cameraProbe8- Network IP based Camera Security and Environmental Monitoring Solution with Integrated Sensor Management

The cameraProbe8 is a very versatile monitoring device. While it can be set to monitor the usual environment, e.g. temperature, airspeed etc., it can also visually record an event. AKCP's security sensor will detect when someone opens a window, door, or a computer rack. Once open, the sensor will trigger an event and the camera will record the cause or the identity of a person. This can be used later to resolve any doubts about the cause of a system failure. Coupled with the systems normal sensor functions, this visual aid can determine the extent of damage from home and a decision can be made as to whether immediate action taken or not.

We also have sensors to determine if the AC power is still being supplied by the utility or is now being handled by the back up power system (UPS). Our sensors provide an immediate indication of trouble, but what was the cause? Has a fan failed? Is a window broken? Was there an illegal entry? With the cameraProbe8 allowing 130degrees of visual inspection, the cause is quickly determined.

An IP Network based Camera Security and Environmental Monitoring Solution

The cameraProbe8 integrates over 10 years of environmental monitoring experience with the latest high resolution CCD camera technology. Now you can sense and see problems before they lead to business disruptions.

Embedded Linux System
The cameraProbe8 is based on a 32-bit ARM processor. It includes 64 Megabytes of SDRAM and 128 Megabytes of nonvolatile flash memory, along with a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet and two serial ports. With a real Linux kernel running on the system, the cameraProbe8 is able to embed many applications such as Apache web server including encrypted https web pages, Bash, Perl, vi Telnet, PHP, Email, and Nagios.

Camera Integration
The cameraProbe8 houses a high resolution quality CCD camera from Sony. The pictures are truly stunning even in low light conditions. This camera features AWB (Auto White Balance), and has a horizontal resolution of 640 pixels per line, with 625 lines (interlaced). The sensor is a 1/3" interline CCD. It has an excellent low light sensitivity of .5 lux at f1.2.
The cameraProbe8 comes in 2 versions: PAL and NTSC, to conform to regional Video Broadcast Standards. Multiple cameras on one system must be of the same type, PAL or NTSC, including the internal camera in the cameraProbe8: if you plan to use external cameras, please make sure they use the same Video Broadcast Standard as the cameraProbe's internal camera.

Live full-color streaming video is available at up to 15 fps on a local network via the web interface. Standard JPG format pictures are used allowing the use of third party host tools to store and analyze the JPG pictures. The pictures can be easily downloaded from the cameraProbe8 into the local host where standard software can be used.

Remote Pan and Tilt
The camera is coupled to high precision stepper motors, which can pan the camera left to right and up or down. This allows the Administrator to adjust the viewing angle of the camera over the network via the web interface. Administrator level access gives you control of the brightness and contrast of the image.

4 Camera Features
cameraProbe8 is capable of connecting up to 3 external cameras. It supports a wide range of external analog cameras such as existing analog security cameras, sophisticated night vision, or low cost CCTV cameras. Can display pictures in 320x240 and 640x480 pixels. It is capable of displaying pictures from external cameras along with the internal motorized Sony CCD image sensor simultaneously.

This figure displays the RCA receptacle inside the cameraProbe8

Video Conferencing and Sensor Graphing
Video conferencing is easily available using the cameraProbe8's built-in high quality Sony CCD camera. The speaker and microphone are integrated CP8 hardware. A regular Open H.323 protocol is used, with many different audio and video codecs supported (such as G.711-uLaw-64k, RFC2190 H.263-CIF, and H.261-CIF).

The cameraProbe8 integrates and displays graphs, plotted by RRD Tool into its web-based user interface, with Apache running as the regular and secured web server. The individual graph (day, week, month, and year) for each sensor type can be customized, simply by modifying the script template used to generate a particular graph.

Sensor Integration
Up to 8 intelligent autosense sensors can be plugged into the RJ-45 ports of the cameraProbe8. Once inserted, the sensor automatically configures itself and goes online. Our easy to use web based interface allows you to setup the cameraProbe8 in minutes. Once online, the sensors use their 4 levels of threshold checking and report any status change.

Sensor Notification Wizard
When an event occurs, the cameraProbe8 can send SNMP traps, email, SMS, MMS, make a telephone call, and make audio alert. These alert messages are customizable and can include a picture of the event. Besides notification alerts, events information including pictures are stored in a nonvolatile flash memory. The number of pictures to take is customizable, for each camera, up to 2 pre-event, and 16 post-event pictures. Interval between each picture also can be customized. The timestamp is displayed below each image. The cameraProbe8 has a battery backed time of day clock to facilitate accurate record keeping.   Read More...

This illustrates 4 pictures from each camera at the total of 16 pictures        from all 4 cameras under one event

False Message Filter
In order to prevent false alarms, the cameraProbe8 provides an extensive filtering of events. You can limit events based on the time of day or the day of the week. This is especially useful with the sensor like the motion detector, when you may want to process an event only when the business is closed.

Automatically Shutdown your Equipment in an Emergency
AKCP's Linux devices will automatically send a shutdown message to your Linux or Windows based servers - so if there is a power outage, for example, you can rest assured that your servers will be safely and automatically shut down before your UPS runs out.

4 Camera Features

cameraProbe8 is capable of connecting up to 3 external cameras. It supports a wide range of external analog cameras such as existing analog security cameras, sophisticated night vision, or low cost CCTV cameras.

The cameraProbe8 can display pictures in several sizes up to 640x480 pixels. It is capable of displaying pictures from external cameras along with the internal motorized Sony CCD image sensor simultaneously.

Above demonstrates 4 different pictures displayed under simultaneous mode from all 4 camera channels enabled as V0, V1, V2 and V3 under AKCP's integrated Javascript mode; pictures are updated every 5 seconds on all 4 camera channels simultaneously. Under scan mode, a picture from each camera is, in turn, shown on the web interface as the current picture is displayed, and then replaced by the picture from the next camera.

For more streaming video picture, ActiveX and JavaApplet are alternatives: each picture from each camera channel is updated variously in accordance with the number of cameras enabled. For one camera channel enabled, the maximum rate is 15 fps at 320x240 pixels under fast network. Thus, the frame rate depends on the number of enabled camera channels, image size (320x240 or 640x480pixels), and network speed option (slow or fast).

There is one input and one output for audio. The input of audio is a Line-In signal; thus, if you would like to connect a microphone, it should be amplified before connected to the rear panel connector. The connector for both input and output is a 3.5mm stereo jack. However, the software only supports for mono signal. The output signal is 5Vp-p. The sampling frequency for audio is 8 kHz.