Plan of the Assembly

Carry out the assembly as follows.

1. View the video tutorial to see the process of building the photogate framework and testing the trigger. Note that if you have version CBP1 of the kit, the portion of the video about cutting the PVC pipe and drilling holes will have already been done for you. In that case, after viewing the introduction of Part 1, you may advance the video to 4:15 minutes to continue viewing.

2. Build the PVC framework and the circuit. See these instructions to complement the video.

The breadboard offers an easy way to build electrical circuits without soldering. The 2"x3" breadboard provided with your kit contains an array of holes where wires and components are to be inserted. The holes in the center portion of the breadboard are identifiable by row (vertical in the photos) and column (horizontal).  There are two sets of 30 rows numbered by 5's, and each set of rows has 5 columns labeled A-E and F-J. The 5 holes on each row are electrically connected to each other (but not across the center channel), so any components inserted into the same row would be connected just as if they had been soldered.  However, the components can be removed and replaced with other components at any time, without the hassle of unsoldering and resoldering parts.

On either side of the breadboard are two columns marked by blue and red lines. The 25 holes in each column are electrically connected, but the columns aren't electrically connected to each other.  The outermost column marked with the red line at the top will be used for all +9 V connections, while the outermost column marked with the blue line at the bottom will used for all ground (negative) connections.

The metal plate included with the breadboard isn't needed for the assembly instructions below.

Step 1: Adding the Potentiometers

The 10-kΩ (white knob) and 100-kΩ potentiometer (brown knob) allow you to adjust the sensitivity of your photogate. Each potentiometer has three legs, two in the front and one in the rear. Place the two front legs of the white pot over 8J and 10J, and the rear leg over the (+) column. The front legs should be facing the center of the breadboard, while the rear leg faces the outside of the breadboard. Press the legs in firmly as far as they will go, but avoid bending them. In a similar manner, seat the two front legs of the brown pot over 4I and 6I, and the rear leg in the blue column adjacent to the (+) column.

Step 2: Adding the Resistors

Locate the brown-black-brown resistor (100 Ω).  Insert one end into 8F and the other into the blue column adjacent to the positive column. Next, find the yellow-violet-brown (470 Ω) resistor.*  Insert one end into 2J; the other end should reach over to the nearest hole in the (+) column.

*In order to obtain greater intensity of the infrared LEDs--especially for use in daylight--substitute the 220-Ω resistor (red-red-brown) for the 470-Ω resistor.

Step 3: Adding the Wires

Cut an inch off of each of the black and yellow hookup wires. Strip about 1/8" of insulation off each end of the 1-inch pieces. Connect one wire between 2A and the nearby (-) column.  Connect the other wire between 5H and the nearby (+) column.

Step 4: Adding the SCR, Transistor, and Red LED

The silicon-controlled rectifier (labeled EC-103D) is the output stage of the sound trigger. Putting in the SCR is easy since all three leads go in consecutive rows along Column B. Put the cathode into 2B, the gate into 3B, and the anode into 4B.

The transistor looks identical to the SCR but is labeled PN2222A (or 2N2222A). Its three leads go in consecutive rows along Column G.  To identify the leads of the transistor, hold it as in the diagram to the right.  Put the emitter into 3G, the gate into 4G, and the collector into 5G. (Note that there are two transistors. We'll describe the use of the second transistor in Step 10.)

The red LED can be used to check for correct operation of the circuit even without a flash unit or photogate cable connected. It has legs of different lengths to help indicate the proper polarity. Insert the short leg into 3E and the long leg into 3F. You may wish to trim these leads so the LED sits closer to the breadboard. For future reference, note that the lip on the case has a flat on the negative side.

Step 5: Adding the Battery Clip

Locate the battery clip.  At the left end of the breadboard, insert the red wire into the positive column and the black wire into the negative column.

Step 6:Testing the Circuit

At this point, you can do an initial test of the circuit. First turn the pots to their half-way positions if they aren't there already. Connect a fresh 9-V battery to the battery clip. The red LED should light. This represents the open-circuit condition which corresponds to a blocked photogate. Since no photogate is yet connected, the circuit interprets that the same as if the photogate were connnected but blocked. Now to test the closed-circuit condition, cut one inch off of the blue hookup wire and strip the ends. Connect 3H to 4H. The LED should go out.

After testing, disconnect the wire from 3H to 4H and remove the battery. Important: If you leave this wire connected, the circuit will not function correctly after connecting the photogate cable in the next step.

If your circuit doesn't behave as described above, first make sure your battery is fresh. Then push down gently on the pots in case they're not seated completely. Make sure the SCR and transistor aren't switched. Check that the LED isn't reversed. Check all connections and jiggle the wires and components in case there's a loose connection. It's a simple circuit, so there's not much that can go wrong.

Step 7: Connecting the Photogate Cable

In order to continue further, you'll need to have mounted the emitter-detector pairs on the PVC frame. See the video tutorial and the diagram here. After you've completed the gate, connect the photogate output cable from the gate as follows.

Red wire to 2H

Green wire to 4H

Black wire to 2D

Step 8: Testing the Crossed-Beam Photogate and Adjusting Sensitivity

We assume at this point that you've built the crossed-beam photogate framework and connected it to the breadboard. Begin testing in a dimly-lit room. Make sure the pots are in their half-way positions. Connect your battery. If the photogate is wired correctly and the emitter-detector pairs are aligned well, the red LED should not be lit. Now move your hand through the center of the photogate frame. The red LED should light and then go out when you move your hand away.

