S.Bus
If you need more than 4 channels you can use the 18 channel S.Bus control input with Futaba
radio control equipment or custom embedded controllers.
The S.Bus protocol uses 1 connection on the expansion cable to control up to 18 channels, and
each of these channels can be mapped to a specific camera function. Most often used for radio
remote control of airplane and helicopter models, S.Bus receivers and decoders can be found
in most major hobby stores online.
Assigning Camera Functions to S.Bus Channels
If you are using S.Bus to control your Micro Cinema Camera, you can use the 'remote' menu to
assign the following functions to individual S.Bus channels:
Rec start/stop
Iris
Focus
Auto focus
Zoom
ISO
Shutter angle
White balance
Audio levels
Frame rate
Codec
To assign functions to individual S.Bus channels, simply select the function you wish to control
and assign an available channel using the 'left' and 'right' buttons, and use the 'play' button
to confirm.
Standard radio transmitters for remote control vehicles that support the S.Bus protocol are
usually setup with control ranges built into their controller output, so that all you need to do is
assign camera functions to the correct individual S.Bus channels for remote control of your
camera functions. You can also use the S.Bus protocol to develop your own sophisticated
custom control solutions.
Developing a Custom Controller
If you would like to develop your own custom camera control solutions, you can use the S.Bus
input on the expansion cable as a way to interface camera functions on Blackmagic Micro
Cinema Camera.
When sending commands via the S.Bus input to Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, the input
values will need to be between 44 and 212 in order to be interpreted by the camera. A value of
128 is considered to be the midpoint or neutral position when using a radio control transmitter.
The way in which specific commands are sent to the camera will depend upon how you have
mapped the camera functions to your controller.
There are two ways to map the commands to the controls.
The first type maps settings to specific ranges of the input so that sending a value within a
certain range will trigger a particular setting.
For example, the f-stop settings on a lens from f1.8 to f22 will be distributed along the entire
range of 44 to 212. Sending a value between 44 and 51 would set the lens to f1.8. These values
will then continue along the entire range so that sending a value between 206 and 212 would
select f22. Zoom and focus changes are controlled the same way.
Menu Settings
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