Choose the controller for the display you are building, including where the props will sit. The biggest advertised pixel number is only one part of that decision. You also need enough usable outputs, the right connectors, a workable power plan, and a way to reach the far side of the yard.
Here is how we would help you narrow the choice at Mattos. Bring a rough layout and a list of your props; those two things tell us more than a total pixel count by itself.
Count the outputs your wiring plan needs
Write down each prop's node count, voltage, pixel protocol, connector, and location. Decide which props will share a data chain and which need separate outputs. Check that the proposed sharing is supported by the actual hardware and model configuration.
For example, eight 100-node RGB props contain 800 nodes and 2,400 color channels when each RGB node is independently addressed. If your plan gives each prop its own output, you need eight physical pixel ports. That example does not establish the power requirement or approve chaining those eight props on one port.
Leave practical room for the next planned addition, but name that addition. “Two more arches on the left” is a more useful expansion plan than buying unspecified capacity.
Check data capacity and electrical capacity separately
| Limit | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Pixels or channels per output | Can the controller send the required data at the frame rate and pixel format you intend to use? |
| Port and bank electrical limits | Can the output, distribution, fuse, and wiring handle the planned load? |
| Installed power supply | Does the finished build have the correct voltage and enough permitted capacity for the load? |
| Cable route | Will power and data reach the actual installation reliably? |
The current Baldrick8 manual describes eight outputs and up to 750 RGB pixels per port at 40 fps. That figure describes control capacity. It does not mean every connected set of 750 pixels can receive all its power through one cable without further planning.
Likewise, the Baldrick17 manual describes 17 outputs. A higher output count gives you more places to connect props; the finished power system still has its own limits.
Decide how much assembly you want to do
| Option | What to plan for |
|---|---|
| Baldrick8 board only | You are buying the controller board. Account for the power supply, enclosure, mounting, connections, protected wiring, and suitable assembly. |
| MD1500 Baldrick8 xConnect RTR | A completed eight-output build with installed xConnect pigtails and a listed 12V power supply. Confirm the included equipment against your load and mounting plan. |
| MD1500 Baldrick17 Mconnect RTR | A completed 17-output build with installed Mconnect pigtails and listed 12V power supplies. Match your strand connectors and distribution plan. |
Our MD1500 Baldrick8 and Baldrick17 builds have separate xConnect and Mconnect listings. Select the actual version your lights and extensions need. A board's supported input-voltage range does not change the voltage of the power supply installed in an RTR build.
Read the build's mounting instructions as well. The MD1500 listings specify vertical installation with pigtails exiting downward. Choose a location that gives you that orientation and room to reach the connections.
Let the yard layout help decide controller placement
Mark clusters of props on your drawing. Compare one central controller with a controller closer to each distant cluster. The second arrangement adds another device to manage, but it can shorten pixel cable runs. Compare the complete installed setup, including network, power, enclosure mounting, and extensions.
A differential receiver is another option only when the main controller provides a compatible differential output. Our Dragon 4 Brainless Receiver Lite needs that supported transmitter arrangement and the correct power configuration. It is not a standalone network controller.
Do not plug a Dragon differential input into a Baldrick Ethernet socket. The official Baldrick FAQ describes expansion by adding another networked controller, not attaching a differential receiver to its Ethernet port.
Check the software path before checkout
Confirm the network protocol shared by your player and controller, then the pixel protocol on the outputs. Use the correct controller profile and firmware guidance. In xLights, the Controller Visualizer helps you place models on physical outputs and identifies configuration errors.
Save a port map that you can label outside. Then test one complete prop, first with the controller's documented test and then with your intended software or player.
Before you order
- Every prop has a planned output and documented node count.
- The controller supports the required incoming and outgoing protocols.
- Voltage, connector family, pinout, and data direction are confirmed.
- Power, cable, output, and protection limits are checked separately.
- Any receiver combination is supported by both ends of the connection.
- The mounting location and nightly playback method are decided.
Send Mattos your layout and parts list if you want help comparing the choices. Include what you already own so we can check how a new controller fits the whole display.
Keep learning in the Mattos Designs Learning Center, with guides for your next project and troubleshooting help when you need it.
Reviewed October 29, 2026. Specifications and included components depend on the exact model, revision, and selected product.
Compare the actual boards and complete controller builds
Use the Mattos controller comparison to start with Baldrick8 and Baldrick17, then compare Kulp options and relevant existing controller systems. It separates local pixel outputs, network connections, differential links and show-playback roles.
For a compact first zone, compare a matching-connector MD1500 Baldrick8 RTR with the parts required for a bare-board build. For a larger zone, compare the Baldrick17 and Kulp alternatives against the physical distribution of your props. The board count alone will not tell you how many enclosures, supplies, receivers or cable runs the yard needs.
Mark the chosen controller and output beside every model in the parts-list walkthrough. Then price the entire project using our worked budgets.
Put the guide to work
For Baldrick, continue with ports and power planning and the full setup and support path. Those guides distinguish the exact ready-to-run package from the bare board.
Pair the controller with the player
If you choose EZPlayer for playback, follow the network and controller guide. Check the playback protocol separately from the optional management actions available for a particular board and firmware.
