The main ShotMapper hardware, consisting of a converter and an interface cable, is used only during shooting.

The ShotMapper converter connects to the end of the GPS manufacturer's data cable. (The GPS must have an RS-232 serial port that produces standard NMEA output.) The converteroutputs an encoded line-level audio signal, which may be connected directly to the line level input of a camcorder or DV deck. For the more common case of using a camcorder's external microphone input, ShotMapper includes an interface cable which connects between the converter's output and the camcorder's input. This cable includes a microphone that records monaural audio along with the GPS data.

The GPS receiver, camcorder, and ShotMapper are connected as shown: (The diagram is not to scale.)

The ShotMapper package also includes adapters for use during playback. Because the GPS data is recorded on the right audio channel, only the left channel is available for audio. There are two adapters: one to send the audio channel to both channels of standard stereo headphones; the other to duplicate the single-channel audio for driving line-level stereo audio inputs.