Axis Communications Axis 211A User Manual

AXIS 210A/211A

Network Cameras

User’s Manual

About this Document

This manual is intended for administrators and users of the AXIS 210A/211A Network Camera and applies to firmware release 4.47. It includes instructions for using and managing the AXIS 210A/211A on your network. Previous experience of networking will be of use when using this product. Some knowledge of UNIX or Linux-based systems may also be beneficial, for developing shell scripts and applications. Later versions of this document will be posted to the Axis Website, as required. See also the product’s online help, available via the Web-based interface.

Safety Notices Used In This Manual

Caution! - Indicates a potential hazard that can damage the product. Important! - Indicates a hazard that can seriously impair operation. Do not proceed beyond any of the above notices until you

ve fully understood the implications.

Intellectual Property Rights

Axis AB has intellectual property rights relating to technology embodied in the product described in this document. In particular, and without limitation, these intellectual property rights may include one or more of the patents listed at http://www.axis.com/patent.htm and one or more additional patents or pending patent applications in the US and other countries.

This product contains licensed third-party software. See the menu item “About” in the product’s user interface for more information.

This product contains source code copyright Apple Computer, Inc., under the terms of Apple Public Source License 2.0 (see http://www.opensource.apple.com/apsl/). The source code is available from: http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/bonjour/

Legal Considerations

Video and audio surveillance can be prohibited by laws that vary from country to country. Check the laws in your local region before using this product for surveillance purposes.

This product includes one (1) MPEG-4 decoder license. To purchase further licenses, contact your reseller.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the equipment to an outlet on a different circuit to the receiver. Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Shielded (STP) network cables must be used with this unit to ensure compliance with EMC standards.

USA - This equipment has been tested and found to comply

with the limits for a Class B computing device pursuant to Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference, in which case the user at his/her own expense will be required to take whatever measures may be required to correct the interference.

Europe - This digital equipment fulfills the

AXIS COMMUNICATIONS

<Product Name> Quick User’s Guide

, which can be determined by turning the

requirements for radiated emission according to limit B of EN55022/1998, and the requirements for immunity according to EN55024/1998 residential, commercial, and light industry.

Japan - This is a class B product based on the standard of the

Voluntary Control Council for Interference from Information Technology Equipment (VCCI:2003 Class B ITE). If this is used near a radio or television receiver in a domestic environment, it may cause radio interference. Install and use the equipment according to the instruction manual.

Australia - This electronic device meets the requirements of the

Radio communications (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Standard 1998 AS/NZS 3548.

Canada - This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian

ICES-003 B by compliance with EN55022: Class B.

Liability

Every care has been taken in the preparation of this manual. Please inform your local Axis office of any inaccuracies or omissions. Axis Communications AB cannot be held responsible for any technical or typographical errors and reserves the right to make changes to the product and manuals without prior notice. Axis Communications AB makes no warranty of any kind with regard to the material contained within this document, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Axis Communications AB shall not be liable nor responsible for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance or use of this material.

Trademark Acknowledgments

Boa, Ethernet, Internet Explorer, Linux, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netscape Navigator, OS/2, UNIX, Windows, WWW are registered trademarks of the respective holders. Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Axis Communications AB is independent of Sun Microsystems Inc. UPnP Corporation.

is a certification mark of the UPnPTM Implementers

Support

Should you require any technical assistance, please contact your Axis reseller. If your questions cannot be answered immediately, your reseller will forward your queries through the appropriate channels to ensure a rapid response. If you are connected to the Internet, you can:

• download user documentation and firmware updates

• find answers to resolved problem by product, category, or phrases

• report problems to Axis support by logging in to your private

rt area

suppo

• visit Axis Support at www.axis.com/techsup/

s in the FAQ database. Search

Safety Notice - Battery Replacement

The AXIS 210A/211A uses a 3.0V CR2032 Lithium battery as the power supply for its internal real-time clock (RTC). Under normal conditions this battery will last for a minimum of 5 years. Low battery power affects the operation of the RTC, causing it to reset at every power-up. A log message will appear when the battery needs replacing. The battery should not be replaced unless required!

