Security Electronics & Networks Magazine

Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers

& Networks JULY 2020 ISSUE 422

BEST CAMERA FORM FACTOR

l SAGE, ASIS Fire Up Plans For SAGE 2020 l Perfect Security Electronics Tool Box l Cyber Security: Security Integrators Must Harden Up l Case Study: Gallagher Secures Waikato DHB l The Interview Joe Qui, TVT Digital Technology l Review: UNV 4MP LightHunter Dome Camera l Case Study: Securing Collins Arch Precinct l Alarm Monitoring: Class 5 Alarm Sensors l New Product: Satel Opal Pro External Sensors l Special Report: Understanding Access

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editorial

By John Adams

S E CU RI TY E L ECTR O NI C S & NETWO R KS J U LY I SSUE 4 22

VIDEO ANALYTICS: SEPARATING FACT & FANTASY OMETHING strange is going on in video surveillance – a gap is opening up between what’s loosely desired by end users and what can be achieved by video analytics in the real world, with some consultants writing specifications that seem to incorporate too many analytics with scant regard for how such solutions might be delivered.

A growing number of quality security integrators say they are not prepared to to meet ‘specifications’ that are not grounded in clear operational requirements and functional possibilities. Their response is to withdraw from such jobs and, in many cases, they are beginning to lose faith in analytics as a technology altogether.

On one hand, it’s not surprising that end users in technically advanced societies, particularly those with a hunger for tech’s bleeding edge like ANZ, should tick boxes for any number of analytics, the idea being that a CCTV system has the potential to act as first alert for…well…almost anything conceivable, if you can design it, if they can pay for it.

There’s no question that video analytics, further empowered by deep learning, offer more and more possibilities. Deep learning works by parsing monstrous amounts of data to tune circuits until they are expert at identifying multifarious sums of data inputs. The more data they process, the more expert they become.

Deep learning may offer users surveillance solutions that can recognise faces, gender, gait, mood, events that breach its vast, collective experience – many people running, gunshots, chemical signatures exceeding background thresholds, vehicles where they should not be, outbreaks of fire, groups of people in conflict, traffic accidents, medical emergencies, elevated temperatures, abusive signs or word, or any variable deliverable by any conceivable sensor input.

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In the future, electronic security sensors, including CCTV cameras, will have more powerful processors, giving them greater capacity to inform users using more communication paths.

But taking proprietary systems with set parameters out of the equation, how are such analytics to be integrated by our technicians?

How will they be designed and commissioned, who is prepared to pay for the huge servers required to drive them? And what is the real operational benefit of customised analytics – where is the return on investment?

Making things harder is that video analytics is vertical specific. For retailers, it’s data about shoppers that allows retailers to understand what’s selling and where. For big operations like airports, it’s about efficient movement, minimisation of pedestrian and vehicle traffic jams and avoiding congregation points on the vulnerable public side of the terminal. For defence installations analytics is about policing boundaries, recognising intrusion day and night with absolute surety, and allowing the largest area to be policed by a very small, highly mobile security team. For city managers analytics is something else again – it’s about vehicle flow, managing pedestrians and ensuring large gatherings are policed. For a stadium or a casino, analytics is about recognising a known offender and responding to bad behaviour.

Then there are applications that defy norms. A commercial site may want LPR, face recognition, boundary policing, and real time event detection because these are possible in vertical applications. But trying to wrangle multiple demands and deliver them to a management system in a coherent way is challenging in the extreme.

Something else that’s tricky is that analytics drive through VMS but VMS makers often aren’t the analytics people. Even if there are analytics integrated into their solutions, VMS makers will partner with specialists in a branch of analytics. This moves the relationship a step away and increases

costs and project complexity, as well as introducing trust issues. Trying to understand how an end user’s opaque desires to leverage analytics might be delivered via an external software house in a way that allows possibilities to be synthesised and delivered affordably is what’s at the heart of this issue. Video analytics solutions for major systems, particularly those in public spaces or high traffic areas, are simply not plug and play.

In the future, electronic security sensors, including CCTV cameras, will have more powerful processors, giving them greater capacity to inform users using more communication paths. These sensors will feed breaches of threshold events via edge devices into a management system, locally or via cloud, from which managers can derive unprecedented situational awareness. But how will they do all this? Who will design these systems, who will integrate them and is anyone prepared to pay for the information they will offer? These questions need answers.

There are positive takeaways from the current situation. The first is that end users are interested. The second is that consultants are prepared to give end users what they are asking for. But then it gets stickier. Security integrators are caught between rubber and road – forced to come up with solutions delivering improbable functionalities using uncertain delivery mechanisms, all while being shivved by underquoters. They are increasingly frustrated with the entire process.

If we don’t want end users being led up the garden path, it’s high time consultants, manufacturers and their partners, sat down with security integrators and started talking straight about what is and isn’t possible with video analytics. n

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18 28: HARDEN UP

JULY 20

Cyber security has become a key element of CCTV installation, with most camera manufacturers having enhanced their devices to ensure they conform with the latest cyber security functionalities. But with many cameras installed more or less default, installers and integrators need to pay more attention to configuring cyber security settings to eliminate vulnerabilities.

9: SAGE, ASIS FIRE UP PLANS FOR SECURITY & GOVERNMENT EXPO 2020

30: GALLAGHER SECURES WAIKATO DHB

SAGE organisers and partner ASIS ACT have fired up plans for Security & Government Expo 2020, scheduled for November 12 at the Realm Hotel in 5 months’ time. While organisers highlight that all health and safety protocols and guidelines will be followed, including postponing the event should this be required, Australia’s effective management of COVID-19 and the relatively low visitor numbers involved, may allow SAGE to go ahead as planned.

32: THE INTERVIEW JOE QUI, TVT

18: PERFECT SECURITY ELECTRONICS TOOL BOX What’s in the perfect security electronics tool box? It depends on the sort of applications you’re working on but there are some electrical tools, hand tools and testers that you really can’t do without – if they’re not in your tool box, they should be in the van.

22: BEST CAMERA FORM FACTOR What is the best and most useful CCTV camera form factor for typical applications? Is it the dome camera, the bullet, the turret, the PTZ or a species of wide-angle camera?

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Gallagher has provided a 730-door access and security solution for Waikato District Health Board at Hamilton in New Zealand. This is a complex application, with more than 6500 authorised users, an 18-hectare site with 176,000sqm of buildings, 40 alarmed and monitored refrigerators/freezers, 15 carpark barrier arms and 1 security gate.

This month in The Interview, SEN speaks with Joe Qui, overseas sales director of TVT Digital Technology. Distributed locally by CSM, TVT is a Shenzhen-based CCTV manufacturer that designs and builds all its own solutions for a target market that includes larger commercial users, as well as SMEs. While not a huge player in the Chinese market, TVT is plenty big by international standards.

36: UNV LIGHTHUNTER UNV’s IPC3234SA-DZK LightHunter is a 4MP deep learning-powered, vandal-resistant network dome camera with a swag of impressive features, including 1/1.8ths of an inch 2688 x 1520 pixel CMOS sensor, a strong 2.8 x 12mm optical zoom

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regulars

with autofocus, 40m of IR, H.265 and a bunch of deep learning rules.

42: SECURING COLLINS ARCH Integriti platform by Inner Range, installed by integrator Expert Security, has been chosen to secure the Collins Arch base-build and many of the prestigious tenancies within the complex.

8: NEWS Latest business, product and technical news from Australia and around the world.

44: MONITORING

46: SATEL OPAL PRO

In this Q&A, SEN speaks with Gallagher’s Phil Marr and Pedro De Jesus to find out what’s so special about Class 5 security sensors and how secure they are, as well as chatting about security and perimeter solutions that feed into the overall capability of alarm access solutions and, ultimately, professional monitoring systems.

Satel OPAL Pro from Security Distributors Australia is an outdoor dual technology motion detector, which is ideally suited for use both outside of the protected building, and in the interiors where difficult or specific environmental conditions prevail (halls, shelters, sheds etc.).

48: UNDERSTANDING ACCESS CONTROL When you’re considering access control solutions it’s worth bearing in mind that properly applied, access control really is the heart of a proactive electronic security solution. But there’s complexity – many systems are controller-based, some live the cloud, some are hybrid.

Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers

& Networks JULY 2020 ISSUE 422

BEST CAMERA FORM FACTOR

PP 100001158

l SAGE, ASIS Fire Up Plans For SAGE 2020 l Perfect Security Electronics Tool Box l Cyber Security: Security Integrators Must Harden Up l Case Study: Gallagher Secures Waikato DHB l The Interview Joe Qui, TVT Digital Technology l Review: UNV 4MP LightHunter Dome Camera l Case Study: Securing Collins Arch Precinct l Alarm Monitoring: Class 5 Alarm Sensors l New Product: Satel Opal Pro External Sensors l Product Review: Bosch Remote Portal

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Publisher Bridge Publishing Aust. Pty Ltd ABN 11 083 704 858 PO Box 237 Darlinghurst NSW 1300 tel 61 2 9280 4425 fax 61 2 9280 4428 email info@bridge publishing.com.au

52: EDITOR’S CHOICE What’s new from our manufacturers.

56: HELPDESK Our team of electronic security experts answers your tough technical questions.

Editor John Adams Advertising Manager Monique Keatinge Customer Service Annette Mathews tel 61 2 9280 4425 annette@bridge publishing.com.au

Design Tania Simanowsky e: tania@ taniasdesign.com.au

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LOBAL T THE G IN W WE EWLY ING

NEWS IN BRIEF J U LY 2 0 2 0

GALLAGHER LAUNCHES COMMAND CENTRE V8.30 n GALLAGHER Command “We serve customers with Centre v8.30 has hit the a range of needs – from market and improves critical High Security operator efficiency facilities to small, local with enhancements operations,” says Rachel to Command Centre Kelly, chief product officer Mobile and integrated at Gallagher. third-party systems, and “Our commitment to further supports health delivering security that and safety obligations meets the highest global with the introduction of standards means we Random Selection. work hard to continuously Command Centre is develop and release a powerful software software that gives our solution that protects customers the most people and businesses secure platform possible.” with complete site With this latest control from one central release, upgrades to platform and this update Command Centre Mobile improves cyber security functionality further with DESFire EV1 and EV2 Vlado freeDamjanovski operators from the credential key migration. control room, allowing

them to do more on the go and respond to situations from anywhere on site. Enhancements to integrated third party interfaces, including the Milestone video interface, enable customers to adapt the system to best fit their needs.

The new Random Selection function enables sites to comply with health and safety obligations by randomly selecting cardholders for purposes such as drug and alcohol testing.

Random Selection creates reliable, easily retrievable audit trails and ensures unbiased procedures.

WESCO AND ANIXTER NAME LEADERSHIP TEAM n WESCO and Anixter have named the future leadership team and organizational structure that became effective upon the completion of the $US4.5 Billion merger of the 2 companies.

“We are very pleased to reach this critical milestone and announce the formation of our future senior leadership team comprised of outstanding leaders from both WESCO and Anixter,” said John Engel, chairman, president and CEO. “The depth of talent across both organizations is reflected in this exceptionally strong executive management team that will lead our combined company through the integration

process and our transformation into the premier global electrical and data communications distribution and supply chain solutions company.”

Nelson Squires, currently senior vice president & chief operating Officer for WESCO, will become executive vice president & general manager of Electrical & Electronic Solutions. Squires has held his current position since 2019. He has led WESCO Canada since joining the company in 2015 and gained additional responsibility for the WIS and International businesses in 2018.

Bill Geary, currently executive vice president – Network & Security Solutions for Anixter, John Engel

will become executive vice president & general manager of Communications & Security Solutions. Geary has held his current position since 2017.

Jim Cameron, currently vice president & general manager, Utility & Broadband for WESCO, will become executive vice president & general manager of Utility & Broadband Solutions.

Cameron joined WESCO in 2011, has led Utility since 2014 and gained additional responsibility for Broadband in 2016.

On the corporate side Dave Schulz will become executive vice president & CFO, Ted Dosch, will become executive vice president, strategy & chief transformation officer, Diane Lazzaris, will become executive vice president & general counsel, Chris Wolf will become executive vice president & chief human resources officer, and Hemant Porwal will become executive vice president, supply chain & operations.

HILLS’ TECHNICIAN MANAGEMENT SERVICES MANAGES CONTRACTORS n FOR security integrators needing to create a workready labour force right now, or for an upcoming project, Hills’ Technician Management Services can help.

Hills provides an endto-end service for any application where a large, job-ready workforce of any skill set needs to be deployed. Hills provides a full scope of technical management services from its Work Management Operations Centre,

including recruitment, scheduling, technical support, logistics, finance & IT services.

“Using a highly sophisticated system developed over the past decade by our in-house programmers, we have created over 650,000 work orders for more than 400,000 unique jobs utilising our network of more 600 technicians across Australia and New Zealand,” said Hills CEO and MD, David Lenz.

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SAGE Organisers, ASIS ACT, Fire Up Plans For Security & Government Expo 2020 p.10 Gunshot Alerts Direct To Central Stations p.12 Face Recognition Protection Not Strong Enough: Santow p.14 Genetec Introduces Transit Portfolio To Unify Security And Operations p.16

COMPILED BY JOHN ADAMS

GALLAGHER’S AUSTRALIAN TEAM CELEBRATES LONG SERVICE n Gallagher recently celebrated the long service of 4 members of its Australian team – Craig Schutte, Steve Simpson, Sam Afzali and Adam Smith.

Craig Schutte, general manager – Australia and Asia Pacific, celebrated 20 years with the Australian team in April. His experience with Gallagher spans back a further 10 years, having worked as a Gallagher Channel Partner in South Africa before joining the Australian team in 2000.

Adam Smith, sales manager for NSW, and Sam Afzali, technical account manager for NSW, both celebrated 15 years

with Gallagher this year. In 2019, national operations manager, Steve Simpson, was acknowledged for 30 years at Gallagher.

“We’re committed to building strong, ongoing relationships with our Channel Partners and customers,” said Schutte.

“We’ve expanded our team over the past few years to keep up with demand, and our new staff, customers, and Channel all benefit from the many years of experience and shared wealth of knowledge amongst the team.”

More than half of the 31-strong Gallagher Australia team has been with the company for more than 10 years.

Gallagher’s long serving Australian staff – Craig Schutte (left), Steve Simpson, Sam Afzali (bottom left) and Adam Smith.

SEADAN GROUP BOLSTERS UNV RELATIONSHIP n Seadan Group reports it is bolstering its relationship with UNV by expanding the range and deepening stock holdings.

“Seadan Group, after a hugely successful COVID19 period alongside the UNV thermal cameras and an impressive boost in sales since partnering with UNV, has bolstered that relationship by installing interactive displays in all 9 stores, expanding the range significantly and increasing stock holdings to ensure that the products are always available for the customers as they need them,” said Blake Buckland – group general manager of the Seadan Group.

“Adding to the already extensive list of products

ADDING TO THE ALREADY EXTENSIVE LIST OF PRODUCTS WILL ALSO BE A WIDER RANGE OF NVR’S, XVR’S, MONITORS, AI AND OTHER ASSORTED HIGH-END CAMERAS.

will also be a wider range of NVR’s, XVR’s, monitors, AI and other assorted high-end cameras. UNV’s success at the Seadan Group is attributed to the product’s reliability and UNV’s professional approach to the Australian market shown in the way they support customers – we at Seadan, and our integrator customers in Australia,” Buckland said.

“The UNV Oceania team, including Susanna Lo, Christopher Tong and Edward Qiu, have been an absolute pleasure to work with and they truly lead the industry when it comes to managing an international supply chain. There is no reason UNV’s growth with Seadan shouldn’t continue in a big way.”

Ilya Malkin – manager of the Seadan Mount Waverley store mirrors Buckland’s comments.

“I can tell you from personal experience that UNV genuinely understand and appreciate what our customers need, and they

do everything possible to accommodate that,” Malkin said. “Thanks to our new display, customers are able to gauge in an instant the capabilities of what UNV can offer and together with our help, we can ensure that each customer who leaves our store is confident for choosing UNV as it just ticks every box.”

