SmaTrig 2.1 - The improved2 smart 15-in-1 trigger
for DSLRs
This is the project home page of the SmaTrig 2.1, the improved version of the
the SmaTrig 2.
On this site you will find complete instructions how to use and build the versatile and compact (27 gram)
15-in-1 camera trigger SmaTrig 2.1. Everything needed to build the device is
provided including the PCB design, firmware, drill plans, etc.
The SmaTrig 2.1 is based on an AVR microcontroller, and is equipped with sensor circuitry
for detecting sound and light pulses for capturing lightnings or high-speed photography.
The 15 functions can be divided into four groups: bulb mode bracketing programs for
HDR photography, interval and timer modes, sensor modes and other functions like manual
camera triggering or configuration.
Many of the modes have some hidden advanced options, but I paid great attention not to obscure
their usability. Ritual instruction manual spurners can use the SmaTrig just using their
intuition.
The SmaTrig 2.1 controls the camera using a remote release cable, or in a wireless
way per IR signal . There is no need to modify the camera in any way to use the trigger.
The various sound or light trigger functions use either the integrated photo diode
for light detection, or an external microphone that can be plugged into the sensor
connector.
Flash units can also be connected to the trigger directly to allow high-speed photography.
The features are:
- variable interval/strobo functions
- sound and light trigger (rising or falling edge detection)
- integrated photo-diode
- lightning trigger (low shutter lag)
- IR remote control (many camera brands supported)
- high-speed mode with camera control via IR
- direct microphone support
- slave flash trigger with pre-flash suppression (TTL)
- long exposure (1s - 8h)
- configuration using EEPROM
- 3 bulb mode bracketing functions with 3 to 9 shots and an EV step of 1 to 4 for HDR (DRI)
- all functions of HDR-Jack are included
- quartz-controlled clock
- integrated buzzer for acoustic feedback
- low-power design
- only budget parts with good availability used
The new features of version 2.1 are
- direct support of laser pointer for light barrier function
- additional IR signal for wireless triggering for many functions
- battery holder allows to change battery without soldering
- new PCB design for easier and more exact assembly
- better alignment of programming pads on PCB
- more consistent function alignment on dial
- clean up of config function
Trigger modes
The functions of the SmaTrig are devided into two groups. The functions with a black symbol on the label don't need a time specification and are started usually with just one button press. The functions with a red symbol, e.g. intervall or long exposure need a time specifiction. The time is set by pressing the button several times according to this table (printed also on the trigger label):
| Presses | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Time | 1" | 2" | 4" | 8" | 15" | 30" | 1' | 2' | 4' | 8' | 15' | 30' | 1h | 2h | 4h | 8h |
The symbol " stands for seconds, ' for minutes and h for hours. The time is (nearly) doubled at each press. After setting, the time it is beeped back by the trigger for verification. Now you can start the function by another press.
- 1. HDR-mode 1/2 s center time (customisable)
- 2. HDR-mode 2 s center time
- 3. HDR-mode 8 s center time
- 4. Configuration
- 5. TTL servo trigger
- 6. Sound & light trigger
- 7. Light barrier trigger
- 8. High-speed trigger
- 9. Lighting trigger
- 10. Alternating trigger
- 11. Inverted interval trigger
- 12. Interval trigger
- 13. Long exposure
- 14. IR remote release
- 15. Manual/Bulb trigger
1-3. HDR-modes (bulb mode bracketing)
To overcome the +-2 EV bracketing limit and the 30 s maximum exposure time found in many cameras, the
bulb mode can be used to shoot user-controlled bracketing series in a certain range of exposure times.
The image series can be used to generate HDR (High Dynamic Range) images. The technique is also called
DRI for Dynamic Range Increase.
Read the description of the HDR-Jack 2 for more
details on the idea.
The nominal exposure time of this function ranges between the purely theoretical 1/1000s and
8 minutes, letting you catch the last photon in the scene. The shortest effective exposure time in bulb mode
depends on the camera used. Older pre-live-view Canons are the best performers going down to
approx. 1/180 s. Newer Canons, Nikons and cameras from other manufacturers
range between 1/8 s and 1/2 s. Shooting bracketing series
on sunny days with these cameras won't work.
Refere to this table to check the minimum
bulb exposure time of your camera.
The nominal center times of the bracketing series for the three modes are:
| mode | center time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1/2 s (* selectable by user, see configuration) |
| 2 | 2 s |
| 3 | 8 s |
In each mode, 3 to 9 images are shot around the center time, depending on how
many times the button has been pressed at start. The number of presses corresponds to the
number of 'side images'. One press means 3 images, 2 presses 5 images and so on.
The EV step can be selected in the configuration between 1, 2, 3 or 4 EV
and is 2 EV by default.
In mode 1, also the center exposure time can also be selected by the user allowing
to define a quick-access custom bracketing series.
The bracketing mode supports the mirror lock-up function, as well as the long exposure noise
reduction where a dark image is taken internally in the camera after the actual
exposure. These optional features are activated by holding down the
button for longer time during the last press.
The SmaTrig 2.1 beeps every second while the button is held down (up to three times).
The beeps correspond to the following options:
| # of beeps | press duration | option |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | t < 1 s | normal usage |
| 1 | 1 s < t < 2 s | mirror lock-up on |
| 2 | 2 s < t < 3 s | denoising on |
| 3 | 3 s < t | mirror lock-up and denoising on |
Of course, the camera settings have to be consistent with the chosen option. The
SmaTrig 2.1 can't change any camera options automatically!
For exposures longer than 4 s, the exposure gap is increased automatically by
approx. 3 s to allow a quick look on the histogram and abort the bracketing
in case of overexposure.
The bracketing can be configured to go from short to long (default) or long to short
(e.g. nice for sunrise).
There is also the ability to start the bracketed
exposure using a cable remote release. The release must connect the ring
contact of the sensor port to ground to start the bracketing sequence.
