Infrastructure News

Synology offers VPN Plus licences In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have adopted work-from-home policies. S ynology's wireless routers feature VPN server capabilities that enable businesses to quickly facilitate a remote workforce. To assist in VPN implementations, Synology VPN Plus licences will be free until 30 September 2020.

Hewitt Lee, Director of Synology Product Management Group, stated, ‘We have seen many businesses rushing to adopt VPN solutions in order to set up an infrastructu re to enable a remote workforce. Over the past two months, we have seen a five-fold increase in VPN Plus licence purchases. As the situation continues to develop in unprecedented ways, we understand that many are uncertain of how to maintain business continuity. Synology is offering VPN Plus licences for free in an effort to help businesses resume operations remotely.’

Both existing and new owners of Synolo gy's RT1900ac, R T2600ac, and MR2200ac wireless routers will be able to purchase VPN Plus Client VPN Access and Site-to-Site VPN licences for free. All licences are perpetual and do not expire or require additional costs after 30 September 2020.

VPN Plus transforms Synology Routers into VPN servers, designed to be easy to set up and manage. It uses SSL/TLS encryption which offers security levels suitable for most risks faced on a business’s or organisation's corporate network, keeping sensitive data safe from snooping as well as protecting the infrastructure against attack or other tampering.

AMG and Impulse deliver secure transmission solutions

AMG Systems and installation partner Impulse Engineering have delivered highperformance transmission equipment across a broad range of high-security surveillance applications and market sectors.

Impulse Engineering has evolved in an upwards curve to serve blue chip companies , installing solutions that protect high value sites and critical national infra structure with sophisticated fire, intruder, access control and CCTV systems.

As a specialist in systems for CNI (critical national infrastructure), Impulse Engineering’s applications range from small secure sites that are used by authorised personnel only and require offsite monitoring, to larger secure sites requiring an integrated bespoke package to meet CPNI recommendations.

A layered approach allows the packages to work together to achieve the level of protection each site requires.

AMG equipment is able to withstand harsh weather or other environmental conditions. The high-speed, highbandwidth transmission capability supports the clarity of real-time monitoring and recording, as well as logged data.

Altronix expands NetWay range Altronix has expanded its NetWay Series with the addition of new 802.3bt 4PPoE managed midspan/injectors and media converters. Designed to accommodate high-powered 802.3bt compliant devices, the NetWay BT Series delivers up to 90W per port. New models are available in single, 4 or 8 port versions, and include battery charging as well as Altronix LINQ Techno logy to monitor, control, and report power status and diagnostics from anywhere on the network.

The NetWay Spectrum line of 802.3bt products are also available to support single/multi-mode fibre or composite cable in outdoor enclosures that can be fitted with batteries for installations requiring back-up.

The Altronix NetWay BT Series provides PoE, PoE+ and 4PPoE up to 90W (802.3bt compliant) power per port and stream data at 10/1 00/1000 Mbps. Additional features include port status LEDs, auto detection and protection of legacy non-PoE cameras and devices, and a built-in battery charger.

Quantum reorganises Engineering operations

Quantum has announced a reorganisation of its engineering division, establishing two general manager positions to lead the company’s primary and secondary storage product lines. The changes enable Quantum to expand its market position in storing video and other unstructured data, as well as build on its strengths in archive and data protection.

The reorganisation s upports Quantum’s goals to grow both organically and via strategic acquisitions, and to extend its business model with recurring revenue streams as businesses increasingly shift to managed options such as storage-as-aservice.

Vice President and General Manager, Primary Storage Ed Fiore previously served as co-founder and CEO of Atavium, a data storage software company focused on bringing business intellige nce to storage.

Vice President and General Manager, Secondary Storage Bruno Hald has been with Quantum for over 25 years and currently leads the engineering teams for the archive and data protection product portfolio. In his new role he will leverage his experience to help customers address their needs in secondary storage.

Siklu announces distribution deal with Exertis Hammer Exertis Hammer and Siklu have announced a distribution agreement that will greatly expand Siklu’s reach to wireless connectivity resellers, datacentres, integrators, service providers and OEMs in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Benelux and Scandinavia.