If the battery does need replacing, please

• Danger of Explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced

• Replace only with the same or equivalent battery, as

ecommended by the manufacturer.

• Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions.

observe the following:

AXIS 210A/211A

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Product features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Extra features - AXIS 211A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Accessing the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Accessing From a Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Setting the root password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Accessing from the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Video Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Video Stream Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

How to stream MPEG-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

AXIS Media Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Other methods of accessing the video stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Audio Stream Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Setup link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Video & Image settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Image Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Overlay/Mask Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Audio Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Advanced Audio Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Live View Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

HTML Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

External Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Sequence Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Event Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Event Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Configuring Event Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Camera Tampering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Motion Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Port Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

System Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

AXIS 210A/211A

Date & Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Ports & Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Resetting to Factory Default Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

About. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

The I/O Terminal Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

AXIS 210A/211A - Introduction

AXIS 210A

AXIS 211A

Introduction

This manual covers the following Axis Network Camera models:

• AXIS 210A

•

AXIS 211A All instructions and information in this manual are valid for both stated.

Product features

The AXIS 210A/211A cameras are based on the AXIS ARTPEC-2 compression chip. Both models support the following features:

models unless otherwise

• Video streams from the camera available rate, Motion JPEG and/or MPEG-4 video streams.

• Video Motion Detection - this can be used to activity in the video image.

• Scheduled image uploads.

• IP address filtering and multi-level password protectio

• Alarm input and output, which can be connected to various external devices, such as door

• Multiple video resolutions.

• Simultaneous access by up to 20 viewers when multicast is used, the number of viewers is unlimited, but each viewer still needs a separate MPEG-4 license. One license is included in the product, additional licenses can be purchased separately.

• Privacy masking allows the concealment of parts of the image that should not viewable. Up to three areas can be configured as masked areas.

• Built-in web server that provides full access browser.

• Built-in scripting tool that allows the creation of basic functionality, the cameras can be accessed via VAPIX®, Axis Communications’ powerful API (more info at www.axis.com/developer).

sensors and alarm bells.

on the network as real-time, full frame

trigger image uploads when there is

using Motion JPEG. If MPEG-4

to all features via a standard web

applications. For advanced

AXIS 210A/211A - Introduction

• (PoE) Power over Ethernet - supporting PoE network transformers conforming to IEEE 802.3af, the camera can be powered directly from the network cabling.

• Two-way audio - two-way audio capability for up to 20 Audio communication can be bi-directional (full-duplex), push to talk (half-duplex) or in one direction only (simplex). The AXIS 210A/211A has an integrated mono microphone, audio input for connecting an external microphone or other source producing a line level signal. An active speaker with a built-in amplifier can be connected to the audio output to enable two-way communication.

• SNMP - the Simple Network Management Protocol allows the remote ment of network devices.

• HTTPS - the AXIS 210A/211A supports encrypted

simultaneous users.

but there is also an

browsing using HTTPS.

Extra features - AXIS 211A

DC-Iris

The AXIS 211A features a varifocal DC-Iris, which automatically regulates the amount of light entering the camera. Tele/wide and focus are adjusted manually with the aid of the pullers mounted on the lens.

manage-

Overview

Power indicator

Network indicator

Control button

Serial number

Internal Microphone AXIS 210A/211A

Mounting screw hole

Underside

AXIS 211A

DC-Iris

Focus puller

Tele/wide puller

AXIS 210A

DC-Iris control cable

Focus puller

Status indicator

External microphone/line input 210A/211A

DC-Iris control cable (AXIS 211A)

Power connector

Audio output 210A/211A

I/O terminal connector

Network connector (and PoE 210A/211A)

Rear panel

4321

AXIS 210A/211A - Introduction

Power Connector - For connection of the PS-K power adapter (included).

I/O Terminal Connector - The I/O

terminal connector provides the physical interface to one transistor output, one digital input and an auxiliary connection point for DC power. For more information, see The I/O Terminal Connector,

Note:

Depending on the product version of your AXIS 210A/211A, you will see one of two different types of I/O terminal connectors. See The I/O Terminal Connector, on page 55.

on page 55.

