Megapixels and CCTV

The word pixel is derived from ‘pix’ (picture) and ‘el’ (element) and is the smallest item of information within an image. Digital images are made up of thousands of these tiny, tile-like picture elements that each records a specific intensity of a single primary color of light (red, green or blue). The more pixels the image has, the higher the image resolution will be. A megapixel (one million pixels) is the term used to describe a large number of pixels in an image, or the number of image sensor elements in a digital camera or the number of display elements in a digital display.

High Definition (HD) is a type of megapixel camera; it’s just that HD is one specific type of megapixel camera in the megapixel family. For example, HD is limited to a maximum resolution of 2.1 megapixels; it has a slower frame rate and an aspect ratio of 16:9. HD is wonderful for certain applications and other types of megapixel cameras offer many more formats, aspect ratios and pixel numbers for other applications.

More and more security professionals are seeing the true value of integrating these high-resolution megapixel surveillance cameras into the existing systems monitoring their facilities. With higher resolution, the camera images are clean and clear which eliminates the need for overlapping camera coverage of areas, reducing the number of cameras needed to cover a single area and generally providing a better overall situational awareness. Combining megapixel cameras with other specialized cameras (such as thermal image, IR or P/T/Z) creates a system that is very effective, reliable, and cost-efficient.

These cameras are definitely a must in applications where details are critical for identification purposes; banks, airports, government facilities and other high-security areas, and also retail locations requiring point-of-sale monitoring are all good examples. With the high resolution and greater image detail, the security personnel can zoom in on specific portions of the recorded, or live, scene to identify objects, individuals or license plate numbers. Megapixel surveillance cameras can cover a wider area with exceptional detail; these cameras can provide detailed information that would be impossible to make out with a standard analog CCTV camera.

If you are concerned with megapixel cameras eating up your DVR/NVR hard drive space – worry not! Megapixel surveillance cameras only take up a little more hard drive space on your NVR/DVR that a standard security camera would.

Transmitting megapixel images via IP also requires a little more bandwidth than a standard analog CCTV camera; however you can minimize this increase by using the 16:9 aspect ratio (unavailable from analog cameras) which eliminates the upper and lower portion of the scene, parts that usually contain unimportant details, thus lowering the amount of bandwidth and storage space taken up by useless data.

Megapixel network cameras have a very important role to play in video surveillance applications, although they are more suited for one location over another, these cameras are easily integrated into existing installations, easily added to new proposals for installations, they are easy to use, they are cost-effective and they provide superior image quality when crystal-clear images are an absolute must.


~The WTI Team



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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

www.gotowti.com ● www.wirelesstech.com

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Thermal Imaging : Nowhere to Hide!

All over the world thermal image technology is being utilized in conjunction with traditional CCTV surveillance systems to keep watch over vulnerable areas after dark.

What makes thermal image cameras so unique?
At night there is not a lot of visible light nor enough contrast for a camera to work with so most surveillance camera images will be too dark to make anything out. However, thermal image cameras can give crystal clear video in pitch-black darkness from miles away.



A thermal image camera sees the infrared radiation emitted by an object, allowing it to detect minute changes in heat, without needing any ambient light. Everything emits thermal energy – even things that are very cold; in good or bad weather, day and night. A thermal camera can detect heat energy through smoke, dust, fog, and some sparse plants.

What is the difference between infrared and thermal?
Infrared cameras are sensitive to infrared (IR) radiation in the 250° C to 500° C range, while the range of thermal cameras is generally about -50° C to over 2,000° C. So, for an IR camera to be able to see something it must be over 250° C or it must be reflecting infrared radiation from something that is at least that hot. Night vision infrared devices image in the near-infrared, just beyond the visual spectrum, and can see emitted or reflected near-infrared in complete visual darkness.

Thermal image cameras are becoming a standard for the security industry when paired with traditional surveillance systems to give security professionals a more accurate picture of what is happening. Thermal image cameras can see things that the other cameras cannot – that the human eye cannot; things like a recently parked vehicle or an object having been moved. Their temperatures will be different or have changed which is easily detected with the TI camera.

