Overview

This article covers the basics around how to pair a body-worn camera to any Getac Bluetooth Trigger Box. 

Connections are made via Bluetooth and requires the following:

• Windows computer.
• TriggerBox Configuration Tool.

 

Caution:

Contact [email protected] to get the latest TriggerBox configuration tool.

 

 

Connect to a Trigger Box

To make changes to a Trigger Box, perform the following steps:

Note:

The connecting computer must be close enough to connect to the Trigger Box.

1. Launch the Trigger Box Configuration Tool.

2. Click the Scan button.

3. Click on the MAC address for the desired Trigger Box.

Note:

The MAC Address is printed on a white label on the Trigger Box. This may require some effort to locate, depending on where it was physically installed in a vehicle.

 

4. Click on the MAC Address of the Trigger Box (just below the Scan button) to attempt to connect to the Trigger Box.

5. Fields will populate that can be tailored based on Agency needs. 

The following fields are required: 

• Transmit Power
• Trigger Delay 
• Transmit Duration 
• Pin Definition 
• Target Group 

6. After adding entries, Click on Apply the settings to the connected Trigger Box.

Note:

Click the Save as Config button to create a local file of the chosen settings. This can be reused as a template for subsequent Trigger Box configurations. This appears as a header in the Configuration Utility once connected to another Trigger Box.

Transmit Power

Transmit power is the setting that determines how far the Bluetooth activation command signal broadcasts from the Trigger Box.

This should be configured in accordance with best practices. Speak with a Video Solutions Architect or [email protected] for more details.

Trigger Delay

The Trigger Delay feature sets a delay of 0–9 seconds from when the Trigger Box detects a trigger (e.g. light bar activated) and when the Bluetooth signal is sent to the BWC to start recording.

Transmit Duration

This feature allows specifying how long to broadcast the signal to start and stop recording.

 

Auto-Stop (deprecated)

This feature is no longer supported and should NEVER be applied. It has been removed from newer versions of the Configuration Utility. Please contact [email protected] to get the latest version of the tool or if any erratic stopping behavior is experienced.

Update [Firmware]

This feature is for updating firmware on the Trigger Box itself. Always contact [email protected] for the latest Firmware and Trigger Box Configuration Utility.

Pin Definition 

The Trigger Box has 12 I/O ports, referred to as T1-T12.

Starting from the left, T1-T4 ) are always the same when installed:

• T1 - Positive (+) or (VCC)
• T2 - Negative (-) or (GND)
• T3 - Ignition (IGN)
• T4 - Output for Activating BWCs with an MVS

Compound record - If left blank, any one trigger will cause the BWC to record. If two or more triggers are selected (e.g. light bar and door sensor), the Trigger Box won't initiate a recording until all of those triggers are active.

Single stop - Sends the signal to the body camera to stop.

The Pins are numbered as 0-7 in the Configuration Utility, but actually correspond with T5-T12 ports on the Trigger Box. See the image below for an example, as well as a table showing which T port corresponds with the Trigger Box Configuration Utility's Pin.

This feature activates an MVS when the User starts a recording on a paired BWC. For this to work, the following two conditions must be met: 

• The operator must be within range of the Trigger Box to receive the signal from the BWC.
• BWC sync wire (T4 on Trigger Box) is connected to the GPIO on the DVR and configured to activate.

Target Group

The Target Group feature sets the pairing for a BWC. This corresponds to the Group Name field described on the InCar and BWC Unit Configuration pages.

The default Target Group is "Getac" - but should be changed to something unique to the agency to prevent accidental activation.

Note:

• This field requires 6 characters and is case-sensitive.
• The Target Group name on the Trigger Box and Group Name on a configuration template MUST match to function properly.

A Trigger Box can be paired to a single group with a single body worn camera (one-to-one) or paired to a group with multiple cameras.