Seadan and UNV customers asked about UNV range gave positive reports.

“It’s fair to say that the UNV products we’ve used so far have exceeded our expectations,” said Ben Davis of ESQ. “Not only were we impressed with the range available, but our customers have also been impressed as

there is a camera for any application. What really blew me away, however, was the speed range with virtually no delay, port-forwarding and remote access setup – it’s genuinely so easy compared to any other range we’ve used in the past. We’ll be sticking with UNV as our preferred CCTV brand, no question.”

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NEWS J U LY 2 0 2 0

SAGE ORGANISERS, ASIS ACT, FIRE UP PLANS FOR SECURITY & GOVERNMENT EXPO 2020 n SAGE organisers and partner ASIS ACT have fired up plans for Security & Government Expo 2020, scheduled for November 12 at the Realm Hotel in 5 months’ time. While organisers highlight that all health and safety protocols and guidelines will be followed, including

postponing the event should this be required, Australia’s effective management of COVID-19 and the relatively low visitor numbers involved, may allow SAGE to go ahead as planned.

This is partly thanks to the recent announcement of the removal of the

100-person cap on indoor events and its replacement with a 4sqm rule, and partly based on an expectation that this easing of social distancing restrictions is certain to continue between here and mid-Novemenber.

Intensifying interest in electronic security solutions at the moment are government strategies to bring forward state and federal government development projects in order to fire up Australia’s economy post-COVID-19 lockdown, as well as the rapid development of new and old technologies that may enhance COVID safety.

After speaking recently, SAGE organiser Monique Keatinge and ASIS ACT’s

Peter Bourke agreed to reignite planning for the event, including constructing the seminar programme and speaking with SAGE exhibitors about implementing security technology that might enhance the safety at the event, while providing a demonstration of its management and capabilities to SAGE attendees.

“Should organisers in consultation with government and exhibitors agree it is safe to go ahead, SAGE 2020 is likely to include distancing protocols, face masks, staggered visitation times if required, BTM solutions and a nursing station, along with loads of security technology

and more than the usual volume of refreshments,” Keatinge said.

Exhibitors wishing to pencil in space at SAGE 2020 should call Monique Keatinge on 61 2 9280 4425, while visitors should follow developments via SEN EDM and the SAGE website.

INTENSIFYING INTE IN ELECTRONIC SECURITY SOLUTIO AT THE MOMENT ARE GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES TO BRI FORWARD STATE AN FEDERAL GOVERNM DEVELOPMENT PRO IN ORDER TO FIRE U AUSTRALIA’S ECON POST-COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

INTENSIFYING INTEREST IN ELECTRONIC SECURITY SOLUTIONS AT THE MOMENT ARE GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES TO BRING FORWARD STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

NEW BUREAU-ONLY SECURITY MONITORING CENTRE OPENS IN WA n STATEWIDE Security Monitoring (SWSM) is a new bureau-only security monitoring centre in WA, providing a wholesale only service that won’t compete in the retail space.

According to SWSM’s Adam Livesey, with high-level integration for all services, SWSM offers security alarm monitoring services, CCTV video verification, CCTV virtual guard tours, personal GPS tracking, medical alarms and a smart phone app for welfare checks and duress alarms.

“Offering prompt, personal and 24/7 phone service, SWSM never diverts calls to eastern states control rooms, dealing with all

monitoring locally in an A-Grade control room in Perth,” Livesey said.

“SWSM caters for all types of back-to-base monitoring technologies, panels and reporting formats, including Permaconn, Direct Wireless, Multicom, Multipath, CSV IP, DC09 and Paradox IP – we can look after any transmitter and any alarm.

“With SWSM’s video verification service, companies can dramatically reduce the cost of patrol callouts by having their onsite cameras remotely monitored, rather than dispatching security patrols to attend the site.

SWSM monitors on-site

video cameras for clients via their live feed, with high-level integration available for Dahua, Hikvision, Mobotix and Milestone. All alarm and video events are fully logged for audit tracking.

“Registered with the police, ASIAL, and SAIWA graded, SWSM’s state-of-the-art monitoring centre includes an A-Grade Control Room, multiple internet links with separate redundancies, power generators with UPS backup, controlled ventilation, and security professionals manning the control room 365 days a year so you can rest assured your security operations are always in safe hands.”

DATALINE VISUAL LINKS WINS FREMANTLE HOSPITAL CCTV UPGRADE n Dataline Visual Links has won a contract valued at around $A350,000 to replace security CCTV infrastructure at Fremantle Hospital in Western Australia.

The project involves replacing the recording system with a current technology recording and management system, upgrade the central control room hardware and layout, upgrade a number of existing encoders and to potentially add 15 new IP

cameras to the system.

Fremantle Hospital has around 113 existing cameras recorded across 5 Honeywell EBI/DVM archive machines and managed from a central control location within the facility.

With the opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital, Fremantle Hospital has become a 300bed hospital focused on services such as mental health, aged care, secondary rehabilitation, palliative care, and planned surgeries.

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NEWS J U LY 2 0 2 0

GUNSHOT ALERTS DIRECT TO CENTRAL STATIONS n SHOOTER Detection Systems (SDS), a leading gunshot detection solutions provider has launched its Guardian Direct Connect solution in the United States. This new capability is enabled by the Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System’s sensors and will instantly send gunshot alerts directly to a central station monitoring service, without any hosted software required on the customer premises, according to the company.

Guardian Direct Connect can be installed temporarily or on a permanent basis as needed and SDS says Guardian

Direct Connect offers those customers who may not want to host software with a complete, turnkey system they can connect to a central monitoring station.

Gunshot alerts are automatically sent to the central station monitoring centre, instantly displaying shot location information to the operator. The monitoring service then initiates a series of calls to a customer’s defined protocol with points of contact, including the dispatch of local law enforcement to the scene.

The automated alerting process saves valuable response time while

providing first responders detailed information on the location of where shots were fired within the building, so they can strategically and immediately direct their efforts to mitigate the threat, according to the company.

“The active shooter threat is continually evolving,” says Christian Connors, CEO of SDS. “As we have seen in recent events, tensions and fears surrounding COVID-19 have incited gun violence.

This system allows customers to get a gunshot detection system set up quickly and be protected the same day.”

With Guardian Direct Connect, the Guardian Gateway software is hosted at the central monitoring station location which receives regular heartbeat messages from Guardian sensors at the customer site. If any sensors have health or status issues requiring service, the central station

automatically receives an alert and can notify the pre-determined onsite contacts so they can quickly resolve the issue.

Direct Connect is also available to customers as a mobile system to protect indoor threat areas as they arise, or to protect busy executives on the move at indoor events.

who are looking for an integrated security system, and those who want a more seamless, simplified cloud-based platform.

“This type of integrated, cloud-based platform will help to differentiate your business, as it enables you to add value to the solution rather than just providing your customers with a box,” Trethowan says. “You can make life easier for end users as you’re able to manage the platform remotely. For instance, our solution enables you to reduce false alarms at the customer’s site; or to provide remote assistance if they need help (e.g.

in adding a new card to the system or because they’ve lost their key and need a concierge security service).

“Installing and configuring an integrated, multi-site system has never been easier, especially with MAXPRO Cloud’s plug and play hardware. There are no ports to open at site, no servers or software to maintain at the customer’s site and no associated IT costs for the customer.

It’s easy to program, with remote programming management and maintenance that will save you money whilst keeping your customers happy.”

MAXPRO CLOUD FROM CSM DELIVERS RECURRING REVENUE n CSM’s Wayne Trethowan says Honeywell’s MAXPRO Cloud delivers installers much needed recurring revenue in challenging times by offering a flexible, powerful solution for customers.

“In today’s rapidly evolving marketplace, if you’re a dealer or an installer in the security sector, you’re probably facing a number of challenges,” says Trethowan. “The first of these lies in finding the best way to streamline and consolidate your business. To ensure future success, you might also need to grow your business and develop a stronger, long-term relationship with your customers wherever possible. However, an increasing number of your customers are likely to be young, tech-savvy business owners who are looking for simple, instant security solutions that can be easily updated.

“You’re therefore likely to be facing growing demands for these types of solutions, and you will need to offer a better alternative than the DIY solutions that are readily

available and are flooding the market. A cloud-based security platform not only meets this need but will also enable you to manage your customers’ requirements and systems more effectively. This will make you more proactive and will increase the opportunities for recurring monthly revenues (RMR).

“Honeywell’s new MAXPRO Cloud platform makes life easier for your customers because it enables them to manage the security of multiple sites via the cloud – from wherever they are.

Access control, video and intrusion solutions are all integrated within a seamless, easy to use solution on a single platform. It’s ideal for a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) such as a retail chain or a property owner with multiple sites or tenants.

“But for dealers and installers, the beauty of this solution is that it provides a useful route towards healthy future growth. It’s a subscription-based service, with opportunities for upselling – there’s a range of additional services and integration options

that you can offer to your customers that will enhance their security still further. And perhaps even more importantly, you’ll be able to start generating RMR from the platform.”

According to Trethowan, solutions like MAXPRO Cloud open the door to the development of a services-based approach that moves away from the straightforward, one-off sale and installation that can restrict further sales opportunities, providing a platform that enables installers to address the needs of small and medium-sized businesses or multi-site customers Wayne Trethowan

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Phone: 1300 560 026

email: info@senstatek.com.au

Phone: 1300 111 010

email: sales@iscs.com.au

www.sensatek.com.au

www.iscs.com.au

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NEWS J U LY 2 0 2 0

FACE RECOGNITION PROTECTION NOT STRONG ENOUGH: SANTOW n AUSTRALIAN Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow said face recognition protections were not strong enough and “law enforcement agencies shouldn’t be allowed to use it without proper safeguards in place”.

“At the moment there are not strong and clear enough legal protections in place to prevent the misuse of facial recognition in high stakes areas like policing or law enforcement,” he told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald last week.

“We want to see this new form of technology developed in a way that

is safe and provides economic opportunities, but we need safeguards that prevent harm to humans.”

Research suggests facial recognition is less accurate when attempting to identify darker-skinned people and Santow said the use of the technology to identify an individual among many subjects was worrying.

This so-called “one-tomany” application of facial recognition technology is distinct from the “oneto-one” systems used for passport control or user authentication in smartphones, which

Santow said were low risk.

“One-to-many is much more prone to error and the consequences of error can be exceptionally serious,” Sandow said.

“In a law enforcement context, if you wrongly identify someone as a suspect, then you can take all kinds of action against that person that can violate their basic human rights.” “[Facial recognition for law enforcement] should not be permissible, unless or until there are proper legal protections in place that will prohibit and prevent misuse and harm against humans.”

INNER RANGE RELEASES SKYCOMMAND SELF-SERVICE DEALER SIGNUP n SECURITY installation companies are now able to sign up to the Inner Range Skycommand portal and be instantly able to offer their customers the full range of Multipath-IP T4000 4G monitored products which can connect to almost any major brand of intruder alarm on the market.

The ease of access to the platform gives security companies the opportunity to instantly offer their clients cutting edge monitoring solutions with redundancy as well as generate recurring revenue for themselves in the process. This is all made possible by the addition of a credit card payment facility, which means as soon as you update your payment method, your account will allow you to commission Multipath-IP devices.

“Being a part of the Inner Range group means that the Multipath-IP business has a deep understanding of the requirements of the security market, which is why we constantly update our platform with the latest advancements,” says Inner Range’s Jason Hartley.

Multipath-IP offers various devices which can be monitored via Skycommand at a price which is astonishing. Even the fully featured T4000X 4G enabled remote alarm system by Multpath-IP is comparable to a regular domestic intruder alarm system.

The T4000x is configured and controlled via the Skycommand mobile application. The T4000x does not require complex programming as the inputs are pre-programmed with

THE EASE OF ACCESS TO THE PLATFORM GIVES SECURITY COMPANIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO INSTANTLY OFFER THEIR CLIENTS CUTTING EDGE MONITORING SOLUTIONS.

sensible defaults. Simply wire a sensor to an input and the T4000x will auto enable the input for reporting.

The T4000x has 8 inputs and 8 outputs and can be used as either an intruder alarm or as a 4G sensing and control device for things such as remote opening of gates, monitoring commercial cool rooms and many more applications. The T4000x is also ideal for solar applications due to its low current draw of 110ma.

The biggest difference between the T4000x and a regular intruder alarm is that there is no keypad. It is controlled through the app on a smart phone or watch, so there is no need to try to find a location to install a code pad in those remote locations.

HILLS DISTRIBUTING BIGMATE ‘THERMY’ SKIN TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT SOLUTION n Hills has teamed up with Queensland company Bigmate to distribute Thermy – Bigmate’s Human Skin Temperature Measurement solution.

Hills said it was impressed with Bigmate’s offering and wanted to do its part to ensure the technology was made available to its integrators as soon as possible.

“We’re excited to be commencing a partnership with another Australian company that prides itself on providing innovative solutions,” said Hills CEO and managing director, David Lenz.

Bigmate’s Thermy solution leverages their vast experience in computer vision combined with industry leading CCTV technology from AXIS to deliver one of the most accurate Human Skin

Temperature Measurement Solutions on the market.

“This partnership combines our collective expertise to provide Australians access to technology that enables them return to their workplace with a higher degree of comfort,” Bigmate’s GM, Brett Orr said.

The Thermy solution provides readings that are accurate within 0.2 degrees Celsius. Hills expects to have solutions available to integrators by the end of the financial year.

Bigmate was recently appointed one of 4 Amazon Web Services Covid-19 health care response partners globally. It is a technology and service company providing cutting edge technology solutions both in computer vision and IoT, focusing on safer working environments.

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SEN720_15.indd HSS0097-Hills IDIS1 Refresh SEN A4-June20.indd 1

25/6/20 25/6/20 10:52 9:40 am am

NEWS J U LY 2 0 2 0

GENETEC INTRODUCES TRANSIT PORTFOLIO TO UNIFY SECURITY AND OPERATIONS n TO help security, IT, operations and vehicle maintenance staff work together, Genetec has announced the Genetec Transit Portfolio designed to help transit organisations unify their security and operations from a single intuitive interface.

According to Genetec, most onboard and wayside systems are built on separate, closed architectures that require costly custom updates and integrations to communicate with other systems in a limited way.

Transitioning to a single, open platform under a single pane of glass helps unify systems while laying the foundation for coordinated processes, efficient incident response, and collaborative work.

This makes it easier to build internal processes to increase an agency’s overall operational efficiency.

Additionally, transit agencies are increasingly being solicited for information from external partners (neighbouring transit agencies, law enforcement, city services, etc.). A unified system establishes an infrastructure that facilitates sharing data while keeping it secure.

At the core of the Genetec Transit Portfolio is the Genetec Security Center platform which unifies video management, access control and Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) capabilities. With the Security Center Omnicast video management system (VMS), transit agencies can monitor their infrastructure and vehicles to help protect commuters and staff using a wide range of industry-leading cameras, encoders, and CCTV equipment.

Security Center Synergis access control system secures entrances for staff and commuters, improves compliance, while leveraging existing network and third-party access control devices.

Security Center AutoVu automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) makes it easier for parking management teams to enforce parking restrictions by locating and counting vehicles of interest like buses, taxis, and car-sharing services, and providing a real-time inventory of vehicles on access roads and in monitored parking lots.

The Genetec transit portfolio also includes transit-specific capabilities, including Security Center

Fleet Monitoring, which provides a unified, nonproprietary solution, to configure and interact with the different devices on board each vehicle in a fleet to provide live video, GPS localisation, and vehicle telematics.

There’s also Security Center Transportation Sensor Management, which ingests data from a wide variety of sensors to count people or vehicles entering the premises, track occupancy, and serve as triggers for procedures. And Sipelia Communications Management extends a transit organisation’s security with SIP-based communications that promotes collaboration between colleagues through embedded audio and video calls while allowing operations

staff to manage public address systems as well as incoming and outgoing calls with intercom devices.