As part of the arrangement, Exertis Hammer will carry and distribute Siklu’s millimetre wave wireless solut ions to vertical markets. The distributor will be able to supply customers with the full Siklu product range, which includes radios in the 60GHz and 70/80GHz bands. Products will include Siklu’s EtherHaul Hundred Series and EtherHaul Kilo Series that can support deployments with up to 10Gb throughput with ranges of up to 6.9km, as well as the MultiHaul Series for automatically aligning rapid deployment.

Sikl u’s mmWave radios provide fibrelike performance with the speed and flexibility of a wireless deployment. For companies in time-pressured industries, applying wireless connectivity solutions to existing networks helps shorten the deployment time.

Mayflex expands sales team

Mayflex, the converged systems distributor, has appointed a new account manager to manage and develop accounts in the Midlands and surro unding areas, with a specific focus on the security product portfolio as part of the converged solution.

Matthew Farthing joined the business at the end of March and comes to Mayflex from a integration background, so is familiar with the type of customer Mayflex works with. Having worked in a general sales and national account management role, Farthing is currently undergoing a full induction, albeit it rem otely, to prepare himself for when he can get on the road to visit his customer base.

Regions covered by Farthing include Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton, Birmingham Wolverhampton, Coventry, Telford, Peterborough and Cambridge.

Tom Filce, Head of Security Sales at Mayflex, stated, ‘Matthew has joined the Mayflex team at an exceptional time for the industry and the country. We are forging ahead wit h a full remote induction plan by using the tools and infrastructure set in place by our IT team.’

Enhancing Remote Video Monitoring with AI Technology

Remote monitoring of video delivers additional benefits to a vast number of businesses and organisations, but issues surrounding false alarms can incur additional costs and even result in reduced security at a site. Can the use of AI-enabled systems offer a solution to the problem?

Off-site monitoring of video surveillance systems makes a lot of sense, both in terms of enhanced security and costefficiencies for the end user. However, despite a growing range of products aimed specifically at linking video surveillance systems to RVRCs (Remote Video Receiving Centres) and welldocumented evidence about the effectiveness of such solutions, there are still many sites which shy away fr om implementing remote video monitoring. The biggest issue for the industry, and its end user customers, is false alarms.

When considering false alarms, it is worth noting that the majority of these events are actually nuisance activations. False alarms tend to happen if the system has failed, whereas nuisance activations offer a clearer explanation of what has occurred: something has triggered the system, but it is not a security risk. These events can include the presence of animals and birds, wind-borne litter, environmental conditions, lighting changes, human error such as people mistakenly entering secure areas, etc..

If a site suffers from false alarms or nuisance activations, the response of the RVRC usually follows one of two paths. Either additional charges are levied for managing the higher number o f alarm activations, or the monitoring ser vice is withdrawn until remedial action is taken. This means the end user either faces a higher cost of ownership than anticipated, or loses video-based security coverage at their site.

The challenge to reduce false alarms and nuisance activations has become easier with the growing use of Artifical Intelligence (AI), especially when embedded in edge devices such as cameras. AI-based filtering applies logic and learned information to ascertain –with a high degree of certainty – whether an object is an animal or a person, or if scene changes have been caused by a vehicle entering a site or a rain storm, for example.

AI-equipped cameras can carry out object recognition to ensure any alarm event represents a real risk, rather than innocuous movement or global scene chang e. This enhances performance for the end user and the RVRC, and preserves the return on investment from the system.

Hanwha Techwin has recognised the potential benefits to monitored systems and released its P Series AI cameras. The 4K devices employ deep learning video analytics to detect objects and classify them according to object type: people, faces, vehicles and vehicle number plates. Additional AI algo rithms detect specific attributes of objects or people, such as age group, gender, colour of the clothing. etc..

Alongside helping to significantly reduce false alarms and nuisance activations, the AIenabled cameras are also able to deliver additional functions to assist with business intelligence, such as people counting, queue management, occupancy monitoring and autotracking, and can also be integr ated with Wisenet Retail Insight to add user value.

For more information, visit: https://hanwha-security.eu/

Enhancing Detection with Visual Verification

Intruder detection remains the cornerstone of security for the vast majority of businesses and organisations, and has a proven track record when it comes to the protection of property and assets.

However, the thorny issue of nuisance alarms remains a problem for many sites. In order to deliver more effective protection, and to preserve police first response, a growing number of sites are tu rning to visual verification to improve accuracy.

