MRMC TRIGGER BOX User manual

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Trigger Box
Product Code: MRMC-1066-00
Quick Start Guide
Product Code: MRMC-1282-01

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Trigger Box Quick Start Guide
Product Code: MRMC-1282-01
© 2020 Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or translated
by any means — graphical, electronic, or mechanical — including
photocopying, recording, taping, or storage in an information retrieval
system, without the express written permission of Mark Roberts Motion
Control.
Although every care has been taken to ensure that the information in this
document is accurate and up to date, Mark Roberts Motion Control
continuously strives to improve their products and may make changes to
the hardware, firmware, and software described in this document. Mark
Roberts Motion Control therefore cannot be held responsible for any
error or omission in this document.
All product names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact information
Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd.
Unit 3, South East Studios
Blindley Heath
Surrey
RH7 6JP
United Kingdom
Telephone: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]m (sales and general enquiries)
[email protected]m (customer support)
Web: www.mrmoco.com
www.mrmocorentals.com

Trigger Box Quick Start Guide
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Trigger Box Quick Start GuideTrigger BoxQuick Start Guide
Contents
Chapter 1 Quick start ..................................................................... 1
Safety........................................................................................1
Overview ................................................................................. 1
Connecting the cables ...........................................................2
Configuration A ..................................................3
Configuration B...................................................3
Configuration C...................................................3
Trigger Box control summary ..............................................4
Using the trigger outputs ......................................................5
Testing the trigger outputs...........................................6
Using the trigger inputs.........................................................7
Testing the trigger inputs.............................................7
Using the Camera On/Off trigger output ...........................8
Using the Sync input from a camera .................................10
Testing the Sync input and Camera On/Off trigger
output.....................................................................................12
Sync and camera controls..........................................12
Testing the Sync signal input only............................14
Testing the Sync signal input and External
Camera trigger output together................................15
Returning the Trigger Box to normal working
mode.............................................................................17
Appendix 1 Troubleshooting........................................................... 18
Typical symptoms, causes, and actions .............................18
Appendix 2 Trigger Box panels ....................................................... 22
Panel and connector summary...........................................22
Connector pin-out information.........................................24
Triggers connector......................................................24
Appendix 3 Specifications............................................................... 26
Circuit diagram ....................................................................27

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Trigger Box Quick Start Guide
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Trigger Box Quick Start GuideTrigger BoxQuick Start Guide
Chapter 1 Quick start
Safety
•Do not use around flammable gas. All electrical equipment can
generate sparks that can ignite flammable gas.
•Keep the equipment dry. The system has not been made
weatherproof. Do not use with wet hands.
•Keep cables tidy. Use cable ties to keep them out of harm’s way.
If you have a head with slip rings then make use of them; avoid
running any cables between the base and the rotating head or
camera.
Overview
Thank you for using the Trigger Box from Mark Roberts Motion Control
(MRMC). You use the Trigger Box to send and receive trigger and
synchronisation signals between external devices and an RT-14 interface
box. The RT-14 unit itself is, in turn, attached to the motion controlled
robotic camera rig and a Windows computer running Flair Motion
Control Software. You can also use an RT-12 interface box instead of an
RT-14, as these units have similar connectors and features.
The Trigger Box has the following main features:
•Five trigger outputs that you can activate from Flair, either
manually or by pre-programmed camera moves.
•Three trigger inputs that you can use to activate events in Flair,
such as playing a pre-recorded camera move.
•Synchronisation (sync) input for receiving a sync signal from a
video camera and passing it on to Flair and the rig.
•Camera trigger on/off output, for triggering a camera on and
off from Flair.
•Built-in facilities for generating and checking input and output
signals to test components of the system, without needing to
connect all of the system.
The Trigger Box is a robust unit designed for day-in, day-out use in a
professional studio environment.

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Connecting the cables
The ribbon cable supplied with the Trigger Box has specially cut wires
that give the SYNC, BLOOP, and TRIGGER connectors different
capabilities. This allows three possible connection configurations:
External Camera
Trigger Out wires cut
External Camera Trigger Out and
Trigger 1 Output (Bloop) wires cut
SYNC BLOOP TRIGGER
To the RT-14
RT-14 interface box
TRIGGERS
connector
To camera:
Trigger Out
and Sync In
To camera:
Trigger Out
and Sync In
Trigger 1
Output
to Bloop
light
SYNC SYNC SYNC
BLOOP not used BLOOP BLOOP
TRIGGER not used TRIGGER not used
TRIGGER
ABC

