One of the most important components in a paging system is the speakers. So before we define any paging system, we start by determining the amount of sound required at each location.
Once we know the type of sound required, we can select the right speaker. After we have defined the speakers, we can determine the right amplifier to use.
What’s the best speaker for you? Well it depends on a number of things.
For example, do you want to hear music or just voice paging? The type of speaker also depends on how large an area you want to cover with sound. The background noise and where you want to place the speaker is also important. It may be necessary to select a different speaker for each location. This article reviews how to select the right speaker for the job. We will review the sound output which is measured in decibels (dB), the sound quality (or frequency range), and the power required at the speaker.
The latest IP cameras have much better video quality than the early analog CCTV cameras. Even though they both capture video, IP cameras do it dramatically better. The reason; they contain high performance digital processing computers. The computers provide reduced noise, improved wide dynamic range, reduced smearing, and enhanced low light performance.
This article reviews how these processors work and why they are important to the total IP camera system performance.
Do you want to be able to read a license plate over a mile away? You can do it with the latest very long range PTZ IP camera systems. There are long range camera systems that are best for daytime operation and others that can be used day or night.
Be careful about low priced systems that claim long range capability. They don’t have the high quality zoom lenses or laser illuminators that are used in professional camera systems.
In our previous article How Far Can We See with the PTZ IP Camera, we reviewed the difference between detecting a person or vehicle, recognizing the type of object, or identifying who the person is. Each criteria requires a different amount of resolution on the target.
This article reviews the components that make up a long range camera system, and shows how total system performance determines the price.
IP Door Access Control Systems are easy to install and provide excellent flexibility, yet many people who are used to the older type systems have concerns about using them. This article tries to take the mystery out of network attached door access control systems, and describes how very easy they are to install and use.
You will find that all the signals that were on multiple wires, are now encoded on the single Ethernet network cable. They are just as secure as the older technology. Here’s how they work and how to install them.
(This article was updated to reflect new IP cameras, 10/16/2017)
When selecting cameras for your IP camera system, one of the most challenging situations is when you have very little light. When it’s dark, there can be motion smearing and amplifier noise that degrades the image.
All IP cameras handle low light by opening the lens iris, increasing amplifier gain, increasing shutter time, and switching to day/night mode. But, what is the best IP camera for low light operation, and what are the correct settings? This article provides guidelines for selecting the right camera and adjusting the image settings.
How do you select the right equipment for your IP camera system? The surveillance system is more than just the IP camera. It also includes the video recording system, lens, lighting, camera enclosures, network switches, and mounting brackets. Everything has to work together so you get the security system you expected.
Selecting the right equipment for your security system can be quite complicated. Sometimes it’s like putting together a puzzle. We need to make sure we have the right camera, but does the camera work with all the other equipment?
We would like to be notified of alarm conditions, but does the video recording system provide alarm notification? We would like to mount the camera on a pole, but does the camera include image stabilization? As we decide on one thing, it can affect other parts of the system.
In this article, we provided a real-life surveillance example and then defined a complete surveillance system.
How do the latest network-attached IP audio systems work? The latest digital IP systems use protocols that are similar to Voice over IP (VoIP) protocols. This communication method also uses Power over Ethernet (PoE) to power the telephones, IP paging systems, and IP intercoms.
These IP audio systems use the network cable rather than using individual wires that go from an amplifier to a speaker. What is the magic behind sending multiple paging announcements on the same wire at virtually the same time?
Arthur C. Clark said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
How far away can we see things using a long range PTZ camera? Obviously, we can see the moon which is 238,900 miles away, but of course we would need a powerful telescope to see the small craters. We can see people in a crowd, but when we want to identify their face, it gets a lot harder. The distance is determined by what detail we need to see.
Do you want to be able to detect a vehicle moving, or identify the person driving the vehicle? The objective will determine the type of IP camera system you will need. In general the distance is determined by the lens, the type of camera (thermal camera or optical camera), the camera resolution, and sometimes the IR illuminator available. This article describes how we can specify the IP camera system required for long distance viewing.
Computers are all around us. These sneaky little critters are not only on our desks, they are in our phones, cash registers, refrigerators, stoves. They are also in IP cameras, door access control readers, and network attached paging amplifiers. The world is certainly getting smarter, but have you ever thought about how these computers actually work? Probably not. And, you’re probably saying, ‘Why do I need to know any of this?
Bloomberg Business Week recently published a complete issue dedicated to “Coding”. Why go to the bother? Well the Business Week article says that learning about technology, is good, it’s important, and sometimes essential for helping you keep your job.
Here’s some basic information that could help you stay current. It will help take the magic out of the computer technology we use every day.
This article was updated on 10/15/2019 to include new IP paging systems.
There’s more to security than door access control, intrusion alarms, and video surveillance. It is also important to tell people what to do in an emergency. Emergency public notification is one of the important applications for IP paging and intercoms. There are also many other new applications possible with the latest IP paging and intercom systems.
Remember the old days of 500-watt amplifiers with hundreds of speakers attached. It was almost impossible to provide multiple buildings, public address systems. The great thing about network-attached paging systems is that everywhere you have a network, you can install a small network-attached amplifier.
