Moxa Technologies VPort 251 User Manual

Moxa VPort 251 Video Encoder

User’s Manual

Second Edition, June 2008

© 2008 Moxa Inc., all rights reserved.

Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Moxa VPort 251 Video Encoder User’s Manual

The software described in this manual is furnished under a license agreement and may be used only in

accordance with the terms of that agreement.

Copyright Notice

Copyright © 2008 Moxa Inc.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Trademarks

MOXA is a registered trademark of Moxa Inc.

All other trademarks or registered marks in this manual belong to their respective manufacturers.

Disclaimer

Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the
part of Moxa.

Moxa provides this document “as is,” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but
not limited to, its particular purpose. Moxa reserves the right to make improvements and/or changes to this
manual, or to the products and/or the programs described in this manual, at any time.

Information provided in this manual is intended to be accurate and reliable. However, Moxa Neworking assumes
no responsibility for its use, or for any infringements on the rights of third parties that may result from its use.

This product might include unintentional technical or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the
information herein to correct such errors, and these changes are incorporated into new editions of the
publication.

Technical Support Contact Information

www.moxa.com/support

Moxa Americas:
Toll-free: 1-888-669-2872
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Moxa China (Shanghai office)

:
Toll-free: 800-820-5036
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Moxa Europe

:
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Moxa Asia-Pacific

:
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Before getting started

Before using your VPort 251, please pay close attention to the following items:

 After opening the VPort 251 box, compare the contents of the box with the Package Checklist in Chapter

1. Notify your sales representative if any of the items is missing or damaged.

 To prevent damage or problems caused by improper usage, before assembling and operating the device and

peripherals, read the Quick Installation Guide (the printed handbook included in the package). You may
also refer to Chapter 1, under Product Description, and all of Chapter 2, of this manual.

 If you experience a system error, and the system does not recover easily, refer to the Troubleshooting

section in Chapter 7 to learn how to restore factory default settings and reinstall the system.

 The VPort 251 Video Encoder has been designed for various environments and can be used to build various

applications for general security or demonstration purposes. For standard applications, refer Chapter 2,
Getting Started, and Chapter 3, Accessing VPort 251 Video Encoder for the First Time.

Important Note

 Surveillance devices may be prohibited by law in your country. Since VPort is both a high performance

surveillance system and networked video server, ensure that the operations of such devices are legal in your
locality before installing this unit for surveillance purposes.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction..................................................................................................1-1

Overview.................................................................................................................................. 1-2

Package Checklist .................................................................................................................... 1-4

Product Features ...................................................................................................................... 1-4

Typical Application.................................................................................................................. 1-5

Panel Layout of the VPort 251................................................................................................. 1-6

Product Description ................................................................................................................. 1-7

Chapter 2 Getting Started.............................................................................................2-1

Before Getting Started ............................................................................................................. 2-2

Initial Installation and Configuration....................................................................................... 2-2

RS-232 Console Configuration (115200, None, 8, 1, VT1 00) .................................... 2-8

Mounting the VPort 251 ........................................................................................................ 2-12

Mounting Dimension (Unit=mm)............................................................................... 2-12

DIN-Rail Mounting (Optional)................................................................................... 2-13

Wall Mounting............................................................................................................ 2-13

Wiring Requirements.............................................................................................................2-14

Grounding the VPort 251............................................................................................ 2-14

Wiring the Relay Output............................................................................................. 2-14

Wiring the Digital Inputs............................................................................................ 2-15

RS-232 Connection..................................................................................................... 2-15

10/100BaseT(X) Ethernet Port Connection................................................................ 2-16

PTZ Port ..................................................................................................................... 2-17

Chapter 3 Accessing VPort 251’s Web-based Manager.............................................3-1

Functions Featured on the VPort’s Web Homepage................................................................. 3-2

VPort’s Information...................................................................................................... 3-2

Server Name ................................................................................................................. 3-3

Camera Image View ..................................................................................................... 3-3

Audio Control............................................................................................................... 3-3

Client Setting ................................................................................................................ 3-3

System Configuration................................................................................................... 3-4

Video Information ........................................................................................................ 3-4

PTZ Control Panel........................................................................................................ 3-4

PTZ (Motorized) Camera Control ................................................................................ 3-5

Custom PTZ Camera Commands................................................................................. 3-6

Video Image Snapshots ................................................................................................ 3-6

Relay Control................................................................................................................ 3-6

Chapter 4 System Configuration..................................................................................4-1

System Configuration by Web Console ................................................................................... 4-2

System ..........................................................................................................................4-3

Network ........................................................................................................................ 4-9

Video .......................................................................................................................... 4-24

Audio .......................................................................................................................... 4-32

Alarm.......................................................................................................................... 4-32

Appendix A Frequently Asked Questions .....................................................................A-1

Appendix B Settings of Supported PTZ Cameras.........................................................B-1

Appendix C Time Zone Table.......................................................................................... C-1

Appendix D Technical Specifications ............................................................................ D-1

1

1

Chapter 1 Introduction

The VPort 251 is a high-performance networking video encoder. In addition to being able to
handle basic video feeds, many advanced features are also included to set up surveillance or web
attraction applications. The VPort 251 is designed to stable, compact, easy to use, and versatile.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

 Overview
 Package Chec klist
 Prod uct Featu res
 Typical Application
 Panel Layout of the VPort 251
 Prod uct Description

VPort 251 User’s Manual Introduction

Overview

The VPort 251 is a high performance, 1-channel video encoder with compact form factor that is
suitable for installation in a variety of locations, including outdoor camera cabinets. To make
installation easier, the VPort 251 supports both panel mounting and DIN-Rail mounting (with
DK-35A accessory), and 1 loop-through power output for powering an analog camera. In addition,
the VPort 251 provides up to full D1, full frame rate video performance (NTSC: 720 x 480 up to
30 FPS; PAL: 720 x 576 up to 25 FPS) and supports both MPEG4 or MJPEG, making it especially
well suited for use with distributed video surveillance systems. A 2-way audio function is also
provided for the convenience of real-time communication between system administrators located
at the central site, and engineers in the field.

High Performance MJPEG/MPEG4 compression

Video input can be efficiently compressed into MJPEG/MPEG4 video stream packets without
delay. This is all done without sacrificing remote monitoring capability or storage. Five levels of
compression quality and five different image resolutions are provided to provide greater
versatility.

2-way audio supported for a complete surveillance solution

The VPort 251 supports both audio input and audio output for voice over IP communication
between a field site and central site. The 2-way audio function not only saves time, but also saves
the cost of needing to add additional communication devices (such as a phone).

Compact design and loop-through power output for camera housing installation

The VPort 251 is compact enough to meet a variety of installation requirements, especially as far
as the camera housing is concerned. In general, video cameras used in outdoor environments will
rely on the camera housing to protect the camera from rain, dust, temperature, and other
environmental factors. In addition, the VPort 251 provides a loop-through power output to power
an analog camera. This means that the VPort 251 can be installed with analog cameras in an
outdoor camera housing.

RTSP streaming for easy integration

RTSP (Real-time Streaming Protocol) is a client-server multimedia presentation control protocol,
which enables the interoperability of video devices and software. Hardware or software that
supports RTSP streaming can easily identify and decode the video stream without the hassle of
codec installation. For example, users can view video images from the VPort 251 directly with
Quick Time and VLC, both of which support RTSP streaming.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual Introduction

Multicast (IGMP) transmission for network efficiency

Transmitting digital video images via an IP network requires a dozen times the bandwidth required
for transmitting general data. For this reason, the efficiency of network bandwidth management is
one of the most important issues that determines the performance of a video over IP surveillance
system. The VPort 251 supports multicast transmission with IGMP protocol, which can reduce the
bandwidth requirements when multiple clients access the same video stream, and greatly increases
the efficiency of network bandwidth management.

Easy web access using standard browsers

There is no need to install new software to access the video encoder, since the embedded web
server allows users to use any popular web browser to access the video encoder from anywhere
over the Internet. As long as you are connected to the network, you will be able to view the same
images seen by your cameras.

Support for SNMP V1, V2c, and V3 for easy network management

More and more IP devices are networked for use on one TCP/IP network. To make management
and maintenance easier, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) can be used to monitor
all of these IP devices.

Built-in 3 area-selectable Video Motion Detection (VMD)

External sensors are not required, since the video channel can be configured to detect motion in 3
areas, making it easy to set up a security system in either your office or the field. And the
customizable settings allow you to tune the system for both object size and sensitivity, making the
video encoder adaptable to different environments.

Weekly schedule for automated surveillance

The user-defined time period will check security settings on a weekly basis, and send notifications
or drive external devices, making the VPort 251 suitable for more versatile applications.

Flexible I/O control for external devices

1 opto-isolated sensor inputs and 1 relay outputs are provided to control external devices, giving
system integrators the option of turning an analog system into an advanced security system.

