Radius Security Solutions

MOBOTIX cameras offer a selection of three different recording modes

Where necessary, MOBOTIX cameras can trigger off the saving of image sequences via their internal week time control which is set in the camera via the browser. A key-operated switch can be linked without any problem to the time control via the camera's switch input. During enabling, the recording is

• started,
• stopped or
• extended

by a freely configurable set of internal or external events.

Consequently, for example, a door contact can trigger a recording of predefined length. The recording may be extended if motion is detected in the video image. In addition, events can be filtered time-wise so that they only "take effect" if the number of occurrences in a specified time window exceeds a particular threshold x. During event selection and filtering, this flexibility reduces the number of mistaken recordings.

The length of time for enabling the camera can be defined as a profile and specified to the precise minute. The activation time may differ from one day to the next, and the cameras may also be enabled several times a day. In addition, MOBOTIX cameras possess a holiday control which can be used to include or exclude user-definable dates in the year, such as New Year's Eve or holiday dates.

Automatic Time Balance
In order to ensure that the camera time is always exact, MOBOTIX cameras are equipped with a battery-buffered real-time clock which can be calibrated periodically via a standard time server in the LAN or on the Internet.

 
One of the important features of MOBOTIX cameras is the capability to save your images on a PC or server in the form of direct ring buffer storage. This means that each camera manages a memory space on the PC, assigned to it in the form of a folder, independently and without the need for a plugin. A camera's long-time ring buffer on a PC can be up to several hundred gigabytes in size; this is set in the camera.

In ring buffer storage, the MOBOTIX cameras automatically and independently delete old images if space is required or once the expiry time for the event image has elapsed. The devices support both PCs and servers with Linux and with Windows operating systems.

Simpler Concept and Higher Performance

This direct and event-controlled recording of video and audio clips of variable length optimizes the storage requirements and constitutes one of the main advantages of MOBOTIX cameras. Having images stored on the PC directly by the camera and without the need to install plugins simplifies the system concept for large video monitoring systems decisively.

MOBOTIX technology boasts the following advantages over classical camera solutions with a central PC and as well as separate video management software:

• lower system costs,
• higher performance,
• lower network load,
• considerably more fail-safe
• and unlimited scalability of the camera system.

Furthermore, all the MOBOTIX cameras, apart from the basic model, possess an integrated video management system, including a database for managing the images saved. Designed with this concept, the cameras can perform the following functions independently:

• Saving individual images and video streams within the ring buffer on a PC or server,
• Deleting the images if the ring buffer is full or if the images have reached a predefined,
• Playing back recordings from any PC on the network via the browser,
• Image search by date/time or by events from any PC on the network via the browser,
• Archiving and downloading (WinZip file) an event area onto any PC on the network via the browser,
• Display and management of several live cameras (multiview), as well as the images recorded on them, in a single browser window.

All these functions can be executed in parallel by the MOBOTIX cameras. The integrated video management system is not subject to license and supports multiple users.

Temporary Buffer Protects against Network Overload or Failure

Irrespective of the storage mode, the MOBOTIX cameras always buffer a recording temporarily in their internal ring buffer. This means that network failures lasting a few minutes, short-term maintenance of network components or even exchanging and rebooting the recording PC can be bridged without any loss of data. Thanks to this technology, MOBOTIX cameras offer a decisive security advantage over widespread central recording by means of computer software.

In addition, failures in cameras or the recording PC are registered by the other MOBOTIX cameras on the network, indicated by signal display (LED, voice output) or signaled to the administrator by e-mail or telephone. If the recording PC goes down completely, the cameras automatically switch to a redundant PC. All the PC settings (network address, maximum memory configuration, expiry time) simply take place via the browser in the camera's administration menu.

The standardized FTP process is normally used in Internet applications to refresh live webcam images. In addition to simply replacing an image on the website (e.g. www.myWeb.de/mypicture.jpg) at specified intervals (every ten minutes, for example), MOBOTIX cameras can also automatically generate date and time-based folder structures and filenames.

Time- and Event-Controlled

FTP transfer can be triggered on MOBOTIX cameras either time-controlled (precise time every weekday or every month) or on an event-controlled basis, such as if a switch contact is made or a movement is detected in the image. In addition to individual images, whole folders containing image sequences can also be sent by FTP or e-mail. MOBOTIX cameras also offer the option of sending recorded events in Winzip format (TAR) with an integrated HTML player.

Ring Buffer Better without FTP and Software

The FTP process is certainly not suitable for the high-performance recording of high-speed video streams in a ring buffer. When “normal” IP cameras are to be used in security applications, they require a central PC with a video management plugin. MOBOTIX generally differs from other makes in this respect because, in addition to FTP for websites, MOBOTIX is the only manufacturer to offer a direct ring buffer process as well.

Provided the IP address of a server (Windows/Linux) and the required ring buffer size are specified in the camera, the camera organizes this data area on the PC itself without any need to install and activate a plugin there (i.e. no FTP either). All the functions for searching for and playing back images are already included in the camera's functionality via the web browser.