This option was meant to
use the SmaTrig with automated panorama systems like the
Merlin/Orion/Papywizard.
Please note that Canon cameras round exposure times < 1 s to 1 s in the EXIF
data when used on bulb mode. The actual exposure times might be shorter.
4. Configuration
In this function, the user steps through a short menu where multiple settings can be made to customise the SmaTrig 2.1. The possible settings and its default values are listed in the documentation available in the download section below. The table also lists which function is affected by which option. Follow the example in the PDF to configure your SmaTrig. All settings are saved in the EEPROM of the AVR permanently. They can be changed any time. The usage of the configuration function is explained below.
5. TTL servo trigger
In this mode the trigger responds to the 2nd flash in the sequence of two flashes as usually generated by TTL-cameras/flashes. The delay between the fist and the second flash must be less than 0.5 sec. This mode is primarily intended for servo flash control, so you will need a cable with a 3.5mm jack plug on one end and a PC sync plug or a big jack for the flash at the other.
6. Sound & light trigger
In this mode, the attached camera or flash unit is triggered by the integrated photo-diode,
a microphone, or another external sensor connected to the sensor connector (right, top view).
Typical applications of this function are high-speed
photography or servo flash triggering.
When there is no plug in the sensor connector, the internal photo diode is
used as signal source. The SmaTrig can detect lightnings, flashes, flames, etc.
To use the SmaTrig as a sound trigger, a sound-card-compatible microphone
(stereo 3.5mm jack) must be plugged into the sensor port. The power supply is
integrated in the trigger.
Two modes of operation are available depending on how often the button
was pressed during the activation of the function.
Activation with one press means the trigger is blocked for about one second
after firing.
A double press means the trigger is permanently "live", there is no dead time.
It can be connected
to a music signal to trigger a flash to the beat for example.
| Presses | Description |
|---|---|
| • | Continuous operation, no blocking |
| •• | Continuous operation, trigger blocked after firing for 1 s |
7. Light barrier trigger
This mode allows to set up a light barrier using a laser (pointer). All you have to do is point the laser beam at the built-in photo diode and press the button. With the barrier you can detect water drops, animals or use it for surveillance purposes. This function has a built-in delay function for water drop photography. Depending on the number of presses at activation the trigger delay will be different. The formula is
| # of presses | trigger delay |
|---|---|
| 1 | no delay |
| 2 | 62 ms |
| 3 | 125 ms |
| 4 | 188 ms and so on |
The steplike delay doesn't replace a complete delay circuit like
this, but it allows to adjust the delay by changing the
height of the ligth barrier. Immediate firing would result in capturing the
drop always at light barrier level.
Please do not point too strong (>5mW) lasers at the photo diode! They can harm your eyes
and the photo diode. Be carefull!
8. High-speed trigger
This mode was explicitly designed for high-speed photography.
It's a one-shot trigger, meaning that it will deactivate itself after
firing to prevent unintended multi-triggering. The self-deactivation is
of particular importance when triggering with sound, where falling
objects can cause a series of sound peaks after the main triggering event.
Another key feature of this mode is the possibility to control the camera
via the integrated IR-LED. The trigger sends out an IR signal after
activation (push-button press) and another one after triggering or user (self-)deactivation.
This allows you to start the bulb exposure automatically with the trigger
and terminate it right after firing. This trick will only work if your
camera has an IR sensor which can start and stop the bulb exposure when
receiving the IR signal. Nikon and Canon work this way (D60 and 400D at least).
This feature only makes sense if taking high-speed images in a dark-room
using bulb mode and a flash unit.
9. Lightning trigger
Contrary to the popular opinion, it is possible to photograph lightnings by light-triggering the camera directly. If the shutter lag (the delay between lightning detection and exposure start) isn't too long, the results can be fairly good. The lower the shutter lag, the better the results. This trigger mode is similar to the sound and flash trigger mode, but it minimises the shutter lag of the camera. It reduces the lag by keeping the mirror up in a smart way while waiting on the lightning. In case of a detection, the mirror does not need to be lifted before the shutter opens. In the case of the Canon EOS 400D, the pre-release of the mirror reduces the shutter lag by half -- from about 120 ms to 60 ms (see measurements) Users of non-Canon camras should use Mode 6.
The operation is explained in more detail in the following description. The function is tailored to Canon cameras where the mirror is raised with an extra release pulse and released automatically after 30 s if the shutter-button wasn't pressed for the second time.
- Set the camera to mirror lock-up mode and the SmaTrig to the lightning mode.
- Push the button multiple times to tell the SmaTrig how long the camera will expose after triggering. This avoids triggering a busy camera or missing a lightning while waiting too long after triggering. Look up the number of presses in the presses/exposure table or the trigger label. After pressing the button the trigger operation starts immediately. The camera is triggered once and the mirror goes up. If a lightning is detected within the next 30 seconds, the camera is triggered for the second time and the exposure starts - a lightning was captured! The exposure "time slot" corresponds to the number of times the button was pushed at activation
- After the exposure, the camera is triggered again and the mirror goes up as in step 2. The trigger waits again for a lightning...
- If no lightning was detected within 30 seconds the mirror is released automatically by the camera. One second later the camera is triggered by the SmaTrig 2 again and waits for a lightning as in point 2.
- Pushing the button again will deactivate the function.
Effectively the camera is waiting for a lightning with a locked-up mirror. The
SmaTrig tries to minimise the time where no capture is possible. During the second
in which the camera is "reloaded" no lightning can be captured. This results in a
theoretical probability of 1/31 of missing a lightning flash.
You can also set the exposure time by holding the button down for longer than 1 s
(you'll hear a beep) like in the interval mode. The exposure time is then equal
to the holding time.
This mode is not limited to capturing lightnings. It can be used whenever a
reduced shutter lag is necessary, also with a microphone.