Moxa SoftDVR Lite IP Surveillance Software

To extend the video encoder’s capabilities, Moxa SoftDVRTM Lite IP Surveillance Software,
which supports a maximum of 4 cameras in quad, is included free of charge, allowing users to turn
their PC into a digital video recorder. Scheduling or one-click recording saves important images
on your local hard disk, and the reliable motion detection and instant warning features make you
ready for any situation. A quick and easy to use search and playback function lets you easily find
the image you’re looking for, so that you can inspect the images more carefully, and also save the
output to an AVI file.

SDK support for developers

The high-performance video encoder can be integrated into many applications—without busting
your budget—and the complete programming interface of Moxa VPort SDK PLUS makes the
developer’s job easy and straightforward. To ask about SDK requirements, please contact a Moxa
sales representative for details and an application form.

1-3

VPort 251 User’s Manual Introduction

Package Checklist

The Moxa VPort 251 is shipped with the following items. If any of these items are missing or
damaged, please contact your customer service representative for assistance.

y 1 x VPort 251
y 1 x 5-pin terminal block for 1 DI and 1 relay output
y 1 x 2-pin terminal block for loop-through power output
y 1 x 5-pin terminal block for RS-232/422/485 PTZ control port
y Quick Installation Guide
y Power adaptor (Need to order seperately)
y Document & Software CD (includes User’s Manual, Quick Installation Guide, Moxa IVN

Solution Datasheet, and VPort Utility)

y 4 pcs pad
y Warranty statement

NOTE: Notify your sales representative if any of the above items is missing or damaged.

Product Features

High Performance Video/Audio Networking Solution

y Supports NTSC/PAL analog video cameras
y Supports MPEG4/MJPEG video compression technology
y 1 BNC video input
y 1 audio input and 1 audio output for 2-way voice communication
y Standard RTSP (real-time streaming protocol) for easy integration
y Multicast (IGMP) protocols for efficient network transmission
y QoS (TOS) for priority transmission
y Full D1, 4CIF, VGA, CIF, and QVGA video resolution supported
y 1 auto-sensing 10/1 00BaseT(X) Ethernet port
y RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 COM port for controlling PTZ (PAN/TILT/ZOOM) motorized

camera

y Transparent PTZ Control for camera control by legacy PTZ control panel or keyboard
y Built-in web server and RS-232 console for remote and local access & configuration
y TCP, UDP, and HTTP network transmission modes
y Allows simultaneous access of up to 10 clients
y Set video quality to CBR (constant bit rate) or VBR (variable bit rate)
y Timestamp and text overlay supported
y DDNS, UPnP and IP filtering supported

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VPort 251 User’s Manual Introduction

Intelligent Alarm Trigger

y Built-in Video Motion Detection (VMD)
y 1 digital input channel and 1 relay (digital) output channel for exteranl sensor and alarm
y Alarm-triggered snapshots with pre-alarm and post-alarm snapshots
y Sequential snapshot images supported
y Messages with snapshot images can be sent via FTP or Email
y HTTP Action setting for alarm messages sent by HTTP event server
y Configure alarm activation schedule

Convenient Hardware Installation

y Compact form factor for installation at almost any location
y Panel mounting and DIN-rail mounting (with DK-35A accessory)
y Loop-through power output with identical range as power input, for powering analog cameras.

Video Management and Control

y Moxa SoftDVR™ Lite IP Surveillance Software for viewing and recording bundled free
y Free Moxa VPORT SDK PLUS supported with flexible interface and sample codes for

customized applications or system integration

NOTE

If you are interested in Moxa’s VPORT SDK PLUS, please go to Moxa’s website to download
the package, or contact a Moxa sales representative for more information about this SDK

Typical Application

1-5

VPort 251 User’s Manual Introduction

Panel Layout of the VPort 251

251

1-Channel Video Encoder

TCP,UDP,HTTP,DHCP,SMTP,
FTP,NTP,DNS,RTSP,IGMP,
QoS,DDNS,SNMP

PTZ

RS-232 or RS-422/485

POWER

1x power input and
1x loop power output

MPEG4 or MJPEG

Video Input
Compression
Ethernet

Protocols

GPIO

Auto 10/100 Mbps

D1x1,Relay Outputx1

1-ch NTSC/PAL

11

13

4
5
2

1

6

3

8
7

9

10

12

14

15

1. Grounding screw

2. Power input jack (12 to 32 VDC or 18

to 30 VAC)

3. 5-pin terminal block for digital input

and relay output

4. Hardware reset button

5. 10/100BaseTX Ethernet port with

RJ45 connector, LEDs

6. Status LEDs

7. Audio input jack (mic in or line in)

8. Audio output jack (for speakers)

9. vpp BNC connector for video input

10. 2-pin terminal block for loop-through

power output

11. RS-232 console port

12. 5-pin terminal block for

RS-232/422/485

13. Model name

14. Mounting point for wall mounting

15. Mounting point for DK-35A DIN-Rail

kit

1-6

VPort 251 User’s Manual Introduction

Product Description

BNC video input

The BNC video input is a 75 Ohm video port for connecting an external camera. To ensure that the
correct video modulation type is detected, cameras should be connected and powered on before the
VPort is powered on.

NOTE

Please use the standard CCTV cable (RG59U or above) to connect the video camera and VPort’s
BNC connector.

Mini stereo jacks for audio input/output

The VPort 251 has 2 mini stereo jacks for audio input and output on the front panel. One jack is
for a MIC-in/Line-in audio input connection, which can be directly connected with a microphone
or an audio source from an amplifier. The other jack is a Line-out audio output connection, which
can be used to connect earphones or an amplifier.

LED indicators

The front panel of the VPort 251 contains several LED indicators. The function of each LED is
described in the table below.

LED Color State Description

ON Hardware initialization

RED

FLASHING Software initialization

ON System boot-up

STAT

GREEN

FLASHING Firmware upgrade proceeding

On Video signal is detected

VIDEO

GREEN

Off Video signal is not detected

On RS-232 or RS-485 signals are being transmitted

PTZ

GREEN

Off

RS-232 or RS-485 signals are not being transmitted or
have not been detected

10/100 Mbps Ethernet port

VPort 251 is equipped with one RJ45 10/100Mbps Ethernet port (LEDs on the left corners of the
port indicate 10M or 100M). This Ethernet port is auto- negotiation with 10Mbps or 100Mbps, and
also auto-detecting MDI or MDI-X ports.

1-7

VPort 251 User’s Manual Introduction

RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 COM port

The VPort 251 has 1 COM port for PTZ control. This COM port is an RS-232/RS-422/485 serial
port with 5 pin terminal block connector. The pin assignments are as follows:

PIN RS-422/485 RS-232

1 GND

Ground

GND

Ground

2

R

-

Rx- ---

N

/A

3 R+

Rx+

RxD

RxD

4 T-/D-

Tx-/ Data- --- N/A

5 T+/D+

Tx+/ Data+

TxD

TxD

To enable PTZ control, users should configure the PTZ control protocol in the web console.

NOTE

The PTZ control protocol is not standardized. To use a particular PTZ control protocol, the video
encoder must support the driver for that protocol. Currently, the VPort 251 supports PTZ control
protocol drivers for:

1. Pelco D

2. Pelco P

3. Dynacolor DynaDome

In addition, there is an item named “Transparent PTZ Control” in the camera driver list, which is
to transmit the PTZ control signal via TCP/IP network to the VPort D251 video decoder or PC
(additional Real COM driver required), and the PTZ control panel or keyboard can directly
control the PTZ camera or device. In this way, there is no need for PTZ camera driver and better
than that, you don’t have the protocol limitation for using PTZ camera with VPort encoders.

In addition, to use a protocol that is not on the list, you will need to contact the manufacturer of
the camera to get the PTZ control commands, and then use the VPort 251’s custom camera
function to program the PTZ control.

NOTE

The VPort 251 comes with a PTZ driver upload function for implementing new PTZ drivers.
Please contact a Moxa sales representative if you need assistance from Moxa’s R&D department
to create a new PTZ driver.

12/24 VDC and 24 VAC power input and loop-through power output

VPort 251 is powerd by 12/24VDC or 24VAC power adaptor with power jack connector. In
addition, a loop-through power output in 2-pin termina block connector type is aslo provided for
poweing the external device, such as camera. Since the power input and output is loop-throughed,
the 2-pin power output can also be used as an alternative power input connector.

NOTE

The supported power input specifications for the VPort 251 series are 12-32 VDC for a 12/24
VDC power input, or 18-30 VAC for a 24 VAC power input.

1-8

VPort 251 User’s Manual Introduction

General I/O Terminal Blocks

A 5-pin terminal block is located on the VPort 251’s top panel. The terminal blocks provide 1
digital inputs (DI), 1 relay outputs (Relay). The digital inputs and relay outputs are for linking to
peripheral devices, such as sensors and alarms. These I/O connections can be employed when
using the VPort 251 to create an intelligent alarm system for system operation (power failure,
video loss, disconnected network) or triggered event (VMD).

