March 2007
Connecting with Burtek
Welcome to the new Burtek e-Connection! In conjunction with
our recent
website redesign, we have updated our e-Connection
newsletter to better reflect the evolving nature of Burtek. We will include interesting and insightful articles and product features from experts in our industry. Keeping up with changes and developments in the low-voltage industry is always a challenge and the key purpose the Burtek e-Connection. We hope you enjoy this month's issue.
by Ian Houghton, V.P. Global Marketing and America Sales, Burtek Systems
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Access Control & IP Connectivity: The Training Gap
The Access Control Industry has experienced incremental changes over the years. Recently however, security dealers and integrators have been in what seems a constant state of flux. The widespread demand and overall adoption of IP-compatible devices has, in many cases, introduced security integrators to the IT world for the first time. Most of the impact is at the technician and systems engineer level, though one must not forget the impact that increased interaction with IT can place on security systems sales personnel. Sales personnel must now meet with IT departments and address their concerns if they hope to win deals. In reality, the adoption of IP-capable devices is now so widespread that security integrators must either adapt and learn or be left behind as IT and systems integration becomes more prevalent within the Industry. Distributed processing access control systems that leverage network backbones from panel to panel, building to building and CCTV connectivity, provide reliability and network fault redundancy. This is necessary for the Access Control Industry and, in many cases, makes fiscal sense in terms of installation costs.
These added pressures have forced access control dealer-integrators to focus on training to bridge the technician and sales knowledge gaps within their organizations. This transition is far from over. Spend a day with a technical support department and it becomes clear that IT-related questions far outweigh product
questions these days. A staggering 80 percent of the call volume is IT/network-related. Some of the top questions relate to:
- IP bandwidth concerns
- Firewall related issues
- Programming of IP addressable devices
- IP port mapping
- Virus program conflicts
Elio Naccarato, Keyscan Technical Support Manager, states:
“Based on our call volume of network related questions, it is apparent that the core networking fundamentals are still a work in progress for many security dealers. The security systems technician of today truly needs to be comfortable in both the networking as well as the electronics world. The Industry in general is still experiencing the learning curve and we are doing our part to educate on each and every support call.”
Gone are the days where a technician could reach into his tool belt, terminate some wires and have the system up-and-running. Technicians must often rely on the IT department to provide critical information to configure IP-enabled equipment, whether for access control or CCTV-related devices. Technicians themselves need to ask the right questions to ensure that their installation moves along smoothly. In the midst of all this, end-users are challenged more than ever to find integrators that are able to solve their access control and systems integration needs. The search is often not as easy as we in the Industry may think.
by Steve Dentinger, Marketing Manager, Keyscan
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Selecting the Right Camera for Your Application
In any CCTV installation, be it new or an upgrade to digital recording, time must be spent on selecting the ideal security camera for the application. We will attempt to address some of the misconceptions and try to take the mystery out of it so you can make informed decisions. “I have an old security camera; can I use these with a new digital video recorder?” In short, yes, but the newest generation of CCD (Charge Coupled Device) cameras, are much better than their analog predecessors as recently as a few years ago. Future generations of cameras will continue to improve upon this. Although cameras are often called Digital CCTV cameras, they are not “true” digital.
CCD operates as follows:
When the CCD is struck by light coming through the camera’s lens, each of the thousands or millions of tiny pixels that make up the CCD converts this light into electrons. The electrons are measured, and then converted to a digital value. This last step occurs outside the CCD, in a camera component called an “analog-to-digital converter.” Pure digital cameras use CMOS sensors (Complementary Metal
Oxide Semiconductor).
CMOS digital CCTV cameras are less affordable at this stage when compared to a digital CCD camera of equal picture quality. For purposes of the average user, a digital camera does not offer substantial enough difference to justify the increased expenditure. Do not confuse a commercial high megapixel CMOS camera with a $20 low-end one that plugs into your PC as a webcam. The difference between the analog cameras available a few years ago and the ones that are available today is most evident in the sharpness, definition and quality of the picture.
Box, Dome or Bullet?
Cameras come in different shapes and sizes. This, in itself, does not affect the picture quality. The shape should be looked at in terms of aesthetics, camera placement, and ease
of installation.
Dome Cameras
If you have a drop ceiling with acoustic tile, a dome camera makes a lot of sense. This will ensure a quick install and eliminates the concern of someone turning the camera in a different direction. Most mounting accessories for this type of installation are included in the box.
If you are in a warehouse or a location without a drop ceiling, the dome may make less sense. In a setting where you have rafters, you may want to mount bullet cameras with a bracket that can easily mount. If the ceilings are just way too high, you may want to consider mounting it to a wall.
When mounting to a wall, you have to make sure it’s out of reach. Keep in mind certain dome-housed cameras offer 3-axis mounts, which allow for wall mount applications. You need to be cautious because the mechanism inside some domes will not swivel far enough to capture your desired shot. Many inexpensive domes have a cheap internal bracket that cannot pivot.
Box Cameras
Traditional “box-cameras”, once the most popular style, are seen less and less these days. Where you will find them most often is inside housing enclosures. If you have an outdoor setting with extreme environmental concerns you will most likely enclose your camera inside a housing unit to control temperature. This housing may also be effective in
vandal-prone applications.
Pan-Tilt-Zoom
Motorized cameras, or PTZ cameras, are functionally great. They are housed in motorized enclosures and offer exceptional zoom capabilities that allow you to get up-close and personal. They can be programmed to conduct tours or presets, and offer a myriad of features. So they can do much of the work for you. Keep in mind a PTZ camera working without other strategically placed cameras may result in missing something that happened while it was on tour or zoomed into another area of interest. PTZs do allow you to connect sensors and alarms whereby if something does happen, such as, motion in an area the camera can swing around to a
pre-determined location.
Panoramic Cameras
This revolutionary technology is changing the way we see security cameras, literally! Its premise is about seeing the whole story versus parts of it. In short, the “camera” incorporates an ultra-wide lens. Its operation is similar to traditional PTZs. You can use a keyboard controller to pan tilt and zoom within the lens’ field of view. This solution removes any blind spots you would encounter with traditional cameras. Furthermore, some products incorporate nearly all features we are accustomed to seeing in traditional PTZ cameras.
As with all technologies, it is important to distinguish between the interesting products and the exceptional products. Some ultra-wide-angle technologies compel you to purchase additional software and hardware components to be able to view the video, while others will not integrate with an existing installation. Most ultra-wide-angle camera products only allow you to manipulate the live or actual image which may leave you with an inadequate or unusable recorded image. The exceptional products include all hardware and software within the camera, they also integrate seamlessly with existing CCTV installations and with other manufacturers’ products. There are a variety of other issues to consider when selecting a camera to meet your requirements:
- Indoor vs. outdoor
- Environmental conditions
- Mounting locations
- Lighting conditions
- Dimensions of area to be captured
- Quality of the image required
- Susceptibility to vandalism
- Available power and type
- Distance from the monitoring and recording equipment
- Overall security objective
Price should not be your main concern when selecting cameras. The quality, availability, and after sales support is generally non-existent with inexpensive inferior
product offerings.
Hopefully, this article will facilitate your selection process when sourcing cameras for your applications. Keep in mind, the overall objective should dictate your product selection.
by Giovanni Serrecchia, Eastern Regional Manager, AV Logics
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