Now turn on an overhead light or nearby lamp. This will affect the sensitivity of the gate, since it picks up light at the red end of the visible spectrum as well as infrared. In order to adjust for this, turn the brown pot counterclockwise until the red LED lights. Then turn the pot back up to the point where the LED goes out. This sets the circuit near the sensitivity threshold. Move your hand through the center of the gate again to see that the red LED lights. Outdoors where the ambient light may be particularly bright, you may need to turn the brown pot all the way counterclockwise. In that case, continue the adjustment by turning the white LED counterclockwise to find the threshold of sensitivity.

Troubleshooting: If your photogate doesn't function as described above, here are some possible causes.

1. You forgot to remove the wire from 3H to 4H as described in Step 6.
2. Your battery isn't fresh.
3. The legs of an infrared LED or phototransistor in the PVC frame are touching each other.
4. The PVC frame is wired incorrectly.
5. The emitter-detector pairs are misaligned.

Items 1-3 are easy to check. For items 4 and 5, if you've waited until after this testing phase to complete the soldering and taping on the PVC frame, then you'll be able to check and possibly correct any errors.

Step 10: Testing with Flash or Camera

Triggering a flash unit

With the output cable connected to your flash according to the table here and the photogate cable connected and tested, passing your hand through the center of the gate should discharge your flash unit. If everything has worked up to this point, but your flash doesn't discharge, one possible explanation is that the polarity of the PC cord is reversed. You can test this simply by reversing the connections of the red and black wires of the 2-conductor cable to the breadboard.

Triggering a camera shutter

Follow the instructions for your version (COS or DIY) of the shutter release cable. See Step 9 above, Connecting to a Camera.

Camera reset problem

Note: The following does not apply if you're using the Camera Opto-Switch.

With many cameras, the trigger circuit will remain enabled shot-after-shot without any intervention. For some cameras, however, the camera is automatically disabled after each shot. In order to reset the camera, the trigger output cable can be opened and reclosed. This, of course, is inconvenient as well as unworkable if you're leaving the camera set up for long periods to time to capture photos of birds or insects. If you find that your camera requires resetting, try replacing the SCR with the extra 2N2222 transistor. Insert the transistor in the same holes with the same orientation as the SCR. This solves the problem in many cases. Caution: When triggering a flash unit rather than a camera, we recommend against the replacement just described, as the SCR protects the trigger circuit from the voltage across the flash terminals.

Using the Crossed-Beam Photogate

Adjusting sensitivity

If you're using the crossed-beam photogate outdoors throughout the day and/or the ambient light level is changing, you'll need to monitor your setup to make sure the gate continues to function. This involves adjusting the sensitivity of the trigger circuit. This was discussed in Step 8. Here's a typical scenario if, say, you set up early in the morning and take photos all day. Let's suppose you've adjusted the sensitivity for pre-dawn darkness. Now, as the ambient light intensity increases, the sensitivity will drift. You'll need to turn the brown pot (coarse control) counterclockwise to compensate. If the light gets particularly bright, turn the brown pot all the way counterclockwise and make fine adjustments with the white pot. If the sun goes in and out of the clouds, check the adjustment frequently. As the light intensity decreases, toward late afternoon and dusk, the sensitivity will drift the other direction, and your camera shutter will actuate spontaneously. You'll need to turn the brown pot clockwise.

If you take pictures in darkness, then you won't need to monitor the sensitivity once you've set it.

Hints for successful operation

• Set your camera for complete manual operation. Turn off any lens VR control. The fewer operations your camera needs to perform before opening the shutter, the faster it will respond (shorter shutter lag).

• If you photograph outdoors, set up in an area that will be shaded throughout the day if possible.

• If you're going to leave the gate set up for long periods of time, power your devices with AC/DC adapters if you're within reach of an outlet. The trigger circuit can be powered with a 9-V AC/DC adapter such as the one shown here. Similarly, power your flash unit(s) and camera with AC/DC adapters.

• When the light level goes down and the sensitivity drifts, your camera may take a large number of shots spontaneously. Use a large memory card so that you don't fill it quickly with useless shots. Monitor your set up closely in late afternoon/early evening and whenever the ambient light level is changing significantly.

• Prefocus your camera on the center of the crossed-beam gate. Use a small aperture to increase depth-of-field. Flying birds and insects will quickly move out of the plane of the gate after triggering. Your camera's shutter lag, even if small, is still large enough that some subjects will leave the area of sharpest focus before the shutter opens.

• Don't use a delay unit with the photogate trigger if you don't need one. Even with the time delay set as small as possible, there will still be a small delay that may be enough to give the subject time to leave the region of sharp focus. In case of situations where the use of a delay unit is warranted, you can add one to the breadboard using the instructions here. Note, however, that in order for this to work, you'll need to replace the red LED of the crossed-beam photogate circuit with a wire.

• Use more than one flash unit both to balance the lighting and also to provide more light on the subject. Slave additional units off a master. You'll need to use your units on low power in order to freeze wing motion.

• The background will be dark even in daylight conditions if you're using a small aperture. If you want the background to show, reduce the shutter speed. This will take some trial and error. If you reduce the shutter speed too much, the subject will show ghosting as a result of movement. Something else you can try to bring out the background if it's not too far away is to use flash--slaved off the master--to illuminate the background only. Then you can set your camera for the fastest shutter speed that will synch with your master flash.

• Finally, be patient. In many of your shots, the subject will be cut off by the frame, out-of-focus, or in an uninteresting position. If you get a few good shots a day, that's par for the course. Some examples are shown below.