Normal Open

Common

Relay Output

Normal Close

Max. 1A, 24 VDC
Initial status is Normal Open

DI-

Digital Input

I+ DI+

“High”: +13V to +30V
“Low”: -30V to +3V

NOTE

T Please refer to the VPort 251’s Quick Installation Guide to learn how to wire the digital inputs
and relay outputs.

RS-232 Console Port

The VPort 251 has one RS-232 (10-pin RJ45) console port located on the top panel. Use either an
RJ45-to-DB9 cable or RJ45-to-DB25 cable to connect the VPort 251’s console port to your PC’s
COM port. You may then use a console terminal program, such as Moxa PComm Terminal
Emulator, to access the VPort 251’s console configuration utility.

Reset Button

A recessed RESET button is provided for rebooting and restoring the system to the factory default
settings. Use a pointed object, such as a straightened paper clip or toothpick, to press the reset
button.

1. Reboot:

To reboot the VPort 251, power it off and then power it back on again, or push the RESET button
one time. The STAT LED will light in red as the POST (Power On Self Test) process runs. When
the rebooting process is finished, the STAT LED will change to a green color.

2. Restore to Factory Settings:

To restore the VPort 251 to the factory default settings, press the reset button continuously until
the STAT LED blinks in red. At this point, wait until the STAT LED stop flashing, and then
release the reset button. The POST process will run, and the VPort will reboot. The STAT LED
will light in green when the VPort has finished rebooting.

1-9

2

2

Chapter 2 Getting Started

This chapter includes information about how to install a VPort 251 video encoder.

The following topics are covered:

 Be fore Get ting Started
 Initial Installation and Configuration

¾ RS-232 Console Configuration (115200, None, 8, 1, VT1 00)

 Mo un ting the VPort 251

¾ Mounting Dimension
¾ DIN-Rail Mounting
¾ Wall Mounting

 Wiring Requi rements

¾ Grounding the VPort 251
¾ Error! Reference source not found.
¾ Wiring the Relay Output
¾ Wiring the Digital Inputs
¾ RS-232 Connection
¾ 10/100BaseT(X) Ethernet Port Connection
¾ Error! Reference source not found.
¾ PTZ Port

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

Before Getting Started

In what follows, “user” refers to those who can access the video encoder, and “administrator”
refers to the person who knows the root password that allows changes to the Video Encoder’s
configuration, in addition to providing general access. Administrators should read this part of the
manual carefully, especially during installation.

Initial Installation and Configuration

Before installing the VPort 251 video encoder, verify that all the items in the Package Checklist
are present. You will also need a PC or laptop with an Ethernet port.

Step 1: Connect the power source, and connect loop-through power output if required

The VPort 251 can be powered by a 12 to 32 VDC power source, or an 18 to 30 VAC power
source. The power input jack accepts a concentric barrel-type connector. The loop-through power
output accepts a 2-pin terminal block connector. Check the STAT LED on the top panel to verify
that power is connected correctly.

NOTE

The VPort 251’s power output is looped through the power intup and will match the voltage of
the power input source. For example, if the power input is 12 VDC, the loop-through power
output will also be 12 VDC.

Step 2: Connect the VPort 251 to the network

The VPort 251 has an auto-sensing 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port, with built-in LEDs to show 10
Mbps (amber) or 100 Mbps (green) connection activity.

Step 3: Connect the VPort 251 to a camera and an audio source

Use coaxial cables with BNC connectors to connect your camera to the VIDEO INPUT port.

You may plug a microphone or amplifier directly into the AUDIO INPUT port and a speaker into
the AUDIO OUTPUT port.

NOTE

The VIDEO LED on the front panel lights up when an active signal is detected on the video
input port. Use this LED to verify that video is working properly.

Step 4: Connect the VPort 251 to a PTZ camera

The VPort 251 allows remote control of a PTZ camera’s pan, tilt, and zoom from the network.
You will need to connect the camera’s PTZ control cable to the VPort 251’s PTZ port for PTZ
control. The port is a 5-pin terminal block that supports the RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485
interfaces. Please refer to Chapter 1 for the RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 COM port’s pin assignments.

Use the VPort 251’s web console to configure and enable PTZ control. Note that there are
different PTZ protocols. The VPort 251 supports PTZ drivers for Pelco D, Pelco P and DynaColor
DynaDome, and can be customized to work with other PTZ protocols. Please contact a Moxa sales
representative if you need assistance from Moxa’s R&D department to create a new PTZ driver.

A Transparent PTZ Control for controlling cameras with a legacy PTZ control panel or keyboard
is also available. This means that you will be able to control a variety of different PTZ cameras
without needing to worry about meeting PTZ driver requirements. Users can connect legacy PTZ
control panels or keyboards to the VPort D251’s PTZ port, or the COM port of a PC (provided the
Moxa Real COM port driver is installed) to control the PTZ camera connected to the VPort 251.

2-2

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

NOTE

The PTZ control panel or keyboard must support the control of PTZ camera being used.

Step 5: Configure the VPort 251’s IP address

When the VPort 251 is first powered on, the POST (Power On Self Test) will run for a few
moments. The STAT LED will turn green when the POST is complete. The NETWORK LED will
then flash as the IP address is assigned. The network environment determines how the IP address
is assigned.

Network Environment with DHCP Server:

For this network environment, the unit’s IP address will be assigned by the network’s DHCP
server. Refer to the DHCP server’s IP address table to determine the unit’s assigned IP address.

You may also use the Moxa VPort and Ether Device Configurator Utility (edscfgui.exe) as

follows:

2-3

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

1. Run the edscfgui.exe program to search for the VPort and EDS switch. After the Utility

window opens, you may also select or click on the Broadcast Search (under the List Server
menu or click on Broadcast Search icon

) to initiate a search.

NOTE

You may download the Moxa VPort and Ether Device Configurator Utility (edscfgui.exe)

software from Moxa’s website at www.moxa.com

.

2. The Broadcast Search window will open, displaying a list of all switches and VPorts located

on the network, as well as the progress of the search.

2-4

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

3. When the search has concluded, the Model Name, MAC address, IP address of the EDS

Switch and VPort will be listed in the Utility window.

NOTE

The Broadcast Search only can search the devices on the same domain LAN. If your devices are
located on different domain LAN, you can use the Specify IP Address to search the device by

key in the IP address.

4. Double click the selected VPort, or use the IE web browser to access VPort’s web-based

manager (web console).

Network Environment without a DHCP Server:

If the unit is connected to a network that does not have a DHCP server, then you will need to

configure the IP address manually. The VPort 251 has a default IP address of 192.168.127.100

with a default subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. You may need to change your computer’s IP address
and subnet mask so that the computer and the VPort 251 are on the same subnet.

To change the unit’s IP address manually, open the unit’s web console and navigate to System
Configuration Æ Network Æ General. Make sure that Use fixed IP address is checked so that

the IP address is not reset every time the unit is restarted.

Step 6: Log into the VPort 251’s web console

In your web browser, navigate to the VPort 251’s IP address to open the web console.

2-5

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

Step 7: Install the ActiveX Control plug-in

A security message will appear the first time you access the VPort’s web console. The message
asks if you wish to install the VPort ActiveX Control component, which is required to allow video

images to be viewed in Internet Explorer. Click Yes to install this plug-in.

NOTE

For Windows XP SP2 or above, the ActiveX Control component will be blocked for security
reasons. In this case, the warning message may not appear. You will need to unblock the
ActiveX control function or disable security in order to install the ActiveX Control component.

Step 8: Verify operation in the web console

After the ActiveX Control component is installed, the VPort 251’s web console will appear. Check
for the following items to confirm proper installation:

1. Video images

2. Audio (make sure PC sound is turned on)

3. Video information

2-6

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

Step 9: Review or modify VPort 251 configuration

In the web console, navigate to System Configuration to review or modify the unit’s

configuration. For detailed information on settings, please refer to Chapter 4.

2-7

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

NOTE

In the web console, administrators may navigate to System Configuration Æ System Æ
Account to set up an administrator’s password for authentication purposes. The administrator

account name is admin. When a password has been set up, an authentication window will appear
whenever someone attempts to open the unit’s web console.

RS-232 Console Configuration (115200, None, 8, 1, VT1 00)

NOTE

1. You cannot connect to the VPort 251 simultaneously by serial console and Telnet.

2. You may connect to the VPort 251 simultaneously by web browser and serial console, or by

web browser and Telnet. However, we strongly recommend that you use only one connection
method at a time. This allows you to maintain better control over your VPort 251’s
configuration.

You can access the RS-232 console by using a terminal emulator on your PC. We recommend that
you use PComm Terminal Emulator, which is free and can be downloaded from Moxa’s website.
The following instructions explain how to use PComm to access the RS-232 console.

1. Use an RJ45 to DB9-F (or RJ45 to DB25-F) cable to connect the VPort 251’s RS-232 console

port to a COM port on your PC.