The portfolio includes options such as Genetec Mission Control, a collaborative decision management system that empowers transit agencies to use their existing sensors and security devices to collect and qualify data to identify complex situations and incidents. Once incidents are identified, the system launches a response that allows operators to follow transit-specific processes and meet compliance requirements.

There’s also Genetec Clearance collaborative investigation management system can help speed up investigations by allowing agencies to

securely collect, manage, and share evidence from different sources with both internal and external stakeholders. Rounding out the options is Streamvault, a line of turnkey security infrastructure solutions that range from workstations to fully furnished servers and hardened onboard computers for vehicle fleets.

to access Bosch alarm products quickly and easily.

“The Seadan Group is committed to continuing to support manufacturers and suppliers who support

both the wholesaler and the integrator and to closing any gaps in our offering through existing experience and relationships where necessary.”

TRANSITIONING TO A SINGLE, OPEN PLATFORM UNDER A SINGLE PANE OF GLASS HELPS UNIFY SYSTEMS WHILE LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR COORDINATED PROCESSES, EFFICIENT INCIDENT RESPONSE, AND COLLABORATIVE WORK.

SEADAN DROPS RISCO, BACKS BOSCH ALARM PRODUCTS n Seadan Group said yesterday it had terminated its distribution agreement with Risco and Risco alarm products will no longer be stocked by Seadan and Sprint stores.

Instead, the company’s focus for alarm products will be with Bosch.

“We feel that this is a common-sense decision which has been made by the entire group,” said Blake Buckland, group general manager Seadan Group. “We see the Bosch alarm and intrusion detection range as second to none - in our opinion

it has won the respect of the entire industry for good reason – Bosch’s entire range of products is proven and solid.

“Bosch is a global leader in this space, utilising a clean channel management structure which backs both the wholesaler and the integrator. They respect the route to market which is important to the Seadan Group and our customers. However, the most beneficial part about Bosch is that it is locally sourced,” Buckland said.

“Because of this, our

customers can receive product in no time at all, even in large quantities.

With a stock package of around $A1 million across the Seadan Group network, customers will be able

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● Special report

Installations

PERFECT SECURITY ELECTRONICS TOOL BOX WHAT’S in the perfect security electronics tool box? It depends on the sort of applications you’re working on but there are some electrical tools, hand tools and testers that you really can’t do without – if they’re not in your tool box, they should be in the van. oolbox or tool bag? Probably both. Larger items work well in a bag, while smaller tools and components are best kept in a folding case, or a toolbox with compartments. One of the issues with tools is that they are heavy, and they tend to multiply. It’s important to ensure your tools are portable or are arranged in such a way that you can select everything you’ll need for a job from your van or home/work tool storage centre.

T

You’ll need electrical measurement tools such as DMMs (standard and hall effect to test cables without breaking jackets), a voltage tester, a light meter. A cable tester for RJ45 and RJ11, a stud finder, a circuit finder like the Fluke 2042 Cable Locator Set (expensive) or the MASTECH MS5902, a receptacle tester, an RF noise detector to help with wireless applications – there are less expensive units from makers like RS and more expensive solutions like the Tenmars TM-190. An endoscope for looking into spaces you can’t access can help with mysterious cable obstructions, as well as tip you off to metal behind wood or plaster, or live mains cables in unexpected locations.

Electrical tools will include drills and bits, a heat gun, portable lighting (including a head lamp), a portable vacuum and a soldering kit – a wooden bread board makes a useful portable workbench for soldering in the field. With drills and heat guns less can be more. You need 90 degrees C to handle glue-filled heat shrink butt connectors – there’s no

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BY J O H N A D A M S

need for more power unless you want to risk melting adjacent conductors. Meanwhile, drill settings for electrical work are at the delicate end. If your installs involve working with timber, masonry and metal, then you’ll need to cover off these requirements, too.

If you are starting out, 18V lithium tools are the more powerful option but if you have 12V, stick with it unless you must upgrade. There are drill kits with a huge number of useful accessories that can handle polishing, grinding, even pumping – how far you go down this path depends on the demands of your applications. A hand drill is a surprisingly subtle tool in experienced hands, don’t rule it out, even as a backup to battery powered units. Hole saw kits and drill and tap sets have a place, too.

You’ll also need a laptop – it need not be a gaming machine, but it should have enough power and enough storage to handle your requirements. We’d say 256GB SSD for software storage and 2TB HDD for data makes a nice combination – i7 processing goes without saying. Your laptop does not have to be something you can use outside but there will be times you will wish it could be if it can’t be. Should you use a standard body, invest in a padded carry case. All your software and manuals should be in the cloud – Google Drive File Stream works well.

When it comes to hand tools, favour insulated tools rated to 1000V and tested to handle arcs of 10,000 volts. If in doubt, look for tools that comply with OSHA, NFPA, and IEEE regulations. For a start, you’ll need a good screwdriver set – smaller as well as larger ones, and shorter as well as longer ones. A good set of hex keys covering imperial and metric (there are 1000V insulated hex sets), multiple sets of pliers – smaller for delicate work, larger for serious grip in long and blunt nose types. There are diagonal pliers and channel lock types as well. A set of small right-angle pliers can be exactly what you need when working in the back of control boxes. You’ll want tweezers, too, as well as clamps to give you an extra hand in busy corners.

Wire cutters – there are times you’ll need a pair of linesman’s cutters but for most low voltage work, a smaller pair will be a better option – dedicated cutters are better than the multipurpose cutters on a crimper or a set of pliers – they’ll be made of higher grade metal and will deliver a cleaner cut. There’s no comparing the cleanness of the cut made by a full size Wiha and the cut made by a mini no-name. Try both and you’ll see – bearing in mind there are times you’ll want to trim conductors with the tool in your hand.

When it comes to crimpers, you’ll want multiple sets to cover all the connector sizes you run into.

Smaller for alarm zone cabling, larger for power cables. You’ll also want a very small pair for crimping in hard to reach places where using full sizes crimpers will snag on wires, pressure delicate connections and terminations and generally cause chaos. There are a number of crimper types, as well as different crimp gauges – which works best for you

DRILL SETTINGS FOR ELECTRICAL WORK ARE AT THE DELICATE END. IF YOUR INSTALLS INVOLVE WORKING WITH TIMBER, MASONRY AND METAL, THEN YOU’LL NEED TO COVER OFF THESE REQUIREMENTS, TOO. depends on what you are crimping but will also be based on preferences. These will depend on hand strength and the robustness of the connections you are able to make with each type. Stronger hands will make more robust connections with squarer crimpers offering greater contact area between conductor and connector.

Wire strippers – dedicated strippers are better than a multipurpose tool, again taking into account there will be times when contorted in the foetal position with dust in your eyes you will want to use the tool that’s already in your hand. For this reason, multipurpose tools have their place. Dedicated strippers, even less evensive versions, are sharper, have more options, better overall design, and require less of a Hail Mary when you’re trying to establish the right stripper gauge in real time. When it comes to network cabling, you’ll need a Cat5/6 stripper and crimper – the Klein Tools VDV226-110 is a good one – and a punch down tool.

Shifting spanners and wrenches can be useful but they are no substitute for a quality socket set with a range of extenders that allow you to put a

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● Special report

Installations WHEN THINGS GO COMPLETELY SIDEWAYS, A COUPLE OF NAPPIES WILL SAVE THE DAY. FOR CLEANING ALMOST ANYTHING, WET WIPES.

little torque on a bolt from outside a control box.

Be careful with socket sets. They go from very useful yet surprisingly heavy, to a ton of bricks you will never want to carry in a single step. Buy what you need for work, rather than covering off a possible need to remove the diff from the XM ute at some vague future point. Socket sets also come insulated to 1000V if you need that protection.

Shifters are useful but they incorporate tolerance that guarantees they will round the heads of nuts and bolts over time. For electronic security work, smaller shifters are going to be better than larger.

With hand tools you need a couple you can beat the hell out of by using them for prying out stripped screws and the like. These sacrificial lambs can be anything old from home you’ve been using as paint stirrers – 3 flat head screwdriver sizes are probably best but a range of philips heads you can ruin on rusted screw heads are also worth having around.

If you don’t have tools like these for nasty work you will end up damaging your quality tools in a way that will impair their performance, as well as messing up fixings for the technicians who come after you.

You’ll need levels in small and larger sizes, tape measures in smaller and larger sizes, a magnifying glass with integrated LED lighting, a pair of 1x reading glasses, a pair of 2x reading glasses, cable ties in various sizes, hammers – one larger for timber or metal work and a smaller item for more delicate operations in crowded spaces. A couple of chisels, a set of awls, vice grip or multi-grip pliers can be useful, too. If you’re fitting out a van, having a bench vice setup has advantages. A utility knife is

vital and a metal straight edge will be useful, too. We tend to favour knives with a folding blade to ensure that when the blade is away it’s away, not half out in the bottom of a bag waiting for fingertips.

You’ll want tape – electrical tape and painter’s tape, we don’t really like using the former, but it will come in handy. Glue – wood glue and something stronger. A solvent to remove the last tech’s stronger something. A tube of Loc-Tite to isolate stainless from less noble brackets. Plastic spacers. Liquid electrical tape has its place but only use it if you really must. You need connectors of all shapes and sizes, heat shrink in a range of sizes – not too big though, as heat shrink only loses half its diameter and might not form a proper seal around bare connectors if you overdo it. Velcro tabs can be useful. A good pair of scissors, penetrating lubricants, marine grease, sugar soap in a squeegie bottle. When things get a bit messy using liquids, those big foldup absorbent pads for pets can help. When things go completely sideways, a couple of nappies will save the day. For cleaning almost anything, wet wipes.

Cat cable ends are important – as is practising building them. Security techs who worry about the superiority of IT integrators should bring their A-game and rejoice in the fact they are likely to be much better at this hands-on stuff than IT people are. Screws, nuts and bolts, and a magnetic tray to drop them onto. Hose clamps, a little Blu-Tak, IP67 network cable connectors for commissioning/ troubleshooting, fish tape in smaller and larger types. A wee mirror on a telescoping rod, a magnet on a telescoping rod, resistors, fuse holders and fuses, including blade fuse cases and blade fuses for protecting bigger jobs.

If you’re doing anything with optical fibre you will need a separate kit that includes things like a fibre crimp tool, 6um diamond film to 0.05um Aluminium oxide film, polish disc, A/B fast epoxy glue, a cleanser carbide scribe, Kevlar cutter, working pad, stripper, syringe, fibre push cleaner, etc. You’ll want a lens cloth, a lens pen for cleaning lenses and camera sensors, as well as iso alcohol wipes.

When it comes to cabling, you’ll need to ensure you have all your needs covered – multi-core alarm cable, power cable, Cat cables, maybe coaxial cable if you’re doing analogue cameras, fibres. You’ll need conduits, too, but obviously a lot of this stuff won’t fit in your toolbox. You also need a hacksaw and blades, perhaps a pipe reamer, pencils, a notepad, safety gear – boots, gloves, eyewear and a hardhat. n

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● Product review

UNV

UNV LIGHTHUNTER UNV’s IPC3234SA-DZK LightHunter is a 4MP deep learning-powered, vandal-resistant network dome camera with a swag of impressive features, including 1/1.8ths of an inch 2688 x 1520 pixel CMOS sensor, a strong 2.8 x 12mm optical zoom with autofocus, 40m of IR, H.265 and a bunch of deep learning rules.

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BY J O H N A D A M S

niview is the smaller of China’s 3 big CCTV manufacturers but the fruits of its recent move to a new factory are apparent with this 4MP LightHunter dome. Once I finally get my network sorted so I can open the camera – thanks Michael from CRK – my first impressions are a bright image, a tiny bit of processing swim, low blur, good depth of field, good colour rendition – very subtle and discerning (getting deep purples) – sharpness, very low CAs, slight overexposure of bright parts on a grey day (8EV under the camera) in default with WDR off. As soon as I use optical zoom, it’s resolution, resolution, resolution.

It’s tempting to go on with camera performance, but let’s take our usual look at features and functionality.

Uniview LightHunter features a 1/1.8-inch progressive scan CMOS sensor, 2688 x 1520 pixels of resolution at 30fps, has a 2.8-12mm optical zoom with a fast aperture of F1.2 and auto focus, 40m IR, 120dB WDR, Ultra 265, H.265, Corridor Mode, ROI, ONVIF, 8 OSDs, and deep learning algorithms including people counting, face capture and deep perimeter protection.

There’s also an audio in/out and an alarm in/out, a housing rated to IP67 and IK10, MicroSD up to 256 GB, horizontal angle of view range of 35.6-107.9 degrees and vertical angle of view of 20.4-75.4 degrees. There’s also adjustment angle of 0-355 degrees panning and 0-68 degrees tilting, along with 0-355 degrees of rotation. The camera is PoE and has reverse polarity protection and modest draw of around 4.510W. LightHunter has overvoltage and overcurrent protection, input short circuit protection.

There’s claimed 0.0005lux minimum scene illumination at F1.2 with AGC ON, and the usual 0 lux with IR, triple streams, privacy masking, general function watermark, IP address filtering, tampering alarm, alarm input, alarm output, access policy, ARP protection, RTSP authentication, user authentication.

Dimensions are 148 x 111.3mm, weight is 960 grams, and working temp is excellent at -30-60C. Hand feel is great and setting up the camera is easy, too. The packaging is well done, the extras are just what you need – it’s mature work from Uniview.

U

TEST DRIVING THE UNIVIEW LIGHTHUNTER We’re testing the camera on SEN’s dedicated Dell Optiplex 9060 server via a Netgear PoE gigabit switch – there’s nothing on the network but LightHunter for our test. Having made a mess of my network addressing trying to access the camera, which is set to a different range, I need a bit of help from CRK to get things sorted out but once that’s done and I undertake an adjacent firmware update, all is well.

This is a seriously intuitive interface from Uniview.

Bouncing around inside the camera browser is a lot of fun. The first thing I always do in a camera test is try to get across zoom and autofocus. LightHunter is a gem in this department. To the right of the browser window are plus and minus symbols, which you

Backlight performance is strong.

Excellent depth of field.

Plates are no drama.

press to zoom in and out. Autofocus is hanging over the back seat every inch of the way. This must be one of, if not the, best camera browsers I’ve used in a test.

Today is a great day to test LightHunter – for a start it’s winter – that means it’s going to be dark outside at 530pm. But there’s more. The street light out the front of the office is on the blink – that means we’re going to be unassisted in the immediate vicinity of the camera – for this reason I’m going to be taking measurements outside to make sure we know what LightHunter is up against.

Once the camera has been opened, had its rotation tweaked and is attached to the Magic Arm, the afternoon has come in and light is falling.

Regardless, my first impressions are a bright image, tiny bit of processing swim, low blur, good depth

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● Product review

UNV WITH A 2.8 TO 12MM FOCAL RANGE THIS CAMERA GOES FROM VERY WIDE TO VERY LONG – IT’S GREAT TO HAVE THIS FLEXIBILITY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF OPERATORS.

Zoomed in a little – about 8mm.

Plates at 12mm.

Staying solid later in the day.

Great levels of detail.

of field, good colour rendition offering strong reds, alongside very subtle and rich purples, excellent sharpness, very low CAs, slight overexposure of bright parts on a grey day (8EV under the camera) in default with WDR off.

As mentioned, the impression morphs once I get my hands on the optical zoom control – resolution is great. With a 2.8 to 12mm focal range this camera goes from very wide to very long – it’s great to have this flexibility at your fingertips from the point of view of operators. Given this camera is a dome, the reach means you need to plan if you intend to use it operationally so as to avoid focusing on patches of road at the long end. It’s easier in my application as the dome is installed at 90 degrees to the ground but you can’t do that in the real world with a dome camera without provoking an ecosystem of bubble ghosts and biblical levels of veiling flare whenever the camera is exposed to direct sunlight.