The thermal image camera is used to detect the presence or absence of certain things – whether it is people coming into a restricted area, an object being left somewhere is shouldn’t, or something having been moved or removed from the scene that should be there. For example, in a security capacity, these type of cameras are not made to identify someone’s face and features but to notify someone that there is an intruder on the premises so they can act quickly and efficiently to apprehend the criminal.



You can’t hide your heat!

Other uses for thermal image cameras are quite varied and rather remarkable – from security, to firefighting, to medical and veterinary uses, to building maintenance, to harbor and boat safety and even as a driving aid in personal motor vehicles. With the use of a thermal camera a building inspector can actually see stress fractures that would have gone unnoticed with the human eye. Same with inspecting wiring – a wire may look like it was made correctly but under a thermal camera’s eye the wires may be rubbing together and getting ready to fail. Seeing the heat generated from the friction in both of these cases would eliminate costly and potentially hazardous problems.

Watch for the upcoming Thermal Image Sidewinder camera, the latest in the revolutionary P/T/Z Sidewinder line of cameras from WTI, which will be available soon. For more information on the Sidewinder series please visit http://www.gotowti.com/Products_Sidewinder.htm.

~The WTI Team



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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

www.gotowti.com ● www.wirelesstech.com

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So, what is all this talk about MESH Networks?

A MESH network is a type of Local Area Network (LAN) that utilizes redundant and distributed nodes connected to one another to route data, video and audio.

Wireless MESH networks were originally developed for use in military applications but, over the past decade, they have undergone significant changes and upgrades to make them available for the civilian market. As the costs to build the radios went down, single radios evolved to support more radios per MESH node with each radio having the ability to provide specific functions and able to support multiple radio cards operating at different frequencies. Many MESH Networks are able to operate across multiple radio bands.

These types of networks are very reliable and provide a redundant system. MESH networks were designed to be self-healing; meaning the network would be able to continue operating when one or more nodes goes down.

So what does this mean? Say, I have seven radios hooked up in a MESH and number 3 and 5 go down, number 2 will just skip number 3 and head on to number 4 and 4 will skip 5 and head to 6 and vice-versa. I never lose my signal and the video/audio/data gets to where it needs to be.

Ok, they sound great – but what are the downsides to this kind of system? The biggest drawback to full mesh networking is the expense involved because of the number of cables and connections that are required. In very large areas there have to be hard-wired nodes every few miles, instead of only wireless nodes, to maintain reliable connectivity.


However…


MACH“ing” the MESH:
Wireless MESH networks are pretty good and they benefit most applications, but not all. Within a planned topology, to provide efficient network access to fixed and portable IP devices which require low to medium bandwidth demands, a MESH radio network is a great way to do this. However, when using multiple individual devices with varying high bandwidth demands, a MESH network topology is not necessarily the best way to transfer this data. This is especially true in the video surveillance industry where high bandwidth requirements for real-time IP video are sometimes necessary.

MESH radio networks (like other IP radio networks) are susceptible to RF interference, bandwidth degradation and network latency. There are sophisticated MESH radios with features like self discovery, self tuning and self healing that do a better job contending with these issues, but they are 3 to 5 times the cost of a traditional IP radio like the MACH-V. The MACH-V radio can be configured as a point to point, point to multi-point or as a wireless distribution system (WDS). In WDS mode, and with careful consideration of bandwidth restraints, a series of MACH-V radios can be deployed to provide some of the same functions as a MESH radio network but at far less cost.

Below is a sample scenario where the MACH-V is used in place of MESH radios:




One can’t deny the positives of a mesh radio network particularly the flexibility, scalability and its configuration tools but, in this current environment of budget restraints, the MACH-V is an economical solution that will meet many of the goals of a mesh radio network.


~The WTI Team


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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

www.gotowti.com ● www.wirelesstech.com

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Blowin’ in the Wind

One of the environmental parameters of a pan-tilt-zoom camera, which is difficult to test in a conventional test lab or with a home-brewed test setup, is the ability of the camera to withstand strong wind conditions without having its viewing direction influenced. Testing the ability of the camera to stay focused on target in high winds requires a visit to your local wind tunnel.