2-8

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

2. From the Windows desktop, click Start Æ Programs Æ PCommLite1.3 Æ Terminal

Emulator.

3. Select Open under Port Manager to open a new connection.

4. The Communication Parameter page of the Property window opens. Select the appropriate

COM port for Console Connection, 115200 for Baud Rate, 8 for Data Bits, None for Parity,
and 1 for Stop Bits.

2-9

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

5. Click the Terminal tab, and select VT100 for Terminal Type. Click OK to continue.

6. A blank screen will appear. Press Enter, after which a login message will appear. Only the

administrator is allowed to use this console configuration. Use admin as the username and the
associated admin password as the password. Press Enter to continue.

2-10

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

7. The RS-232 console’s Main Menu will be displayed. (NOTE: To modify the appearance of

the PComm Terminal Emulator window, select Font... under the Edit menu, and then choose

the desired formatting options.)

8. After entering the Main Menu, use the following keys to move the cursor, and to select

options.

Key Function

Up/Down/Left/Right arrows, or Tab Move the onscreen cursor

Enter Display & select options

Space Toggle options

Esc Previous Menu

NOTE

Many settings are related to video images, which cannot be shown on the RS-232 console. The
VPort 251’s RS-232 console provides only Basic System Setting and Network Setting. For more
advanced configuration, please use the web console.

2-11

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

Mounting the VPort 251

Mounting Dimension (Unit=mm)

50

50

88.2

100.2

88.2

66.1

47.5

31.1

63.6

60.3

22.6

44.1

28.1

1.73

8.81

6.4

1

5.81

3.33

601

55.73

6.13

6.41

81

1.63

52

34

6.521

11

66.1

VPort 251

1-Channel Video Encoder

2-12

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

DIN-Rail Mounting (Optional)

The VPort 251 can be mounted on a 35-mm DIN-Rail using the DK-35A accessory (ordered
separately).

Wall Mounting

The VPort 251 can be mounted on the wall with 2 screws. Make sure that
screws are less than 3.5 mm in diameter, with heads between 3.5 and 6.0
mm in diameter, as shown on the right.

6.0 mm

3.5 mm

2-13

VPort 251

1-Channel Video Encoder

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

Wiring Requirements

ATTENTION

Be sure to disconnect the power cord before installing and/or wiring your Moxa VPort 251.

Calculate the maximum possible current in each power wire and common wire. Observe all
electrical codes dictating the maximum current allowable for each wire size.

If the current goes above the maximum ratings, the wiring could overheat, causing serious damage
to your equipment.

You should also pay attention to the following:

y Use separate paths to route wiring for power and devices. If power wiring and device wiring

paths must cross, make sure the wires are perpendicular at the intersection point. NOTE: Do not
run signal or communications wiring and power wiring in the same wire conduit. To avoid
interference, wires with different signal characteristics should be routed separately.

y You can use the type of signal transmitted through a wire to determine which wires should be

kept separate. The rule of thumb is that wiring that shares similar electrical characteristics can
be bundled together.

y Keep input wiring and output wiring separated.
y It is strongly advised that you label wiring to all devices in the system when necessary.

Grounding the VPort 251

Grounding and wire routing help limit the effects of noise due to electromagnetic interference
(EMI). Run the ground connection from the ground screw to the grounding surface prior to
connecting devices.

ATTENTION

This product is intended to be mounted to a well-grounded mounting surface such as a metal
panel.

Wiring the Relay Output

In this section, we will explain the meaning of the two contacts used to connect the Relay Contact.

The VPort 251 has one set of relay outputs,
labeled RELAY 3 contacts on the 5-pin terminal
block on the VPort’s top panel are used for the
relay output.

The relay output can be configured for:

1. System alarm: such as for network disconnected.

2. Event alarm: such as for VMD (Video Motion Detection), video loss, and Digital Inputs.

2-14

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

ATTENTION

The maximum current and power capacity of the relay output is 24 VDC @ 1A. Please be careful
not to exceed this power specification.

ATTENTION

Before connecting the VPort to the DC/AC power inputs, make sure the DC power source voltage
is stable.

Wiring the Digital Inputs

The VPort 251 has one digital input channel, labeled DI. Two contacts on the 5-pin terminal block
on the VPort’s top panel are used to connect to this DI.

STEP 1: Insert the negative (ground)/positive
DI wires into the ┴/I1 terminals.

STEP 2: To keep the DI wires from pulling

loose, use a small flat-blade screwdriver to
tighten the connector.

STEP 3: Insert the plastic terminal block

connector prongs into the terminal block
receptor, which is located on VPort 251’s top
panel.

RS-232 Connection

The VPort 251 has one RS-232 (10-pin RJ45) console port, located on the top panel. Use either an
RJ45-to-DB9 or RJ45-to-DB25 cable (see the cable following wiring diagrams) to connect the
VPort 251’s console port to your PC’s COM port. You may then use a console terminal program,
such as Moxa PComm Terminal Emulator, to access the VPort 251’s console configuration utility.

RJ45 (10-pin) Console Port Pinouts

Pin Description

1 ---
2 DSR
3 ---
4 GND
5 TxD
6 RxD
7 GND
8 ---
9 DTR

10 ---

110

2-15

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

RJ45 (10-pin) to DB9 (F) Cable Wiring

RJ45 Plug Pin 1

DCD
DSR

RTS

GND

TxD
RxD
CTS
DTR

DCD
DTR
CTS
GND
RxD
TxD
RTS
DSR

1
2
3

4/7

5
6
8
9

1
6
7
5
3
2
8
4

RJ45 (10-pin) to DB25 (F) Cable Wiring

RJ45 Plug Pin 1

DCD
DSR

RTS

GND

TxD
RxD
CTS
DTR

DCD
DTR
CTS
GND
RxD
TxD
RTS
DSR

1
2
3

4/7

5
6
8
9

8
6
4
7
2
3
5
20

10/100BaseT(X) Ethernet Port Connection

The 10/100BaseT(X) port located on the VPort 251’s front panel is used to connect to
Ethernet-enabled devices.

The following table shows pinouts for both MDI (NIC-type) ports and MDI-X (HUB/Switch-type)
ports. We also show cable wiring diagrams for straight-through and cross-over Ethernet cables.

(MDI) Port Pinouts (MDI-X) Port Pinouts 8-pin RJ45

Pin Signal

1 Tx+
2 Tx­3 Rx+
6 Rx-

Pin Signal

1Rx+
2Rx­3Tx+
6Tx-

18

2-16

VPort 251 User’s Manual Getting Started

RJ45 (8-pin) to RJ45 (8-pin) Straight-Through Cable Wiring

Straight-Through Cable

RJ45 Plug Pin 1

Switch Port

RJ45

Connector

RJ45
Connector

Tx+
Tx­Rx+
Rx-

VPort Ethernet
Port

Cable Wiring

3 3
6 6
1 1
2 2

Rx+
Rx­Tx+
Tx-

RJ45 (8-pin) to RJ45 (8-pin) Cross-Over Cable Wiring

Cross-Over Cable

RJ45 Plug Pin 1

NIC Port

RJ45

Connector

RJ45
Connector

Tx+
Tx­Rx+

(Rx+)
(Rx-)
(Tx+)

(Tx+)
(Tx-)
(Rx+)

VPort Ethernet
Port

Rx-(Tx-) (Rx-)

Cable Wiring

3 1
6 2
1 3

Rx+
Rx­Tx+

2 6 Tx-

PTZ Port

A PTZ port is located on the VPort 251’s front panel. The port is used to connect to a PTZ
motorized camera or device, so that the camera or device can be controlled from the VPort over
the IP network. The PTZ port supports RS-232 or RS-422/485 signals through the terminal block.
The PTZ port pin assignments are shown in the following table.

Pin Assignment

PTZ

12345

PIN RS-422/485 RS-232

1GND GND

2 R- ---

3R+ RxD

4 T-\D- ---

5T+\D+ TxD

2-17

3

3

Chapter 3 Accessing VPort 251’s Web-based

Manager

This chapter includes information about how to access VPort 251 video encoder for the first time.

The following topics are covered:

 Functions Featured on the VPort’s Web Homepage

¾ VPort’s Information
¾ Server Name
¾ Camera Image View
¾ Audio Control
¾ Client Setting
¾ System Configuration
¾ Video Information
¾ PTZ Control PanelPTZ (Motorized) Camera Control
¾ Custom PTZ Camera Commands
¾ Video Image Snapshots
¾ Relay Control

VPort 251 User’s Manual Accessing VPort 251’s Web-based Manager

Functions Featured on the VPort’s Web Homepage

The homepage of the VPort’s web console shows information specific to that VPort, the camera
image, and configurations for client and server.

NOTE

The VPort’s web homepage is best viewed using a 1280 x 1024 screen size. This is because the
camera image can be viewed at a resolution up to Full D1 (NTSC: 720 x 480; 720 x 576). We
strongly recommend using IE 6.0 (Microsoft Internet Explorer) or above to avoid incompatibility
with the ActiveX Plug-in.