Network Connector - The camera connects to the network via a standard network connector. The camera detects the speed of the local network segment (10BaseT/100BaseTX Ethernet). This socket can also be used to power the AXIS 210A and the AXIS 211/211A via PoE (Power over Ethernet).

Audio Output - Audio

output (line level), which can be connected to a public address (PA) system or an active speaker with a built-in amplifier. A pair of headphones can also be attached. A stereo connector must be used for the audio out.

External Microphone/Line Input - One 3.5mm

input for a mono microphone, or for

line-in mono signal (only the left channel is used from a stereo signal).

Serial Number - This n

Control Button - Press

(see page 46) or to restore the factory default settin Default Settings, on page

umber is used during installation.

this button to install using the AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service

gs, as described in Resetting to Factory

53.

LED Indicators

After completion of the startup and self test routines, the multi-colored Network, Status, and Power LED indicators show as follows:

Network Amber Steady for connection to 10 Mbit/s network. Flashes for network activity.

Green Steady for connection to100 Mbit/s network. Flashes for network activity.

Unlit No wired network connection.

Status

Power Green Normal operation.

Green Shows steady green for normal operation. Can be configured to flash green at intervals

whenever t

Unlit When configured for “no flash” on camera access.

Amber Steady during startup, reset to factory default or when restoring settings.

Red Slow flash for failed firmware upgrade.

Amber Flashes green/amber during firmware upgrade.

he camera is accessed.

AXIS 210A/211A - Accessing the Camera

Accessing the Camera

Follow the instructions in the AXIS 210A/211A Installation Guide to install your camera.

The cameras can be accessed with most standard operating systems

and browsers. The recommended browser is Internet Explorer for Windows, and Firefox with other operating systems. See also the Technical Specifications, on page

To view streaming video in Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows, you may set your browser to allow the

Note:

AXIS Media Control (AMC) to be installed on your computer. The first time an MPEG-4 video stream is accessed AMC also installs an MPEG-4 decoder for viewing the video streams. As a license is required for each instance of the decoder, the product administrator may have disabled the installation. If your computer restricts the use of additional software components, the cameras can be configured to use a Java

applet for updating JPEG images. See the online help for more information.

57.

Accessing From a Browser

1. Start a browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox)

2. Enter the IP address or host name

of the cameras in the Location/Address field of your browser.

3. If you are accessing the camera for

the first time, see Setting the root password, on page 10. Otherwise enter your user name and password, as set by the administrator.

4. The camera’s Live View is now displayed in your browser.

Note:

The layout of the live view in the cameras may be customized to meet specific requirements. Some of the examples and functions featured here may differ from those displayed on your own Live View page.

AXIS 210A/211A - Accessing the Camera

Once installed, a camera is accessible on your local network (LAN). To access the camera from the Internet you must configure your broadband router to allow incoming data traffic. For security reasons this is usually done on a specific port. Please refer to the documentation for your broadband router for further instructions.

For more information, please visit the AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service at www.axiscam.net or, for Technical notes on this and other topics, visit the Axis Support Web at www.axis.com/techsup

Setting the root password

1. When accessing a camera for the first time, the ‘Configure Root Password’ dialog is displayed on the screen.

Note:

Before you enter your password at this point, you can secure configuration of the root password via HTTPS by creating a self-signed certificate. To do so, click the Create self-signed certificate... button in the Create Certificate window, and then proceed as follows.

2. Enter a password, and re-enter to confirm the spelling. Click OK.

3. The ‘Enter Network Password’ dialog appears. Enter the User name: root

Note: The default administrator user name root

is permanent and cannot be deleted.

4. Enter the password as set in step 2 above, and click OK. If the password is cameras must be reset to the factory default settings. See page 53.

5. If required, click Yes to install the AXIS Media Control (AMC). You will need administrator rights on the computer to do this.