10. Alternating trigger
If you try to capture very rare events like falling meteoroids, or want to shoot lightnings like a pro, this option may be something for you. It allows a 100% interruption-free capturing of events by overlapped exposing using two cameras. The cameras are triggered in a way that each exposure overlaps 1/8 or 12.5% with the previous one. The camera timing is shown in the picture below.
The exposure time can be selected starting from 1 second to 8 hours.
The camera can be used in bulb mode
or manual mode (times >30 s bulb mode only). If used in manual exposure mode
the exposure time in the camera must agree with the time set in the trigger,
otherwise the timing will be incorrect.
To start the function the exposure time must be entered first by pressing
the button multiple times (see presses/exposure
table in interval section or trigger label). After the entered time is acoustically verified
the triggering can be started by pressing the push-button again.
To connect two cameras to the SmaTrig you will need a cable which connects the focus wire in the trigger with the shutter of cam 1 and the shutter wire of the trigger with the shutter of cam 2. The wiring is shown below. The dashed wires are necessary for some cameras (Sony, Nikon, Canon EOS 40D...)
11. Inverted interval trigger
This mode is based on a slight but significant variation of the
standard interval mode (mode 12.). It might be interesting for astro-photographers
or (night-)time lapse fans.
The only difference is that the trigger signal is inverted compared
to the standard operation described below.
Instead of short trigger pulses and long pauses, long trigger pulses and short
pauses of 0.5 s are generated. If you set the camera to BULB now, it's
possible to do very long exposures spread over different images. To merge
these multiple images to one you can average them or better apply a
"maximum of" operator (GIMP, Photoshop). This way you can prevent the final image from
overexposure and reduce long exposure noise.
Imagine a scene with a lit
house and stars in the background. If you try to make the star trails
visible using long exposure, you'll definitely "burn" the house.
Exposing "by parts" and applying the max operation (or locally max or avg)
to the image stack will give better results. This mode should also be useful
for night traffic photography, airplane trails, ferris wheels, etc...
The usage is analog to the interval trigger described below.
The first example image shows different operators applied to a stack of 96
images with an exposure time of approx. one minute. Note the cool airplane
trails. In the secod example four images with an exposure of 8 min. and
two with shorter exposure are merged.
12. Interval trigger
As the name implies, the camera (or flash) is triggered periodically at different
time intervals.
This mode can be used to shoot time-lapse movies of growing
flowers, moving clouds, traffic, construction and demolition of buildings,
melting ice, parties, rotting food, crowds of people, sunrises, sunsets, etc.
Capturing lightnings, surveillance, astronomy, time stamping, scientific
experiments, stop-motion movies, averaging (noise reduction) or tourist
removing are other possible applications.
All this in Full HD or better!
The timer allows 16 different intervals listed in
this table or the label of the SmaTrig.
To activate the timer proceed as follows: Press the button N times to
set the interval according to the table above. The trigger will verify the user
entry by beeping N times (the beeps come in pairs to simplify counting).
Now press the button again to start the timer. It can be stopped anytime
by pushing the button again.
There is another "hidden" mode": If you push the button once as for the 1 s setting, but hold it down for more than 1 s (you will hear a beep), the variable interval trigger will be activated. The button hold time will be converted to the interval time. Example: If you press the button for 12.4 s you get an interval of 12.4 s. The duty cycle of this function is about 50%, meaning that if you set your camera to bulb it will expose for 50% of the interval time and wait for the remaining 50%. After setting the time by holding down the button, the button must be pressed again to activate the function. The timer can be stopped anytime by pushing the button again.
At very long interval times, the camera battery life becomes a problem. The camera should fall asleep between the shots to avoid exhausting the battery to early. To wake up the camera in a controlled manner, the trigger pulls down the focus wire 4 s before the shutter is released (only possible for intervals > 4 s). This feature can be also used to control lighting equipment as described here. The shutter wire is pulled down for 4 s. This is long enough to shoot multiple images as needed for HDR time lapse movies.
13. Long exposure
This mode can be used for taking very long exposures as needed for astro or infra-red photography. The exposure time can be chosen in discrete steps between 1 second and 8 hours. The times are listed on the SmaTrig label or in this table. Usage: Press the button multiple times to set the exposure time. The time setting is beeped back by the trigger for verification. Then, press the button once to activate the function. Holding the button for more than 1 s (beep) generates an additional trigger pulse for mirror lock-up.
14. IR remote release
This function uses the integrated infra-red LED to send a trigger signal to the camera. The SmaTrig 2 replaces the Canon RC-1 / Nikon ML-L3 / ... remote control. For now, the codes for Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Pentax and Olympus are implemented. Because each camera brand needs a different IR code, the camera type must be specified in the configuration. Besides the normal usage for taking pictures remotely, many cameras allow to start and stop the bulb exposure with the IR remote control, so you don't have to keep the shutter-button pressed. It's also possible to shoot a bracketing sequence at once instead of pressing the shutter-button three times, very useful for HDRs.
15. Manual/Bulb trigger
This is the simplest mode of operation. The push-button works as an extension of
the shutter button in the camera (only the fully pressed state is available:
focus + shutter). If the button is pressed longer than 1 second, the trigger
locks up allowing continuous (bulb) exposure without keeping the button pressed.
The lock-up is signaled by a beep.
The continuous exposure is terminated by pressing the button again.
The lock-up function in connection with the continuous shooting option of a camera
can be also used to capture lightnings, etc...