VPort Information

Camera Image View

Audio Control

Server Name

VPort’s Information

This section shows the VPort’s model name, server name, IP address, MAC address, firmware
version, and the display status of the LEDs located on the VPort’s front panel.

NOTE

The VPort LEDs shown on the VPort’s web homepage are updated every 10 seconds.

3-2

VPort 251 User’s Manual Accessing VPort 251’s Web-based Manager

Server Name

A server name can be assigned to each server. Administrators can change the name in System
Configuration/System/General. The maximum length of the sever name is 40 bytes.

Camera Image View

The assigned image description and system date/time will be displayed in the caption above the
image window. You may disable the caption or change the location of the image information from

the System Configuration/Video/Image Setting. Note that if the VPort’s motion detection

function is active, some windows in the video picture might be framed in red.

Audio Control

The VPort 251 provides both audio input and audio output for voice over IP communication.
Client users can directly enable and disable the audio input (a microphone, for example) by
clicking the microphone button, and audio output (a speaker, for example) by clicking the speaker

button from the VPort’s web homepage. You may also use the Client Setting to disable the audio

transmission.

Client Setting

Users can configure the following functions in Client Settings.

1. Media Options: Enable or disable the video or audio transmission.

2. Protocol Options: Choose one of four protocols to optimize your usage—UDP, TCP, HTTP,

or Multicast.

y UDP protocol can be used to produce audio and video streams that are more real-time. However,

some packets may be lost due to network burst traffic, and images may become blurred.

y TCP protocol can be used to prevent packet loss, which results in a more accurate video display.

The downside of using TCP is that the real-time effect is worse than with UDP protocol.

y HTTP protocol can be used to prevent being blocked by a router＇s firewall. The downside of

using HTTP is that the real-time effect is worse than with UDP protocol.

y Multicast protocol can be used to send a single video stream to multiple clients. In this case, a

lot of bandwidth can be saved since only one video stream is transmitted over the network.
However, the network gateway (e.g., a switch) must support multicast protocol (e.g., IGMP
snooping). Otherwise, the multicast video transmission will not be successful.

Once the video encoder is connected successfully, Protocol Options will indicate the selected
protocol. The selected protocol will be recorded on the user’s PC, and will be used for the next
connection.

3-3

VPort 251 User’s Manual Accessing VPort 251’s Web-based Manager

System Configuration

A button or text link on the left side of the system configuration window only appears on the
administrator’s main page. For detailed system configuration instructions, refer to Chapter 4,

System Configuration.

Video Information

Users can easily monitor the current video performance by looking at the Video Information

shown on the left side of the homepage. The following properties are shown: Video Size, Video
Quality (Fixed bit rate or Fixed video quality), Max. FPS (frames per second), and (current) FPS
Status.

PTZ Control Panel

Users can click this link to pop up a new window for PTZ Control.

3-4

VPort 251 User’s Manual Accessing VPort 251’s Web-based Manager

Zoom,
Focus and
IRIS control

Moving
Direction
Control
Panel

PAN, TILT,
ZOOM speed
configuration,
and GO TO
preset position

Extra
Command
(Based on
the driver)

Custom
Command

PTZ (Motorized) Camera Control

If a serial device, such as a motorized camera, is attached to the COM port, the control panel will
appear on the main page for user’s who have permission to operate the camera. Buttons that are
active will change color when the cursor is passed over the button. Users can control the pan, tilt,
zoom, and focus functions of motorized cameras. The home button is used to return the camera to
the center position if the camera supports this command. In addition to near and far control for
focus, an AUTO button is provided for setting auto focus mode. To move the motorized camera
more precisely, the speed control for pan and tilt allows users to fine tune the aiming of the camera.
Users can also click directly on any point in the image to force the motorized camera to focus on
that point, or select a preset location from the drop-down menu. Administrators are able to add or
modify the list of preset locations. Details are described in the relevant section in Chapter 4,

System Configuration.

NOTE

For some PTZ cameras, users can click on any position in the image to point the camera to that
position. We currently support this functionality for Pelco-D, Pelco P and Dynacolor DynaDome
PTZ drivers.

3-5

VPort 251 User’s Manual Accessing VPort 251’s Web-based Manager

3-6

Custom PTZ Camera Commands

In addition to the default pan, tilt, zoom, and focus controls, an additional 10 buttons are available
for custom commands to control the attached motorized (PTZ) cameras. Custom commands are set
up by administrators, and are used for functions such as activating or deactivating the dome wiper.
Refer to the attached motorized device’s User’s Manual to see which functions can be controlled
with these additional buttons.

Video Image Snapshots

Users can take snapshot images for storing, printing, or editing by clicking the Snapshot button.
To save the image, click the right mouse button and select the Save option.

Relay Control

The VPort 251 has 1 relay outputs for external devices, such as alarms. Administrators and

permitted users can click on Open to short the Common and Normal Open digital output pins, or
click on Close to short the Common and Normal Close digital output pins.

4

4

Chapter 4 System Configuration

After installing the hardware, the next step is to configure the VPort 251’s settings. Users can
configure by web console.

This chapter includes the following sections:

 System Configuration by Web Console

¾ System
¾ Network
¾ Video
¾ Audio
¾ Alarm

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

System Configuration by Web Console

System configuration can be done remotely with Internet Explorer. To access the server, type the

system configuration URL, http://<IP address of Video Server>/setup/config.html, to open the

configuration main page.

There are five configuration categories: System, Network, Video, Audio, and Alarm. A

description of each configuration item is shown in the table below:

Category Item Description and Contents

General Set Host Name and Date/Time
Accounts

Administrator, User, and Demo Account Privileges
Management

Diagnosis

Self-diagnostic report with system, communication,

power, and LED status
System Log System Log and operation information
System Parameter

System parameter information and Import/Export

functions
Firmware Upgrade Remote Firmware Upgrade
Factory Default Reset to Factory Default

System

Reboot Device will reboot for restarting system
General The IP network settings of this VPort
SMTP Server

Set up Primary and Secondary SMTP Server and e-mail

accounts
FTP Server Set up the Primary and Secondary FTP Server
DDNS Configure Dynamic DNS service
Universal PnP Enable UPnP function
Multicast Setting Set up Multicast (IGMP) Streaming
Accessible IP

Set up a list to control the access permission of clients

by checking their IP address
SNMP

Configure the SNMP settings
QoS (ToS)

Configure ToS(Type of Service)

Network

HTTP Event Server

Set up the HTTP Event Server to send the event alarm

action
Image Setting Configure the attributes of the video image
Camera Modulation Select the camera’s modulation (NTSC, PAL or AUTO)
Video Performance Set up the Size (Resolution), FPS, and Video Quality

Video

Camera Control Set up the Camera’s PTZ Control

Audio

Quality Set up the audio source
System Alarm Configure Network Connection Broken alarms

Basic General settings of event alarm
Schedule Set up the Alarm schedule
Video

Motion
Detection

Configure the Video Motion Detection Alarm

Digital Input Configure the Digital Input Alarm
Video Loss Configure the Video Loss Alarm

Alarm

Event
Alarm

Sequential
Snapshot

Set up the Sequential Snapshot operation

This table can also be found on the System Configuration Æ Overview webpage.

4-2

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

System

General Settings

On the General Settings page, administrators can set up the video Server name and the Date and
Time, which appear in the image’s caption.

Server name

Setting Description Default

Max. 40 characters

Use a different server name for each
server to help identify the different
servers. The name appears on the web
homepage.

VPort 251 Video Encoder

4-3

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Date and Time

Setting Description Default

Keep current date and
time

Use the current date and time as the
VPort’s time setting.

Sync with computer
time

Synchronize VPort’s data and time
setting with the local computer time.

Manual

Manually change VPort’s date and time
setting.

Automatic

Use the NTP server for changing VPort’s
date and time setting in a given period.

VPort 251 Video Encoder

NOTE

Select the Automatic option to force the VPort to synchronize automatically with timeservers
over the Internet. However, synchronization may fail if the assigned NTP server cannot be
reached, or the VPort is connected to a local network. Leaving the NTP server blank will force

the VPort to connect to default timeservers. Enter either the Domain name or IP address format
of the timeserver if the DNS server is available.

Don’t forget to set the Time zone for local settings. Refer to Appendix G for your region’s time

zone.

Account Privileges

Different account privileges are available for different purposes.

Admin password

Setting Description Default

Admin Password
(max. 14 characters)

Administrator can type the new password
in this box.

Confirm Password
(max. 14 characters)

If a new password is typed in the Admin
Password box, you will need to retype
the password in the Confirm Password

box before updating the new password.

Default admin password is
“admin”

4-4

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

The default account name for administrator is admin; the administrator account name cannot be

changed.

User’s Privileges

VPort products provide 10 user accounts for accessing VPort. Administrators can set up user’s
privileges in this section. Each user can be given independent access right to the external I/O and
camera control.

