Run/stop connection questions.

[Jonathan Keane]

I see alot of camera handles that have run/stop ability, seems like most are 2.5 or 3.5mm jack. I should be able to connect 3.5mm jack to 9pin adaptor and connect that to raptors exit port correct? Is there any risk to this? I use to have a c200 and I loved the handle, it would be cool to connect that to raptor and have run/stop ability.

 

[Les Hillis]

Pretty sure camera's and the third party (or even proprietary) run/stop triggers need to communicate the run/stop command via compatible communication protocols, using a cable wired with the ability to relay that command. Which requires specific firmware in both trigger and camera, and which also needs to be kept up to date when subsequent trigger and camera firmware updates are made for other reasons.

Different peripheral products and camera's would have different degrees of exclusivity, even between models of the same brand of camera, but it's one of the reasons why people aren't swapping and connecting things to the extent that they theoretically could.

Obviously can't say what's risky or dangerous to plug in to your camera without further info, but generally, a cable that's only sending instructions (not power) from a trigger to the camera, when they aren't set up to 'speak' to each other, won't damage anything, it just won't work.

 

[Jonathan Keane]

Pretty sure camera's and the third party (or even proprietary) run/stop triggers need to communicate the run/stop command via compatible communication protocols, using a cable wired with the ability to relay that command. Which requires specific firmware in both trigger and camera, and which also needs to be kept up to date when subsequent trigger and camera firmware updates are made for other reasons.

Different peripheral products and camera's would have different degrees of exclusivity, even between models of the same brand of camera, but it's one of the reasons why people aren't swapping and connecting things to the extent that they theoretically could.

Obviously can't say what's risky or dangerous to plug in to your camera without further info, but generally, a cable that's only sending instructions (not power) from a trigger to the camera, when they aren't set up to 'speak' to each other, won't damage anything, it just won't work.

Thanks Les, I wasn't even thinking about protocols and firmware. I just assumed it worked like a relay. Makes sense though.

 

[Les Hillis]

There are probably ways to work more traditional relay switches into cables and peripherals that are already working, but I think the compatibility is partly at the operating system level of these camera's/computers nowadays, like when you add a RED module or peripheral to RED camera and it has to be identified by the camera before you can use it.

Tried just the other day to use a basic Run/Stop cable, sold by a reputable third party as being specifically made for connecting their peripherals to DSMC camera's, with no luck. I doubt it's it's a physical fault with the cable itself, likewise I'm sure the ports on the two DSCMC camera's I tried are fine as well, I'm just assuming the newer peripheral and the older camera's aren't set up to 'see' each other anymore and neither party can be bothered adding the code to enable it.

Maybe others who have more direct experience with the current state of the DSMC3 Raptors can chime in with some insights or solutions in regards to using third-party peripherals on the camera's.

 

[Joris v. A.]

R/S is just contact closure

 

[Jonathan Keane]

R/S is just contact closure

That's what I thought. I feel like I saw a wiring diagram for the exit port on raptor before maybe it was something else.

 

[Les Hillis]

The wiring diagrams and descriptions for the different ports on the RED camera's are in the Operation Manuals (in the 'Mechanical Drawings' section of the manual) that can be downloaded from RED.com.

Have never really looked into this before, so it's kind of new to me.

Turns out the external controller I was trying to use for R/S control uses the SYNC port, not the CTRL port of the older DSMC1&2 camera's (which I didn't know but which would have been obvious to anyone who knows anything about this).

So after setting 'SW In High:' & 'SW In Low:' to 'Record Toggle' in the GPIO menu, the controller is working to stop and start recording, but...not with the record stop/start button on the controller, only when switching the entire controller on or off (or plugging/unplugging it), which isn't really practical as there's a couple of seconds delay before it switches on/off, and it also uses the single SYNC port on the camera I'd rather use for inputting Timecode anyway.

I'm assuming the record stop/start button on the controller just isn't set up to work in R/S mode, even though R/S camera control can be selected in the controllers settings menu.

I'm still under the impression too that more advanced controls would require using the port's data transmission pin and need to be compatible with RED's Red Command Protocol.

Just mentioning it because there may be other controllers that could also work with basic functionality like this, but with more useable instant on/off, if all you wanted to do was stop/start recording.

At the same time, back to the OP's original question of what kind of cabling would be required, I wouldn't assume anything when it comes to that and would want to know exactly how the thing was wired before plugging it into the camera.