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Camera Triggering Not Working on Bolt Pedestal - Node Mismatch

Issue ID: TRIG-bolt-pedestal-camera-triggering-node-mismatch
Affected Equipment: Bolt Pedestal, UltiBox, DSLR/Camera triggering
Severity: Medium
Status: [CONFIRMED] - Solution verified

Summary

Camera triggering fails on Bolt Pedestal despite using the same setup and settings that worked on different machines. The camera (DSLR style) does not trigger when expected, even though all wiring and configuration appears correct.

Symptoms

  • Camera triggering completely non-functional on Bolt Pedestal
  • Same setup, settings, and Flair version work on other machines
  • DSLR-style camera set to "remote" mode
  • All wiring and connections appear intact
  • UltiBox and other components functioning normally

Root Cause

The External Camera trigger node must be set to the same node as the Focus Motor for proper triggering to function. When these are mismatched, the camera trigger signal may not be sent correctly.

Solution

[CONFIRMED] Match Camera and Focus Motor Nodes

  1. Check your Focus Motor node assignment:

  2. Note which Node your Focus Motor is connected to

  3. Set External Camera to the same Node:

  4. In Flair configuration, set the External Camera to the same Node number as the Focus Motor

  5. Verify the setup:

  6. Test camera triggering functionality
  7. Ensure camera is still set to "remote" mode

Important Notes

  • Node vs Port confusion: Nodes are different from numbered axis ports
  • Node assignment: Only the Node number matters for External Camera, not specific port numbers
  • Axis Ports: Only physical axis connections use numbered ports

Evidence

WhatsApp Discussion (2025-03-15):

IanH: "Having trouble triggering camera on a Bolt Pedestal — is CAM ACC on node 3 for all ultiboxes? I was using the exact same version, settings, and setup on a different machine yesterday and it was working. (Not using sync, just triggering a DSLR style body)"

Timothy Heys Cerchio: "Check which Node your Focus Motor is connected to and set the External Camera to the same one!"

IanH: "Oops I had node and port mixed up — I'm asking which port on the ultibox it is"

Timothy Heys Cerchio: "Doesn't really have a Port number... and Node should suffice. Only Axis Ports are numbered, AFAIK."

Troubleshooting Steps

If the node matching doesn't resolve the issue:

  1. Verify camera settings:
  2. Double-check camera is set to "remote" trigger mode

  3. Test with different DSLR trigger cable if available

  4. Check UltiBox connections:

  5. Verify all power and data connections to UltiBox

  6. Test other UltiBox functions to confirm node communication

  7. Cross-reference with working setup:

  8. Document exact node assignments from working machine
  9. Match all configuration parameters

Equipment Details

  • Primary: Bolt Pedestal
  • Hardware: UltiBox, DSLR trigger cables
  • Software: Flair (all versions)
  • Cameras: DSLR-style bodies with remote trigger capability
Source: WhatsApp Community Chat 2025-03-15