Skip to main content

RGB 12V Virtual Pinball Light Bar

Introduction​

The CSD RGB 12V Virtual Pinball Light Bar is a purpose-built RGB lighting accessory for virtual pinball cabinets. It provides bright, multi-color LED lighting effects that react to in-game events via DOF (DirectOutput Framework). The all-aluminum anodized housing gives it a clean, finished look whether mounted behind the cabinet or on top of an existing surface.

  • Dimensions: 18" x 1-7/8" x 1-7/8" (including clear light caps)
  • Power: 12V DC, ~1A total draw
  • LED boards: Built-in current-limiting resistors — no extra components needed
  • Maintenance: Replaceable LED components, no soldering required

Requirements​

The light bar connects to the Low Power Expansion Board via a 2-meter 20-pin ribbon cable — a single cable hookup. The PinOne Main Board cannot drive the light bar directly; it must route through the expansion board.

note

The PinOne only supports the 16-output version of the expansion board for use with the light bar.

Mounting​

The bar can be mounted two ways:

  • Behind the cabinet — hidden installation
  • On top of a surface — aluminum housing provides a finished appearance

Wiring​

  1. Connect the PinOne Main Board to the Low Power Expansion Board via the 4-pin header labeled "to expansion board."
  2. Run the 20-pin ribbon cable from the expansion board to the light bar.
  3. Polarity must be correct when plugging in the ribbon cable — reversed polarity will cause unexpected behavior. Ensure the black wire goes to the GND pin on both boards.

The full connection chain looks like this:

PinOne Main Board
    → Low Power Expansion Board (4-pin header)
        → RGB 12V Light Bar (20-pin ribbon cable)
            → Strobe Lights (optional, up to 2)

DOF Configuration​

The light bar works with all DOF tables in Visual Pinball X out of the box. DOF sends signals from VPX to the PinOne, which triggers the light bar's RGB outputs through the expansion board's PWM channels — no special per-table configuration is needed.

Strobe Light Add-On (Optional)​

CSD also sells a 12V Strobe Light that plugs directly into the back of the light bar. Each light bar supports up to two strobes.

  • Specs: 2" x 2" aluminum anodized housing, ~0.5A draw, up to 600 lumens at full power
  • Thermal limit: Maximum continuous full-power on-time is approximately 30 seconds
  • Polarity matters for strobes — incorrect polarity can damage the expansion board or the strobes

Custom Cabinet Mount by Chris Crawford​

Many thanks to Chris Crawford for designing a custom 3-piece topper mount for the CSD Light Bar. The mount is split into left, center, and right sections, making it easy to print and install on your cabinet.

Light Bar mounted on cabinet

STL files for 3D printing:

Light Bar Breakout Board (Optional)​

A breakout board is available that lets you connect the light bar to any DOF-compatible device with 15 outputs, not just the PinOne. The light bar uses 15 output channels (5 RGB zones × 3 channels each).