Setting Description Default

User Name

Type a specific user name for user
authentication.

Password

Type a specific password for user
authentication.

Privilege

Check the function boxes to assign

privileges for users in Control Camera,
Control Relay1, and Control Relay2.

N

one

NOTE

The FPS of the video stream will be reduced as more and more users access the same VPort. For
this reason, only 10 users can access the VPort 251 at the same time. Enforcing this kind of
restriction helps guarantee the performance of the video stream.

4-5

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

System Diagnosis

VPort products have a self-diagnosis function to let the administrator get a quick view of the
system and connection status. Administrators can save this diagnosis information in a file

(diagnosis.log) by clicking the Export to a File button, or send the file via email by clicking the
Send a Report via Email button.

System Log History

The system log contains useful information, including current system configuration and activity
history with timestamp for tracking. Administrators can save this information in a file (system.log)

by clicking the Export to a File button, or send the file by email by clicking the Send a Report
via Email button.

4-6

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

System Parameters

The System Parameters page allows you to view all system parameters, which are listed by

category. The content is the same as the VPort’s sys_config.ini file. Administrators can also save

this information in a file (sys_config.ini) by clicking the Export to a File button, or import a file
by clicking the Browse button to search a sys_config.ini file and the Import a System Parameter
File button to update the system configuration quickly.

NOTE

The system parameter import/export functions allow the administrator to backup and restore
system configurations. The Administrator can export this sys_config.ini file (in a special binary
format) for backup, and import the sys_config.ini file to restore the system configurations of
VPort video encoders. System configurations will be changed immediately after the VPort is
rebooted.

Firmware Upgrade

Take the following steps to upgrade the firmware:

Step 1: Press the Browse button to select the firmware file.

NOTE

For the VPort 251, the firmware file extension should be .rom.

4-7

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Step 2: Click on the Upgrade button to upload the firmware to the VPort.
Step 3: The system will start to run the firmware upgrade process.

Step 4: Once Firmware Update Success…..Reboot.... is shown, please wait for few seconds

for the VPort to reboot. The reboot process is finished once the STAT LED is lit

continuously in green.

NOTE

Upgrading the firmware upgrade will not change the original settings.

Reset to Factory Default

From the “Reset to Factory Default” page, click on OK (as shown in the following figure) to reset

the VPort to its factory default settings.

NOTE

All parameters will be reset to factory defaults when you use the Factory Default function. For

this reason, if you want to keep a digital copy of the current configuration, remember to export
the sys_config.ini file before using the Factory Default function.

Reboot

From the “Device Reboot” page, click on OK (as shown in the following figure) to restart the

VPort.

4-8

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Network

General Network Settings

The General Network Settings page includes some basic but important network configurations

that enable the VPort to be connected to a TCP/IP network.

Access Method

VPort products support the DHCP protocol, which means that VPort can get its IP address from a
DHCP server automatically when it is connected to a TCP/IP network. The Administrator should
determine if it is more appropriate to use DHCP, or assign a fixed IP.

Setting Description Default

Get IP address
automatically

VPort gets the IP address automatically
from the DHCP server.

Use fixed IP address

Use the IP address assigned by the
administrator.

Get IP address automatically

NOTE

We strongly recommend that the administrator assign a fixed IP address to the VPort, since all of
the functions and applications provided by the VPort are active when the VPort is connected to
the network. Use DHCP to determine if the VPort’s IP address may change when then network
environment changes, or the IP address is occupied by other clients.

4-9

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

General Settings

Setting Description Default

IP address

Variable IP assigned automatically by the
DHCP server, or fixed IP assigned by the
Administrator.

192.168.127.100

Subnet mask

Variable subnet mask assigned
automatically by the DHCP server, or a
fixed subnet mask assigned by the
Administrator.

255.255.255.0

Gateway

Assigned automatically by the DHCP
server, or assigned by the Administrator.

Blank

Primary DNS

Enter the IP address of the DNS Server
used by your network. After entering the
DNS Server’s IP address, you can input
the VPort’s url (e.g., www.VPort.
company.com) in your browser’s address
field, instead of entering the IP address.

Obtained automatically from
the DHCP server, or left blank
in non-DHCP environments.

Secondary DNS

Enter the IP address of the DNS Server
used by your network. The VPort will try
to locate the secondary DNS Server if the
primary DNS Server fails to connect.

Obtained automatically from
the DHCP server, or left blank
in non-DHCP environments.

HTTP

Setting Description Default

HTTP Port
(80, or 1024 to 65535)

HTTP port enables connecting the VPort
to the web.

80

RTSP Streaming

The VPort 251 supports standard RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) streaming, which means
that all devices and software that support RTSP can directly acquire and view the video images
sent from VPort 251 without any proprietary codec or SDK installations. This makes network

system integration much more convenient. For different connection types, the access name is
different. For UDP and TCP streams, the access name is udpStream. For HTTP streams, the
access name is moxa-cgi/udpStream. For multicast streams, the access name is multicastStream.
You can access the media through the following URL: rtsp://<IP address>:<RTSP

port>/<Access name> for software that supports RTSP.

Setting Description Default

RTSP Port

An RTSP port is similar to an HTTP port,
which can enable the connection of
video/audio streams by RTSP.

554

4-10

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

We use Apple QuickTime media player to illustrate RTSP streaming applications:

Step 1: Open Apple QuickTime Player and select File - Open URL in New Player.

Step 2: When the following pop-up window appears, type the URL in the input box. E.g., type
rtsp://<VPort 251’s IP address>[:<RTSP Port]/unicaststream
rtsp://<VPort 251’s IP address>[:<RTSP Port]/multicaststream,
RTSP Port: 554 Is default and then click on OK to connect to the VPort 251.

Step 3: Wait a few seconds for QuickTime Player to establish the connection.

Step 4: After the connection has been established, the VPort 251’s video will appear in the

QuickTime Player display window.

4-11

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

The video performance of the VPort 251 in other media players may not always be the same. For
example, you will notice a greater delay when viewing the VPort 251’s video from QuickTime
player compared to viewing it directly from the VPort 251’s built-in web server. In addition,
viewing the VPort 251’s video from Quicktime player through a router or Internet gateway could
result in a broken connection.

NOTE

For the time being, the VPort 251’s RTSP video/audio stream can be identified and viewed by
Apple QuickTime Ver. 6.5 and above, and VLC media player. System integrators can use these 2
media players to view the VPort 251’s video directly, without needing to use the VPort’s SDK to
create customized software.

SMTP Server and Email Account Settings

The VPort not only plays the role of server, but can also connect to outside servers to send alarm
messages and snapshots. If the administrator has set up some applications in either system
information or alarm, the VPort will send out messages or snapshots once these conditions occur.

1st SMTP Server and Sender Email

Setting Description Default

1st SMTP (mail)
server

SMTP Server’s IP address or URL
address.

N

one

1st SMTP account
name

N

one

1st SMTP password

For security reasons, most SMTP servers
require the account name and password
to be authenticated.

N

one

1st Sender’s email
address

For security reasons, SMTP servers must
see the exact sender email address.

N

one

4-12

VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

Note that if the Sender’s email address is not set, a warning message will pop up and the e-mail

system will not be allowed to operate.

NOTE

The 2nd SMTP Server and Sender Email are backups that are used if the 1st SMTP Server and

Sender Email fail when connecting or sending email.

Two recipient email accounts are available for receiving emails sent by the VPort. For redundancy,
both addresses receive the sent messages and alarm snapshots simultaneously.

Setting Description Default

1st Recipient’s Email
Address

Email address of the 1

st

recipient.

N

one

2nd Recipient’s Email
Address

Email address of the 2

nd

recipient.

N

one

FTP Server Settings

FTP is the other method available for the VPort to send alarm messages and snapshots.

1st FTP Server

Setting Description Default

1st FTP server FTP server’s IP address or URL address. None
1st FTP server port

N

one

1st FTP user name

FTP server’s authentication.

N

one

1st FTP remote folder

FTP file storage folder on the remote FTP
server.

N

one

1st FTP passive mode

Passive transfer solution for FTP
transmission through a firewall.

Disabled

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

The 2nd FTP Server is a backup in case the 1st FTP Server fails to connect or has trouble

sending files.

NOTE

Whenever the system reboots, a system log will be sent by email or FTP to show the login status
of the VPort. The system log will be sent to the Sender email address if the SMTP server settings
are correct. To send the system log via FTP, the SMTP server should be erased since the E-mail
system is used by default to transmit the system log.

NOTE

For either e-mail or FTP, the information of the 1st server should be entered first. If the 1st
server is not set, the related FTP or email will be cancelled. Note that it may take time to connect
to the 2nd server after the first server fails, and it may affect some applications when adverse
conditions occur too often.

