Quick Start
If you’re looking for a simple guide to getting started with terrain effects, this is the place. It provides a specific guide, starting from scratch through to having working effects ready to build into your terrain.
What do you need?
- soldering skills and kit
- A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC with an Internet connection
- A working USB-C data (not just charging) cable
- Choose whether you want to use prewired JST SM or [solder on JST 1.25MM](../NeoPixels/connections.mdx#JST 1.25MM) connectors for your NeoPixels
- Parts
- pick a Quick List
- LEDs, IR Remote, Single Door-
- minimum soldering for soldering beginners : prewired JST SM NeoPixels
- moderate soldering : solder on JST 1.25MM 3P NeoPixel Connectors
- LEDs, IR Remote, Single Door-
- or grab Required Parts and pick your own Optional Parts
- pick a Quick List
Putting it together
- Setup the S2 Mini controller
- S2 Mini Controller Install Quick Start)
- Solder headers on S2 Mini
- Test
- Setup the Caernarfon Castle 
- Solder IR Receiver
- Solder servo pins
- Solder NeoPixel connector
- Setup NeoPixels
- if not using pre-wired NeoPixels, solder connectors on NeoPixels
- Plug everything together
- Controller to USB on your PC
- NeoPixels and Servo to Caernarfon Castle 
- Run S2MiniQuickStartTest
What’s next?
You should have a controller with working with LEDs, remote control, and servos. Now the fun part begins - what do YOU want to do with it?
There is a little bit of programming involved, but if you’ve ever tried (or even looked at examples of) anything like this, you’ll probably be surprised by just how little there is.
The Start Using CircuitPython instructions will walk you through the basics of modifying the “program” on your controller. Once you’ve gone through those, there will be plenty of examples you can use and modify to get things going in CIRCUITPY:\lib\TerrainTronics\Demos\S2MiniQuickStart. For example
- Moving Rainbow in NeoPixelDemo.py
- (more to come)