IQ Slats
Smart cue rails that live at the rack — 90 igniter connections per slat, with angle awareness, knock detection, and per-connection continuity visibility.
IQ Slats are the field-deployed end of the PyroNext system. Each slat connects to Connect via a single Smart Slat Link cable — power, RS-485 communications, and 9 firing channels over one run. They're designed to live near product and debris, survive real field conditions, and give you more information about your setup than any legacy rail can.
Capacity
9 banks. 10 outputs each. 90 igniter connections per slat.
9 output banks per slat
Each bank maps to one logical cue from Connect. All 9 banks are active — no staged unlock, no reserved channels.
10 igniters per bank
Up to 10 individual igniter connections per bank, each independently tracked for continuity. 90 total connections per slat.
Up to 12 slats per Connect
A fully loaded Connect system runs 12 IQ Slats for 1,080 total igniter connections — all from one unit.
Single-cable connection
One Smart Slat Link cable carries 24V firing power, 5V logic power, and RS-485 comms from Connect to the slat. Field cables in 5m, 10m, 15m, and 20m lengths.
IMU — the feature that changes setup
Set your angle in software. Dial it in at the rack. Know instantly if it moves.
Every IQ Slat includes a built-in 6-axis IMU (inertial measurement unit) that knows exactly how the slat is tilted and which direction it's pointing. This drives three capabilities that no legacy rail has.
Design your angles in Studio
In the Studio App, set the intended tilt and bearing for each rack position. That target angle is embedded in the show file and associated with each slat ID.
E-Ink shows live angle at the rack
When you're positioning a rack, the slat's E-Ink display shows live tilt and bearing. You physically adjust the rack until the reading matches your design target — no guessing, no eyeballing. Connect's TFT also shows all 12 slats' angles simultaneously, with a ±5° deviation flagged in amber.
Autonomous disarm on displacement
After arming, the IMU continues monitoring. If a slat is physically knocked over or displaced beyond threshold — by a cato, a vehicle, or anything else — it autonomously disarms that slat's outputs without stopping the rest of the show. The displacement is logged and flagged on Connect.
Continuity
Per-igniter visibility. Not per-cue.
Legacy systems tell you whether a cue has continuity. IQ Slats tell you which of the 10 connections on that cue has continuity — and which one doesn't. Before you arm, you see exactly which igniter needs attention, not just which cue has a problem.
Continuity scanning uses a low-level current pulse — far below the threshold required to pre-heat or ignite any igniter type. Safe with MJG, Clip-On, and other igniter families.
E-Ink display
Readable in direct sunlight. Active without power.
Always readable
E-Ink is visible in direct sunlight without backlighting — no squinting, no shade required. Critical for field work where you're checking status in bright outdoor conditions.
Holds image without power
E-Ink retains its displayed image when power is removed. Slat ID, last known status, and bank assignment stay visible even if the slat loses power mid-setup.
Live angle readout during setup
Tilt and bearing from the IMU are shown live on the E-Ink during setup mode — so you can physically adjust the rack while watching the display until it matches your design target.
QR site setup
On demand, the E-Ink displays a QR code encoding slat ID and serial number. Scan with a phone to GPS-pin that rack position in the Studio App — no per-slat GPS hardware needed.
Safety
Hardware shunt. IP65 everywhere. Semi-sacrificial economics.
Hardware shunt — physical toggle
A sealed DPDT toggle switch on the slat enclosure physically shorts all 9 output banks to ground when engaged. Racks can be built, moved, and wired with igniters attached — the shunt is a hardware guarantee, not a software state. IP67-rated toggle, operable with gloves.
Slat-forced Connect shunt
If a slat's manual shunt is engaged, Connect detects it via RS-485 telemetry and treats the affected banks as inhibited. The shunt state is shown on Connect's front panel. One slat shunted doesn't affect the others.
IMU knock detection post-arm
After arming, any angular velocity above 30°/s for more than 50ms, or a static tilt shift above 10°, triggers autonomous per-slat disarm. The slat's SR chain clears and its shunt engages — without stopping the rest of the show.
IP65 rated
The full slat enclosure is IP65 — dust-tight and protected against water jets. Built to operate in the conditions where fireworks shows actually happen: dew, rain, mud, and debris from the show itself.
Per-block current measurement
Every output block has a precision current sense circuit that measures both peak current and end current during every firing event. This data is reported back to Connect in real time — enabling ignition confirmation, burnout detection, and per-block cooldown calculation. The slat is a measurement instrument as much as a switching device.
Local PSU voltage monitoring
Each slat reports its local firing supply voltage on every telemetry cycle. If voltage is sagging at the slat end — from a long cable run, a high-current event, or a wiring fault — Connect detects it before or during a firing sequence and can abort or alert accordingly.
No battery — powered from Connect
IQ Slats have no battery. Power, communications, and firing voltage all arrive via a single Smart Slat Link cable from Connect. No charging, no dead-slat scenarios, no battery management. One cable does everything — and the slat is ready the moment it's plugged in.
Ignition confirmation per connection
After each firing event, the current profile reported by the slat tells Connect whether ignition actually occurred — not just whether a pulse was delivered. A wire break, a failed igniter, or an interrupted firing event all produce distinct current signatures that Connect can distinguish and log.
Full specifications
| Output banks per slat | 9 banks (BNK1–BNK9, all active — no staged unlock) |
| Igniters per bank | Up to 10 |
| Total connections per slat | 90 |
| Firing voltage | 24V DC (supplied from Connect via Smart Slat Link) |
| Max firing current | 10A per channel |
| Connection type | Spring-clamp terminals, 5.0mm pitch |
| Connect interface | Smart Slat Link — IP-rated circular connector |
| Cable lengths | 5m, 10m, 15m, 20m |
| Communications | RS-485 over Smart Slat Link cable |
| Display | 2.13" E-Ink, 122×250px, 4-wire SPI — sunlight readable, holds image without power |
| IMU | 6-axis IMU — tilt, bearing, knock detection |
| Shunt | Manual DPDT sealed toggle (IP67), hardware — shorts all banks to ground |
| Continuity current | Well below ignition threshold — safe with all igniter types |
| IP rating | IP65 |
| Operating temperature | −20°C to +60°C |
| Power | Supplied by Connect via Smart Slat Link — no battery, no separate supply |