Accessing from the Internet

lost, the

Focusing

AXIS 210A

Focus puller

AXIS 211A

Focus puller

Zoom puller

(Tele/wide)

To focus the AXIS 210A

Unscrew the focus puller on the lens. Adju

st the focus as required. Re-tighten the

focus puller.

To focus the AXIS 211A

Follow the instructions below.

1. From the Basic Configuration page in

your browser, open the Focus

adjustment page.

2. Set the DC-Iris to Disabled and click Save.

3. Unscrew the zoom puller on the lens by turning it anti-clockwise. Adjust the zoom setting as required. Re-tighten the zoom puller.

AXIS 210A/211A - Accessing the Camera

4. Unscrew the focus puller on the lens. Adjust the focus as required. Re-tighten.

5. From the Focus adjustment page, set the DC-Iris to Enabled and click Save.

Note:

The DC-Iris should always be disabled while focusing the camera. This opens the iris to its maximum, which gives the smallest depth of field and thus the best conditions for correct focusing. When the focus is set with this method it is maintained in any light condition.

AXIS 210A/211A - Accessing the Camera

The Output buttons control the output directly from the Live View page. These buttons are configured under Setup > Live

View Config > Layout.

Pulse - click this button to activate the

output for a defined period of time, e.g. switch on a light for 20 seconds.

Active/Inactive - click these buttons to manually start and stop a connected device, e.g. switch a light on/off.

The Live View Page

You may not view all the buttons described below if the Live View page has been customized.

The Video Format drop-down list allows the video format on the Live View page to be temporarily changed.

These buttons start and stop the Sequence Mode. This mode is created in Setup > Live View Config > Sequence mode, and automatically displays the view from two or more video sources at set intervals.

From the Source list, select the desired external video source. Note that Sequence Mode must be stopped before selecting a source from this list.

The Action buttons can trigger an event directly from the Live View page. These are configured under Setup > Live View Config > Layout.

The Snapshot button saves a snapshot of the video image currently displayed. Right-click on the video image to save it in JPEG format on your computer. This button is primarily intended for use when the AMC viewer toolbar is not available.

AXIS 210A/211A - Accessing the Camera

The Live View

The Snapshot button saves a snapshot of the video image displayed. The Snapshot function and the target directory for saving AMC Control Applet in the Windows Control Panel (Internet Explorer for Windows only). See AXIS Media Control, on page 16.

Click the View Fu area. Press Esc right-click and select the option.

The record button is used to record the the image file is saved can be specified using the AMC contro recording, Select Live View Config > Viewer Settings > Enable recording button.

Audio controls for AXIS 210A/211A

There are also controls for controlling the client computer’s speaker output and microphone sensitivity. These controls are only available when audio is enabled, see

Audio Settings, on page 26. AXIS Media Control, o

toolbar displays the following buttons:

The Play/Stop button starts and

ll Screen button to make the video image fill the entire screen

(Escape) on the computer keyboard to exit full screen, or

stops the live video stream.

Push-to-talk settings are made in the AMC control panel, see

n page 16.

snapshots can be configured from the

current video stream. The location where

l panel. To enable

Click the Sp the speaker and microphone, respectively.

When using Half-du speak and listen. The first icon indicate attached to the camera will play your voice. The second indicates that you hear audio from the camera, but no audio is sent to any web clients.

When in simplex talk mode, the icon allows you to speak an do not want other clients to receive any audio.

eaker and Microphone buttons to switch the sound off and on for

Use the sliders to control the volume on the speaker and microphone. The volume can be set between 0 slider controls the size of the buffer for audio. A higher level will reduce audio break-up, but may introduce a noticeable lag in audio transmission. There are four settings - min, low, high, and max.

plex mode, this button toggles between allowing you to

s that you can talk and the speaker

and 100. The buffer

d is dimmed when you

AXIS 210A/211A - Video Streams

Video Streams

The AXIS 210A/211A provides several different image and video formats. You choose the type depending on your requirements and the properties of your network.