As I begin to get my head around camera performance at default settings, LightHunter goes cleanly over into night mode at around 4.55pm in 50 lux with just a momentary sight of the cut filter as we shift. When I look at camera settings, default was auto, and the slider was set for a mid-point jump. It’s certainly getting dark quickly but I’m not ready to lose colour so it’s back into day mode we go.

Light keeps dropping precipitously and by 5.10pm we have a measly 1EV (5 lux) between the buildings.

Remember, there’s almost no streetlight assistance at the moment – LightHunter is very much on its own and I’m interested to see what light levels get down to, given they usually sit around the 4-7 lux mark.

At 5.20pm I take another reading and my Sekonic light meter has thrown its hands up and is refusing to measure under the lens – that means we have less than 2 lux – looking at the scene it’s probably a fair bit less than 2 lux – under 1 lux, in my opinion.

When I go all the way in to 12mm the aperture closes down, and things start to get quite dark. I reverse back out and in colour, at full wide with sub 2 lux at the lens, there’s mild noise. However, blur stays very controlled – I can’t understand this until I hop into settings and find the camera is set to a minimum shutter speed of 1/150th of a second – that’s a great operational specification but I can’t help going back to 1/30th of second. Noise evaporates and I get a little more blur from moving traffic.

I don’t notice much variation with bitrate, which I’ve set to high quality, full frame, and full resolution.

It sits at around 5Mbps for the test, which for a 4MP camera like LightHunter, is pretty good. I could play with settings to see what the minimum acceptable

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SEN_PrintAd.indd 1 1 SEN720_25.indd

6/22/20 4:48 1:03 pm PM 25/6/20

● Product review

UNV PERFORMANCE IN NIGHT MODE SUPPORTED BY IR IS A REVELATION. I’VE NOT SEEN A DOME THAT DOES THIS WELL WITH IR.

IR is very well done.

Pedestrians seem to float.

Very low blur and faces with IR!

No plate but it’s a white Subaru Outback.

setting is when it comes to bitrate but I’m more interested in how the camera handles low light.

Colour in sub 2 lux is surprisingly composite with none of the intrusive noise I’d have expected in such challenging conditions. Having the dome positioned at right angles does generate more than the usual level of flare at times but nothing you might not see in extremis in the real world.

Depth of field is strong, there’s some yellow-orange casting deep in the scene – that’s the low-pressure lights at the end of the street.

There’s no chance of getting plates on moving vehicles in these conditions but there’s no issue with discerning vehicle type. Something I do have is court admissible faces wherever there is any ambient lighting. Considering how dark things are out front, this highlights the strength of LightHunter’s performance, as well as underscoring the value of a very small amount of directional light in applications where you really need faces at night. You don’t need much, and it doesn’t need to be pro-grade to offer serious value in the 4-8m range.

Performance in night mode supported by IR is a revelation. I’ve not seen a dome that does this well with IR. There’s very little flare, depth of field is excellent, sharpness and tonal variations are very strong, too. There’s very low blur around moving leaves – getting plates isn’t possible but it never is. I do see a certain flatness to the monochrome image – I can’t put my finger on what that is – the way the digital image is built by firmware, perhaps.

Car tyres and shoes seem to float just above the ground.

Any blur is low for slow moving subjects at 1/30th of a second. When you go to 1/150th of a second, things are a bit different. There’s a little more noise, the scene is a little darker, but the payoff is lower blur. One this is sure – this camera will reward time spent at the controls and the perfect settings are going to be different in every application. This partly comes down to the fact that tweaking in the camera browser is a click away.

Again, I can’t get moving plates in night mode with IR activated at 1/30th of second but I can get court admissible faces and thanks to that awesome, fluid zoom and focus, I can get them deep into the scene – out to 20 metres and beyond when zoomed in. At the same time, there’s huge ancillary detail from pedestrians. Bags, shoe styles, shades of clothing, decals on bags and jackets, hair ties, logos on shopping bags, etc.

It’s been dark outside since 520pm – by dark, I mean it’s been sub 2 lux – lower light than we have

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ever experienced in this test. But the performance of the camera is sufficiently strong that this has not been a problem at all. There are some deep shadows when locked in colour and I get blur when IR is not activated in monochrome but I’m holding strong depth of field. Something I do notice at one point is a considerable flare at the end of the street from the high beams of a car – with the camera set up as it is and with shutter speed at 1/30th of a second this is unsurprising. Ghosting at night is barely discernible.

In daylight hours with variable lighting the sharpness and detail come to the fore in reflections and small details of attire. The high levels of detail create a degree of sharpness that makes subjects appear almost 3 dimensional – you have to see this to fully appreciate it. In the early morning with strong light, performance is impressive, though you need to keep the worst of the light from striking the bubble directly.

I try the camera with WDR off, but performance is much superior with it on and I waste no time reactivating it. Colour is strong – reds, blues, yellows, oranges, greens - all are vibrant and as the day goes along, I notice the camera offers excellent light balance in an intensely variable scene. The high resolution is pleasing, too. It gives that extra detail that makes digital zoom worth having, though with optical zoom so readily to hand I only play with it because it’s there.

In the presence of strong backlight, I get excellent faces and plates, which is good considering WDR functionality has a way of messing with an image stream. Depth of field is very solid reaching all the way into the scene – 50 metres and beyond. At one point I have the face of a Yaffa staffer at 20 metres, good detail of a person at a parking metre at 40m and a school kid at 60m or so. There’s glittery sharpness everywhere – it’s a very pleasing image – I’m probably at the equivalent of around 4mm, which is a favourite focal length for street work.

At 8.51am the dome bubble is hit full in the face by 68,000 lux of direct sunlight and this sets off internal reflections, ghosts, and veiling flare.

It’s not LightHunter’s fault – I’ve not installed the camera with any sympathy. But it does highlight the challenges you’ll face using domes in external applications – keeping them under rooflines is better during extreme times. But even still there will be moments they’ll be tested to the limit.

By 9.03am the particularly provocating angle of light has gone, and the scene is excellent – good light balance, great depth of field, sharp – it’s a bit Axis-like, in my opinion, in a good way. As the sun swings, the image does nothing but improve and that huge resolution delivers great sharpness, excellent faces, plates and all the rest. It’s only later in the day when the sun is getting blocked by the buildings that plates become hit-miss, though faces and all the other details security people love remain very good indeed.

Colour in sub 2 lux.

Court admisable faces.

CONCLUSION Uniview’s LightHunter is an excellent dome camera.

It’s not just that the optical performance and the sensors do a good job, in extreme conditions it stands up to be counted. And best of all, it’s extremely easy to drive all the strong functionalities that are on offer.

After my test I try to think of a particular failing of the camera, but I can’t come up with anything. This is a highly evolved video surveillance tool – thoroughly recommended. n

FEATURES OF THE UNIVIEW IPC3234SADZK LIGHTHUNTER INCLUDE: l

1/1.8-inch, progressive scan, CMOS

l

Up to 2688 x 1520 pixel resolution

l

2.8-12mm optical zoom and auto focus

l

Smart IR, up to 40m IR distance

l

120dB True WDR

l

Ultra 265, H.265, Corridor Mode, ROI, ONVIF

l

ith deep learning algorithm: people counting, W face capture, perimeter protection

l

AC24V ±25%, DC12V ±25%, PoE

l

Support 1/1 audio in/out, 1/1 alarm in/out

l

IP67, IK10 ratings against weather, vandalism.

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● Case study

Cyber Security

HARDEN UP Cyber security has become a key element of CCTV installations, with most camera manufacturers having enhanced their devices to ensure they conform with the latest cyber security functionalities. But with many cameras installed more or less default, installers and integrators need to pay more attention to configuring cyber security settings to eliminate vulnerabilities.

ODD Dunning of Pelco says most CCTV camera makers have upped the cyber security capability of their devices and he argues it’s important for security integrators to enhance their ability to apply these features.

“Over the last decade, the emergence of the internet of things (IoT) and a demand for more video data has changed the way businesses operate,” says Dunning. “But as the rise in connectivity increases, so too does the need for increased security for physical assets, networks, and valuable corporate data.

“Camera manufacturers have absolutely stepped up their game when implementing cybersecuritycentric design into not only surveillance camera technology, but also VMS solutions. Some manufacturers have gone so far as to establish teams dedicated to meeting current standards set forth by federal and state governments, as well as ensuring best practices are being followed to help foster greater network security and protection.

“As a vendor in the video surveillance market, we are entrusted to provide secure products and

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guidelines to safeguard solutions from various types of risks, including cyber vulnerabilities,” Dunning explains.

“We think it’s crucial for manufacturers to work with integrators who understand how to speak the language increasingly being used by IT departments working alongside physical security leaders to implement solutions on a network.

“We need to formulate a plan that protects all aspects of a network, and keeps up with ongoing recommendations for establishing updates when vulnerabilities are detected. A dialogue between cyber, IT, and physical security is necessary to help leaders gain a greater knowledge of how to best collaborate to ensure complete protection, which includes the integrator partnership.”

With modern systems cyber security stretches offsite, too. According to Dunning remote management of VMS platforms can pose a threat to the information being shared if protocols are not in place to protect organizations from outside threats.

“Reviewing VPN capacity when in use by remote workers and teams is critical to ensuring data protection, as well as establishing basic methods of device protection (namely, 2-factor authentication that can include a mixture of passwords and biometrics),” he says. “It’s essential that remote management best practices are put in place by an organization aimed at providing regular security checks and updates to manage device configurations and ensure that data is protected.”

According to Mark Shannon of BGWT, the Tier 1 camera vendors BGWT represents have long had excellent cyber security credentials.

“This is why government and enterprise customers select these brands and typically not the lower cost volume brands,” he says. “This philosophy applies to both devices and VMS. It is not just up to the security integrators though, but to the whole surveillance industry. The end user needs to have cybersecurity and should ask for it, the consultant should have cybersecurity specified and the system integrator should implement cybersecurity.

“There are a whole lot of ‘shoulds’ in that statement and the ideal position is to make them all happen.

Talking about it is the first place to start but taking the next step is all about wanting cybersecurity to happen. Awareness is the key, and explaining to customers what can happen if a system is breached always goes a long way to getting engagement. We all know cyber protection comes at a cost but what is the cost if something is hacked?” n

AS A VENDOR IN THE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE MARKET, WE ARE ENTRUSTED TO PROVIDE SECURE PRODUCTS AND GUIDELINES TO SAFEGUARD SOLUTIONS FROM VARIOUS TYPES OF RISKS, INCLUDING CYBER VULNERABILITIES.

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● Case study

Waikato DHB

GALLAGHER SECURES WAIKATO DHB Gallagher has provided a 730-door access and security solution for Waikato District Health Board at Hamilton in New Zealand.

ERVING a large geographical area of the North Island of New Zealand, the Waikato District Health Board (Waikato DHB) provides hospital and community-based health services to a population of nearly 400,000 people.

With a wide range of security needs that include protecting staff and patients, securing highrisk facilities, restricting unauthorized access to medication and medical equipment, and streamlining contractor and car park management, Waikato DHB required a security solution that could be applied to both high and low security areas. The system also needed to provide a comprehensive audit trail and detailed reporting, to identify access movements by employees and help meet legal requirements around the safe and secure storage of medication and equipment.

This is complex application, with more than 6500 authorised users, an 18 hectare site with 176,000sqm of buildings, 730 access controlled doors, 40 alarmed and monitored refrigerators/ freezers; 15 carpark barrier arms and 1 security gate.

The system includes Gallagher Command Centre,

S

Controller 6000, T-Series readers, Tag Boards and a carpark management system.

Gallagher’s access control solution for Waikato DHB utilizes a single access-card system that simply and instantly updates access permissions, as well as streamlining car parking services. Where high-level security is needed, Gallagher’s system offers Waikato DHB the ability to lock-down areas of the hospital when required, isolating areas and restricting access.

Meanwhile, Gallagher’s Command Centre Mobile application also delivers duress notifications from buttons located around the hospital directly to a guard’s mobile device. Electronic Tag Boards allow contractors to easily sign on and off of the site, ensuring Waikato DHB meets health and safety requirements.

In an environment where access profiles change on a daily basis as staff move between different departments, Gallagher’s access control system and Command Centre central management platform ensure staff can approach doors with the confidence that they can enter or leave areas as necessary.

The access card system has also reduced the risks associated with handling keys, along with providing detailed reports to meet comprehensive auditing requirements, saving time and cost.

Waikato DHB’s experience with Gallagher products ultimately led it to develop a ‘Security Ward Standard’ detailing the minimum-security equipment required for new buildings, greatly reducing time spent producing specification documents and gathering approvals. As Waikato DHB’s security requirements continue to evolve, Gallagher’s systems provide futureproofing with a software maintenance agreement ensuring they operate the very latest software available. n

FACT FILE: WAIKATO DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD l I ndustry: Healthcare lB usiness type: Hospital lN umber of employees: 6,500 lS ite Size: 18 hectares with 176,000 m2 of

buildings

lN umber of doors: Over 730 access-controlled

doors; 40 alarmed and monitored refrigerators/ freezers; 15 carpark barrier arms; 1 gate.

lC ommand Centre lC ontroller 6000 lT -Series readers lT ag Boards lC ar park Management.

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Hikvision Oceania ColorVu ad.pdf Hikvision Oceania Oceania ColorVu ColorVu ad.pdf ad.pdf Hikvision

1 11

23/6/20 23/6/20 23/6/20

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SEN720_31.indd 1

R R R

NewZealand Zealand New New Zealand

www.nesscorporation.com www.videosecurityproducts.com.au www.atlasgentech.co.nz www.nesscorporation.com www.nesscorporation.com www.videosecurityproducts.com.au www.videosecurityproducts.com.au www.atlasgentech.co.nz www.atlasgentech.co.nz

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www.hikvision.com.au www.hikvision.com.au www.hikvision.com.au Hotline +61 1300 976 305 Hotline Hotline+61 +611300 1300976 976305 305 salesau@hikvision.com salesau@hikvision.com salesau@hikvision.com Followus us on| | Follow Follow uson on |

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25/6/20 4:48 pm

● Regulars

The Interview

Joe Qui, TVT Digital Technology This month in The Interview, SEN speaks with Joe Qui, overseas sales director of TVT Digital Technology. Distributed locally by CSM, TVT is a Shenzhen-based CCTV manufacturer that designs and builds all its own solutions for a target market that includes larger commercial users, as well as SMEs. Q: What can you tell SEN readers about TVT Digital Technology, Joe? A: TVT is a publicly-listed company – our boss, Guo Lizhi, has a background in electrical engineering and comes from a semiconductor background – he is also general manager. TVT has an engineering philosophy – the company has 3 letters: these stand for – ‘technology’, ‘video’ and ‘team’. We invest in technology, in team and in video - we only do video technologies, nothing else.

Q: TVT has been around a lot longer than most people think, hasn’t it?

A: Yes, our history goes back before TVT was launched in 2004 to 2001 and TVT’s plan has always been that every 12-18 months we will have something new to release to the market. We are based in the heart of China’s Silicon Valley to ensure we attract the best engineers and we work hard to ensure our products are always improving.

Q: Does TVT have a mission statement, a focus, in terms of what it does?

A: Our vision is very simple - we want to be a respected technology company – not the biggest but respected, trusted and with a customer base that loves to work with us.

Further, we must have our own technology. We don’t buy technology, we don’t want to assemble someone else’s technology, we want to manufacture our own technology. Our goal is to offer a high technology product that will make the world better, easier and safer – this is our mission.

There are 4 criteria that underlie the TVT business – the first relates to technology.

We are committed to understanding what kind of technology will change the game.

To meet this commitment, TVT has a team with a very deep understanding from the chipset to software.

Next, we must be reliable – that means we invest money to make improvements to ensure that reliability continues to improve - no matter how reliable our existing products are, the next generation must be even better.

The third criteria is affordability.

Everybody needs some kind of security product, but we don’t want them to spend a lot of money – we try to prove our designs to make them more affordable, while retaining quality.