WTI took a trip to the San Diego Air & Space Technology Center to test our Sidewinder camera in their low speed wind tunnel. In the context of the aeronautical community “low speed” means below MACH 1, the speed of sound. The wind tunnel at the San Diego Air & Space Technology Center is capable of generating sustained wind speeds of up to 250MPH!





The San Diego Air & Space Technology Center is the only privately held low speed wind tunnel in the United States. Most of the testing done at the center is aeronautical in nature, and the center has been involved in the testing of such well known aircraft as the F-106, B-58, F-111, F-16, Global Hawk UAV, Tomahawk Cruise Missiles, and Advanced Cruise Missiles. More recently, the center has become a Mecca for top level cyclists and luge racers who are trying to gain every possible competitive edge, by refining their equipment and body position profiles for the least possible wind drag.



The heart of the wind tunnel is the 22,000 horsepower electric motor that drives the turbine blades. The motor is the original motor that was installed in 1947. The turbine blades have been upgraded and replaced over the years to improve the performance of the wind tunnel. The air flow is re-circulated through the oval shaped tunnel to improve the efficiency of the tunnel. The tunnel walls actually form part of the building structure itself!

Once the air has been accelerated by the electric turbine, the turbulence is removed by passing the air through a honeycomb-shaped array of tubes. The air flow is then funneled and channeled into the 8 foot tall by 12 foot wide test chamber area. This is where the testing actually takes place.



Testing is monitored through the viewports on the sides of the test chamber, since it is not a good idea to be inside the chamber when the turbine is powered up! If you were to stand inside the chamber, leaning into the wind, at about 80MPH the force of the wind would overcome the friction of your shoes on the floor and you would be swept away down the tunnel. Some adventurous TV weather broadcasters once volunteered to be tethered inside the chamber to see how much wind force they might be able to withstand while doing remote broadcasts during hurricanes. At about 120MPH facing into the air flow, it became difficult to exhale and the pummeling by the wind became very severe, resulting in the testing being stopped.



The primary result of our testing showed that it requires a wind speed of over 120MPH to overcome the holding torque of the stepper motor drive and move the camera off position with the Sidewinder camera positioned directly into the wind as shown above. We were very pleased to learn that our camera performed so well in this sort of extreme condition.



WTI performed a variety of tests in the tunnel to determine just how much wind force the Sidewinder camera was able to withstand, without the viewing angle being affected. Some of the tests were run on a specially instrumented camera, allowing us to precisely measure the torque applied to the camera components at different wind speeds and with different camera angles. The measurements that we made this day are going to help us improve the performance of the Sidewinder camera even more in the future.



All in all, it was a very fun and interesting day at the San Diego Air & Space Technology Center.

~Dale Roche, Director of Engineering



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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

www.gotowti.com ● www.wirelesstech.com

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Ventura’s Police Department has a new recruit! WTI’s Sidewinder camera.

In the beginning of July, the City of Ventura’s Police Department installed WTI’s revolutionary Sidewinder P/T/Z camera on the top of the mast of their mobile command center. The Sidewinder has been used as a mast camera for the broadcast industry, fire departments and now our local law enforcement. It is the perfect mast camera because it will see all of the surrounding areas with its super fast pan, tilt and zoom functions.



The Ventura Police and Fire Mobile Command Post is used all over the county at community events, emergency situations and crime scenes; incorporating the Sidewinder into law enforcement projects provides exceptional exterior video surveillance at any location. The Ventura Police Department is always on the cutting edge of technology and they have been the example for many departments all across the nation. Having the Sidewinder on top of their command post mast is just another example of their high-tech and innovative philosophy at work.



The Sidewinder is a color day, black and white nighttime DSP camera with electronic image stabilization. It has continuous 360° rotation in both pan and tilt axes. Its 35X optical zoom lens gets great close-ups to help law enforcement with suspect identification. It also has a high-tech electrically conductive and hydrophilic “self cleaning” glass face-plate window with a thermostatically controlled heater.

