Long-range access control systems are similar to the standard IP door access control systems. They read a credential and determine if the door or gate should be opened. While the standard systems have a very short range, measured in inches, the long range readers can operate at a range of over 25 ft. When you want to open a gate to a parking garage from your vehicle, you really can’t use a standard reader. You need a system that provides a much longer range.
Elevators In multi-floor buildings can be made more secure by adding elevator access controls. These controllers determine who can reach certain floors. For example, we can assure that only the approved people can get to the 3rd floor where the IT department is located.
With this type of system installed, the people who work in accounting only have access to the third floor, while people in advertising can only go to the 5th floor.
Floors that contain general areas such as cafeteria or fitness center, would typically be available to everyone. We can also program the system to allow certain people, such as the executives to go to any floor.
The secret to designing your sound system is to start at the ears.
The design of an IP paging system starts with the sound level required for people to hear an announcement. Once we know the right sound level, we can define everything else.
The sound level we hear is affected by the background noise, the distance from the IP speaker, and if we are indoors or outdoors.
We require different paging equipment if the system is used in an office building, or a noisy manufacturing plant. We select different IP speakers and amplifiers when we are inside a classroom, or when we are in the hallways of the school. This article describes how to calculate the speaker, the power required at each speaker, and the best place to mount the speakers.
Intelligent IP cameras are providing advanced detection capability.
Would you like to know the moment when someone takes your laptop? Would you like to know when someone screams in the lobby of your building? How about detecting a gunshot? The latest IP cameras have quite a lot of built-in intelligence. They help protect people and assets. They notify you of dangerous situations, help deter terror attacks, and even tell you how many people have visited your store.
The first video cameras consisted mostly of analog electronics. They were mostly amplifiers, filters, and power supplies. Today’s IP cameras are digital and include powerful computers. The computers provide many different functions from processing the video image to connecting the IP camera to the Ethernet network.
You may not have realized it, but Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology is all around us. It is used for toll collecting, to control access to parking lots and even to capture criminals. The technology has improved over the years and has become more economical.
Besides the analytic software that converts the image to computer characters, the system requires a good IP camera. It also requires proper lighting and the correct physical placement of the camera.
The analytic conversion software is similar to optical character recognition (OCR) software. ALPR is available as a standalone LPR system or included as an option with some IP camera video management systems.
Continue reading “How ALPR Works”IP powered speakers connect to a PoE type network switch.
The speakers include built-in amplifiers. They use PoE, so no additional power connections are required. Just plug the speaker into your network switch.
Each speaker can be addressed individually by the paging software. You can make a page to a single speaker, a group of speakers, or to all the speakers on the network. These IP powered speakers are very easy to install and provide excellent flexibility.
Facial recognition systems are now available as part of video recording software systems.
There are two primary methods for capturing and matching facial information.
The first measures various features of a person’s face, such as the distance between the eyes, or the position of the mouth to the nose. These geometric measurements or vectors are then stored in a database for later comparison.
The second method is far more complex. It captures the full facial image and uses as much information as it can. It then uses various computer algorithms, including machine learning, to build a set of definition data. This statistical database increases the reliability, as well as the cost of the system.
Continue reading “How Does Facial Recognition Work?”There are NVRs and VMS Recording Systems, but what is best for your IP camera system?
The video recording system is a key part of the total IP camera system. There are many solutions available, but what is the best one for your application?
Most NVRs, video management software systems, or even a cloud system will provide basic video recording. But, if you want to support many cameras at multiple sites, you need a more advanced system.
This article helps you determine the best recording system for your application. It compares simple systems that are used for a handful of cameras, to complex systems that can handle thousands of cameras at multiple sites. Your total system requirements will determine the best video recording system.
Continue reading “What is the Best IP Camera Recording System”
An explosion-proof camera includes a special enclosure. The camera and enclosure can be used in a hazardous potentially explosive environment. This means that the camera system will not cause an explosion, rather than survive an explosion outside the enclosure.
The camera and enclosure used in these environments are designed to prevent ignition of the surrounding gases or dust. They will either contain any explosion within the device or prevent sparks exiting the device and triggering an explosion.
Normally, we don’t worry about sparks. For example, a household light switch may emit a small, harmless visible spark when switching. In an ordinary atmosphere, this arc is of no concern, but if a flammable vapor is present, the arc might cause an explosion. Explosive environments can be found in a number of places such as oil and gas tankers, chemical processing plants, hospital operating theaters, aircraft refueling, and hangers, coal mines or oil refineries, sewage treatment plants, grain handling, sugar refineries, and printing industry. These environments can contain flammable gases such as acetone, propane, methane, hydrogen, or coal dust.
Continue reading “What is an Explosion Proof Camera?”
Many software applications are offering cloud-based, subscription software rather than on-site (or on-premise) license software. For example, Microsoft 365 and Adobe provide cloud-based, subscription plans. Recently Door Access Control software has become available in the cloud.
What exactly does this mean and what is better for you? The article compares the two methods and provides pros and cons that can help you decide what is best.
What is the difference between cloud and on premise software? On site software is the classic model of providing a perpetual license that allows you to run the software on your own computer. Cloud software runs on a remote server and is provided under a monthly or yearly subscription plan. For example, there is on premises door access software called Pure Access Manager. The cloud application is called Pure Access Cloud.
Continue reading “Access Control Software”