And finally, ease of use – our products are not just for professionals, we want them to be easy for anyone to use – easy training, easy repair and easy maintenance.

Q: Given the company designs and manufacturers all its own products, how important is engineering to TVT? A: The engineering side is the biggest investment for TVT – we have 400 engineers divided into small groups with a specific target – we cover all fields of video, from chipset to lens/optical, thermal technology, hardware, management software, network, cyber security – everything. Over the past 2-3 years our investment in video has been huge – historically, investment as a per centage of total sales is around 15 percent, which is significant.

A key aspect of engineering is testing -

our engineering department must have very strict testing. In this building we have one floor that is entirely dedicated to testing – we test so much because we need a very big volume to catch bugs – thousands of cameras monitored by software 24 x 7. This gives us a greater chance of catching bugs that might impact on reliability. TVT also has a professional team for video quality – we don’t want a device to have bugs and we don’t want bugs in video quality. The video engineers have different criteria, but their work is also vital.

Q: How challenging is production in a competitive market and how does TVT ensure it can compete with the heavily automated manufacturers?

A: When it comes to production, TVT has 2 factories – one in Shenzhen and another new factory in Huizhou about 90km away. We use the factory in Shenzhen as a bridge between the engineering department and the new factory in Huizhou. The factory here helps us to understand before a product goes to mass production what kind of problems we need to address. The local factory also works on tools to use in the new factory.

When it comes to standards and testing, the engineering department takes precedence over the factory. When a product is completed the engineers need to work with the factory to make sure that mass production is reliable and quality control is consistent. We also need to develop machines for the factory that allow us to test components during manufacture. We want to understand risks that may arise during the process of assembly – if we have a machine to handle all these tests then we are not relying on human eyes. We have a department to handle building these testing technologies. We are also able to advise our suppliers if they need to make improvements to components based on our testing. We also have engineering on production to improve quality and efficiency.

Material control is another important element to ensure manufacturers are recognised globally as quality suppliers.

Material control is very important, and

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JOE QIU WITH JOHN ADAMS

WE WORK WITH A DEDICATED CYBER SECURITY COMPANY IN THE USA WHICH IS ASSISTING US TO ENSURE ALL OUR SOLUTIONS ARE SECURE.

we have an engineering department just for this. We only buy certified materials and certified components from certified suppliers. These decisions come from the engineering department, not from the factory.

Furthermore, our factory is designed

by TVT and its software is designed

by TVT to ensure quality. There is also testing in the factory – it’s different from the engineering testing and it’s designed to confirm the products meet the specifications set by the engineering department’s testing.

Q: How important is quality to TVT? A: It’s at the heart of our business. Some manufacturers are not qualified, and they

do not produce quality. The philosophy of these companies is wrong and so is the low-price philosophy of their distributors. They will come to us and ask us to beat the lowest price they could find, but we don’t want to do business with such companies.

Part of the issue is companies that do not invest in engineering cannot engineer value into their solutions and are limited to using ever cheaper materials in order to get sales. It’s a big risk – many companies don’t understand the risk they create if they use cheaper material or components. The larger manufacturers – TVT, Dahua, UNV, Hikvision and some others – they have standards and they understand risk.

Q: You design and manufacture all your own cameras and PTZs, too?

A: Yes, TVT has a special team dedicated to making cameras, including PTZs. All kinds of PTZ cameras are made by TVT – we do the housing the camera module, the mechanical components - all are designed and made by TVT. We don’t trust the assemblies of other people and we want full control of quality and functionality. But we do source the best possible sensors.

Our second generation PTZ range has Sony Starvis sensors – from the basic through to the high end. They also have quality lenses and good software ISP, as well as IR illumination. We are very particular with our camera specifications.

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● Regulars

The Interview

Qui with members of the TVT team in the Shenzhen demo room.

THE BIG STORM OF TECHNOLOGY REFORM THAT IS COMING IS AI, CLOUD AND BIG DATA.

Our range covers 18-38x optical and when we say 38x it really is 38x. When we compare our PTZs to competitors we find some take short cuts – our PTZs never do.

TVT is very serious about performance.

We are also working to improve our illumination to make PTZ night vision much stronger and resistant to issues that occur at night, such as lens ghosting.

How do you achieve this? You need a very good sensor, a very good lens, a very good algorithm and good focus and deep penetration of illumination – these are all things we are working on.

Q: What is the future of the CCTV market, which technologies does TVT think will predominate over the next few years?

A: The big storm of technology reform that is coming is AI, cloud and big data, and if you don’t have strong engineering investment in these areas, you will be left behind. Right now, TVT is investing a lot in cloud – we have just released our second generation of cloud products and CSM in Australia was one of the first distributors given access to the new cloud solutions.

The new cloud solutions have many new features, including the ability to

monitor network and system health, and the cyber security of these systems will also be monitored. We have recently received the TOV cyber security certification – we were among the first to receive GDPR certification.

Q: How about AI – how important is it that manufacturers offer AI solutions with operational benefits in the real world?

A: AI is going to be very important. TVT defines AI into several categories – basic AI – all our products have AI standard and this is virtually free of charge. Then we have AI designed to enhance surveillance – this gives surveillance more value by automating it.

Our software can respond to rules, to face recognition and can search based on the characteristics of a subject. This makes surveillance fast, easy, efficient and user friendly. Next, there is AI for special purposes – if you have a particular problem we can assist with that through customisation.

Within the categories of AI we have 3 categories of solutions. In the first category, all TVT models have AI, in the second category some models have it, and in the third category AI can be included to meet specific end user needs.

All this is developed by TVT’s dedicated team and at this time most our product supports AI for surveillance.

For instance, this is AI for surveillance –

you can see that the camera catches faces and allows us to search by photo, by a subject’s name, by analytics rules. We can undertake time and attendance, we also have false alarm reduction – our camera can identify people, bicycles, cars, trucks.

This means we can discount things like trees, leaves, or shadows. In the past AI was based on motion but AI technology has changed.

AI can be used for many things – customer service, as well as security. For retail environments our solutions can generate a welcome back message when a returning customer is recognised by the system. Many consumers have AI in their phone and they understand and accept it. But some in the security industry think of AI as being only for government and being very high security and expensive – they think they need a very good data centre to manage everything.

While in the case of large government applications this may be true, TVT is different. Our main business is overseas commercial and SME, we don’t do anything with government. Instead, we offer accurate, affordable, and reliable AI to commercial vertical markets. I think TVT might be the only manufacturer that can offer systems like this – they cost the same amount as any ordinary camera and NVR, but come with AI for security, for time and attendance, for line crossing, video motion detection, LPR and more, with alarm notifications.

Q: How important is cyber security to TVT? A: It’s vitally important. We also work with a dedicated cyber security company in the USA, which is assisting us to ensure all our solutions are secure. This is a work in progress, as no one can guarantee a system is safe and if it is safe, hackers are very clever and will still try to break into it.

Q: Does TVT have a message for the Australian market?

A: TVT is a quality manufacturer that invests in its solutions and in its manufacturing and quality. TVT’s philosophy is to create solutions for SME companies that handle a wide range of needs - parking control, access control, time and attendance and more - using one affordable system with a price that is very similar to our regular NVR range.

Customers all around the world love TVT solutions and we know Australian customers will appreciate them, too. n

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FSS1

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SEN720_35.indd 1

10mA version 25/6/20 4:48 pm

● Special report

Video Surveillance

BEST CAMERA FORM FACTOR What is the best and most useful CCTV camera form factor for typical applications? Is it the dome camera, the bullet, the turret, the PTZ or a species of wide-angle camera?

CTV cameras come in all shapes and sizes, with some specifications tending to guarantee they won’t be able to support some professional applications. Think about the 720p resolution, 120-degree plus angles of view some cameras serve up. Then there’s a new breed of high resolution, wide angle cameras that contrive to see everything in their angles of view and hustle pixels enough to provide useful detail while doing so.

It’s easy to say just use the best camera for the job in front of you but that’s not always possible. There may not be the budget, the stock, or the strategy in place to allow use of powerful bullet cameras or PTZs. You, and system managers, may be stuck with fixed, mid-angle views. That said, there are

C

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BY J O H N A D A M S

cameras that contrive to offer excellent performance in multiple applications thanks to quality sensors, good lenses and form factors that work.

Consultant Luke Percy Dove says for a typical CCTV application, dome cameras would be his first choice.

“The reason I like domes for general CCTV applications is because they are less prone to being tampered with or manipulated,” Percy-Dove says.

“A full-body camera may be able to have its viewing angle tilted up or down or something hung over the front of it so that the camera view is obscured. Also, the field of view of a dome camera is less obvious to that of a full body camera which can also be advantageous.”

According to Percy-Dove, there is still a place for PTZ cameras in large CCTV applications.

IN A CONTROL ROOM ENVIRONMENT, SYSTEM OPERATORS CAN GAIN ENORMOUS OPERATIONAL VALUE FROM PTZ CAMERAS...

“We generally only recommend them if they are going to be actively monitored from a control room but there is absolutely a place for them,” he says.

“In a control room environment, system operators can gain enormous operational value from PTZ cameras and they can actually reduce the need for security personnel in some environments. We have recommended their use as an alternative to external building patrols because we prefer that security officers remain within the safe confines of a building at night and do not venture outside.

“We also endorse the use of PTZ’s for alarm verification in perimeter security applications. One strategically placed PTZ camera will have the ability to validate events from multiple alarm zones over longer distances than could be achieved with fixed cameras. And that is before other features such as auto-tracking are considered including how they may assist from an operational perspective.”

How effective are wide angle, MonsterMP CCTV cameras are in large surveillance applications taking night viewing performance into account, according to Percy-Dove?

“We have found that ultra-high-resolution cameras can be very good during the day to provide situational awareness of very large areas,” he says. “However, perfect conditions are usually only achieved during daylight hours and from our experience they have been less impressive at night or in early morning/late afternoon when shadowing is more prominent. Native frame rates can also be lower on these cameras which may be problematic in some environments. Our recommendation would generally be that they are supported by other cameras and not relied on as the only means of surveillance.”

Another increasingly popular form factor is the 360-degree camera, which gives massive coverage but there are weaknesses to go with their strengths.

“The strength of 360-degree cameras is undoubtedly their ability to provide multiple views from a single device,” Percy-Dove explains. “We have seen them work well in retail environments

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● Special report

Video Surveillance

to track who is coming and going and for identifying trips, slips and falls. However, the fixed focal lengths mean that camera positioning has to be spot on and the sensor resolutions will be lower than we would normally want for the angle of view. This suggests they are well suited for smaller areas such as shops but less so for larger, more open spaces.”

Is there still a case to be made for mid-angle bullets (4-6mm on a 1/3-inch lens) in many applications where face recognition and LPR are required through variable lighting conditions, in Percy-Dove’s opinion?

“Most definitely, assuming that the camera can be correctly positioned and is capable of performing the intended function,” Percy-Dove says. “I am still a big fan of correctly framing a doorway or driveway entry that ensures the perfect entry ID shot is achieved every time under any conditions. Bullet cameras that can cope with backlighting are ideal for this.”

A very popular camera form factor for economical applications is the low-cost turret, which varies in terms of performance. Some are pretty ordinary.

Others are surprisingly capable.

“Low-cost cameras, irrespective of the form factor, can work well in professional environments,” says Percy-Dove. “I would suggest they are appropriate for internal applications such as to monitor hallways and offices where artificial lighting will always be used. I would never endorse their use for external applications or anywhere the lighting is inconsistent or variable. Low-light performance of these cameras is almost always very poor.”

If Percy-Dove could have a dream camera that combined the latest available technologies, what would its specification and operational capabilities be?

“A 360-degree camera with each sensor having a 3-12mm vari-focal lens that meant it could be perfectly configured for almost any application,” he says. “The camera would have a WDR rating of around 140dB for each sensor, which would make it really versatile too. And, of course, it would be able to see in the dark.”

IN ORDER TO MAKE CAMERAS EASY TO USE, SOME BASIC FUNCTIONS LIKE PLUG AND PLAY, CLOUD UPGRADE AND DIAGNOSIS LOGS EXPORTING FOR QUICK TROUBLESHOOTING ARE REQUIRED. Do the latest generations of cameras ever disappoint you, in terms of their performance?

“I am not usually critical of cameras or their performance, because like all technologies they are improving all the time,” Percy-Dove says. “I do get very disappointed with the lack of application knowledge by people who are trusted by their clients to advise them properly. Recommending a bullet camera that relies on inbuilt IR for low-light performance is wrong on so many levels, as is using a camera with little or no WDR capability for building entries. If the camera selected does not work equally well under all circumstances, then someone has made a mistake. It’s not the product’s fault this happens.”

Edward Qiu, Oceania technical manager at UNV, says camera form factor takes second place to aspects of overall performance, like efficiency at multiple levels.

“In order to make cameras easy to use, some basic functions like plug and play, cloud upgrade and diagnosis log exports for quick troubleshooting are required,” Qui says. “Further, reliability is of vital importance. This comes down to strict testing and adherence to IP67 and IK10 ratings to guarantee quality.”

When it comes to form factor, Qui says he sees roles for multiple types.

“PTZs will definitely play an important role in large CCTV applications both now and in the future,” he says. “Compared with normal cameras, big optical zoom captures more details deeper into scenes and auto-tracking allows these cameras to zoom in and track objects automatically, while long-range IR improves images at night. With all these brilliant features, PTZs can completely cover large scenarios.

“Wide angle and MP CCTV cameras play an important role in public surveillance applications since the effect of several cameras can be achieved with one camera. To some extent, it reduces installation and maintenance costs; besides, with night viewing function, it is more suitable for surveillance in large scenarios around the clock.

However, large MP CCTV cameras have a big demand for decoding and transmission.”

When it comes to 360 and wide-angle cameras, Qiu says the advantages are obvious.

“One 360 wide-angle camera can be equivalent to multiple cameras, providing wider views at relatively low cost; however, this kind of camera may be limited in installation, especially outdoors where wall mounting is the only option,” he explains.

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“As for mid-angle bullets, it depends greatly on installation environment and illumination. With 4-6mm on a 1/3-inch lens, whether the camera can capture a clear face or license plate rests with a certain detection distance and height, as well as abundant light. Importantly, mid-angle bullets can provide a favourable price, so there is still a case to be made.

“With low cost turrets, it depends on the application and the camera in question. Normally, in a professional application, low-cost is not an important consideration, however, required functions like IP67, HLC, etc, do matter.”

Qiu’s dream cameras has holistic properties that enhance the overall security function, as well as strong surveillance capabilities.

“A combination of AI technology and starlight performance would be my dream camera,” Qiu says. “With deep learning algorithms, video metadata would accurately classify people, vehicles and non-motor vehicles, while parameter protection would reduce false alarms to make surveillance more efficient. At the same time, starlight performance would guarantee a colourful image in low light environments.”

Vivotek’s Farshid Parhizkari argues that the fixed dome camera is the most flexible and popular type of CCTV camera in a typical installation because there are many different designs and options available.

“I think there is a place for PTZs, too, but I think the market needs PTZ cameras that can provide good image quality at night-time when the lens is fully zoomed in,” Parhizkari explains.

“When it comes to MP cameras, it depends on scenario. I think high resolution wide angle cameras are very practical if they are used to cover a large area, however, bandwidth usage at high frame rate and low light performance is important when the users decide to use high resolution wide angle cameras.

“Meanwhile, 360 cameras are very useful for observation with no blind spots, however, the biggest weakness of 360 cameras is the PPM (pixels per metre) or the details compromised with the huge field of view created by fisheye lens.”

Parhizkari says there is a case to be made for mid-angle bullets (4-6mm on a 1/3-inch lens) in applications where face recognition and LPR but other factors apply.

“The focal length is only one factor in selecting the right camera for a proposed application,” he says. “There are lots of other factors, such as the quality of image sensor, shutter speed, quality of lens, WDR, frame rate, etc, that are required for the cameras might be used for facial recognition or ALPR. However, if the camera meets these other considerations, 4-6 mm lenses cameras are usable in scenarios where PPM requirement is met.