Usage
Shooting bracketed shots for HDRs
Set camera to MF • set camera to BULB exposure • connect SmaTrig • choose mode 1, 2, or 3) • push button according to desired bracketing width • push button again to stop function in case of overexposure • merge images (check out the free tool called "enfuse" and "enfuseGUI")
Shooting lightnings (all cameras)
Mount SmaTrig on the camera (hot shoe mount) • set camera to MF and RAW quality, manual or auto exposure • set SmaTrig to mode 9 • start function by pressing the button, the camera will be triggered at each lightning • terminate function by pressing the button again
Shooting lightnings (mirror lock-up support, Canon only)
Mount SmaTrig on the camera (hot shoe mount) • set camera to MF, RAW quality and manual exposure (or time priority) • enable mirror lock-up in camera • set SmaTrig to mode 6 • press button multiple times to tell SmaTrig how long it should wait after triggering. The time should be equal to or greater than the exposure time set in the camera. • press button again to start function • observe operation • terminate operation by pushing the button again
Taking high-speed shots (example: popping champagne bottle)
Prepare darkroom • position and fix champagne bottle • Set up and connect camera, flash unit, SmaTrig and microphone (sensor plug) • set SmaTrig to mode 8 • point the IR diode of the SmaTrig at the cameras IR sensor • set camera to MF, bulb exposure, RAW quality, and remote trigger mode • light off, torch on • wake up camera and flash • put finger on push-button of SmaTrig • torch off • press button (SmaTrig sends IR signal to camera, camera begins bulb exposure, do manually if no IR sensor in camera) • let the cork pop (most difficult point, try not to have your hands in the picture) • BENG! • SmaTrig terminates bulb exposure by sending IR signal to camera • check result, clean up, drink champagne...
Interruption-free capturing
Connect focus wire of SmaTrig with the focus and shutter wire of camera A • connect shutter wire of SmaTrig with the focus and shutter wire of camera A • connect all ground wires • set cameras to MF • set SmaTrig to mode 10 • choose bulb exposure or a fixed exposure time in camera • press the button multiple times to tell SmaTrig the exp. time • count the beeps to verify your entry • start function by pressing the button again • stop function by pressing the button again
Drop photography
Prepare drop setup, read tutorials on the net or here, use a burette • install SmaTrig and laser pointer on a rail, laser should point exactly on photo diode • set SmaTrig to light barrier function • focus camera, prepare flash • adjust delay by changing light barrier level or use a delay circuit • start function with delay if triggering the flash directly • triggering the camera will result in an additional delay of 50-120 ms
PDF Manual
smatrig21_manual.pdf - SmaTrig 2.1 manual
FAQ / Electrical data
Connecting a flash unit to the SmaTrig 2
The SmaTrig 2 can trigger cameras and flash units, as both rely on the same trigger principle. Connect the pin of the PC sync contact to either the ring or the tip of the camera jack connector (and the grounds of course). You can connect two flashes using ring and tip. The trigger voltage should not exceed 50 V (limit of BSS138 transistor).
Sensor connector
In contrast to the old SmaTrig version, the microphone is connected externally with a jack connector. Instead of the mic, other sensors can be used. The sensor signal has to be connected to the tip of the sensor jack plug. Refer to the schematics below for details. The microphone power supply on the ring of the jack plug can be used as power supply for external sensor circuitry if the current consumption is low enough. A voltage of about 2.4 V through a 2.7 kΩ resistor is available there. Keep in mind that the capacity of the coin cell is limited (approx 200 mAh). The mic supply is enabled only if one of the sensor modes is active. It can be disabled completely in the configuration.
Light and sound trigger lag
The oscilloscope screenshot below shows the timing of the sound and light trigger. The upper trace shows the voltage at the photo-diode with a peak caused by a flash. The lower trace visualises the voltage at the trigger output, where 0 V is the triggered state. The trigger lag is about 0.2 ms. The article shutter lag measurements might be also interesting for you.
Switching heavy loads with SmaTrig
With some simple additional circuitry the SmaTrig can switch heavy electrical loads such as lamps, solenoids or ventilators. This extension of the trigger is practical in connection with the interval function which activates the focus 4 s before the shutter is released. Connect the switch to the SmaTrigs focus wire to activate additional lighting equipment before each exposure. You don't have to keep your 8 kW lamp switched on for a week to record your plants growing;-). Please refer to this article for a detailed description of such a switch.
Gallery
In this section images taken with the SmaTrig are presented. Your images are welcome! You are also welcome to join the Smatrig group at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/smatrig/
Images by Michael M. from Germany
Images by Gerard Blacklock form Australia
Brenton Brockhouse from Australia built a DIY friendly version of the Smatrig 2.1 using a THT micro-controller. The resistors necessary for his Lumix G2 are soldered directly to the board. The eagle file of his design with THT components only and the front label file can be downloaded under this link. Many thanks for sharing!
Image shot by Jens Grebenstein with a EOS 450D.
Time lapse of Schiffshebewek Niederfinow taken from ship (Bizon), 2s interval, Samyang fish eye, 60D, own work.
Images shot by BjörnG.L.O with a Panasonic G3.
Viktoriapark water fall by Norbert Löv, long exposure with ND filter
"Sunday in Tiergarten" by Norbert Löv, long exposure with ND filter
"Clear water" by Norbert Löv, long exposure with ND filter
Burning candle time lapse by Uwe. The images were taken at 30 s interval for 1.5 hours.
Main rail station in Berlin (Hauptbahnhof) shot by Eike.
Time lapse in Full HD, near Heraklion on Crete, own work.
Shot by Eduardo Ventura from Portugal. Check out his Flickr stream for more pics.
Time lapse of garden cress growing. Shot with Smatrig + EOS60D + EF-S60 with 30 minutes interval for about one week (ca. 350 pics). The first day is not shown in the movie. The lower image shows the photo setup. A permanemtly running energy-saving bulb with 20 W was used. Own work.
Images shot by Karsten Alex. The setup is shown above: 5Dmk2, EF100, flash with radio remote control, Smatrig 2.1, delay circuit, coloured paper, old frying pan;). The screw was used just for focusing but it makes a nice picture anyway. The sharpness of the lens is amazing.
Time lapse shot by Dominik Rueß
Shibuya crossing in Tokyo, 231 images at 4 s interval, 720p resolution, own work.