The problem of false alarms has dogged the intruder detection industry for many years, but it should be noted the term is arguably out of date when considering today’s professional quality alarm systems. In the bad old days, if people talked about false alarms, these were caused by a number of factors. Some were due to poor installation, others to targets being detected which didn’t pose a threat, and some were due to malfunctions in the equipment.

Over the years, manufacturers of intruder detection devices have worked tirelessly to design and build sensors which offer higher levels of performance, both in terms of stability and catch performance. Intelligent device design has eliminated many of the environmental issues which could trigger devices, a nd increased build quality and the use of more advanced components has seen malfunctions become a thing of the past.

Despite these advances, false alarms still exist. This has more to do with the way in which alarms are considered ‘false’ by the police. It would be more accurate to say the problem has more to do with nuisance alarms: detector activations which are caused by genuine motion, but the activity is not a threat. For example, a user entering a secure area and triggering an alarm activation is considered as a false alarm by the police. However, the system has accurately detected a person in a secure area. It’s a nuisance alarm, not a false alarm.

Human error is something which is widespread, and impacts on more than alarm systems. However, with a graded alarm system, police response could be lost be cause of these errors. This is because intruder detectors simply sense motion and report that fact. For the ARC (alarm receiving centre), all the operator sees is a notification that an alarm event has occurred. There is no further information which helps them decide whether or not the alarm needs to be passed to the police.

Additionally, even if the ARC was to contact the end user, the customer would be un able to shed any light on the incident (unless they were at the site and had caused the activation themselves).

It must be remembered that alarms passed to an ARC, and subsequently to the police, must be ‘confirmed’. The usual approach taken is sequential confirmation: two detector activations are required, showing that movement around the site is occurring. If a nuisance alarm is confirmed, it is treated a s an absolute event and passed to the police for

attendance. However, in the case of nuisance alarms, sequential confirmation can (and often does) take place.

However, by using a smart approach, visual verification can be added to any professional alarm system, quickly and easily, to help eradicate nuisance alarms. Visually verified The basic idea behind visual verification is a simple one. When motion is detected by an intruder alarm sensor, a snapshot or series of images ar e captured by a linked camera. These are then transmitted to the ARC, along with the alarm notification. This enables the ARC operator to quickly and easily view the images to establish the cause of the alarm.

If, for example, they see that a pile of boxes in a warehouse has fallen over, they can then clear down the alarm and not pass it to the police. This helps ensure police resources are not wasted, and also prevents the risk of a site having its URN (unique reference number) revoked, which in turn will lead to the removal of police first response.

Equally, if the visual images show an intruder removing assets, the ARC operator can pass the information to the police. While the ACPO policy states first response will be dependent upon available resources, the police want to apprehend criminals, and so the information an intruder is actually on the premises can be beneficial.

Visual verification is not new. Many manufacturers have offered variants of the technology in the past. Some were very costly and weren’t designed specifically for verification needs. Images sometimes arrived at the ARC long after the alarm report had been received, while others presented images with ve ry low quality as the picture had been ov er-compressed to make transmission faster.

In some cases, an ARC operator was expected to leave their position and move to a separate workstation dedicated to video monitoring in order to view the images.

Given the idea of video verification was to make ARCs more efficient when dealing with alarms, these various approaches didn’t always deliver what was needed.

Anot her issue with visually confirmed alarms was they didn’t always deal with nuisance alarms. For example, if a member of staff entered the premises for a legitimate reason and accidentally triggered the alarm due to error, the ARC operator would see an image of a person and pass it to the police. They had no way of knowing it was a case of user error. With the pressure on operators to take swift action, it wasn’t reasonable for them to carry out any checks on the identity of the individual.

While visually confirmed alarms do offer a wide range of benefits and can deliver more accurate alarm management while reducing nuisance alarms, there were still flaws in the approach.

With changes in technology and communications, a smarter approach is now possible. Visual confirmation of alarms can be added to wide range of professional intruder alarm systems, images can be transmitted to an ARC operator using the same workstation as the alarm data flow, and if necessary information can be pushed instantly to a keyholder or user to assess whether or not the alarm is a nuisance activation. The smart option OPTEX has an enviable track record in the field of accurate and reliable detection devices, and now offers its Intelligent Visual Monitoring solution. This connects to intrusion sensors and panic buttons, linking them with IP cameras to enable ARC operators to see the cause of an alarm. The solution also uses cloud-based software, which allows images to be pushed to an end user, who can then reject the alarm if it’s a nuisance alert.