“In my opinion, turret cameras are king of dome

Wide angle views are great on the street.

shape of bullet cameras,” he explains. “If the design and performance are ok, turret cameras may even be good enough for pro applications. However, turret cameras are usually classified as entry level and are only popular in specific regions - ANZ is one of the regions that is quite interested in turret cameras.”

When it comes to Parhizkari’s dream camera, he, too, takes an holistic operational view.

“This is a very interesting question,” he says.

“IP cameras are complicated devices and every single factor is developed over years to fit to an application. However, my dream camera would be a modular camera that allows users to select the form factor (case, body type, enclosure), and fit their desired camera module into the case that fits their purpose. This camera should be capable of being programmed by the SI for a specific scenario, such as particular video analytics.”

Do the latest generations of cameras ever disappoint Parhizkari in terms of their performance?

“Because of nature of CCTV camera technology, which heavily relies on the power of system on a chip, and the quality of image sensors and lenses, camera performance is improving significantly,” he says. “There is still a big gap to be filled in terms of common standards, which I believe will be much better in the future with ONVIF profile T and OSSA platform. Mechanical design, aesthetic and

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● Special report

Video Surveillance

practicality are other factors that will be improved a lot in upcoming years and I believe higher resolution at high frame rate with sophisticated compression technologies, low light performance and on-edge video analytics will be an ongoing trend.”

Ryan Shi of Hikvision argues the most flexible CCTV camera form factor in a typical application is the bullet camera.

“A varifocal, all-in-one bullet would be the most flexible choice for different applications, such as day/night, indoor/outdoor, far/near, extensive mounting adaptability, ceiling/wall/pendant mount, etc, with a built-in adjustable bracket,” he says. “Advanced components like sensor, lens, IR LED and AI chip can also be fitted into the case, allowing further enhancement of the performance of the camera.

“There is certainly still a place for PTZ cameras.

Surveillance users can’t always put numerous camera around a site and cover all scenarios, With PTZs, the strong scene coverage and ability to target details benefit the operator and the user, thanks to 360-degree coverage and zooming capability.

Other PTZ forms like positioning cameras and laser PTZs would also be very useful for special applications.

“With higher MP camera solutions, multi-sensor cameras would be much effective than single senor ones. Multi-sensor cameras deliver better coverage, less distortion and broader scenarios adaptability than single lens wide angle camera, of which the usage would be merely limited to stadiums or large spaces.”

Shi says that for fisheye cameras, 360-degree coverage with one camera, heat mapping/counting are the most attractive features, while distortion is

THE MARKET NEEDS PTZ CAMERAS THAT CAN PROVIDE GOOD IMAGE QUALITY AT NIGHT-TIME WHILE THE LENS IS FULLY ZOOMED IN. the biggest weakness – he says panoramic models are a better-balanced choice.

When it comes to applications where face recognition and LPR are required through variable lighting conditions, Shi says camera performance is a major consideration.

“AI-related applications, like face recognition and LPR, require much finer installation and calibration than other applications,” Shi explains. “Such applications are more challenging when there is strong backlight, or too little light. For AI algorithms, image quality is the basis, so a camera with better image quality and an adjusted lens would be much more helpful.”

Meanwhile, Shi’s dream camera is AI-equipped, offers the best image quality, has a modern design, and a suite of functionalities that take into consideration specific application and installation requirements.

Jacques du Toit of Axis Communications says a typical application needs some form of operational criteria.

“There are many reasons people would choose to install surveillance systems and often it is to do with the monitoring of people within an area for one of two reasons, safety or crime,” he explains.

“In the case of the first, it is often the practice that these cameras should be discreet, so dome form factors are preferable, and in most cases, these are the most versatile.

“However, in terms of the second, deterrence is usually better than the need to react to something which has been see in the footage. Therefore, a more intrusive camera form factor is chosen to deter the crime from happening in the first place.

This is normally in the form of a full body or bullet form factor.”

According to du Toit, there is still a place for PTZ cameras in large CCTV applications.

“Absolutely, PTZ cameras provide you several options not offered by fixed cameras,” he says. “The main purpose of a PTZ camera would be to provide better detail of an incident. This used to require a person physically monitoring the cameras and controlling the PTZ. However, these days we can rely on onboard analytics to ensure that people or objects are effectively tracked throughout a scene.

This can be done by pairing the camera to a radar or even having it react to external audio sources, thus requiring less human intervention to get the camera looking where the action is happening.

“And high resolution cameras certainly have their place in surveillance systems, too, especially

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when you have a large open area to cover it can be more effective to cover the whole scene with a single camera and then digitally zoom in on the specific incident when reviewing,” du Toit says. “That said, most high-resolution cameras perform fairly poorly in low light scenes, though this is improving on more modern cameras and also depends heavily on the lens and sensor combination.

“The main downside I’d say with these cameras is the bandwidth and storage requirements of extremely high-resolution cameras. These often end up costing far more than having multiple smaller resolution cameras providing different angles of the same scene. I do acknowledge that there is a big benefit to the overview in terms of situational awareness.”

When it comes to the strengths of 360 wide-angle cameras, du Toit says they are great for overviews and situational awareness.

“They provide an image which can be dewarped so that a user can better understand what is happening in the image. They are often overused and expected to provide a much higher level than should be expected,” he says. “People assume that because the camera has such a high resolution it will provide a clear image of everything happening within the scene and this is not the case. When used as intended, these 360-degree cameras are an extremely useful addition to a surveillance system, they are, however, not a replacement for a fixed camera when trying to see more details.”

According to du Toit, he hasn’t seen many midrange bullet cameras used in recent times, other than for crime deterrence use cases.

“For facial recognition applications, the trend is to try to use discreet means, which tends towards domes,” he says. “With regards to LPR, a case can be made for the shorter lens options, specifically around controlled entrances. The camera would need to be mounted in the perfect location as they have limited zoom capabilities, and when the detail for LPR is a high requirement, often larger lens options provide more flexibility in terms of the installation.

“With low cost turret cameras, I would fully agree that use would depend on the application of the camera,” says du Toit. “Low cost turret cameras are often fixed lens cameras, which means no control over the field of view of the cameras, which means in turn, that you may be wasting storage and bandwidth if you are capturing irrelevant areas within the field of view of the camera. That, together with the often-limited IR functionality, would normally mean that these types of cameras are best suited for residential or non-professional applications, with a goal of deterrence.”

When it comes to a dream camera, du Toit wants lots of resolution, a big sensor and a longish focal length.

“My current ‘semi-reasonable’ dream camera

would be a 4K dome with a 4/3-inch sensor and 10-22mm zoom, allowing for the best possible low light images,” he says. “I’d want Optimised IR for prevention of IR blow out when the camera into black and white, and Axis’ Zipstream technology applied to H.265 for the lowest possible bandwidth and storage requirements.”

Do the latest generations of cameras ever disappoint du Toit, in terms of their performance?

“In simple terms, yes,” he says. “I’ve found that as we push for ever more processor power and capabilities on the cameras, it does appear as though there are cameras which are no longer focusing on the basics of what a camera does. That is to say, provide a clear image to the end user in as many varying lighting conditions as possible.

“Every manufacturer has their own opinion of what the best image is supposed to be, and this requires the end user to understand what each manufacturer is trying to put forward as their reasoning for the image which their products produce. This can be confusing to the end users and often times means that they simply go for the ‘pretty picture’ as this is what they are used to from their personal imaging devices.

“If the industry as a whole could decide what is needed in order to produce the most useful surveillance imaging, that would enable end users to focus on the extras each manufacturer is offering, rather than wondering why everyone’s images are so different.” n

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● Case study

Collins Arch

SECURING COLLINS ARCH Integriti platform by Inner Range has been chosen to secure the Collins Arch base-build and many of the prestigious tenancies within the complex. ollins Arch developers chose Expert Security to handle the integration. Expert Security is an Integriti specialist and has had a long history of successly installing large scale systems.

The first stage of the Collins Arch project includes integrations of the Milestone VMS platform, Kone Elevators and ANPR systems to the Integriti platform. The platform itself includes over 200 doors and numerous security detection points.

“Integriti not only has the ability to secure premises with its user-friendly integrated access control and intruder functions, but also through its suite of integrations and smart building functions,” said Inner Range’s Mark Cunnington.

“Collins Arch will house numerous high net-worth individuals in its multi-million-dollar apartments, as well in the accompanying 5-Star hotel and luxury office space. This group of residents requires systems that complement the luxury setting, while providing a level of protection that is only provided by the most sophisticated security equipment.”

The first level of security and convenience at Collins Arch is achieved through the automatic number plate recognition integration (ANPR). When a resident or other authorised user drives up to the parking entrance their number plate is read. The results are transmitted to Integriti through a highlevel interface (HLI). After matching the vehicles number plate to a valid user, Integriti automatically opens the gate allowing the user direct access to the car park. Future upgrades would make it possible for Integriti to turn on the lights in the car park, activate a lighting scene in the resident’s apartment, and turn the cooling on.

In the event that a vehicle’s number plate has been blacklisted or is not recognised, Integriti can

C

take actions such as activating a security camera, notifying on-site security, or playing an automated message over an integrated PA system to the driver.

The number of actions available are virtually limitless due to the high number of 3rd party systems that are integrated to Integriti.

According to Cunnington, the integration between Milestone ACM and Integriti helps residents feel secure from the moment they enter the carpark.

“Milestone is an industry-leading CCTV video management system which, when combined with Integriti, is capable of assisting security personal to protect high net-worth individuals as soon as the number plate on their vehicle is read,” he said. “This can be achieved by Integriti triggering all cameras between the car park entry and the resident’s apartment to be automatically displayed on the video wall in the security office. An image of the individual who needs protection can also be displayed to assist security personal.”

Once the resident arrives at the Kone elevator, which also has an HLI to Integriti, they swipe their card on the access control reader. Within a second Integriti checks which levels the user has access to and gives the resident the ability to select any of the approved levels by pressing the relevant button in the Kone lift. Once a button is pressed, Integriti will disable all other buttons and record which level the user has selected. Integriti can then trigger Milestone to display the elevator camera, as well as the cameras on the destination floor, on the video wall in the security room.

Finally, the resident enters their apartment with virtually no interaction with the high security systems keeping them safe. The next time they leave their apartment the entire process begins again with virtually no interruption to their daily life.

According to Cunnington, to cater for these types of systems Inner Range recently introduced its Enterprise Account Management team. n

COLLINS ARCH WILL HOUSE NUMEROUS HIGH NET-WORTH INDIVIDUALS IN ITS MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR APARTMENTS, 5-STAR HOTEL AND LUXURY OFFICE SPACE.

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Proudly brought to you by

● Regulars

Monitoring

Your Monitoring Specialists

1300 130 515

www.bensecurity.com.au

Class 5 Alarm Sensors In this Q&A, SEN speaks with Gallagher’s Phil Marr and Pedro De Jesus to find out what’s so special about Class 5 security sensors and how secure they are, as well as chatting about security and perimeter solutions that feed into the overall capability of alarm access solutions and, ultimately, professional monitoring systems.

JA: High security sensors and secure communications paths to meet Class 5 standards – what’s that all about and why is it important for some end users to ensure not only do they use the best sensors but also ensure they can’t be compromised in any way?

PM: Class 5 solutions were developed in line with Australian Standards AS/ NZS 2201.5-2008 and are used to ensure the protection of Zone 3 areas. These areas are restricted and need an assured solution to protect them. Devices utilised in these areas need to be tested/certified to ensure they cannot be compromised, not only by external threats but to also protect against the trusted insider.

Most commercial detection devices utilise a resistor network; however, with basic electronic knowledge these networks can be defeated. But by utilising polled, encrypted end of line devices, this task becomes infinitely more complex. Another subset of this is the installation and maintenance

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF POWERED FENCE SOLUTIONS OVER THE STATIC PERIMETER SOLUTIONS IS THE ABILITY TO DETER, DETECT AND DELAY AN ATTACK.

tasks that have been identified to ensure continued compliance. This solution has been developed for use in government installations; however, it can be adopted by any commercial application that has a requirement for additional layers of security, for example, financial, corrections, research, data centres etc.

JA: Would you agree that in perimeter applications and on larger sites, careful sensor choices and clever zones of powered fence solutions allows the best integration with CCTV and alarm management software?

PDJ: Absolutely, for larger sites sensor choice and zoning is vital to achieving the best possible level of security when integrating with CCTV and alarm management systems. I am a strong advocator for layered solutions to allow for early detection, a deterrent, together with video verification and a detailed audit trail of the sequence of events.

Sensor choice is a big discussion and selecting the correct sensor type can be challenging, common technologies are vibration, acoustic, fibre and microwave.

Each of these technologies can have different specifications as to how long or big zones can be, whether zones can be software controlled or need to be physical zones, and performance can vary depending on the structure

they are monitoring. While experience in such applications is a significant advantage, I highly recommend trialling the technology at the facility prior to roll out. This way factors such as local environmental conditions and system performance can be monitored over time – I’ve found this very beneficial on several major projects.

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Proudly brought to you by

Your Monitoring Specialists

1300 130 515

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It’s a lot easier nowadays as both perimeter and camera technologies have advanced significantly, allowing us greater flexibility and interfacing when designing solutions.

JA: Will we ever see alarm sensors as edge devices communicating directly over the internet, or is there no need for this?

PM: With the current push for IoT this is a distinct possibility moving forward.

It would allow for more devices in different locations to be able to provide a more accurate picture of what is occurring. However, with this push we need to also ensure that the solution provided is robust and secure. Having devices such as these communicating on the internet will expose a new vulnerability which could be exploited remotely.

Clever zoning is important for both technologies, however, for powered fence solutions zoning is all important – such as where there are entry and exit gates.

Configuring them as separate zones allows people to arm/disarm the gate zone for safe entry/exit while the wider perimeter remains secure. Clever zoning allows for a quick response, especially

when CCTV is used as a complementary technology – the shorter the zones the quicker the response will be.

Having video verification of the event allows the security team to coordinate response to ensure the best course of action is followed when an alarm is raised in the alarm management software or at the monitoring centre.

JA: When you’re pushing intrusion detection out of buildings towards the edge of a site, how effective are powered fence solutions compared to more static perimeter sensor choices?

PDJ: The effectiveness of powered fence solutions over the static perimeter solutions is the ability to deter, detect and delay an attack. Delay is the key; it has been shown that if a site is easy to break into (without a powered fence) prospective intruder are more likely to target them than one with a powered fence.

Static sensors can and are often installed as part of a layered perimeter solution where they can act as an early warning alarm before someone attempts to attack a powered fence (MPF). This is common in correctional facilities where beams are installed in a sterile zone with an outer powered fence.

While static sensor technologies have come a long way, for commercial applications they fall short of delaying or deterring an intruder, making them more popular for lower security solutions, smaller confined areas, and where budgets don’t allow for a fully monitored perimeter fence. n

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● New product

Satel

SATEL OPAL PRO Satel OPAL Pro from Security Distributors Australia is an outdoor dual technology motion detector, which is ideally suited for use outside of the protected building, and in interiors where difficult or specific environmental conditions prevail.

ATEL’s OPAL Pro detector incorporates dual technology motion detection: PIR and MW. It also uses active IR antimasking (for indoor use). The device has a certificate of compliance with the high security requirements specified in EN 50131 for Grade 3: the detector can be used to protect the interiors of medium to high risk premises, like banks, museums, jewellery stores, etc.

OPAL Pro’s dual technology, in conjunction with the algorithm of detector auto-tuning to the environmental conditions, provides high immunity to false alarms and stable operation in harsh weather conditions, such as rain, snow, sunshine and strong gusts of wind. The device offers correct performance in a wide range of temperatures from -40°C to + 55°C, the ambient temperature changes being automatically compensated.

The detection angle of the OPAL Pro detector is as wide as 100 degrees and its range exceeds 15 m.