"Das Boot" - time lapse from Garf on Vimeo. Panasonic GF1 + 14mm pancake, 4 s interval
Long exposure by parts, the image consists of 26 exposures with 2 minutes merged using the max operator. Many more images were taken that night, but the Samyang got fogged at 3 am :(.
Thunderstorm over Berlin, own work.
Corn field at cloudy day - time lapse from Björn aka Garf on Vimeo. Panasonic GF1 + 14mm pancake, 4 s interval, 42 min real time
First experiments with the SmaTrig: Egg hit by air gun pellet, flash triggered by sound, trigger delay controled by microphone distance. Shot by Björn.
Shot by Holger Stöhrmann.
Long exposure by parts, stack of 14 shots at 1 min at Tegel Airport in Berlin, composed using the 'maximum of' operator. Take a look on the 'minimum of' and the 'maximum - minimum' result. The perspective distorsion comes the Samyang 8mm fish eye lens.
SmaTrig 2 built by Simon from Switzerland. He used a small screw box for the enclosure.
Shot by Michael, more images are here.
Shot by Luca aKa CapZicco.
Shot by Piotr Bartkowiak.
These incredible images were shot by Rob Kessel in New Mexico, USA. The lower picture was published in the "Photographie 1-2 / 2012" magazine. Congratulations!
Time lapse by Darren Enns from Morden Manitoba, Canada. Note the growing star trails in the movie.
Shot by Clarissa Strömer.
Shot by Florian Schulz using the sound trigger function.
Build your own SmaTrig 2.1
The circuit
The SmaTrig 2.1 is based on the ATmega88V microcontroller from Atmel (It is becoming obsolete and will be replaced by the ATmega88PA). This relatively small and versatile chip is a low power device which works down to 1.8 V. The ATmega88 is available in a TQFP32 package (used here) and the prototyping-friendly narrow DIP28 package. It is perfectly suited for battery operated equipment. It provides power-saving timer functions using a 32.768 kHz clock crystal. A lithium coin cell was chosen as power supply. The schematic of the trigger circuit is depicted here
The most important sections of the circuit are explained below.
Triggering: T1 and T2 are responsible for triggering the connected
device by pulling the focus and shutter wire to ground. The BSS138
transistor is rated with 50 V and 220 mA.
Rotary switch: The switch has two functions: it sets the operation
mode of the trigger and connects the AVR to the battery. The switch
provides a connection between the input pins and the power supply in all
positions except the "0", where the circuit is disconnected completely from
the battery. The AVR is supplied in a "parasitic" way through the
protection diodes of the input pins. Refer to the SmaTrig
1 description for more details.
Sensor input circuitry: C1 and R1 form a high-pass filter between
the sensor input (tip of jack plug) and the built-in analog comparator of
the ATmega88. Only transient (changing) signals can be detected by the
SmaTrig.
The positive comparator input is connected to the reference voltage at
PD6 which sets the trigger threshold. The voltage is generated by the
voltage divider consisting of R9 and R11.
Mic power: To allow the direct connection of a standard (sound card
type) electret microphone to the trigger a power supply at the ring
contact of the mic plug must be provided. This is accomplished via PD2 and
R2.
The supply can be also used to power some low-power input circuitry. The
ring contact should _not_ be connected directly to ground (mono jack plug,
etc.) to avoid high power consumption and shortening of the battery life.
The power supply can be disabled in the configuration.
IR-LED: The IR-LED is controlled by T3 which is connected to PC0.
The inner resistance of the battery and the on-resistance of the FET make
a serial resistor for the LED unnecessary.
PCB
The one-sided board was designed with Eagle. The minimum path width and the clearance are 10 mils. This means advanced home-brew methods are necessary for reproduction. The PCB shown below was manufactured by www.leiton.de on one-sided FR4 1.5 mm material. The drills are exactly in the center of the pads. The quality is good enough to place a nice raster graphic somewhere on the PCB - next time. The PCB layout can be found in the documentation (see download section).
Parts
All parts necessary to build the SmaTrig 2 are listed in the documentation available in the download section below. I tried to use standard parts only. All analog functions are based on the integrated comparator of the ATmega88, reducing the part count significantly. The most exotic part is the code switch. It is a hex-type with 16 positions manufactured by many companies. You can use any type compatible with the PT65 from Hartmann. There are types with a spindle and with an integrated (detachable) knob.
The BSS138 FET transistor can be replaced by a different n-type conducting at 2 V at the gate. The buzzer has no electronics inside. Any piezo-type can be used. It has a pin spacing of 7.5 mm. The photodiode can be replaced by any daylight type. A high sensitivity type is preferable.
The circuit is mounted in a small pocket enclosure (50x38x13mm). A hot shoe mount can be attached to it for better usability. It can be recycled from an old flash or made of two plastic plates glued together. It has no electrical connection to the camera. The light sensor must point in the direction of the lens if you plan to use the trigger for lightning capturing.
I designed a drill aid and a label for the rotary code switch. They can be found in the documentation in the download section of the page. The red symbols on the label correspond to modes which involve timer functions where the user has to push the button multiple times to set the time. The red numbers below the switch legend describe how many pushes are necessary for which time.
Assembly - tools and skills needed
Please refer to the DIY guide PDF for assembly plans and details.
We start with the circuit as it is more exciting than the enclosure preparation.
You can find all detailed plans in the documentation in the download section.
You should have some experience in soldering to avoid frustration.
If you have never soldered fine pitch SMD devices before, read one
of the countless tutorials on the net, an exhaustive one can be found
here.
German readers may have a look here.
The most difficult part to solder is definitely the ATmega88 in its
TQFP32 package. You will need thin solder (≤ 0.5 mm), a soldering
iron with a pencil tip, and a loupe. Solder paste and a gas soldering iron are also a very good
or even preferred options. Please, double-check the orientation of the
chip before soldering! There is a small dot on the PCB where the mark
on the AVR should be. Use the photos in the documentation for orientation.