The solution uses a network-based hardware Bridge and the cloud-hosted software solution. The Bridge connects with existing alarm panels and ONVIF compliant cameras or NVRs, allowing existing systems to be used or a wide range of third party video products to be specified if there is no surveillance system.

Because of this flexibility, it allows a cost-effective but powerful visual verification solution to be implemented, without compromising the integrity of the existing security system. It also will no t affect the grading of the system, so police response will remain in place if it is currently active. Next Issue Benchmark takes an in-depth look at the OPTEX Intelligent Visual Monitoring solution.

Rewarding Innovation

INNOVATION AWARDS 2020

At Benchmark, we believe the future of the systems sector lies in the creation of innovative and smart solutions. In order to allow integrators to create such solutions for end users, it is vital manufacturers deliver innovation that both enhances the technological capabilities of their products, and allows those developments to be implemented in a realistic fashion. In order to highlight such advances, Benchmark runs its In novation Awards scheme, which recognises and rewards innovative thinking.

Smart Solutions

BriefCam: Video Content Analysis Platform

BriefCam offers an intelligent video analytics platform which delivers innovative capabilities, allowing end users to quickly and effectively search, analyse and act on intelligence gained from real-time or ondemand video content. Through AI, Deep Learning, advanced object detection, identification and classification, it allo ws operators to make sense of the video data by filtering objects to pinpoint and track targets. COSMO: COSMO PSIM+ To deliver seamless integration of security and energy management systems, COSMO PSIM+ allows flexible connectivity as it is an APIbased technology-agnostic solution. The single intuitive GUI ensures security, energy management and maintenance teams can easily access real-time, accurate stat us information about the systems on a site. Avigilon: Appearance Search Avigilon Appearance Search is a feature of the ACC Enterprise (Avigilon Control Center) VMS. Sites using Appearance Search can deploy Avigilon’s cameras with self-learning analytics, or use the Avigilon AI Appliance with third party cameras. Appearance Search sifts through hours of video, across multiple devices, to quickly identify peo ple and vehicles of interest, using deep-learning to find multiple appearances. Qognify: VisionHub VMS+ VisionHub VMS+ is a security management solution which offers more than management of video streams. It includes workflow support, situational awareness and system management capabilities. It offers advanced geo-positioned maps, incident management with actionable guidance, and facilitates collaboration to help manage incidents. DAVANTIS: DFusion Deep Fusion combines video analytics with Deep Learning. Deep fusion allows the system to detect all intruders, even in hostile and demanding situations, with an unprecedented reduction in the number of nuisance alarm activations.

Video Solutions

Milestone: XProtect 2020 R1 The 2020 R1 of XProtect adds features to the VMS and extends the offering with a Video Processing Toolkit. A Centralised Search feature makes it easy to find incidents by aggregating data, and uses AI, video analytics and machine learning. Bosch: BVMS 10 BVMS 10.0 features improveddata security and privacy, greater flexibility with ONVIF Profile S certification and enhanced monitor wall functionality to deliver a more flexible VMS, including integration with access control. BVMS 10.0 is also secured using state-of-the-art IT technologies. Cathexis: CathexisVision 2020 CathexisVision’s video analytics suite has been enhanced through the addition of Object Classification algorithms, which use sophisticated Neural Network technology. The algorithms allow an additiona l rule, only triggering ev ents if the detected object is of a

Paxton: Paxton10 Paxton10 offers a simple path to integrated access control and video solutions. It also enables interoperability with intruder and fire alarm systems as well as building management .It allows a return on investment, which makes the solution cost-effective. 3xLogic: infinias Corporate infinias Corporate access control software provides advanced features for securing and managing sites. The interface is presented as a simple, intuitive browser-based GUI. A powerful ‘rules engine’ makes it possible to perform a variety of functions based upon logical relationships. Vanderbilt: BLE Readers Vanderbilt offers Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) readers in conjunction with the company’s ACT Enterprise software, enabling the use of smartphones as credentials. Vanderbilt offers a range of BLE r eaders, a contactless door release button, virtual credentials and an app.