The creep zone is also protected, so any intruder’s attempt to sneak by under the device to damage or remove it will be detected. Additionally, the detector software is designed so as to prevent false alarms from being triggered by the movement of small pets.

OPAL Pro detector is provided with a dusk sensor for OC output control, which enables it to be used also in alarm systems with home automation

S

without having to install additional dusk detectors.

The signal from the low-current output can be sent directly to the relay located in the electrical switchboard or to the home automation controller.

The detector can also work in conjunction with the KNX system via an INTEGRA family control panel.

This OPAL Pro functionality makes possible simple and convenient control of roller shutters, building outdoor lighting, garage door or entrance gate etc, while the moment of operation can be selected with the precise sensitivity control.

Assisting an installer’s work is the function of remote change of the sensitivity of all detection circuits and dusk sensor with the OPT-1 keyfob, without having to re-open the detector enclosure many times to change the settings. The device enclosure is made using 2-component injection moulding technology. The splash-proof, IP54 rated design protects the OPAL Pro electronics against harmful atmospheric phenomena. In addition, the detector enclosure has high mechanical strength and is resistant to UV radiation. For more protection of the device against atmospheric precipitation and fouling, you can install the HOOD C (white) or HOOD C GY (grey) protective cover on the detector enclosure.

The OPAL Pro detector design enables it to be mounted directly on a flat surface. If the detector is to be tilted vertically or horizontally, you should use the dedicated angle or ball type brackets from the BRACKET C set (white) or BRACKET C GY set (grey). OPAL Pro detectors are available in 2 colour versions: white (OPAL Pro) and gray (OPAL Pro GY). n

FEATURES OF THE OPAL PRO INCLUDE:

l2 detection circuits: PIR and microwave lA ctive IR anti-masking for indoor

applications

lB uilt-in dusk sensor to use the detector in

automation systems

lC onfiguration of detection and dusk sensor

sensitivity circuits using PCB buttons

lB uilt-in receiver of OPT-1 IR keyfob signal

lR emote configuration of detection and

dusk sensor sensitivity circuits using OPT-1 keyfob

lS plash-proof polycarbonate enclosure,

IP54 rated

l Tamper protection against opening and

removal from mounting surface

lD igital temperature compensation for -40

to 55C conditions

lH igh immunity to false alarms as a result of

auto-tuning algorithm used

l Creep zone control l Immunity to small pets (up to 20 kg) l Low current consumption lC an be installed directly on flat surface or

by using dedicated brackets

lD istributor: Security Distributors

Australia, Contact: 1300 882 101.

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24/6/20 11:20 am

● Product review

Access Control

Cloud based Brivo app.

UNDERSTANDING ACCESS CONTROL When you’re considering access control solutions, it’s worth bearing in mind that properly applied, access control really is the heart of a proactive electronic security solution. But there’s complexity – many systems are controller-based, some live in the cloud, some are hybrid.

HEN you think about access control, one of the key challenges is recognising exactly what such a solution constitutes.

If you’re a cardholder, access control is a reader and a card. If you’re handling cardholder admin, it’s software management. If you’re a security manager, it’s meeting procedures, automated reports and ongoing card costs. But if you’re an installer, access control is more complicated – a sprawling network of readers, locks, door controllers and central controllers linked to local area networks via adjacent switches.

W

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BY J O H N A D A M S

Even this more nuanced view of the structure of an access control solution fails to capture the complexity and capability of the modern system.

That’s because access control brings together hardware, comms and software components in a way other electronic security systems don’t. Further, access control is increasing wedded to the network side – that includes cloud-based functionalities, hybrid cloud, and don’t even get started on the wireless solutions with local data collection points and remote cloud management – that’s a story for another time.

Access control systems, unlike unmonitored video surveillance or alarms, have the capability to act physically on the basis of system design, software rules and electrical inputs/outputs – whether that is by denying entry upon presentation of an unauthorised credential, the rejection of all cardholder entries in the event of fire, or failing safe/ open in the event of fire.

But just what constitutes an access control system and what gives these solutions their proactive power? At the heart of every access control system is the door controller, a solid-state board in a dedicated housing that’s located near every entry point in a building to provide control of local doors. As a rule, controllers handle 2 doors per board or a single door with access control in both directions. Expander boards offer exponential growth.

The door controller will provide power to electric strikes or magnetic locks via high current relays, along with Weigand reader inputs. There will also be inputs allowing door position to be reported in real time and outputs allowing activation of lights, cameras or operation of door strikes from a control room or the secure side of the door. Depending on the nature of the system, multiple 2-door controllers can be installed in parallel, or larger door controllers can handle high-rise applications.

Along with power for door hardware and alarm inputs, a modern 2-door controller will also feature a network input to allow connection to a common data network for monitoring and administration.

Once on the network, controllers can be managed locally or remotely, and they’ll appear seamlessly on central management software.

Another key element of door controllers, is event buffering and a cache that allows distributed intelligence in the event of network failure or overload. There will also be features like antipassback for those doors with inwards and outwards readers.

It’s important to point out here that not all door controllers are created equal – not so much in terms of quality but in terms of designed purpose. Some 2-door controllers are simply 2-door controllers that might store the details of 128 cardholders.

Going up a level there are door controllers that will handle 2 doors with a pair of readers (in and out) per door. Or they might handle 4 doors (with expansion to 8) and include 16 alarm zones, multiple

ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS, UNLIKE UNMONITORED VIDEO SURVEILLANCE OR ALARMS, HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO ACT PHYSICALLY ON THE BASIS OF SYSTEM DESIGN. areas and support 10,000 users standard. Then there are solutions that can handle 8 doors, 92,000 cardholders and 16 perimeter controllers. Then there’s lift control, automation and more.

Complicating the issue are powerful access control and alarm controllers which are capable of supporting small/medium business applications, or multiple business units or offices on a site. Such systems can also be networked to form corporate and enterprise solutions controlled by powerful software. These advanced systems reflect the integral role of door controllers as network-based modules in a modern access control solution.

Downstream of door controllers things are relatively straightforward, though there’s still plenty to think about. On the comms side, we’re talking RS-485 infrastructure, though Weigand is still out there. Then there’s door hardware starting out with electric strikes, electric mortise locks and electromagnetic locks.

You need to choose a locking device that offers the correct balance of security, economy, reliability and performance. You also need to be sure your

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● Product review

Access Control SOME OF THE LATEST LOCK DESIGNS INCORPORATE INCREASED ATTACK RESISTANCE AND ALARM CAPABILITIES.

locks offer the sort of alarm reporting capability you need, including door open too long and tamper.

Something else to bear in mind is that the some of the latest lock designs incorporate increased attack resistance and alarm capabilities – you need to take these features into account given they’ll option up your system’s security level. You also need to think about door closers when you’re installing locking hardware.

The other important element at the door is the reader and with readers you’ve got a number of considerations relating to security levels, initial costs, and lifetime cost of credential technology.

This latter applies most directly to card-based solutions and relates to the cost of administering and replacing physical cards – usually proximity or smart prox.

Card solutions include the ubiquitous 125Hz readers, 13.56MHz contactless smart card technologies and MIFARE and DESFire cards.

Depending on the readers chosen, you may have a combination of keypad, mag stripe, keypad and proximity, proximity-only, or smartprox.

Smartcards offer higher security levels, integration with payment systems and support for biometric credentials but at a higher card cost.

Then there are straight biometric readers, which increasingly include face recognition.

Biometric solutions kiss goodbye the ongoing cost of maintaining card libraries, which can be considerable over the life of a system. That’s appealing from an end user perspective.

When you think readers, you’ll also need to think about long range readers for vehicles and the

power and number of these will depend on what sort of business you are protecting. With cars and vans, standard prox card readers may be enough, but if there are heavy vehicles and your site includes boom gates, sliding gates and gatehouses, things go to another level altogether.

In a comprehensive access control solution, additional downstream devices will include alarm inputs (security, safety and fire protection), CCTV cameras, thermal cameras, perimeter detection devices and more. All these devices will increase the resolution – the sensitivity – of an electronic security system.

Upstream of the door controllers you’ll find network devices, network infrastructure, servers, workstations and attendant management software.

The ability to port to networks may be an integral part of door controllers but there may be expanders required. Think about network encryption here – 128-bit 3DES is preferable.

Network components are most likely to be those that make up your site’s data network. Access control and alarm signals are so small they take up no bandwidth on a modern network. Integrated video surveillance is in another dimension altogether but for the purposes of this discussion we’ll assume video runs on a subnet and is to be driven through integrated management software at a workstation or dedicated server level.

The nature of the network will dictate system monitoring. Enterprise-wide used to be a solution that only applied to the big boys – the biggest end users and expensive enterprise-focused access control solutions. That’s changing fast now, with easy connection of door controllers on a handful of sites, together with video integration allowing management fingertip sensitivity.

The integration of access control hardware into a network environment is also gathering way.

Controllers are being designed for rack mounting that will make location in network rooms and integration onto networks normal practice. We are also seeing virtual access control servers and some affordable solutions now offer location backup of events and authorisation databases, while allowing reporting and management via cloud or browser.

And while we’re talking about integration, there’s an increasing push to integrate access control with all manner of subsystems, including CCTV, visitor management, wider lift control, lighting, air conditioning, intercoms, smart key management solutions, deep learning-based analytics and plenty more. n

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Products

Editor’s choice NEW HID SIGNO PIN PROX READERS FROM CSD l HID’s new Signo pin and proximity range of HID physical access control products supporting past, present and future technologies and is perfect for transitioning to secure authentication technologies which includes mobile credentials.

The readers can be remotely managed via the HID reader manager app, which empowers installers to make necessary changes anytime, anywhere, reducing site visits and costs. These readers come in 2 different profiles, either the slimline reader or the wide profile reader, both available in a keypad version, and compatible will all high frequency technologies with mobile capabilities straight out of the box.

Distributor: CSD Contact: 1300 319 499

What’s new in the industry.

OPTEX VX INFINITY DUAL TECHNOLOGY SENSOR l OPTEX’S VX Infinity range from Hills has wired and wireless models and uses technology that combines passive infrared (PIR) and microwaves to boost the accuracy of the 12m by 90-degree adjustable sensor. The VX Infinity range is easy to install and has a number of innovations that increase accuracy and lessen the likelihood of false alarms, including SMDA Logic for advanced temperature compensation, and vegetation sway logic.

There’s 12m by 90-degree flexible detection pattern adjustable to 5 ranges, weight 500g (PIR) or 600g (dual technology), IP55 rated against weather and dust, active IR anti-masking for detecting covering objects (VXI-AM/DAM/RAM/RDAM only), tough mod dual technology based on OPTEX gold-plated microwave module (VXI-R/RAM/RDAM only), SMDA logic for advanced temperature compensation and environmental noise immunity, easy masking for over spill prevention, double conductive shielding against bright light disturbance and conduit/TX-battery case for both wired and wireless-ready models.

Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487

INTERLOGIX FIRMWARE UPGRADE FOR TECOM MEMORY EXPANSION MODULE

FHD RELEASES INTELICAM FACE RECOGNITION & THERMAL CAMERAS

l INTERLOGIX has announced the release of the latest firmware for the Tecom Memory Expansion Module.

Compatible with a comprehensive range of Tecom control panels, including the new Network Access Controller and ChallengerPlus control panel, the Tecom Memory Expansion Module expands the possibilities for Tecom security solution, according to Interlogix.

This release offers a range of improvements and resolves a number of issues such as improved stability during firmware updates, support for on-board component hardware changes and added ChallengerPlus compatibility.

l NEW Intelicam intelligent facial recognition and thermal cameras are now available from FHD to assist with detection and prevention of COVID-19.

Featuring advanced AI-powered facial recognition, automatic temperature measurements, mask detection and contactless detection. Also features access control through Wiegand 26/34 bit and ONVIF/RSTP compliant for integration into an NVR. Multiple mounting options such as a wall, column or freestanding offers flexibility and portability for both fixed and temporary installations/use cases.

Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487

Distributor: FHD Contact: 1300 888 343

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INNER RANGE INCEPTION VERSION 3.3 SUPPORTS NEDAP ANPR CAMERAS l INNER Range has released Inception Version 3.3, which

contains a host of new and user friendly features with the standouts being the integration of Nedap ANPR cameras and Nedap Door Free Access Control.

With Door Free Access Control users now can set a door to free entry or exit by simply double or triple badging that doors reader by simply enabling the Free Access Control option in the basic configuration. The ability to easily leave doors unlocked is a significant benefit for users of Inception and takes away many of the problems with setting strict time zones to perform actions such as unlocking the entrance door on a shop.

The Nedap integration also makes it easy for installers to setup an advanced feature like ANPR by following a simple 2-step process of activating the NEDAP ANPR credential template within Inception followed by adding the vehicle number plate to the users list of credentials.

In addition to the ANPR integration, Inception Version 3.3 adds automation. .

VIVOTEK FE9380-HV 5MP FISHEYE CAMERA l VIVOTEK’S 5MP FE9380-HV day/night camera is the newest addition to the VIVOTEK 360-degree fisheye family.

The FE9380-HV offers 360-degree IR illumination with a radius of up to 10m. It supports up to 30fps at full 5MP resolution as well as WDR Pro 120dB to maintain excellent image quality in high contrast lighting environments.

The camera has an IP66-rated housing for protection from rain and dust, as well as IK10-rated for robust protection against vandalism and uses H.265 compression technology. When combined with Smart Stream III, H.265 helps to reduce bandwidth and storage consumption up to 90 per cent.

Features of the VIVOTEK FE9380-HV 5MP Fisheye include H.265 compression, 30 fps @ 1920×1920, Smart Stream III, WDR Pro, built-in 10m IR illuminators, IP66-rated and IK10-rated housing, built-in MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card slot, Trend Micro IoT security, built-in microphone, local de-warping.

Distributors: ISCS, 1300 111 010 and Sensatek, 1300 791 426

Distributor: Inner Range Contact: +61 3 9780 4300

OPTICAL SYSTEMS DESIGN RELEASES OSD2184P POE SWITCH

PELCO SPECTRA 7 ENHANCED FROM BGW TECHNOLOGIES

l OPTICAL Systems Design has released its latest industrial grade Gigabit Ethernet switch, the OSD2184P. This is a 3-port (2 copper, 1 optical) unit offering Power over Ethernet which not only meets the latest IEEE802.3bt PoE specification but also supports older devices requiring IEEE802.3af/at or HDBase-T (PoH).

Each of the 2 RJ45 ports is capable of providing 90W of power with a total power budget of 120W thus enabling operation with the latest PoE devices such as IP cameras, wireless access points and microwave links. The compact OSD2184P can be easily mounted inside a network cabinet or smart pole located in any environment anywhere in Australia owing to its rugged IP30 casing, efficient thermal design and -40 to +75°C operating temperature range.

There are 2 versions available: the OSD2184P operating from 46 to 57VDC and the OSD2184PW operating from 12VDC to 57VDC. The units are designed and manufactured by OSD in NSW.

l SPECTRA Enhanced, the top tier high speed PTZ dome from Pelco, is an all-digital system delivering Full HD 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second, SureVision 3.0 (130dB WDR), a full suite of built-in analytics, electronic image stabilization, single cable HPOE installation in all models, and much more.

Features include HD optimized dome bubble technology, a revolutionary solid pendant design to eliminate vibration noise, 20x or 30x optical zoom, and precise 360-degree PTZ control. The camera’s 60 frames per second imaging can capture the critical details that can be lost due to motion blurring.

The electronic and mechanical architecture of Spectra Enhanced have been optimized to a level where video and PTZ latency performance is reminiscent of the days of analogue cameras.

Combined with smooth motor control, the new dome is responsive and easy to use.

Manufacturer: Optical Systems Design Contact: +61 2 9913 8540, sales@osd.com.au

Distributor: BGW Technologies Contact: +61 3 9646 2033

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Editor’s choice ALARM.COM OUTDOOR WI-FI CAMERA (ADC-V723) WITH VIDEO ANALYTICS l ALARM.COM outdoor Wi-Fi Camera (ADC-V723) offer installers’ customers an outdoor camera with high-quality live video, recorded video clips, and smarter video alerts with the ADC-V723.

