensor signalSensor red on +5V, signal on SIG, terminal screws tight
sensor faultThe signal is too highSignal shorted to 5V, pressure above the sensor's range, or the wrong type of sensor
Jumpy readingElectrical noisePower air valves and motors from their own supply, use shielded sensor cable
A few psi with no airZero is offLet all the air out and press Zero sensor
Setup

Quick start

Prop Controller

  1. Power it on. Its screen shows the WiFi network name and the address to open.
  2. Join that network from your phone or laptop.
  3. Open the IP address in a browser. You land on the Sequence page.
  4. Name your relays, build your steps, then press Save Sequence. Nothing is saved until you do.
  5. Press Run All Steps, the trigger button, or your wireless remote.

Prop Manager

  1. Power the Manager and each Prop Controller. Prop Controllers use the same radio channel as the Manager.
  2. Join the Manager's network and open 192.168.4.1.
  3. Go to /setup and approve each Prop Controller as it appears in the device table.
  4. Approved Prop Controllers pair to the next open channel on their own. You can also type an address on /buttons.
  5. Name and color your props, then activate them from the Dashboard.
Troubleshooting

Common questions

Do I need a router or internet?

No. Both controllers host their own WiFi network by default, so they work in a field, a garage or a haunt with no internet. You can also have either one join your existing WiFi from its Network page.

What if it can't join my WiFi?

It waits a short time, then falls back to hosting its own network, so you are never locked out. Reconnect to that network and fix the settings on the Network page.

I forgot the Prop Controller's WiFi password.

Hold the trigger button while powering on and keep holding for the full countdown on the screen. That restores the factory network settings. Let go early and it boots normally.

A relay on the Prop Controller won't activate.

Check that the row's duration isn't 0 and that the relay number is within the active relay count set on the Sequence page.

A Prop Controller doesn't respond to the Prop Manager.

Make sure it's powered and in range, and that it's authorized on the Setup page and paired to that prop on the Buttons page.

DIY props

Build it.
Scare them.

Animated props you can make in a weekend with a motor, some hardware store parts and a 12V supply. Each one can be fired from the Prop Controller or Prop Manager.

Project 01 · Motion prop

Phantom gravedigger

A shovel that digs a fresh grave on its own, driven by a slow crank hidden in a tombstone.

Beginner~$80–1201 weekend12V Project 02 · Motion prop

Graveyard groundbreaker

A skeleton fights its way out of a fresh grave, rocked up through the dirt by a wiper motor hidden in the ground.

Intermediate~$120–1801–2 weekends12V Project 03 · Motion prop

Rising zombie

A zombie lunges out of a dirt mound on the lawn. No box and no digging: the clothes and the mound hide the motor.

Intermediate~$110–1701–2 weekends12V Project 04 · Motion prop

Ground crawler

A zombie drags itself across the ground toward the guests, one clawing arm after the other, driven by a motor in its chest.

Intermediate~$110–1601–2 weekends12V Project 05 · Motion prop

Tombstone peeker

A ghoul rises from behind a tombstone, stares at the guests over the top, then drops out of sight. One trigger, one peek.

Beginner~$70–1201 weekend12V Project 06 · Motion prop

Thrashing body bag

A body bag hanging from a dead tree kicks and twists to get out. An off-center weight on a wiper motor does all the work.

Beginner~$70–1101 weekend12V Project 07 · Motion prop

Coffin sitter

A corpse in an open coffin sits bolt upright and reaches out as guests lean in, then slowly lies back down.

Intermediate~$120–2001–2 weekends12V Project 08 · Air prop

Grabbing hand

A hand bursts up out of the dirt at the edge of the path and claws at the air. Driven by a small air cylinder and a 12V valve.

Intermediate~$90–1501 weekend12V + air Project 09 · Air prop

Air drop panel

A panel in the wall drops out of sight with a slam to reveal a ghoul in the window. An air cylinder holds it up, and a guarded strike board makes the bang.

Intermediate~$120–1801–2 weekends12V + air Project 10 · Air prop

Haunted kitchen

One trigger and the whole room comes apart: flickering light, rattling pots, cabinet doors banging open and a chair sliding out on its own.

Advanced~$250–4002–3 weekends12V + air Project 11 · Motion prop

Pounding door

A chained, padlocked door that something on the other side hammers on, until the door jumps in its frame and red light spills out underneath.

Beginner~$80–1301 weekend12V Project 12 · Air prop

Zombie containment cell

Specimen 07 lunges at the bars of its cell, arms reaching between the poles, while the alarm sounds and the beacon spins.

Intermediate~$200–3002 weekends12V + air Project 13 · Video prop

Video containment cell

A zombie pounds on the window of its cell, and the whole cell shakes with every hit. A monitor, a media player and a hidden thumper, all in sync.

Intermediate~$250–4001–2 weekends12V Project 14 · Air prop

Lunging portrait

A face and clawed hands push out of an old painting toward guests, stretching the canvas like skin, as the picture light dies.

Intermediate~$120–2001 weekend12V + air Project 15 · Air prop

Electric chair

A strapped-in figure convulses under a crackling skull cap while the strobe fires, ending in one long rigid jolt.

Intermediate~$150–2501–2 weekends12V + air Project 16 · Air prop

Crate monster

A stencilled crate bangs its lid and rocks on its pallet while red light and eyes glow through the gap.

Beginner~$150–2501 weekend12V + air Project 17 · Motion prop

Stirring witch

A six foot witch stirs a glowing cauldron all night, then flares the potion, burns her eyes red and stirs like mad when guests come close.

Beginner~$150–2501–2 weekends12V Project 18 · Air prop

Rising stranger

A still figure in an armchair slowly stands up toward guests, then its neck stretches and its head rises high above them.

Intermediate~$200–3002 weekends12V + air
Project 19

Next build

More DIY props will land here as they're designed.

Guide · Prop Controller

Wiring props to the relays

The two circuits every project uses, wiper motor park switches, triggers, and how to read the suggested relay programs.

Read the guide → Guide · Before you put props outside

Weatherproofing your motors and controllers

Rain hats for motors, the right box for your Prop Controller and Prop Manager, wire sizes for long runs, and a show-night checklist.

Read the guide →