The pandemic of 2020 has caused all of
us to think differently. More than ever, we are concerned about the spread of
disease. Some people believe that this concern will last well beyond today’s
pandemic. Just like the changes that occurred after 9-11, the world will be
different in the future.
One way to control the spread of
disease is to reduce the amount of surface contact. Biometric systems that use
fingerprints, palm recognition, or finger-vein are being replaced by face
recognition. This has the advantage of providing contactless or touchless door
entry control. This article reviews several new products that use face
recognition to control door entry.
The Pros and Cons of Thermal Cameras That Measure a Person’s Temperature
Thermal imaging cameras have been around for many years. They
were first used in the 1940s and 1950s by the military. Long-range camera systems use
thermal cameras to help with detection, recognition, and identification (DRI)
of targets. They have also been used in previous pandemics.
Today, thermal imaging cameras have
become popular because of the outbreak of COVID-19.
Some of the older thermal cameras
have been repurposed to measure a person’s temperature from a distance. The
latest systems are designed for measuring people’s body temperature and have
been integrated with door access control.
Thermal Camera Temperature Measuring
This article reviews the various technologies and how they can help monitor people as they enter a secure area.
If we want to detect an object that is miles away, is the magnification
of the lens the most important, or is it the camera resolution? It turns out
that many factors determine the effectiveness of a long-range
camera.
The things that determine the performance of a long-range
camera system include the magnification provided by the lens, motion of the
object, camera resolution, atmospheric clarity, lighting, and contrast. All these variables are inter-related.
This article discusses all the factors that determine how successful you will be in detecting an object (target) that is very far away.
The “IP” means that
the camera connects to the network rather than to a DVR using a coax cable.
The IP camera system includes not only the cameras but also the video recording system. The cameras and the recording system connect to a network switch. The IP camera systems may also integrate with IP door access control and IP Intercoms.
This article describes how to install your IP camera system. It reviews all the steps required to mount the cameras, install it on the network, and connect it to your video recording system.
The Latest Network-Attached Multi-Tenant Building Intercoms
What is an Apartment Intercom?
An apartment intercom is a communication device used in the lobby or at the front entrance of a multi-tenant building or apartment house. It provides a connection to the tenants.
The new wireless intercom allows you to contact the resident’s smartphone or standard phone to request entry into the building. The lobby intercom display provides a list of all the tenants in the building.
The old apartment intercom systems were all analog-type intercoms and required wires from the lobby to all the apartments. Each apartment contained an answering intercom module. This intercom allowed the person in the apartment to talk to the visitor in the lobby. The tenant could then press the button to open the front door. These new IP intercoms replace the old analog intercoms.
Apartment Intercom Concept
The new IP apartment intercoms do the same thing and much more. This article provides information about the new IP apartment intercom systems.
The new IP access control systems connect to the network and provide the flexibility that allows you to install a single door at a time.
These new IP access control systems include the door reader and
controller that is all located at the door. The electric lock is connected to
the controller.
The older access control systems used a large central controller
that was located in a closet. The labor to run wires from the controller to the
reader, and the electric lock was high.
Today there are several ways to control a single door. There are single-door systems that use a keypad and IP door reader-controller systems that use card credentials or your smartphone for access.
This article compares the single-door access control systems that attach to the network.
The first intercoms were developed in the late 1800s. They used
speaking tubes to talk to other people in the building.
Business organizations were the first to use these
intercoms. The office manager could reach his secretary or other people in
various departments in the building.
The invention of the telephone in the early 1900s made it
easier to connect everyone. By the 1950s,
the telephone connected people all over the world. The intercoms used the same
technology as the phone system. In the 1970s, the analog intercoms made it easy for
the manager to talk to the accounting department or the manufacturing floor.
Digital IP intercoms that attach to the network were made available
in the 1990s. It made it much easier to install intercoms around schools,
offices, and hospitals. The latest
intercom systems use smartphone apps and
cloud servers to enable direct communication all over the world. This article provides the pros and cons of
different intercom systems.
2019 was a year of evolution rather than revolution. Security technology evolved and became more powerful and easier to use.
IP camera manufacturers focused on enhancing their products. Access control systems became more user-friendly, added mobile capability, and made it easier to integrate with IP camera systems. Paging systems added intercoms with better full-duplex sound. Portable emergency buttons became more popular and effective.
Here are the highlights of the new products available in 2019
The classic door access control systems have been around for many years. These access control systems include one or more central control panels that connect to all the door readers.
Usually, the door readers use a Wiegand connection for communication. The reader-to-controller cable includes the serial Wiegand wires, power, and electric lock control. It also can contain several door control signals such as Request to Exit and door contact sensors. These older systems don’t have the latest features provided by the new access control systems.
Your old controller can be replaced so you can get the latest features and functions available from the new access control system. The new systems connect to the network allowing them to be integrated with other security systems. They provide many new capabilities that will improve your safety and security.
The network cable transfers both data and power to the device, making installation very simple. The network cable includes up to eight wires. The data uses one set of wires, while the power uses another set of wires in the network cable.
This article describes how access control systems, IP Camera Systems, and IP paging systems utilize power over Ethernet (PoE)