Dynamic DNS

DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System) is a combination of DHCP, DNS, and client

registration. DDNS allows administrators to alias VPort’s dynamic IP address to a static hostname
in any of the domains provided by the DDNS service providers listed on VPort’s Network/DDNS
configuration page. DDNS makes it easier to access VPort from various locations on the Internet.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Setting Description Default

Enable DDNS Enable or disable DDNS function Disable

Provider

Select the DDNS service providers,
including DynDNS.org (Dynamic),
DynDNS.org (Custom), TZO.com, and
dhs.org.

None

Host Name The Host Name you use to link to VPort. None

Username/ E-mail None

Password/ Key

The Username/E-mail and Password/Key
are used to enable the service from the
DDNS service provider (based on the
rules of DDNS websites).

None

NOTE

Dynamic DNS is a very useful tool for accessing VPort via the Internet, especially for xDSL
connections with a non-fixed IP address (DHCP). Administrator and users can avoid the trouble
of connecting with VPort when the IP address of VPort is not fixed by using the unique host
name in the URL to establish a connection with VPort.

NOTE

Different DDNS service providers have different application rules. Some applications are free of
charge, but most require an application fee.

Universal PnP

UPnP (Universal Plug & Play) is a networking architecture that provides compatibility among

networking equipment, software, and peripherals of the 400+ vendors that are part of the Universal
Plug and Play Forum. This means that they are listed in the network devices table for the operating
system (such as Windows XP) supported by this function. Users can link to VPort directly by
clicking on the VPort listed in the network devices table.

Setting Description Default

Enable UPnP Enable or disable the UPnP function. Enable

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Multicast

The VPort 251 supports the advanced Multicast network protocol IGMP, which can greatly
improve the efficiency of network traffic. In this section, we explain multicasts, multicast filtering,
and how multicast can be implemented on your VPort.

What is Multicast?

A multicast is a packet that is intended for “one-to-many” and “many-to-many” communication.
Users explicitly request to participate in the communication by joining an end-station to a specific
multicast group. If the network is set up correctly, a multicast can only be sent to an end-station or
a subset of end-stations on a LAN or VLAN that belong to the relevant multicast group. Multicast
group members can be distributed across multiple subnetworks. Therefore, multicast transmissions
can occur within a campus LAN or over a WAN. In addition, networks that support IP multicast
send only one copy of the desired information across the network. The packets are only replicated
if they reach a network node that links to two or more members of the multicast network.
Transmitting packets in this way makes more efficient use of network bandwidth. A multicast
packet is identified by the presence of a multicast group address in the destination address field of
the packet’s IP header.

Benefits of Multicast

The benefits of using IP multicast are that it:

y Enables the simultaneous delivery of information to many receivers in the most efficient,

logical way.

y Reduces the load on the source (for example, a server) because it does not need to produce

multiple copies of the same data.

y Makes efficient use of network bandwidth and scales well as the number of participants or

collaborators expands.

y Works with other IP protocols and services, such as Quality of Service (QoS).
y There are situations where a multicast approach is more logical and efficient than a unicast

approach. A typical use of multicasts is in video-conferencing, in which high volumes of traffic
need to be sent to several end-stations simultaneously, but for which broadcasting that traffic to
all end-stations would seriously reduce network performance. Besides, several industrial
automation protocols, such as Allen-Bradley, EtherNet/IP, Siemens Profibus, and Foundation
Fieldbus HSE (High Speed Ethernet), use the multicast approach. These industrial Ethernet
protocols use publisher/subscriber communications models by multicasting packets that could
flood a network with heavy traffic. IGMP provides the ability to prune multicast traffic so that it
travels only to those end destinations that require the traffic, thus reducing the amount of traffic
on the Ethernet LAN.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

The network WITHOUT Multicast

Group 2

Group 2

Group 1

Group 1

Video Stream Group 2

Video Stream Group 1

Group 2

Group 2

Group 1

Group 2Group 2

Video Stream Group 1Video Stream Group 1

Group 1

Group 2Group 2

Group 1Group 1

Video Stream Group 2Video Stream Group 2

Group 1Group 1

The network WITH Multicast

Group 1 Multicast Stream

Group 2 Multicast Stream

IGMP Group 2

IGMP Group 2

IGMP Group 1

IGMP Group 1

Group 1 Multicast StreamGroup 1 Multicast Stream

Group 2 Multicast StreamGroup 2 Multicast Stream

IGMP Group 2

IGMP Group 2

IGMP Group 2

IGMP Group 2

IGMP Group 1

IGMP Group 1

IGMP Group 1

IGMP Group 1

251

1-Channel Video Encoder

TCP,UDP,HTTP,DHCP, SMTP,
FTP,NTP,DNS,RTSP, IGMP,
QoS,DDNS,SNMP

PTZ

RS-232 or RS-422/485

POWER

1x power input and
1x loop power output

MPEG4 or MJPEG

Video Input
Compression
Ethernet

Protocols

GPIO

Auto 10/100 Mbps

D1x1,Relay Outputx1

1-ch NTSC/PAL

251

1-Channel Video Encoder

TCP,UDP,HTTP,DHCP,SMTP,
FTP,NTP,DNS,RTSP, IGMP,
QoS,DDNS,SNMP

PTZ

RS-232 or RS-422/485

POWER

1x power input and
1x loop power output

MPEG4 or MJPEG

Video Input
Compression
Ethernet

Protocols

GPIO

Auto 10/100 Mbps

D1x1,Relay Outputx1

1-ch NTSC/PAL

NOTE

The VPort 251 is the source that delivers the multicast video stream. To benefit from the
Multicast protocol, the gateway or network switch should support the multicast filtering function
(such as IGMP Snooping) so that the multicast stream is delivered correctly and precisely. To
learn more about IGMP Snooping, refer to the Moxa EtherDeviceTM series Industrial Ethernet
Switch user’s manual.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Configuring Multicast Settings

Setting Description Default

Multicast group
address

Multicast Group address for sending
video stream.

239.128.0.99

Multicast video port Video port number. 5556

Multicast audio port Audio port number. 5558

Multicast TTL

Multicast-TTL (Time-to-live) threshold.
There is a certain TTL threshold defined
for each network interface or tunnel. A
multicast packet’s TTL must be larger
than the defined TTL for that packet to be
forwarded across that link.

15

NOTE

Whenever you enable the VPort’s IGMP Multicast stream, note the video/audio port number.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Accessible IP List

The VPort 251 uses an IP address-based filtering method to control access to the VPort.

Accessible IP Settings allow you to add or remove “Legal” remote host IP addresses to prevent
unauthorized access. Access to the VPort is controlled by IP address. That is, if a host’s IP address
is in the accessible IP table, then the host will be allowed access to the VPort. Administrators can
allow one of the following cases by setting this parameter:

y Only one host with a specific IP address can access the VPort. Enter “IP

address/255.255.255.255” (e.g., 192.168.1.1/255.255.255.255)

y Hosts on a specific subnet can access the VPort.
y Enter “IP address/255.255.255.0” (e.g., “192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0”)
y Any host can access the VPort. Disable this function.

Refer to the following table for more configuration examples.

Allowable Hosts Input Formats

Any host Disable

192.168.1.120 192.168.1.120/255.255.255.255

192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0

192.168.0.1 to 192.168.255.254 192.168.0.0/255.255.0.0

192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.126 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.128

192.168.1.129 to 192.168.1.254 192.168.1.128/255.255.255.128

SNMP

VPort supports three SNMP protocols. The available protocols are SNMP V1, SNMP V2c, and
SNMP V3. SNMP V1 and SNMP V2c use a community string match for authentication, which
means that SNMP servers access all objects with read-only or read/write permissions using the
community string public/private (default value). SNMP V3, which requires you to select an
authentication level of MD5 or SHA, is the most secure protocol. You can also enable data
encryption to enhance data security. SNMP security modes and security levels supported by VPort
are shown in the following table. Select one of these options to communicate between the SNMP
agent and manager.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Protocol

Version

Security

Mode

Authentication

Type

Data

Encryption

Method

V1, V2c
Read
Community

Community string No

Use a community string match
for authentication

SNMP V1, V2c

V1, V2c
Write/Read
Community

Community string No

Use a community string match
for authentication

No-Auth No No

Use account with admin or
user to access objects

MD5 or SHA MD5 or SHA No

Provides authentication based
on HMAC-MD5, or
HMAC-SHA algorithms.
8-character passwords are the
minimum requirement for
authentication.

SNMP V3

MD5 or SHA MD5 or SHA

Data
encryption
key

Provides authentication based
on HMAC-MD5 or
HMAC-SHA algorithms, and
data encryption key.
8-character passwords and a
data encryption key are the
minimum requirements for
authentication and encryption.