The Live View page in the AXIS 210A/211A pro video streams, and to single JPEG images. Other applications and clients can also access these video streams/images directly, without going via the Live View page.

vides access to Motion JPEG and MPEG-4

Video Stream Types

Motion JPEG

This format uses standard JP displayed and updated to create a stream that shows constantly updated motion.

The Motion JPEG stream uses excellent image quality and access to every individual image contained in the stream.

Note also that multiple clients a settings.

MPEG-4

This is a video compression standard that makes go provide high-quality video streams at less than 1 Mbit/s.

The MPEG-4 standard provides scope for a large range of different coding tools for use by various applications in different situations, subsets of these tools. These are represented as Video object types, which are selected for use with different viewing clients. The supported video object types are:

EG still images in the video stream. These images are then

considerable amounts of bandwidth, but also provides

ccessing Motion JPEG streams can use different image

od use of bandwidth, and which can

and the AXIS 210A/211A provides certain

• Simple - sets the vanced Simple - sets the coding type to MPEG-4 Part 2, as used by AMC

• Ad

(AXIS Media Control).

When using MPEG-4 it is also possible to control the of bandwidth usage. CBR (Constant Bit Rate) is used to achieve a specific bit rate by varying the quality of the MPEG-4 stream. When using VBR (Variable Bit Rate), the quality of the video stream is kept as constant as possible, at the cost of a varying bit rate.

Notes:

MPEG-4 is licensed technology. The AXIS 210A/211A includes one viewing client license. Installing additional unlicensed copies of the viewing client is prohibited. To purchase additional licenses, contact your Axis reseller.

All clients viewing the MPEG-4 stream must use the same set of coding tools.

coding type to H.263, as used by QuickTime™.

bit rate, which in turn allows control

AXIS 210A/211A - Video Streams

MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods

To deliver live streaming video over IP networks, various combinations of transport protocols and broadcast methods are employed.

• RTP (Realtime Transport Protocol) is a protocol the real-time transmission of multimedia data, via unicast or multicast.

• RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) serves which transport protocol to use for the stream. RTSP is thus used by a viewing client to start a unicast session, see below.

• UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a communications protocol that service for exchanging data in a network that uses the Internet Protocol (IP). UDP is an alternative to the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). The advantage of UDP is that it is not required to deliver all data and may drop network packets when there is network congestion. This is suitable for live video, as there is no point in re-transmitting old information that will not be displayed anyway.

• Unicasting is communication between a single network. The video stream goes independently to each user and each user gets their own stream. With unicasting that if one stream fails, it only affects one user.

• Multicast is bandwidth - conserving technology that simultaneously delivering a single stream of information to multiple network recipients. This technology is used primarily on delimited networks (intranets), as users need uninterrupted data flow and should not rely on network routers.

that allows programs to manage

as a control protocol, to negotiate

offers limited

sender and a single receiver over a

reduces bandwidth usage by

How to stream MPEG-4

Deciding on the combination of protocols and methods to use depends on your viewing requirements, and on the properties of your network. Setting the preferred method(s) is done in the control applet for AMC, which is found in the Windows Control Panel. When this has been set, AMC will test all the selected methods in the specified order, until the first functioning one is found.

RTP+RTSP

This method (actually RTP over UDP and RTSP over TCP) should be your first consideration for live video, especially when even if some images do get dropped. This can be configured as multicast or unicast.

Multicasting provides the most effic large numbers of clients viewing simultaneously. Note however, that a multicast broadcast cannot pass a network router unless the router is configured to allow this. It is thus not possible to multicast over the Internet.

Unicasting should be used for video-on-demand b traffic on the network until a client connects and requests the stream. However, as more unicast clients connect, the traffic on the network will increase and may cause congestion. Although there is a maximum of 20 unicast viewers, note that all multicast users combined

it is important to always have an up-to-date video stream,

ient usage of bandwidth, especially when there are

roadcasting, so that there is no video

AXIS 210A/211A - Video Streams

count as 1 unicast viewer.