Be careful with
the SMD caps (all 1206 types), as they usually have no marking. The resistors (all 1206
types) have a number printed on top where the last digit corresponds to the
number of zeros that must be attached to the preceeding numbers to obtain
the resistance in Ohm: 3304 and 335 mean 3.3 MΩ. The jack connectors
can be mounted at an angle of 3-4 degree to fit the slope of the enclosure
side wall they are mounted to. Do not mix up the IR and
the photo-diode, watch the polarity. Some buzzers also have a polarity
marking. If you use the integrated code-switch (left on picture above)
solder it at about 1.7 mm above the PCB to align the knob nicely with the
enclosure surface. Use a piece of PBC as spacer.
The spindle type switch is mounted in the regular
way without any extra spacing.
After all parts have been soldered, the circuit can be tested. The simplest
indicator of "life" is the buzzer. Switch to position "F" (Manual/Bulb) and press the
button down for more than one second. You should hear a "beep-beep". If you don't
hear the beep, set the switch to "0" to disconnect the battery and search for
the problem. Compare your PCB to the pictures in the documentation. Some solder bridges?
Is the orientation of the IC and rotary switch ok? Battery?
If the Manual/Bulb function works fine, but some others don't, you
probably forgot to program the EEPROM. Many functions look for settings
in the EEPROM and find just a '255' if it was not programmed.
If the buzzer is ok, but you can't hear no clock "ticking" in the
(active) interval modes, probably there is a problem with the crystal.
If everything is fine, the board can be mounted in the enclosure. Set the
rotary switch to "0", or remember the setting to attach the knob at the
right angle later (applies only to spindle version of code switch).
For the integrated switch version the knob must be removed (see picture
above) for mounting.
Now the enclosure has to be drilled. Print out the drill aid from
the documentation ensuring the scaling is set to none (1:1).
Cut out the aid and fix it on the bigger part of the
enclosure with adhesive tape as shown below.
The dashed lines must align with the edges of the enclosure. Double check the symmetry and then copy the centers of the holes to the enclosure with a sharp device. Now drill the holes as precise as possible. Use a drill stand if possible. The bigger the holes, the higher the tolerance to misalignment. Too big holes look bad. The drill aid is a hit-and-miss thing, so be prepared to use a file to make everything fit. Now insert the PCB into the enclosure. The PCB fits very tightly. Use a screw driver to push the spindle of the rotary switch into the hole. Proceed as shown in the pictures below. Inserting the no-spindle version is easier. Now the label (and the knob) can be attached. You will find the label in the documentation ready for printing (1:1).
Software and programing
The controller was programmed in C. The hex and the eep (EEPROM) file
necessary for programming the AVR can be found in the download section.
Use the programming pads on the edge of the PCB to transfer the code. I used an i
STK200 clone and
Ponyprog. The fuse bit setting is shown below. If you program with avrdude
the command is
avrdude -p m88 -F -c STK200 -i 1 -U flash:w:smatrig21.hex -U eeprom:w:smatrig21.eep -U lfuse:w:0x52:m
Option -F means 'ignore chip signature' and lets you program the
new ATmega88PA chips with older versions of avrdude.
Don't forget to feed back to www.doc-diy.net and contribute to the gallery!
Any suggestions on the trigger and the web site are welcome!
Good luck!
Last but not least:
The author takes no responsibility for any injury or damage resulting from the
operation or construction of the device presented here.
The commercial use of the site contents is not permitted.
Download
smatrig21_manual.pdf - SmaTrig 2.1 manual
smatrig21_diyguide.pdf - SmaTrig 2.1 DIY guide
smatrig21_bedienungsanleitung.pdf - SmaTrig 2.1 Bedienungsanleitung
smatrig21_bauanleitung.pdf - SmaTrig 2.1 Bauanleitung
smatrig21.hex - ATmega88 flash hex file, version 2 (April 2012)
smatrig21.eep - ATmega88 EEPROM hex file, version 2 (April 2012)
changelog - changelog
Contact
You can contact me if you have questions. My address is
Please use "Smatrig 2.1 (your_camera_type)" as subject.
Links
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/doc8271.pdf
ATmega88PA data sheet
http://www.lancos.com/prog.html
PonyProg, AVR programming tool
http://www.maxell.co.jp/e/products/industrial/battery/cr/index.html
2032 lithium battery discharge curve
http://www.avrfreaks.com
AVR freaks - the page for microcontrollers
http://www.mikrocontroller.net
Mikrocontroller.net - the page for microcontrollers in German
http://research.edm.uhasselt.be/~tmertens/papers/exposure_fusion_reduced.pdf
An interesting paper about exposure fusion, a must for enfuse users
Comments
|
 Last modified: Wed February 06th 2013 Copyright © 2013 www.doc-diy.net |
Could you tell me pls can I buy it ready to use? Thank you!
Regards
I am doing a photo project which may need a triggering device. This is perfectly matching to my requirement. However, I may not have the competence in building such thing.
Would you mind to sell one unit to me and you will help me a lot.
Please email me at bunnywong2006@yahoo.com.hk
Many thanks in advance.
I am interested in building one. Do you have the Eagle PCB files some where on the site to download? Or can you send them to me?
Thank You,
Rodney Morgan
rodmorgan@f-stopart.com
Mark
I am intereted in buying one of these fully assembled if you have a unit available. I tried to recreate the PCB but its above my skill level.
Thank you in advance
I would like to buy a trigger for you.
Would you come in contact with me?
Tanks
wir (die Fotogruppe in unserer Firma) sind so begeistert von Deinem Smatrig-2.1, dass wir uns entschlossen haben, den Smatrig nach Deiner Bauanleitung nachzubauen.