So watch out bad guys because the Sidewinder is watching you!

~Lester Miyasaki, National Sales Manager



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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

http://www.gotowti.com/ ● http://www.wirelesstech.com/

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The Digital Video Transition

Now that the Government has finally mandated and implemented the conversion from analog video to digital video, the security industry is finally going to progress at warp speed in unleashing a storm of new and exciting, and yes user-friendly, products that take full advantage of this technology. There is zero reason to be even thinking Analog anymore! Analog video has served us well but it is time to move on! Personally, I thought that by now the industry would be much further along the digital path that it has.

MPEG H.264/AVC is the latest and greatest compression technology. The purpose of H.264/AVC is to create a new standard which is capable of providing good quality (D1) performance at much lower bit rates that the previous standards. This new standard uses half or less the bit rate of MPEG-2, H.263, or MPEG-4 Part 2. The nice thing about H.264 from the technical standpoint is that it doesn’t increase the complexity of the design very much and it will not be overly expensive to implement from both the hardware and software sides if the isle. An additional and very important aspect of H.264 is the fact that will provide enough flexibility that will allow it to be used in a variety of network applications with the ability to scale both high and low bit rates depending on the application. Both the Blu-ray Disc format and the now-discontinued HD-DVD format include the H.264/AVC high profile as one of 3 mandatory video compression codecs. Sony has also chosen this format for their memory stick video format.


An early version of WTI’s MG400 MPEG Codec from the year 2002 – It was big and it was slow!



WTI’s current Video Encoder: It’s Small and fast and scalable!

For more information on WTI’s C-MAX Ultra Video IP Encoder and Video Server, check it out on our web site at http://www.wtipower.com/Products_UltraVideoEncoder.htm.

~Dan Fancher, President/C.E.O.



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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

www.gotowti.com ● www.wirelesstech.com

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Voice over IP Technology

Many products that were traditionally based on standard analog and digital technology have advanced rapidly. This advancement is largely due to the implementation of internet protocol (IP) technology in their design. Here in the video industry “video” cameras, transmission, management, recording and archiving have made gigantic leaps in functionality and flexibility due to IP technology. Within the video industry alone, there are many examples of the impact made by IP technology but, today I want to touch on a Telecommunication industry innovation VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).

In 1995 the first commercial IP phone software was released by VocalTec. Its success created a foreseeable future where the internet and local area networks (LANs) could be used as an alternative to the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN). This positive outlook jump-started the VoIP industry and is the reason we have IP phone services like Skype and Vonage today. Statistics show that over 22 Million U.S. households are connected by VoIP and that number is projected to reach 30 Million by 2011 and generate over $11 Billion in revenue for Telecom companies.

VoIP works by converting voice in to a digital signal and then transmitting it over the internet, or LAN, to another VoIP device. The targeted VoIP device will authenticate and receive the signal while converting it back to voice. This communication works in the same manner in which an IP networked PCs communicate to a printer on the same network. Essentially, all network devices communicate to each other through the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) model or Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. The OSI and TCP/IP models provide the communication standards to which all network devices exchange through. Hence, a VoIP phones find each other the same way an IP camera finds a NVR or how this blog reached your computer screen. The diagrams below show two typical VoIP setups:

VoIP will continue to improve and prosper because of the following: low cost of its infrastructure, flexibility, extend functionality at a minimum cost, interoperability with traditional PBX, allows for the convergence of voice, data, cell phones, Wi-Fi phones and VoIP can be used over any broadband source: Fiber, Cable, DSL, Wi-Max and Wi-Fi.

VoIP is an innovation that “endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth,”-Peter F. Druker and also “Offers promise of so much to so many in so short a time.”-Bill Gates.

http://www.vocaltec.com/site/content/t1.asp?Sid=5&Pid=2

http://about.skype.com/

http://www.vonage.com/help_vonage.php?refer_id=WEBFT0706010001W1

~ Eric Myers, Director of Wireless Products

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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

www.gotowti.com ● www.wirelesstech.com

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