What is a PTZ camera?
PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt, Zoom. A PTZ camera can be remotely controlled allowing it to move up and down as well as zoom in on potentially important targets. You can also program a tour between pre-set points. In theory PTZ cameras sound great, they can cover large areas and even zoom in when more detail is required.

There are 2 frequencies in use, 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz. In theory 5.8 GHz wireless transmission is supposed to suffer less interference than 2.4 GHz but that is changing as more and more devices switch to the higher frequency. The higher frequency also tends to be blocked more readily by solid objects such as walls. Whether you choose 2.4 or 5.8 GHz there is one thing which is unavoidable, the power limit imposed on unlicensed wireless devices in the UK. Keep this in mind if you ever watch a demonstration of wireless CCTV technology, was it made in the UK using unlicensed equipment or overseas where no such limitations exist?

A network video recorder (NVR) is a software program that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other mass storage device. An NVR contains no dedicated video capture hardware. However, the software is typically run on a dedicated device, usually with an embedded operating system. Alternatively, to help support increased functionality and serviceability, standard operating systems are used with standard processors and video management software. An NVR is typically deployed in an IP video surveillance system.

Network video recorders are distinct from digital video recorders (DVR) as their input is from a network rather than a direct connection to a video capture card or tuner. Additional processing may be done at the NVR, such as further compression or tagging with meta data.

Motion detection works through the software in the NVR system by recording video when pixels in the image change. Most Security NVR’s offer a sensitivity scale so the user can set the sensitivity of the motion detection.

Hardware Compression: Both Capturing Video Signal and Compressing Video Signal are done by DSP chipset integrated on NVR Board. It doesn't need the computer's CPU to do this work. It's low cost of CPU and RAM resources. In this system the computer CPU's task focus on answering network request, streaming the video/audio to network and saving recorded data to local hard disk.

Software Compression: The NVR Board only capture video signal but doesn't compress it, it is the computer CPU and RAM to do this compression work. It's high cost of CPU and RAM resources. In this system the computer CPU and RAM are often overloaded. It is easier to crash than hardware compression system.

This is due to the depth of field changing as the light conditions change and can be easily overcome by following set procedures.

Yes, lenses are usually specified as having a minimum and maximum 'f' stop rating; the 'f' stop is a measure of how efficiently the lens allows light from the scene, to pass through the lens and onto the camera CCD sensor. The maximum aperture (when the lens is fully open), is the minimum 'f' stop number and the minimum aperture, (just before the lens completely closes) is the maximum 'f' stop number.

Open Network Video Interface Forum is a global and open industry forum with the goal of facilitating the development and use of a global open standard for the interface of physical IP-based security products – or, in other words, to create a standard for how IP products within video surveillance and other physical security areas can communicate with each other. ONVIF is an organization started in 2008 by Axis Communications, Bosch Security Systems and Sony.

It was officially incorporated as a non-profit Delaware corporation on November 25, 2008. ONVIF membership is open to manufacturers, software developers, consultants, system integrators, end users and other interest groups that wish to participate in the activities of ONVIF. The ONVIF specification aims to achieve interoperability between network video products regardless of manufacturer.

Camera housings come in various shapes and sizes. With regard to the correct IP rating protection, this will range from dust and water ingress. This system is governed by a number of European and British standards.

Protected against dust - limited ingress. Protection against low-pressure jets of water.

Protection against low pressure jets of water from all directions - limited ingress permitted

An AC current that can be produced in a cable. This is usually caused by parts of the system being fed from different electrical sources resulting in different earth potentials at each end. The result is interference on the signal, usually in the form of dark bands across the monitor and on occasion tearing in the top third of the image.

This can be achieved in a number of ways, the easiest of which is the installation of a Ground Loop Isolation Transformer. This is best installed at the monitor or recording end of the system.

What is access control?
Directing who is admitted into your building or office, which areas they are allowed in and at what times defines the process of access control.

Managed access control allows the user to keep their focus on their work, not their doors and alarms.

Basic access control systems can be purchased and installed by a vendor, or self-installed, but are not supported by a service staff. With managed access control, a company assists you in running everything access control related at your property.

A managed access control provider walks you through each step of the process and continues to work with you throughout the life of your system. In addition to the installation and maintenance of your system, managed access control provides programming assistance (activating and de-activating credentials, changing permission levels, hours, etc.) and monitors your doors and office space.

Key fobs are small, plastic devices individually programmed with your access privileges. It has a small hole to fit on a key ring. Treat your key fob like you would a regular key—because it is a kind of key!

Yes, your key fob can go through security and it won’t get deprogrammed. Do keep it with your other keys and personal items in the basket when you go through screening.

From one person to thousands of people. There is no limit, in terms of technology, to how many people, or how many doors you want to control.

Anyone who has access to your network with the correct level of authority.

