Nighty80 wrote: ↑January 11th, 2025, 4:11 am Haha,
Speaking of which... Has anyone heard anything on the grapevine about replacement Controller boards, al-la GPStar's pack & wand boards?
Hoping for a few new features:
- Bar graph direction (I've done the wiring mod but figure most folk would prefer not to have to)
- Option for 28-seg bar graph upgrade
- Option to completely disable the ghost noises/
- Improved trapping sequence; I prefer the extended (Ghost) mode, but don't care for the ghost noises at all. Option to choose between flashing and pulsed white LEDs during capture. The white LED flicker effect after the doors close troubles me, as it's on/off/on/off at the same tempo as the beeps/red LED - it should be random, like static, preferably accompanied by a crackle sound
- Keep-alive
- Option to enable/disable the hidden button so it can't accidentally trigger when in the holster, which I understand can mess up the doors
- Not sure if practical, but perhaps a built in transmitter to trigger a smoke machine? Avoids having a separate remote/fob, or having to mod the trap pedal. This would probably be more reliable than the toggle switch mod in the pedal, as I suspect if you don't stomp all the way down to actuate the switch properly it could get out of sync with the trap. Also the timing of smoke isn't tied to the pedal; it could run again briefly during the white LED flicker/crackle effect and perhaps periodically after that, or via a press on the hidden button
Anyone think of anything else?
Hi there, code monkey for GPStar here!
We received our traps very quickly (I got mine right before Christmas), and work has already begun on new electronics. The tricky bit that will take a little while is finding a good mount location and deciding on which microcontroller we're going to use based on the numbers of inputs and outputs we ancitipate needing. Fortunately most of the connectors in the trap are standard, and also fortunately the vast majority are actual connectors rather than being solder joints. Thanks, Hasbro!!
We already have a little leg up on the code because Michael, the lead dev and founder, already did a DIY Ghost Trap with custom code a few years ago. You can see his work here on GBFans:
viewtopic.php?t=49370 As for the features you've listed, let me see if I can help out any.
Q: Bargraph direction?
A: Already implemented; we're well aware that a ton of people have repinned the ribbon cable connector and we have no intention of making people
un-repin said connector. It'll just be a programming toggle, just like it already is for the bargraph on the Neutrona Wand.
Q: Optional bargraph upgrade?
A: Not finalized yet. We do want to support another bargraph but the issue is space at the moment. For example we'd love to support the tri-color bargraph that he used on the Mega Deluxe but we'll have to see how things fit in the available space on the Haslab.
Q: Option to completely disable ghost noises?
A: Yep, there will be a real "No Ghosts" mode. I know this because it bothers me too.

Q: Improved trapping sequence?
A: The trap sequence will match the films. All GPStar equipment intends to replicate the on-screen behaviors as closely as we can get it. So for GB1 it's a single pedal press to open the trap, then a second to do the close sequence. For GB2 you hold down the pedal to open the trap then let go to close it. I also intend to put in the same "easter eggs" that the Hasbro trap has, for example the Grooberson "pedal jiggle" from Afterlife and releasing a trapped ghost from the trap.
Q: Keep-alive?
A: All GPStar equipment is inherently a keep-alive (we don't have the same regulatory restrictions Hasbro does, so we do not implement sleep timers).
Q: Enable/Disable hidden button?
A: The hidden button will likely become a menu select button instead--that is, it will do nothing unless you hold it down while the trap is
off and then input some other sequence while holding it. This prevents accidental triggers. I agree, the switch is way too easy to accidentally trigger on the stock trap and that's the second thing I wanted to fix after getting it (the first being the inaccurate trap sequence).
Q: Smoke machine compatibility?
A: As with the GPStar Proton Pack board, we already intend to be able to trigger a smoke machine directly from our electronics. There will be no need for any remote transmitter as this behavior will be controlled by the mainboard itself as part of the normal trap sequence. Since there have been complaints online about sequencing the smoke (you have the practical folks who use smoke to enhance the open trap lighting effects and the screen-accuracy folks who only want it to start smoking after the ghost has been fully trapped as seen in GB1 and GB2) we intend to allow users to set when the smoke will trigger in the sequence as well.
Hope that helps. Trust me we're all pretty excited, but perhaps even more than ever space is at a premium in the trap cartridge so it may take a while before we have anything ready for the public to mess with.