Access Control Solutions

pre-determined type, for example a person or vehicle. FLIR: Elara DX The FLIR Elara DXSeries includes multispectral PTZ security cameras which provide full situational awareness. Combining thermal and visible light imagers, the Elara DX-Series gives operators the ability to monitor large areas in complete darkness, glaring light, and adverse weather conditions including fog and snow. Vicon: Valerus 20 Valerus 20 includes interactive mapping, bookmarking, and historical event search so users can react to events more quickly, monitor incidents more efficiently and perform thorough forensic investigations.

Johnson Controls: EntraPass v8.2

EntraPass v8.2 simplifies how users remotely access the EntraPass go mobile app. Improved search capabilities and other upgrades deliver remote and real-time access. EntraPass go Pass requests are not attached to a selected SmartLink, eliminating the need to configure every connection. Users will now be a ble to access inbound connections with ease. Proxyclick: Proxyclick Proxyclick is designed to create efficiencies when managing visitors and contractors. Security functions alert users when a visitor checks in, or creates notifications if they fail to check out. Advanced reporting allows the user to collect data and spot trends, produce reports and use surveys to gather feedback.

Site Protection Solutions

TAKEX: PR-30BE The PR-30BE from TAKEX is a reflector-based photoelectric beam which uses Time-of-Flight technology. The PR-30BE has a 30 metre range. It determines the distance of any beam break with a high degree of accuracy , ensuring that genuine alarms are not missed. Because the sensor does not require power at both ends of the link, installation costs are lower. OPTEX: WX Shield The four models in the WX Shield series provide outdoor intruder detection with a wide (180 degree) coverage. The sensors feature two independent 90 degree detection areas with the flexibility to configure individual settings, sensitivity levels and triggering outputs for the left and right areas. Texecom: Impaq SC-W The Impaq SC-W from Texecom is a wireless shock and contact sensor. The detector makes use of VIBER Accelerometer Technology, and is independently certified to EN50131-2-8 Grade 2, the new Standard for shock sensors. Redcare: Redcare Ultimate Redcare Ultimate uses a private IP connection on the Redcare network and also supports a back-up signalling path which is powered by two 4G SIMs. The signalling system includes battery back-up in the alarm panel to deliver continuity. Monitoring ensures pro blems with the signalling infrastructure are notified within 90 seconds. Pyronix: ProControl+ Voice Push Notifications

Vaion: vcore

Vaion’s vcore software incorporates embedded video and audio analytics powered by machine learning algorithms, along with intuitive interfaces to simplify operational and installation processes. The vcore VMS supports cameras with integrated directional audio analytics, security appliances and a hybrid cloud service. IPS: Critical Infrastructure Protection

IPS Critical Infrastructure Protection is an intelligent video analytics module designed to deliver real-time alerts if an intrusion occurs at a sensitive site. The analytics uses a patented three-zone concept, and recognises suspicious behaviour, allowing exact ‘friend or foe’ recognition to be carried out.

Analytics Solutions

The ProControl+ app from Pyronix allows the use of voice-based push notifications when alerts occur. For example, with the use of a camera, the user can view the exterior of their property, receiving instant notifications when motion is detected. This then enables them to visually verify the security of the property.

VCA Technology: VCAserver

VCAserver is an appliance which can be used to integrate VCA’s analytics with a VMS, or as a standalone server for smaller installations. When used in standalone mode, it is ideal for projects of 128 channels or less. Scalable, it provides cost-effective Deep Learning analytics for legacy systems. Hikvision: AcuSense Technology AcuSense Technology provides accurate sensing. Powered by deep learning algorithms, it distinguishes people and vehicles from other moving objects. Supported devices will only genera te an alarm when the preset intrusion type (human or vehicle) takes place. IDIS: IDLA IDLA is an artificial intelligence-optimised video analytics solution. By leveraging artificial intelligence and deep learning , the technology is claimed to have an accuracy rate of 98 per cent. The deep learning is based on an artificial neural network.