There are many manufacturers of these systems, and a wide variety of ‘bolt on’ options. It’s critical to choose the right system or ‘platform’ as you will be stuck with it in the future. Once you have made the investment in the software, training, badge technology and hardware, it’s prohibitive, in terms of cost to switch to another manufacturer.

The principle of these systems is that from a central location, you can truly control who goes in or out of any door, anywhere on the system, during what hours. There are a variety of alerts that can be enabled, such as if a door has been held open, or forced open, or if the emergency break glass has been broken.

Typically, there is a reading device at each door, which accepts swipe cards, or more typically is a proximity reader. This device can ‘read’ the information on a badge or fob from 2 or 3 inches. There are other readers with a longer read range, that help people comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

It is often wrongly considered that Door Access Control will always provide full secure control of who is restricted and who is granted access through doors. A door can be held open for someone or it is sometimes impractical to control a very busy door that sees a lot of pedestrian traffic. Only the use of pedestrian turnstiles and barriers can physically limit the number of individuals who pass through at one time and can allow provision for accurate control/monitoring. Depending upon what is trying to be achieved, an Access Control system needs to be planned and given consideration.

You have a variety of options. Firstly, you must decide how many doors you want to control initially, and how many you are likely to want to control in the future. You need to decide if you want to link a variety of sites together, so that a person can be given access rights to a variety of doors in a variety of properties - the ‘One Badge’ principle.

What is Structured Cabling?
Structured cabling system or structured wiring refers to all the cabling and components installed in a logical and organized way. It's designed to be relatively independent of the type of equipment that uses it.

Structured cabling is the design and installation of a cabling systems that will support multiple hardware uses systems and be suitable for today’s needs and those of the future. With a correctly installed system your requirements of today and of tomorrow will be catered for and whatever hardware you choose to add will be supported.

Cat5e and Cat6 can both effectively run POE applications up to 90m. However due to power dissipation there is better performance and power efficiently with Cat6a cabling running POE devices if being incorporated into a new design.

A patch cable is used at the cabinet end for linking the dedicated cabling port to the required equipment in the communications cabinet. For example, an outlet could be “patched” from the panel to a Data Switch, Telephone Switch, CCTV Switch, WIFI Switch Etc. The difference to standard cable is Patch cable is stranded for flexibility, whereas standard cable is solid copper.

Fibre cable carries greater Bandwidth and over longer distances. It is not limited by the 90/100m limit of copper cable and has distance potential of 40km in some cases. It also isn’t affected by noise or outside influences as are copper cables so is a perfect solution when linking cabinets through risers in a building. As a standard guide when linking separate cabinet’s fibre optic links should be used.

Industry predictions indicate that 80 to 90 percent of all new installations will be cabled with category 6. The fact that category 6 link and channel requirements are backward compatible to category 5e makes it very easy for customers to choose category 6 and supersede category 5e in their networks. Applications that worked over category 5e will work over category 6. Cat6A and above are also taking over specifications for new installations, especially in data centres and Audio Visual Installations.

The general difference between Cat5e cabling and Cat6 cabling is in the transmission performance, and extension of the available bandwidth from 100 MHz for category 5e to 250 MHz for category 6. This includes better insertion loss, near end crosstalk (NEXT), return loss, and equal level far end crosstalk (ELFEXT). These improvements provide a higher signal to noise ratio, allowing higher reliability for current applications and higher data rates for future applications.

Yes we can fault find to within 1.8 metres with our ODTR test equipment and repair your cable onsite with the Fusion Splicer.

The difference has to do with the wiring of the cable and the situation in which you will use the cable. On a CAT 5e patch cable, the wiring configuration is identical on both ends of the cable. On a CAT 5e crossover cable, the wiring of pins 1, 2, 3, and 6 are "crossed-over" to pins 3, 6, 1, and 2. CAT 5e crossover cables are used in situations where two devices have the same interface, for example, connecting a hub to a hub, or a switch to a switch, or even when patching a hub or switch into a wall plate.

The maximum length (maximum certifiable length) for CAT 5 patch or crossover cables is 328 feet (100 meters). Beyond that, you run the risk of signal loss, attenuation and reduced data throughput.

Yes. Joining two or more lengths of Cat5 cable using an RJ45 coupler will work just fine, but it should be considered a temporary solution to whatever connectivity issue required the use of it in the first place. The more "connection points" that you have in a cable, or in a network for that matter, provide additional points where signal loss can occur. If you must join Cat5 cable using a coupler, make sure to rectify the problem with a proper length cable as soon as possible to restore maximum performance to the device using it.

Cat5e cable of good quality can run near or at gigabit speeds, it just cannot be "certified" for this use. By comparison, Cat6 is designed especially for gigabit use, and is certified to operate at said speed. It becomes a matter of whether you want to pay all that extra money, for little or no noticeable improvement in the performance of you network. Unless every single component in the network is gigabit rated, then you will never have a gigabit network, because your network will always run at the speed of your slowest device.

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