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Configuration A
The External Camera Trigger Out, Sync In, and all other triggers are
going through the Trigger Box.
Configuration B
The External Camera Trigger Out and Sync In are directly connected to
the camera.
The other trigger signals are going through the Trigger Box.
The External Camera Trigger Out signal wires to the BLOOP connector
are cut on the ribbon cable, so the Camera Trigger Out signal cannot
reach the Trigger Box in this configuration.
Configuration C
The External Camera Trigger Out and Sync In are directly connected to
the camera.
The Bloop light also has a direct connection. The Bloop light plug itself
(black in the photograph) is wired for two inputs:
•If you plug the Bloop light into the BLOOP connector on the
ribbon cable, you can trigger it with the Trigger 1 Output
signal.
•If you plug the Bloop light into the SYNC connector on the
ribbon cable, you can trigger it with either the Trigger 1 Out or
Camera Trigger Out signal, and thus use it to test the External
Camera Trigger Out.
The External Camera Trigger Out and Trigger 1 Output (Bloop) signal
wires to the TRIGGER connector are cut on the ribbon cable, so neither of
these signals can reach the Trigger Box in this configuration.
Note
In all cable configurations, the Sync signal that can be produced by
the internal simulated camera in the Trigger Box can reach the RT-14
unit and Flair. When you are shooting make sure the Trigger Box is
not generating a test Sync signal which will interfere with the real
Sync signal coming from the camera. That is, make sure the INT
CAM CONTROL ON/OFF and the CAM TEST ON/OFF switches on
the Trigger Box are Off. See Sync and camera controls on page 12.

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To connect the Trigger Box to your external devices you connect wires to
the terminals in pairs. For example:
Trigger Box control summary
Trigger output 2 (OUT 2)
12 V DC power output for general use
Trigger input 2 (IN 2); short these two
External Camera On/Off trigger output
Sync signal input from camera
wires to activate
Buttons for testing
trigger inputs (page 7)
Sync generator speed controls
— coarse and fine adjustment
knobs (page 12)
Controls for testing Flair’s Sync
signal input and External
Camera trigger output (page 12)

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Using the trigger outputs
Each trigger output
consists of a pair of
connectors, a
corresponding LED on the
panel, and an internal relay.
When a trigger is activated
from Flair software, the
relay for that pair closes,
completing the external
circuit and triggering the
external device. The
corresponding LED (also
numbered OUT 1 to OUT 5) is lit during activation.
The external device that is being triggered must provide its own power for
the trigger circuit, up to 250 Volts AC or 30 volts DC, 10 Amp maximum
resistive current or 3 Amp maximum inductive current. Contact MRMC
for further advice on maximum current for triggering external devices.
In Flair, the button for trigger OUT 1 is labelled Bloop by default unless
you have changed it, as it is usually used to trigger the Bloop light. The
other buttons in Flair use label numbers that match the trigger outputs on
the Trigger Box; that is, Flair button Trigger 2 corresponds to OUT 2,
button Trigger 3 corresponds to OUT 3, etc. Again, you can change these
names in Flair by using the same menu options that you use to add
triggers to a move: Setups >Outputs >#1 - Bloop, #2, #3, etc. See the
Flair documentation for details.
Hint
The LED is powered by the circuit that closes the relay — not by the
external circuit that is completed when the relay closes. Therefore a
lit LED only indicates that Flair has activated the trigger; it is not a
check to see if the external circuit now has current flowing through
it.
Trigger Output 1 (Bloop) is a special case due to the way the ribbon
cable is cut (see page 2). The Trigger 1 Output signal will only reach
the Trigger Box if the Trigger Box is plugged into the SYNC or
BLOOP connectors.

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Testing the trigger outputs
You can test that the Trigger Box is
receiving trigger signals from Flair,
without needing to attach anything to
the OUT connectors on the Trigger
Box:
1. In Flair, use menu option
Setups >Outputs >Test
Outputs.
2. In the pop-up, click on one of
the Trig buttons.
When you press the button, the
corresponding numbered OUT LED
should light up in on the Trigger Box
panel. For example pressing Trig 3
makes the OUT 3 LED light up.
To test the External Camera (Ext. Cam) trigger output, see Testing the
Sync input and Camera On/Off trigger output on page 12.
Hint
Trigger Output 1 (Bloop) is a special case due to the way in which
the ribbon cable is cut (see page 2). The Trigger 1 Output signal will
only reach the Trigger Box if the Trigger Box is plugged into the
SYNC or BLOOP connectors. The OUT 1 LED will not light if you
have attached the Trigger Box to the TRIGGER connector on the
RT-14 ribbon cable, although in this case the Bloop light that you
have attached to the BLOOP connector on the same ribbon cable
should light up.