Service-Based Solutions

Arcules: XProtect Hybrid VMS

Arcules-XProtect Hybrid VMS solution is a combination of Arcules’ VSaaS integrated with XProtect Corporate VMS. The result is a flexible hybrid video surveillance solution. Customers can deploy systems to remote sites quickly, with minimal IT resources and downtime, while still benefiting from the capabilities of XProtect’s on-premise VMS. Videoloft: Cloud Adapter The Cloud Adapter from Videoloft is a plugand-play appliance which allows cloud connectivity to be added to legacy or newly installed systems. It provides an additional layer of security and encryption to ensure systems are cybersecure. Purchase is a oneoff cost, with cloud services billed on a recurring basis. Brivo: OnAir The Brivo security platform and Brivo OnAir API enables the design of access control systems making use of cloud-based services. Users can create schedules, and personnel

Hanwha Techwin: Serverless ANPR

Hanwha Techwin offers cost-effective serverless ANPR solutions. The use of camerato-camera IP-based communications enables up to four cameras to capture and transmit ANPR data. The cameras are configured as a single master unit and three slave units; the latter send data back to the master. Genetec: Mission Control Mission Control is a decision management system that provides organisations with new levels of situational intelligence, visualisation, and incident management capabilities. It allows users to make the right decision when faced with unanticipated situations. It collects and qualifies data from sensors and devices, spotting complex situations and incidents. AI Tech: AI-DASH-PRO AI-DASH-PRO is a dashboard tool for data collection and management. It collects data from AI-empowered IVA plug-ins. Data is sent to AI-DASH-PRO, which can then be visualised in an intuitive web interface which aids the decisionmaking process. Herta: Biomarketing

Business Intelligence

can be managed, with permissions adjusted to grant different levels of user access. Morphean: Management Platform Morphean’s Management Platform combines hosted video surveillance, access control, business intelligence analysis. Maintenance and updates are automatically provided by Morphean, and the ‘as a Service’ mod el is available with a monthly subscription. Agent Vi: innoVi innoVi provides AI-powered video analytics for real-time detection of events, along with object tracking and quick discovery and export of events and related data from captured video. innoVi is available as cloudbased software as a service.

Biomarketing iuses facial detection and analysis. The system allows parameters such as gender, approximate age and other characteristics or facial expression to be recognised. This information is used to target marketin g messages to the individual. Spica: Time and Space Time and Space is an access control and time and attendance solution. It provides real-time information about absence and attendance for employees, regardless of how complex the organisational structure, the number of employees or the number of locations.

IoT Devices

Axis: Network Audio Solutions Axis offers a range of networked audio devices which form complete high-quality audio systems, either as standalone solutions or integrated with other systems. Eventtriggered announcements and direct callouts can be initiated, and users can make live or scheduled announcements to different zones. NVT Phybridge: FLEX24 The FLEX24 switch provides a cost-effective transition to IP-based infrastructure, allowing the use of numerous IoT devices in a simple, secure and cost-effective option. When the FLEX switch is paired with FLEX adapters, the enterprise-grade unit delivers fast Ethernet and PoE over multi-pair UTP cable with up to 610 metres reach. SICK: LMS LiDAR Sensors The LMS series detectors are cost-effective 2D LiDAR sensors capable of delivering middistanc e detection ranges. The sensors use multi-echo technology and algorithms to ensure reliable and consistent performance. Data is output in real time, enabling applications to benefit from high accuracy. Nortech: NorParc NorParc is a Windows-based counting and parking guidance system which provides centralised count management, monitoring and guidance control for parking facilities. It includes a range of RG B variable message signs using low profile LED matrices. Mobotix: M16 Thermal TR The M16 Thermal TR is a thermal imager which features a calibrated sensor, allowing variances in temperatures to be detected. Thermal radiation measurements can be used to trigger events based on the temperature increasing above or decreasing below a trigger level.