Die Teile sind bereits bestellt, die Platinen habe ich auch schon anfertigen lassen.
Meine Fragen an Dich:
1.) Wie komm ich am besten zu den Aufklebern. Gibt es da von Zweckform eventuell was bedruckbares?
2.) Wie komme ich an die Kontakte der Programmierschnittstelle (evtl. Federpins) . Oder lötet ich kleine Kabel zur Verlängerung, damit ich an mein Programmiergerät (USB Atmel AVR ISP MK2) komme.
Beste Grüße
Alois
You are using a photodiode SFH203. It is connected through a capacitor to the ADC of microcontroller.
The diode is not biased, and current variations are not amplified. This arrangement works does it really? It can detect a flash of lightning?
Sincerely
I say thank you for it in everybody's name! M.Zoltan / HUNGARY-Budapest /
Würdest Du eines für eine Canon 5D mark II bauen.Wäre toll wenn es klappen könnte oder Du mir eine Bezugsadresse
Mailen könntest.
Würde mich über eine kurze Antwort freuen!
LG Stefan
Hi,
I am interested getting a assembled unit.
Thanks
Ich hätte interesse an einem aufgebauten Smarttrig 2.1 für eine EOS450
Über eine Antwort würde ich mich freuen..
Gruß
Oliver
please contact me www.mscsphoto.com
Can I place an order for an assembled device for a 7D
Thanks
but I'm on such a blockhead electronics.
Also attached to the question if such a miracle cost?
And what do I need to buy to fit the Nikon D 800?
Great project!! Thank you for the DIY instructions and all your hard work. I will be building a slightly larger version of this device soon (I can’t solder SMD). I too would like to ask if you would be willing to share the source code for this project. Being an enthusiast of both photography and electronics, I would love to use your source code as a building block for future experiments.
I am shooting with a Canon EOS T1i and cant wait to finish the trigger unit
I've recently ordered 2 cortex-m4 evaluation boards and i'd like to play with some triggered photography with those. (im not yet willing to invest in pcb soldering skills).
thanks & more power to your site
This sounds so much fun and strangely enough, i was looking for precisely this.
Is this something that you can ship directly (finished product)?
How much would it cost and what would the leadtime be?
Kindly get back :)
THanks
My post not available.
You have a very interesting site.
Regards,
Tamas
I read with interest your page ((http://www.doc-diy.net/photo/remote_pinout/ # sony))!
Could you help me to make a remote control for Sony DSC-W15 camera?
I want to use for a microscope with a homemade adapter (http://img.index.hu/imgfrm/9/9/1/6/BIG_0010479916.jpg).
Please contact me - tamasflex (at) yahoo.com
Best regards,
Tamas from Romania
TIA
I would like to buy one of this for my Nikon D90. Please let me know the price of a unit and shipping cost.
Best,
Venura
Tolles Gerät, sowas such ich schon länger!
Wieviel würde der SmaTrig 2.1 fertig gebaut für eine Nikon D90 kosten?
Danke im Voraus
Thomas
your devide is very amazing! please could you tell me how to buy it already assembled (Smatrig v2.1) and how much does it cost ?
Is it compatible with Canon 5d Mark III too?assembled
Thank you. Bye.
Luciano (from Italy)
Do you have any Smartrig 2.1 for sale ?
What is the price ?
Thank you !
Und vorher noch gern erfahren, wieviel du für dieses kleine Meisterwerk haben möchtest.
Mfg
Czy jest możliwość zakupu Smatrig 2.1? Może być kit lub gotowy układ.
Pozdrawiam
Sorry, I should have included that I am using a Nikon D90
I would be the only person in the world who has no idea what all of those bits and pieces are, let alone how they could go together, hence my humble request (note that I am on bended knee)
1 where do I get one of these here in Australia?
2 The approximate price
Thank you for you time :)
I would be the only person in the world who has no idea what all of those bits and pieces are, let alone how they could go together, hence my humble request (note that I am on bended knee)
1 where do I get one of these here in Australia?
2 The approximate price
Thank you for you time :)
Roger Williams
Sorry, I should have included that I am using a Nikon D90
I don't have the skills to make this myself. I would like to know if I can buy one. Will you please send me the information? I am also interested in your Delay circuit for high speed photography
Thank you.
I don't have the skills to make this myself. I would like to know if I can buy one. Will you please send me the information? I am also interested in your Delay circuit for high speed photography
Thank you.
thanks
Dabbulu
Peter
Hello big Luk, I'm looking for the web, the design of a trigger, and I found yours project.
Really excellent. I state that I would not be able to build it by yourself, so, I'd like to know how much it can cost already assembled and the time of construction. Thank you. Paul. Padua. Italy.
(sorry for my animals inglish language) i hope you understand me.By
Thank you.
Kuen
Ich wollte demnächst ne kleine Sammelbestellung unserer FotoAG organisieren,
hast du da evtl. noch ein paar Platinen übrig?
viele Grüße,
Florian
Ich hätte auch Interesse an einem fertigen Smatrig für meine Canon EOS 40D. Alternativ würde ich mich auch an einer Bestellung Platinen beteiligen, obwohl ich im Bereich SMD-Löten keine Erfahrung habe ;)
LG, und weiter so... Bastian
Do you have any examples of the smartrigs you recently built left for sale?
I would sometimes like it the trigger to trigger the canon XXD/XD-lines so if you also have an adaptor for that then I'm interested as well, but I mostly want it for flash triggering and I already have cables for that. (Can't tell if the camera/flash connector is 2.5mm or 3.5mm, but I think I have them both)
I could probably arrange for someone in Berlin for you to send to or maybe even a pickup if that's easier for you.. Thankful for an answer!
Cheers!
Would you come in contact with me?
thank you
Hi, I se many others asking the same question; Are you selling this as a kit?
If yes, I would very much buy one. Or a readybuilt version if thats available.
I Have a Nikon D700.