RTP/RTSP

This unicast method is RTP tunneled over RTSP. This can be used to exploit th is relatively simple to configure firewalls to allow RTSP traffic.

RTP/RTSP/HTTP or RTP/RTSP/HTTPS

These two methods can also be used to traverse fi configured to allow the HTTP protocol, thus allowing RTP to be tunneled.

rewalls. Firewalls are commonly

e fact that it

AXIS Media Control

The recommended method of accessing live video from the AXIS 210A/211A is to use the AXIS Media Control (AMC) in Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows. This ActiveX component is automatically installed on first use, after which it can be configured by opening the AMC Control Panel applet from the Windows Control Panel. Alternatively, right-click the video image in Internet Explorer.

Audio Stream Types

The stream types for audio are:

• G.711 - International standard for encoding wired-telephone samples to compress audio where higher signal values are compressed more than lower values. In Axis products, this sets the coding type to μ-law 64 kbit/s.

• G.726 - Uses PCM samples to code the difference between samples (ADPCM). Reduces bandwidth without losing too much useful audio. sets the coded bit rate to 24 or 32 kbit/s.

All stream types are ITU-T standards and operate on frequencies

Audio transmission methods

The audio stream can be accessed in the Live

Using Motion JPEG

The basic audio transmission method used in conjunction with Motion streaming is transmission over HTTP. The video and audio streams are not synchronized when using Motion JPEG, so the streams may be slightly out of sync. The latency in any stream should be low, but this depends on the network infrastructure.

View page via Motion JPEG or MPEG-4.

audio. Uses PCM

In Axis products, this

up to 4 kHz.

JPEG video

Using MPEG-4

When using MPEG-4, audio is streamed using the audio is transmitted using MPEG-4, the AXIS 210A/211A sends synchronization information along with the streams to the client performing the synchronization.

Note:

Audio is streamed from the client to the server over HTTP when using Motion JPEG and MPEG-4.

same protocol as the video stream. When

Accessing the Audio Streams

In addition to accessing audio in the Live View page using AMC, audio from the AXIS 210A/211A can also be accessed in the following ways:

HTTP API

You can read about accessing audio for the other protocols Programming Interface (API) at http://www.axis.com/techsup

QuickTime/Windows Media Player

It is possible to use QuickTime and Windows Media Player using the same methods to access video streams.

through the VAPIX Application

to listen to the audio stream

AXIS 210A/211A - Video Streams

AXIS 210A/211A - The Setup link

Setup link

The Setup link

This section describes how to configure the cameras, and is intended for product

Administrators, who have unrestricted access to all options in the web interface, and Operators who have access to the settings for Video & Image, Audio, Live View Config and

Event Configuration.

The camera is configured under Setup from a

standard browser (see).

Accessing the Setup link

Follow the instructions below to access the Setup link from a browser.

1. Start your browser and enter the IP address or host name of the cameras in the location/address field.

2. The Live View page appears. Click Setup to display the Setup link.

AXIS 210A/211A - Video & Image settings

Video & Image settings

Given below are examples of features available in the AXIS 210A/211A. For details of each setting, please refer to the online help available from the web interface. Click to access the online help.

Image Settings

Image Appearance

Adjust these settings to optimize the video images according to your requirements.

All configuration of images and overlays aff depending on how it is used and depending on the available bandwidth. Lower compression improves video image quality, but increases the bandwidth.

The image can be rotated, and adjusted in terms of resolution and compression. The image can a

lso be mirrored; the white balance can be changed. Please see the online help for

further information on these settings.

Changes made to video image settings have immediate effect on Motion JPEG stream must be restarted before the settings take effect.

ect the camera’s overall performance,

the MPEG-4 stream; the

AXIS 210A/211A - Video & Image settings

Overlay image

Text, date and time overlays

Text Overlay Settings

Include date, time and/or text of your choice to be viewed on the image. The color of the text may be set to white or black, while background color may be set to white, black, transparent or semitransparent. The position of the text is set either to the top or the bottom of the image. Click for more information.