Infrastructure

Intercoax: IPIFY Range The IPIFY range is made up of Ethernet over Coax (EoC) devices, including a comprehensive long range offering. This allows transmission of data over any copper cabling, up to a distance of 2,400 metres. The links can include PoE, with power budgets of up to 60W for any IP end device. Security and Safety Things: Camera OS and Application Store

The smart camera OS allows third party manufacturers to leverage smart applications. The operating system is based on the Android Open Source Project, and delivers developers’ libraries, an API framework, and codecs. The Application Store allows users to download ready-to-use AI-based apps for cameras. barox: RY-LGSP28-52/740 The RY-LGSP28-52/740 is a Layer 2/3 switch with L3 functions. Connected devices are supplied PoE, and support for 48 10/100/1 000Mbps PoE+ allows use in projects where additional devices are deployed. It also supports four SFP 1/10Gbps ports. Seagate: Seagate Secure Seagate’s self-encrypting drives offer hardware-based data security as an essential component of modern data protection. The integration of multiple levels of security protocols adds an additional layer of protection. ComNet: CNGE20FX4TX16MS The CNGE20FX4TX16MS is a managed switch supporting 16 10/100/1000BASE-TX and 4 100/1000FX SFP ports. The hardened units are available for use with CAT-5e or optical transmission media. Plug-and-play design with no need for adjustments makes their implementation fast and cost-effective.

The Importance of Lenses

The lens is effectively the ‘eye’ of the video system. It focuses light onto the sensing chip of the camera, which converts the light into an electrical charge, dependent upon its intensity, to determine the pixel value and intensity when creating an image. Focusing light as accurately as possible onto the sensor is vital in creating quality images.

One of the most basic specifications when using meg apixel, HD or 4K UHD cameras is that an appropriately-rated lens, in terms of maximum resolution, should be used.

An underspecified lens will rob the camera of its full resolution. There is a very simple reason for this: lenses are not perfect; it would not be cost-effective for them to be so. Lenses are manufactured to finite tolerances, based on the specified resolution. They are only as good as they ne ed to be. Putting an HD lens on an 4K UHD camera will deliver an image of lower quality than the camera can potentially resolve. The resolution designation indicates how accurate the lens will be. It will only be manufactured to a quality level which eradicates the visual aberrations thespecific resolution sensor might potentially display.

Good quality lenses should deliver the same quality at the very ed ge of the image as in the centre. Again, this is an area where under-specified lenses may struggle, especially as higher resolution cameras often employ larger image sensors.

There are many lenses in the video surveillance market which claim to offer 4K or HD quality (it’s a subtle difference between specifying resolution). Some of these will only deliver true 4K or HD resolutions in the image centre but no t at the very edges.

L enses are complex. A single element lens has limited capabilities, meaning it is difficult to get a viewed scene in focus. Adding more elements to the lens increases the number of variables that can be used to control the light, resulting in a better and tighter focused spot. For the smaller pixels of a 4K UHD sensor, the light needs to be focused on a very small spot and so it requir es many elements in the lens.

A lens of lower image quality may be able to transform a linear light-to-dark edge, but the transition on the sensor will not be as sharp as is required. This transform is called the lens MTF (modulation transfer function).

The transition may have a width of 4µm to go from white to black. If the pixels of the HD

In any video system, the lens has a critical role to play, and the selection of the right lens can significantly impact on performance.

sensor are 3.1µm there is a pretty good match between the lens tr ansfer function (M TF) and the pixel size. It’s okay for the MTF to be a greater than the pixel size because inter-pixel interpolation can use surrounding pixels to determine exactly where a line is in the image.

However if the same lens is used for a 4K UHD sensor with pixels of 1.55µm, there is too great a mismatch between the MTF of the lens and the pixel size (4µm versus 1.55µm). Small lines in the imag e such as the letters on a number plate will become fuzzy and gray.

A lens with higher image quality will be able to focus the light to dark edge to a width of only 2µm. The extra sharpness allows the image sensor to better determine the location of the edge, resulting in a sharper image with higher contrast.

There will always be a fine balance in image capture. A high quality lens is needed to create sh arp, high contrast edges at the image plane. A high resolution sensor can see these edges clearly, and the image processing chip will not degrade the image more than necessary. The goal is to match the image quality of each camera element – lens and sensor – to avoid paying for a specified image quality which then cannot be realised.

The reality is 4K UHD cameras need 4K UHD lenses in order to take advantage of the available resolution on the sensor chip.

Using an under-specified lens might save money, but it is a corner-cutting exercise which will reduce the effectiveness of the system. If an end user has invested in 4K UHD cameras, then fitting inferior lenses makes such an investment pointless.

As the use of 4K UHD or higher megapixel video increases, so the specification of suitable lenses becomes more cri tical.

A high quality lens will also aid low light performance, as it allows more light to be focused on the sensor.