Knut
Thanks so much Luk for your great service. Tried to thank you via email but your provider didn't like my email address!
cheers,
Stewart from Australia
is there a chance to buy one???
If yes, how can I order one an how much would it cost?
Regards
Klaus
I would like to know if you can offer me kit (for Nikon D700 and D7000) on my email.
THX, A.
kann ich statt der 3m3 Widerstände auch 1m0 verwenden ? Und muß ich zum programieren die Batt. raus nehmen.
Gruß
Frank
friendly greetings
stefan
Thanks!
Jack
I'd love to buy one for my Nikon d7000. Can you please contact me?
Regards.
Do you have any Smartrig 2.1 for sale ?
What is the price ?
and how i can get it 2 saudi arabia ?
Thank you !
If yes, at which price ?
Thank you !
What is the price ?
Thank you !
I've been looking for something like this for a long time,
Where could I buy a unit? and how much?
Please send me a email
is there way to actually buy finished device? would love to get one of them
e quanto costa.
If yes, I would very much buy one. Or a readybuilt version if thats available.
Knut
thank yuo
great project.
Can you supply a kit of parts for this project and the delay unit?
Also what is the cost of both units ready made and sent to UK
Thanks,
Eb Swarbrick
Wo kann ich den Sma Trig 2 kaufen? Und was kostet er?
Habe ich das richtig verstanden das ich ihn zu einer Lichtschranke dazubauen kann?
MfG.
Christian
www.muetterthies.de
If you have a Smatrig 2.1 available for the Sony than I would like to hear from you.
regards
Arno
Sydney
Australia
möchte einen SmaTrig 2.1 für eine Canon 7D bei ihnen kaufen.
Bitte um Info ob und wie das möglich ist.
Herzliche Grüße
Richard Mayr
-------------------------------------
Richard Mayr
Vest 4
4722 Peuerbach
Österreich
mail: .....
PS: Habe auch einen HDR-Jack 2 angefragt. Diese Anfage ist hinfällig.
Thanks!! Great Project!!
a few things i would like to know from you are these,
will you provide a kit form and what would the price for the unit.
or can you provide a pcb board for me to bild my own that would be the only problem for me...
if none of the above what would the price be for a full unit.
many thanks steve
Id like to buy a working one, or the parts and have a go at programming one myself, with a Arduino. (if thats possible?)
cheers!
Excellent gear!
What is the price for this set?
Thanks.
Entschuldigen Sie, ich versteh nur ein bisschen Deutsch
Thanks,
Rob.
What is the price ?
Thank you !
Luk even packaged the Trigger with a microphone (top!). That was a nice surprise.
In my opinion this is the best and most versatile Trigger in the world and compared to other stuff on the market even very cheap.
What i also like is the small size. It even fits in the smallest camera bag.
Thank you Luk for building this and sharing!
I'm interested in buying a complete working unit Smatrig 2.1. Please email me details.
Verschickt Ihr den SmaTrig 2.1 auf bereits zusammengebaut oder in Bausatz ?
Wenn ja bitte die Preise für beide mir senden (Versand nach Österreich).
mfg.
Roman
It will be a lot of testing, but I already see it will be a lot of fun making photos:)
Peter from Poland
If you still sell the complete kits, please can you mail me with a price,
Thanx
I am interested getting a assembled unit.
Jim
Thanks!
I got the trigger and cables and I start to use it.
I am mainly interested in sound and light triggering, so these have been my first experiments...
I immediately succeeded in activating the camera with light, sound and laser (light barrier).
However, on the position 6 (sound and light trigger), I was not able to obtain continuous triggering; infact, I experienced a period of non triggering after the first activation of about ten secs with no difference about on or two button presses.
But I found the heaviest problems trying to directly trigger the flash!!!
Infact it is impossible to me to do this.
I checked the cable and the hot shoe provided by you and they function correctly, but when the cable is connected to the trigger, and trying to trigger the flash (SB 900) in the same conditions I obtained camera shooting, this does not work, even I hear the beep from the trigger , for example, when the light barrier is interrupted........
I am sure I did not understand something, and therefore am not able to manage the troubles....... thus please help me to enjoy my new toy......
Sincerely
Angelo
Is it also for use on the Sony Nex?
As I would like ik for remote control, flash trigger with pre-flash, and other possible things the SmaTrig 2.1 has.
Thanks a lot for your reply.
Ed Dancer
But since I have no experience in making it myself, I'm wondering if I can buy one. Would like to use it on my Sony Nex 5 if it works allready with the SmaTrig 2.1.
And what is the price?
Thanks a lot for your reply.
Ed
I read also that you have built some beyond your need, could you sell one to me by chance?
In this case, could I pay by paypal?
Actually, I may be able toassemble it, but I have no possibility to program eprom……. And I have no free time enough to do this……
i USE D300S, sb900, SB600, R1C1 KIT
Let me know, I look forward anxiously for your answer.
Angelo, Genova, Italy.
Kind Regards
Kevin
With regards
Bo
PAtrick
Is it possible to purchase one (or two, another one for my colleague---Canon 7D user)?
Well, i think it will be great if you add external dc power jack for external power pack/dc adapter for extended lifetime.
Cheers
I have built some Smatrigs 2.1 recently and have some devices left. I will contact you per email.
Luk
Do you sell these ?
How do I get one ?
How can I do that? Would some one help me with that? Please.
>Do you think that i can do all the same functions with an Arduino ? With the same accuracy ? The same trigger lag ? Or only the ATmega88 can do that ?
since some arduino use the same type of microcontroller, you should be able to do this. I also just strated to build a similar device based on an arduino fio which already also incorporates a lipo-charger.
Do you think that i can do all the same functions with an Arduino ? With the same accuracy ? The same trigger lag ? Or only the ATmega88 can do that ?
BTW, the HEX-files are missing, or refered using wrong path.