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Using the trigger inputs
You can wire the trigger inputs to the Trigger Box in two different ways,
shown in the following example for trigger input 2 (IN 2):
To set up Flair to initiate an action when it receives a trigger input you use
the menu option Setups >Inputs Setup. See the Flair documentation for
details.
Testing the trigger inputs
You can test that the Flair software is correctly receiving trigger input
signals from the Trigger Box, without needing to connect anything to the
IN connectors on the Trigger Box:
1. In Flair, use menu option Setups >Inputs Setup.
2. Press one of the numbered IN buttons on the Trigger Box panel.
The corresponding numbered Input Trigger State in the pop-up should
change from Open to Closed.
Alternative wiring for trigger input 2 (IN
2). Attach wire 1to GND instead. To
activate the trigger, apply 5 to 24 Volts
DC to connector 2.
Note
Trigger input 3 (IN 3) is not
operational in the current version.
Trigger input 2 (IN 2) wires connected to
1and 2. To activate the trigger, short
these two wires.

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Using the Camera On/Off trigger output
The CAM ON/OFF trigger output on the Trigger
Box consists of a pair of connectors with an internal
relay. When the External Camera (Ext. Cam)
trigger is activated from Flair software, the relay for
this pair closes, completing the external circuit and
triggering the camera.
The camera that is being triggered must provide its
own power for the trigger circuit, up to 250 Volts
AC or 30 volts DC, 30 milliamps maximum current.
The internal resistance for this circuit is 2.2
kilo-ohms.
In order for the Camera On/Off Trigger output to
reach the camera via the Trigger Box’s CAM ON/OFF connectors, two
other conditions must be met:
•The Trigger Box must be plugged into the SYNC connector on
the ribbon cable. The Camera Trigger Output wires do not
reach the BLOOP or TRIGGER ribbon cable connectors — see
Connecting the cables on page 2.
•The CAM TEST ON/OFF switch must be Off. This routes the
Camera Trigger output to the connectors instead of to the
Trigger Box’s internal simulated camera (Sync generator).
You can test the Camera On/Off trigger output at the same time that you
test the Sync signal. See Testing the Sync input and Camera On/Off trigger
output on page 12.

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Notes

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Using the Sync input from a camera
Flair can use the Synchronisation (Sync) signal from a video camera to
control the speed at which the rig moves during a scene. For details of
doing this refer to the Flair documentation.
There are two typical ways to get the Sync signal from the camera into the
RT-14 interface box (and from there into Flair):
•Plug the External Camera Trigger Out/Sync In cable into the
SYNC connector on the ribbon cable (see page 2).
•Connect the Sync In signal wires to the Trigger Box (see
below).
1. Attach the Sync wires from the camera to the pair of EXT. SYNC
connectors on Trigger Box.
The Sync signal coming from the camera must be 5 to 24 Volts DC.
The internal resistance of this circuit is 2.2 kilo-ohms.
2. Make sure the CAM TEST ON/OFF switch is Off. This position
reads the incoming Sync signal from the connectors and sends it on
to Flair, instead of sending the Sync signal that can be generated by
the Trigger Box’s own internal simulated camera.
Hint
The wires for the Sync In signal are not cut on the ribbon cable, so
you can put the Sync In signal into any plug or device on the cable.
1
2
3

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3. Make sure the INT CAM CONTROL ON/OFF switch is Off (CAM
RUN LED is unlit). This ensures that the internal simulated camera
(Sync generator) in the Trigger Box is off, so that it cannot interfere
with the real Sync signal coming from the camera.
4. In Flair, use the menu option Setups >External Camera Setup to
configure how Flair uses the Sync signal in the software. For details
refer to the Flair documentation.

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Testing the Sync input and Camera On/Off trigger output
The Trigger Box has a built-in simulated camera (Sync signal generator)
which you can use to test that the Flair software can correctly receive a
synchronisation (Sync) signal, via the RT-14 unit, without needing to
attach a real camera to the system.
You can turn the Sync signal generator on or off from either the Trigger
Box or from Flair. If you do it from Flair, this also tests the External
Camera On/Off trigger facility in Flair, as this is what you use to trigger
the simulated camera (Sync generator) in the Trigger Box.
To test the Sync input, the Trigger Box can be plugged into any connector
on the ribbon cable. To test Sync input and Camera On/Off trigger
together, the Trigger Box must be plugged into the SYNC connector on
the ribbon cable.
Sync and camera controls
The next diagram shows the controls for generating a simulated Sync
signal and sending it to Flair, and using the External Camera trigger in
Flair to activate that signal.
Hint
In the connector labels on the Trigger Box, the word “CAM” refers to
the real camera whose trigger wires you attach to the Trigger Box. In
the switch and LED labels on the Trigger Box, the word “CAM”
refers to the internal simulated “camera” in the Trigger Box that is
generating the test Sync signal.