“With a wide field of view, night vision, and high dynamic range (HDR), the ADC-V723 lets your customers see what’s important – no matter the time of day or lighting conditions,” says Alarm.com.

“Video analytics can detect and alert your customers of any person, vehicle, or animal on their property. With video analytics, your customers can know when: • A person enters the yard, but not animals • A car pulls into the driveway at night, but not when it drives past • When pets get on the sofa, but not when they are walking around the room • When someone loiters outback, but not when a delivery is being made • When a person accesses the wine and liquor closet, but not other storage areas.

What’s new in the industry.

GALLAGHER PROXIMITY AND CONTACT TRACING REPORT PROTECTS AGAINST COVID-19 l GALLAGHER’S Proximity and Contact Tracing Report, is designed to support organisations with fast and efficient contact tracing through the COVID-19 pandemic. The report identifies areas where an individual who has tested positive for an infectious virus, such as COVID-19, has been on site. At the same time, it identifies all other cardholders who shared these areas and therefore may have an elevated risk of infection.

This information gives businesses the critical insight required to act swiftly and keep people safe. Gallagher’s Proximity and Contact Tracing Report is available now, free of charge, to all Gallagher customers and is supported from Command Centre v7.90 or later.

Distributor: Gallagher Contact: +61 3 93087722 or sales.au@security.gallagher.com

Distributor: Alarm.com Contact: +61 422 438 402 or apac_sales@alarm.com

SALTO RELEASES NEW NEO CYLINDER l SALTO Systems has released the SALTO NEO Cylinder – a new electronic cylinder designed for doors where fitting an electronic escutcheon is not possible. NEO can be installed on standard doors, server racks, gates, cabinets, electric switches, sliding doors and more.

According to SALTO, NEO Cylinder’s IP66 rating makes it suitable for outdoor use. The re-engineered clutch system design also makes efficient use of energy, dropping consumption to low levels – 110,000 cycles with just one set of batteries.

Offering a choice of credentials, SALTO JustIN Mobile technology gives users and system administrators the capability to send or receive a mobile key to open any door or gate installed with a SALTO NEO Cylinder with their iOS or Android Bluetooth or NFCenabled smartphone.

Because the SALTO NEO Cylinder is compatible with SALTO SVN, SALTO BLUEnet Wireless and the SALTO KS – Keys as a Service – cloud-based technology, it can be switched to any of SALTO’s technology platforms at any time without changing the hardware.

SALTO says this allows businesses to decide which technology fits better with their security, operations and IT needs.

FLASHLOCK GIVES ACCESS IN A FLASH l FLASHLOCK by EKA CyberLock is designed to put access control in the palm of your hand. Using serial optical communications technology combined with a web-enabled device, administrators can issue access to any lock retrofitted with FlashLock.

They can send and receive duration limited access via text or email. Once users access the link, the screen of the handheld device will flash. Users simply hold the phone up to the FlashLock face. If used during their assigned access schedule the lock will flash and the knob can be turned. If used outside of their access schedule, the flashing screen will not open the lock.

FlashLock eliminates the need to worry about lost, stolen, or copied keys. With FlashLock, your mobile device is your key. For everyday use, FlashLock can also be opened using a simple and compact FlashLock fob.

To adjust or remove permissions, a user-friendly, web-based interface allows customers to make changes at any time.

Distributor: Davcor Contact: +61 2 9612 4710

Contact: SALTO Distributors in ANZ

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AXIS RELEASES P3715-PLVE CCTV CAMERA WITH 360 IR l New from Axis is the P3715 network camera with a 2x2 MP dual sensor multidirectional camera featuring 360-degree IR coverage. The AXIS P3715-PLVE offers 2 channels with 2MP per channel, at a frame rate of 30 fps. With its peanut-shaped dome design, this multidirectional camera offers cost-effective installation and flexible positioning of both varifocal camera heads.

Each head can be controlled individually, so you can capture scenes in 2 directions in wide angle or zoomed-in views. It features Axis Lightfinder and Axis Forensic WDR for true colours and great details in challenging or poor light.

Remote zoom and focus capabilities ensure fast and accurate installation. The camera also has Zipstream with support for H.264, which significantly lowers bandwidth and storage requirements.

Features of the Axis P3715-PLVE include 2 x 2MP, multidirectional camera, with one IP address, tan, tilt, rotate capabilities, 360-degree IR illumination, Axis Lightfinder and Forensic WDR, and Zipstream with support for H.264.

DUOX PLUS 2-WIRE VIDEO INTERCOM BY FERMAX AUSTRALIA l DUOX PLUS is the next evolution in the FERMAX DUOX 2-Wire Video Intercom System offering better performance, increased capacity, faster and more user-friendly design with remote smartphone app connectivity via FERMAX Blue.

DUOX works over any kind of cable; Cat5 or Cat6, 4 core, 6 core and Figure-8 cabling. Install any kind of topology: Star, daisy-chain, distribution.

There’s the same cabling and configuration for audio or video, no distributors or switchers in the main riser, immunity against analogue interferences or humming as it is a full digital system, easy programming via OSD menu, no dip switches 0r jumpers needed for monitor’s programming, less than 5 seconds to program a monitor, and picture capture memory by default in all DUOX monitors. There’s also the ability to handle distances up to 500m between devices and 999,999 apartments.

Distributor/Manufacturer: Fermax Contact: +61 2 9700 1700

Distributor: Axis distributors

NEDAP NVITE MULTI-TECHNOLOGY ACCESS READER FROM ISCS

NEW GALLAGHER AND KEYWATCHER INTERFACE RELEASED

l NVITE is a multi-technology IP65 reader that enables contactless identification and supports a wide range of credentials such as MIFARE (DESFire), HID iCLASS, Prox cards, QR codes, BLE, NFC and more.

NVITE is the perfect match when enabling multiple credentials at a door for a variety of users such as staff, tenants and visitors. The diverse range of supported credential technologies allows for easy retrofitting to sites that wish to continue using current credentials.

The QR code reader is a key element that allows NVITE to be an effective reader for visitor management. The NVITE reader will easily communicate with existing access control systems on a site as it supports industry standard protocols, such as Wiegand, RS485 – with OSDP support for secure communication between the NVITE and the controller.

Nedap offers the Nedap Mobile ID Protocol, which ensures secure communication between the NVITE and a third-party mobile application.

The NVITE reader and the third-party app will perform a secure 3-pass authentication to ensure that both reader and mobile app are authentic.

l AST has recently finished work on a new high-level interface between Gallagher access control systems and the Morse Watchman KeyWatcher electronic key management solution.

Using the latest Gallagher Version 8.20 Command Centre REST API and KeyMaaS REST API, the new interface now allows management of all KeyWatcher systems through Gallagher Command Centre.

Some of the significant improvements that are available with this new interface include: • Support around interfacing different generations and models of KeyWatchers. Both the KeyWatcher Illuminated and KeyWatcher Touch products can be used consecutively through the support of a dual platform.

• Support around mapping SmartKey, Key Group and User profiles with Command Centre Access groups which in turn allows for complete database management through Command Centre • Support around multi profiling where multiple access groups can be assigned to a cardholder.

Contact: Benjamin Cho, Benjamin.cho@nedap.com Distributor: ISCS 1300 111 010

Distibutor: AST Contact: sales@astpl.com.au

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Help desk

Q: How does RFI cause false alarm in intrusion sensors, what are the symptoms of this interference, how can we find sources, and how can we defend against it in our alarm installations?

A: If powerful radio waves get onto electronic circuits they interfere with normal operation and, in the case of alarm sensors, the impact of this interference is false alarms caused when RFI energy throws off the signals of a sensor’s electronic circuits. Many sensors have protection in the 10MHz to 1000MHz range, with sensors able to handle the impact of RF energy at 30V/m (volts per metre) generally accepted to be RFI immune.

In terms of overall understanding, consider that the 10MHz to 1000MHz range represents the mid to upper end of the radio frequency band and it’s in this area that most RFI related problems occur. Important to consider is the nature of this energy itself. In free space, all electromagnetic waves, regardless of their speed of vibration, move at just under 300,000km per hour and they scarcely slow down as they pass through air, water, or solids. These waves can’t be observed and it’s only when they encounter objects that there are noticeable effects.

When a stray electromagnetic wave contacts with a copper wire or part of a circuit, a voltage is induced into the path - the stronger the wave,

Our panel of experts answers your questions.

the higher the voltage generated. This abnormal voltage interferes with operation of electronic circuits. Symptoms are hard to predict – you may have false alarms, no alarms, trouble indications – it depends on the strength of the induced signal.

Manufacturers of quality passive infrared and dual technology sensors will use an RF test chamber (Tem Cell) to bombard their boards with energy. Use of the Tem Cell to challenge sensor boards allows sensor design and tuning to be adjusted under workshop conditions, while boards are subjected to the fiercest RF exposure they’re ever likely to face and will design boards to resist RFI. If you’re not using sensors with quoted RFI resistance ratings, there’s no guarantee such steps have been taken.

There are 2 strategies when it comes to dealing with RFI. In the first instance, it’s possible to use filters of arc snubbers at the source, to relocate equipment or cables, use ground insulators in the signal path or add cable shields or ferrules.

Alternatively, RF can be filtered out after coupled with cables but upstream of sensitive equipment. In the first instance, the source can be resolved using an RF filter. Depending on the source you can use an AM radio tuned to a quiet frequency to

find wideband RFI – move around the area and hold the radio up to potential sources and listen for interference.

You can also be RF defensive by keeping avoiding cable coils, by keeping cable runs short and routing them close to metal racks or concrete floors to reduce antenna effects. You can use shielded cables with foil and drain wire shields.

Oxidised connections can gather RF – clean connections with contact fluid. Avoid unnecessary grounds and use ground isolators in challenging signal paths – use quality types to ensure signal quality is maintained.

It’s also possible to place RFI filters in the signal path – ferrite clamshells are easy to install over cables, including Cat-6 – and work best when located at the receive end of the run. You can also add RFI filtration to the signal line. If you have a range of ferrules including larger clams and beads, it’s possible to select the filter that works the best for your interference.

Q: Should day/night cameras only be installed with IR corrected lenses?

What is the impact on performance if they are not?

A: When you’re using day/night CCTV cameras, IR corrected lenses are vital

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for outdoor applications and any indoor applications with artificial lighting. Some techs might think you’d only use IR corrected lenses when installing cameras in support of IR illumination but that’s not the case, because natural light and some light sources also contain elements of the IR spectrum.

Day/night camera manufacturers push IR sensitivity in their cameras as hard as they can to increase minimum scene illuminations and that means that when an ordinary lens is used, the scene may be out of focus in night mode. Essentially this happens because the wavelength of IR light is different from that of visible light and this creates a displaced focal point in a viewed scene.

When a tech sets a fixed camera focus correctly for daytime with an ordinary lens, as soon as IR illumination becomes a dominant light source with the cut filter removed, focus is lost. You can go around a network fitted with PTZs or remotely adjustable lens cameras and manually refocus every night but it’s a high touch solution. An IR-corrected lens rectifies the issue by focusing both the visible and the infrared light in the same vertical plane to remove IR chromatic aberrations. This means a sharper picture with the cut filter removed, because all light available to the camera is being focused in the same plane.

Artificial light sources with a significant IR component include halogen, high pressure sodium, fluorescent, incandescent and high-pressure mercury. If you’re using colour cameras, IR-corrected lenses will also make a difference to colour correctness and image quality. Something to consider is that the latest cameras will execute an automatic refocus when they go from day to night mode. But not all do so – you’ll soon notice which don’t. Finally, locking a camera in day mode will avoid the issue, so long as colour performance after dark is supported by ambient lighting.

Q: How would you recommend supporting cabling from devices located in positions that are accessible to vandalism?

A: AS 2201.1 states that where security cabling is liable to damage it must be monitored and protected by conduits,

piping, ducts or cover strips installed in accordance with AS3000. Conduit can either be of tough PVC or better still, metal tubing. Further, the standard dictates that wiring of control equipment must be arranged so that it passes through a wall into the rear of equipment, with any exposed wiring in such a cable run protected by a tamper protection circuit.

A conduit that meets the standards outlined by AS 2052 or 2053 must encase the wiring. If you’re really battling, consider supporting the zone with wireless where possible.

Q: Fresnel PIR Sensor Lenses: Which Is Best?

A: We’ve heard there are 2 different types of Fresnel lens, one being better than the other in alarm sensor applications. Has SEN heard anything about this?

A: There are 2 types of ‘fresnel’ lens – one type has a design based on lighthouse lenses and can be manufactured anywhere in the world. The second type is manufactured by a US-based company called Fresnel.

PIR lenses manufactured by Fresnel Inc. are based on the same technology as the others with their own variations. The key different is that Fresnel Inc. stamps its lenses, it doesn’t mould them. What the better optics of the stamping process mean is that PIR gain doesn’t need to be

turned up as far when using these lenses, enhancing performance and reliability.

If overall sensor design is good and there’s a reasonable signal-to-noise ratio, sensor stability is improved, in part because amplification raises noise levels significantly because a PIR’s pyroelectric signal is miniscule. Given typical PIR signal is down at microvolt levels, PIR gain needs to amplify the signal 1000s of times – not surprisingly, this means any induced noise will be amplified, too. Better lenses mean lower amplification, mean better performance.

Fresnel offers 7 series of PIR Fresnel lens arrays, along with assorted types – each series contains different lens arrays, each of which has the same mechanical size and shape but offers a different detection pattern. Fresnel also collaborates on custom lens designs at no charge, which is awesome. n

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Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers

& Networks JULY 2020 ISSUE 422

BEST CAMERA FORM FACTOR

l SAGE, ASIS Fire Up Plans For SAGE 2020 l Perfect Security Electronics Tool Box l Cyber Security: Security Integrators Must Harden Up l Case Study: Gallagher Secures Waikato DHB l The Interview Joe Qui, TVT Digital Technology l Review: UNV 4MP LightHunter Dome Camera l Case Study: Securing Collins Arch Precinct l Alarm Monitoring: Class 5 Alarm Sensors l New Product: Satel Opal Pro External Sensors l Product Review: Bosch Remote Portal

PP 100001158

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events Security Essen Date: September 22-25, 2020 Venue: Messe Essen, Messeplatz 1, Essen, Germany Contact: +49 (0)201 72 44-524 Security Essen 2018 draws 950 exhibitors from 43 countries to show their security and safety innovations to 36,000 visitors from 125 nations at Messe Essen, Germany.

SECURITY & GOVERNMENT EXPO

Security and Government Expo 2020

Date: November 12, 2020 Venue: Realm Hotel, Canberra Contact: Monique +61 2 9280 4425 SAGE 2020 is the perfect opportunity for government and commercial end users, as well as integrators, installers and consultants, to see the latest security products and technologies in the nation's capital.

+

Intersec Dates: January 24-26, 2021 Venues: Dubai World Trade Centre Contact: +971 4 389 4500 Intersec, the leading trade fair for Security, Safety & Fire Protection, with its unique product diversity and thousands of influential trade buyers, is one of the most important industry meeting points with influence across the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

SecTech Roadshow 2021 Dates: May 2021 Venues: 5 city Australian tour Contact: Monique Keatinge +61 2 9280 4425 SecTech Roadshow in its 6th year takes leading electronic security manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers on a national tour.

Security 2021 Exhibition & Conference

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Date: July 21-23, 2021 Venue: International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sydney Contact: +61 3 9261 4662 Security Exhibition & Conference is the industry's annual opportunity to reunite for 3 days of quality networking and education.

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Manufactured to Australian Standards Designed for the Security Industry

SECURITY

7/020

Shielded

14/020

DATA

CAT 5E

CAT 6

ACCESS CONTROL REX / Breakglass Card Reader Tongue Sense, Handle Position, Reed Lock Power

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