Video Stream

Define the maximum video stream time per session in seconds, minutes or hours. When the set time has expired, a new stream can be started by refreshing the page in the Web browser. For unlimited video stream time, set this value to 0. This setting is only applicable to Motion JPEG.

The frame rate on the network.

allowed to each viewer can also be limited, to avoid bandwidth problems

Test

To preview the image before saving, click Test. Note that the preview image is in JPEG format, even though the settings are valid both for Motion JPEG and MPEG-4.

Overlay/Mask Settings

Overlay/Mask Type

When using an image overlay, select from the following options:

• Uploaded image as overlay usually used to information in the video image.

• Configurable areas as privacy

sks - up to three areas are

ma used to conceal parts of the video image.

The difference between an overlay and a privacy mask bypassed by accessing the video stream with the help of the AXIS HTTP API, whereas an overlay can.

Selecting the overlay/mask type displays further See the online help for further information.

provide extra

is that a privacy mask cannot be

settings available for the selected type.

AXIS 210A/211A - Video & Image settings

To upload and use an overlay

To upload an overlay image to the camera:

1. Select Uploade

d image as overlay in the drop-down list for Overlay/Mask Type.

New options appear.

2. Click the Browse button against Upload own image, and locate the image file on your computer or server.

3. Click the Upload button and follow the on-screen instructions.

To use an uploaded image

1. Select an uploaded image from the Use image drop-down list.

2. Place the image at the required location by entering the x and y coordinates.

3. Click Save.

Overlay image requirements

Image Formats Image Size

• Windows 24-bit BMP (full color)

• Windows 4-bit BMP (16 colors)

The height and width of the overlay image in pixels must be exactly divisible by 4.

There are a number of limitations when using overlay images, such as the size and positioning of images. Please refer to the online help for more information.

Configure area as privacy mask

The three configurable areas available for use as privacy masks show as solid areas of color in the image. These areas cannot be bypassed via VAPIX, Axis Communications’ powerful API.

Enable the area(s) by checking the Enable box, and

then set the width, height and color.

Setting the coordinates x and y sets the position of the upper left corner of the area.

Advanced Settings

These settings help to fine-tune the video image. Note that the advanced settings available depend on the camera model.

Lighting Conditions

Color level, Brightness and Contrast - find the level that best suits your image needs by testing.

Exposure control - this setting is used to adapt

to the amount/type of light being used.

Camera Settings

Low Light Behavior

AXIS 210A/211A - Video & Image settings

Low light conditions can reduce image quality and increase bandwidth usage. The Low Light Behavior settings define the balance between image quality and frame rate. During low light conditions, experiment with the Priority, Max exposure time, and Max gain settings until you achieve an acceptable image quality at the required frame rate.

Priority defines quality may reduce frame rate and increase motion blur. A prioritized frame rate may increase image noise.

Increasing the Max exposure time increases the quality of frame rate. There may also be increased motion blur.

Max gain, measured in decibels (dB), describes the amount of visual information in the image. A high level of amplification provides viewable images in very low light, but increases image noise.

To prioritize image quality, choose Prioritize drop-down box, and lower the Max gain. If this does not produce the desired results, increase the Max exposure time.

To instead prioritize fr box and reduce the Max exposure time. The image darkens considerably, but the frame rate is maintained. To increase image brightness increase Max gain, but this increases image noise.

Please refer to the online help for more information.

the balance between image quality and the frame rate. Higher image

the image, but decreases the

amplification applied to the

image quality from the Exposure priority

ame rate, choose Prioritize framerate from the Priority drop-down

+ 53 hidden pages

Axis Communications Axis 211A User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Introduction

Product features

Extra features - AXIS 211A

Overview

Accessing the Camera

Accessing From a Browser

Setting the root password

Accessing from the Internet

Focusing

Video Streams

Video Stream Types

MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods

How to stream MPEG-4

AXIS Media Control

Other methods of accessing the video stream

Audio Stream Types

The Setup link

Video & Image settings

Image Settings

Overlay/Mask Settings

Advanced Settings