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CAM TEST LED - indicates that the internal simulated camera (Sync
generator) in the Trigger Box is currently receiving an External Camera
Trigger signal from Flair.
CAM RUN LED - indicates that the internal simulated camera (Sync
generator) in the Trigger Box is running. The light blinks in time with the
Sync frequency.
INT CAM CONTROL ON/OFF - Controls how the internal simulated
camera (Sync generator) is switched on and off:
•On (CAM RUN LED is On or blinking) - The internal
simulated camera (Sync generator) is On. Trying to activate or
deactivate it from Flair has no effect.
•Off (CAM RUN LED is Off) - Flair controls the on/off state of
the internal simulated camera (Sync generator). That is, the
simulated camera is off except when it is receiving an External
Camera Trigger signal from Flair.
TEST RANGE - Coarse adjustment for the generated Sync signal
frequency (Frames Per Second).
TEST FPS ADJUST - Fine adjustment for the generated Sync signal
frequency (Frames Per Second).
CAM TEST ON/OFF - controls the routing of the Sync signal and External
Camera Trigger signal.
•Off - The Trigger Box uses its external CAM ON/OFF and EXT.
SYNC connectors. That is:
– Flair receives the Sync signal that is coming from the real
camera, via the EXT. SYNC connectors.
– The External Camera Trigger output from Flair is sent to
the real camera, via the CAM ON/OFF connectors.
•On - Camera testing mode. The Trigger Box uses its internal
simulated camera (Sync generator) instead of the external
CAM ON/OFF and EXT. SYNC connectors. That is:
– Flair receives the Sync signal that is coming from the
simulated camera (Sync generator) in the Trigger Box.
– The External Camera trigger output from Flair is sent to
the simulated camera in the Trigger Box, where it
activates the Sync generator.

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Testing the Sync signal input only
To test the Sync input, the Trigger Box can be plugged into any connector
on the ribbon cable. To test Sync input and Camera On/Off trigger
together, the Trigger Box must be plugged into the SYNC connector on
the ribbon cable.
1. Turn on the internal simulated camera (Sync signal generator), by
switching On the INT CAM CONTROL ON/OFF switch.
2. The CAM RUN LED ( ) starts blinking. This might be slow or too
fast to see, depending on the current Sync frequency. You can adjust
the frequency by using the TEST RANGE and TEST FPS ADJUST
knobs.
3. Switch On the CAM TEST ON/OFF switch. This routes the
generated Sync signal to Flair.
4. In Flair, use menu option Setups >External Camera Setup.
5. In the pop-up, specify the following settings:
External Camera: Any
Synch Input: Film& Video Sync
Synch Source: RT10/RT12
6. Click on Save and Apply in the pop-up, but leave the pop-up open
on the screen.
7. In the pop-up, click on the Test button.
Flair analyses the incoming Sync signal and displays various
parameters for it in a pop-up:

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The Sync signal Frequency is displayed at the top. You can adjust it
using the TEST RANGE and TEST FPS ADJUST knobs on the
Trigger Box.
This completes the Sync input test. To test the External Camera trigger
output, continue to the next section without closing any windows. If you
are finished testing, refer to Returning the Trigger Box to normal working
mode on page 17.
Testing the Sync signal input and External Camera trigger
output together
To test Sync input and Camera On/Off trigger together, the Trigger Box
must be plugged into the SYNC connector on the ribbon cable. Then
perform these steps:
1. Follow the complete procedure for testing the Sync signal input in
the previous section (Testing the Sync signal input only on page 14).
When you get to the end of the procedure, leave all windows open.
2. Put the Sync signal generator under Flair control, by switching Off
the INT CAM CONTROL ON/OFF switch (CAM RUN LED Off).
3. In Flair, in the External Camera Setup pop-up (Setups >External
Camera Setup), change the External Control setting from Pulsed to
Continuous High.

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4. In Flair, use menu option
Setups >Outputs >Test
Outputs.
5. In the pop-up, click on the Ext.
Cam button to trigger the
simulated camera (Sync
generator) in the Trigger Box.
When you hold down the Ext. Cam
button, several things should happen:
•The CAM TEST LED lights
up, indicating that the
Trigger Box has received
the External Camera
trigger output from Flair.
•The CAM RUN LED lights
up indicating that the internal simulated camera (Sync
generator) in the Trigger Box is running. This LED blinks in
time with the Sync frequency. You can adjust it using the TEST
RANGE and TEST FPS ADJUST knobs on the Trigger Box.
•The Sync Test pop-up in Flair updates the displayed Frequency
data:
When you release the Ext. Cam button the CAM TEST and CAM RUN
LEDs will go out and Flair will not detect a Sync signal.
This completes the test. Refer to the next section to return the Trigger
Box to its normal working mode.