Configuring SNMP Settings

The following figures indicate which SNMP parameters can be configured. A more detailed
explanation of each parameter is given below the figure.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

SNMP Read/ Wirte Settings

SNMP Versions

Setting Description Default

V1, V2c, V3

Select SNMP Versions V1, V2c, V3
protocol to manage the switch

V1, V2c

Select SNMP Versions V1, V2c protocol to
manage the switch

V3 only

Select SNMP Versions V3 protocol only to
manage the switch

V1, V2c

V1, V2c Read Community

Setting Description Default

V1, V2c Read
Community

Use a community string match for
authentication, which means that the
SNMP agent accesses all objects with
read-only permissions using the

community string public.

public

(max. 30 characters)

V1, V2c Read/Wirte Community

Setting Description Default

V1, V2c Read/Write
Community

Use a community string match for
authentication, which means that the
SNMP agent accesses all objects with
read-only permissions using the

community string public.

public

(max. 30 characters)

For SNMP V3, there are two levels of privilege for different accounts to access the VPort. Admin
privilege allows access and authorized to read and write MIB file. User privilege only allows
reading MIB file, but not authorized to write.

Root Auth. Type (For SNMP V1, V2c, V3 and V3 only)

Setting Description Default

No-Auth

Use admin. account to access objects. No
authentication

No

MD5-Auth

Provide authentication based on the
HMAC-MD5 algorithms. 8-character
passwords are the minimum requirement
for authentication.

No

SHA- Auth

Provide authentication based on the
MAC-SHA algorithms. 8-character
asswords are the minimum requirement for
authentication.

No

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Root Data Encryption Key (For SNMP V1, V2c, V3 and V3 only)

Setting Description Default

Enable

8-character data encryption key is the
minimum requirement for data encryption.
Maximum 30-character encryption key

No

Disable No data encryption No

User Auth. Type (For SNMP V1, V2c, V3 and V3 only)

Setting Description Default

No-Auth

Use account of admin or user to access
objects. No authentication

No

MD5-Auth

Provide authentication based on the
HMAC-MD5 algorithms. 8-character
passwords are the minimum requirement
for authentication.

No

SHA- Auth

Provide authentication based on the
HMAC-SHA algorithms. 8-character
passwords are the minimum requirement
for authentication.

No

User Data Encryption Key (For SNMP V1, V2c, V3 and V3 only)

Setting Description Default

Enable

8-character data encryption key is the
minimum requirement for data encryption.
Maximum 30-character encryption key

No

Disable No data encryption No

Trap Settings

Setting Description Default

Trap Server
IP/Name

Enter the IP address or name of the Trap
Server used by your network.

No

Trap Community

Use a community string match for
authentication; Maximum of 30 characters.

No

Private MIB information

The private SNMP Object ID of theVPort is the enterprise value: 8691.8.1.2. This number is
cannot be changed.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

QoS (ToS)

Quality of Service (QoS) provides a traffic prioritization capability to ensure that important data is
delivered consistently and predictably. VPort 251 Series can inspect layer 3 ToS (Type of Service)
information, to provide a consistent classification of the entire network. VPort 251 Series’ ToS
capability improves your industrial network’s performance and determinism for mission critical
applications.

Setting Description Factory Default

Enable ToS Enable the ToS for transmitting the video stream with

the given priority

Disable

DSCP Value Set the mapping table of different ToS values 0, 0

NOTE

To configure the ToS values, please mapping to the network environment settings for the QoS
priority service.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

HTTP Event Servers

VPort 251 series can send the customized alarm actions and messages to the HTTP Event Servers,
which enables the capability for the users designing the customized alarm system.

Video

Image Settings

Image Information Setting

Description Default

Description
(max. of 14 characters)

The customized description shown on the
caption or image to identify this video
camera.

N

one

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Image Appearance Setting

Description Default

Image Information

To determine what style of image

information is being shown. Includes Not

Shown, Shown on the Caption, and
Shown on the Image.

N

ot Shown

Image Tuning

An Image Tuning button is available for the administrator to fine tune image attributes. After

clicking this button, a configuration window will pop up. You may configure Brightness,
Contrast, Saturation, and Hue.

Camera Modulation

The VPort 251 supports both NTSC and PAL camera modulations. The Administrator can use

automatic sensing by selecting Auto, or manually select NTSC or PAL.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

Changing the modulation requires resetting the server to detect the camera. Please ensure that
your configurations are saved before resetting the server.

Video Performance

VPort 251 support MPEG4 or MJEPG compression standard. Users should select the video
compression in first to identify the video stream format.

For MJPEG, users can setup the Resolution, Frame Rate and Video Quality in Fixed Quali t y.

For MPEG4, users can setup Resolution, Frame Rate and Video Quality in Fixed Bit Rate or
Fixed Quality.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Resolution

The VPort 251 supports 5 different resolutions: Full D1, 4CIF, VGA, CIF, and QVGA.

Setting Description Default

Select the image size

5 image resolutions (size) are provided.
The administrator can choose each option
with NTSC or PAL modulation.

720

x 480 in NTSC or

720

x 576 in PAL

Resolution NTSC PAL

Full D1

720

x 480 720 x 576

4CIF

704

x 480 704 x 576

VGA

640

x 480 640 x 576

CIF

352

x 240 352 x 288

QVGA

320

x 240 320 x 288

Frame Rate (Frame per second)

Setting Description Default

Maximum frame rate

The maximum frame rate is different to
accommodate different modulations of
video input. Administrators can also set
up the maximum frame rate to optimize
the bandwidth’s occupation.

30 for NTSC
25 for PAL

Key frame interval
(Only for MPEG4)

Administrators can set up the key frame
interval to determine the video quality.

15

NOTE

Frame rate (frames per second) is determined by the resolution, image data size (bit rate), and
transmission traffic status. The Administrator and users can check the frame rate status in the

FPS Status on VPort’s web homepage.

NOTE

A large “Key frame interval” can reduce the bit rate, but will cause the image to be corrupted
longer if there is packet loss during transmission.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Video Quality Control

Video Quality Control is used to optimize the bandwidth of the MPEG4 video stream. There are 2
modes for video quality control.

Setting Description Default

Fixed bit rate
(Only for MPEG4)

The administrator can fix the bandwidth
to tune the video quality and FPS (frames
per second) to the optimum combination.
You may choose from the following

bandwidths: 600 Kbps, 1200 Kbps, 1800

Kbps, 2400 Kbps, 3000 Kbps, 3600
Kbps, 4200 Kbps, 4800 Kbps, and 5400
Kbps to let the VPort determine the

quality and frame rate by itself. The
combination of image quality and FPS is
determined by the bandwidth.

Fixed bit rate of 600 Kbps

Fixed Quality

The administrator can set the image

quality to one of 5 standards: Medium,
Standard, Good, Detailed, or Excellent.

The VPort will tune the bandwidth and
FPS automatically to the optimum

combination.

Excellent

NOTE

The image quality, FPS, and bandwidth are influenced significantly by network throughput,
system network bandwidth management, applications the VPort runs (such as VMD), how
complicated the image is, and the performance of your PC or notebook when displaying images.
The administrator should take into consideration all of these variations when designing the video
over IP system, and when specifying the requirements for the video system.

Camera Control

The VPort supports PTZ (PAN/TILT/ZOOM) motorized camera control via an RS-232, RS-422,
or RS-485 COM port. Before setting up camera control, the administrator should first connect the
PTZ camera to the VPort. (Please refer to Chapter 2 for the PTZ port’s wiring specifications.)

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Setting Description Default

Camera ID

Each PTZ camera has an ID to identify
which PTZ camera is in the multi-drop
connection. To connect to the PTZ
camera, the VPort should first identify its
ID.

1

Interface mode

Setting Description Default

Select the serial
interface

The PTZ COM port supports 2 serial
interfaces, although only one interface
can be used at a time. Depending on the
interface used by the attached device,

administrators must set the Interface mode

to either RS-232 or RS485/ RS-422.

RS485

Port Settings

Setting Description Default

Baud rate (bps)

The baud rate specified by the PTZ
camera’s serial communication specs.

2400

Data bits 8
Stop bits 1

Parity bits

The parameters used to define the serial
communication.

N

one

PTZ Camera Drivers

VPort products come with PTZ camera drivers for some of the popular PTZ cameras.
Administrators can select the correct PTZ driver in Select the camera driver menu. If the attached
PTZ camera is not supported by the VPort, administrators can use the Custom Camera function to
enter the proprietary commands for pan, tilt, zoom, and focus control.

Setting Description Default

Select the camera
driver

Use the built-in PTZ drivers, including

1. Transparent PTZ control

2. Custom Camera

3. Pelco D

4. Pelco P

5. Dynacolor DynaDome

N

one

NOTE

For Transparent PTZ control, please refer to Chapter 2.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

If users want to connect the PTZ control or keyboard with a PC to control the PTZ camera
connected with VPort, please refer to the VPort SDK PLUS- ActiveX SDK to get the Moxa
RealCOM driver and implementation information.

Setting Up a Preset Position

Administrators can use the Preset Position function to set up the behavior of the PTZ camera in

advance, and then users with camera control privilege can move the camera’s lens to a preset
position without the need to control the pan, tilt, and zoom buttons on the VPort 251’s homepage.

Set Up Custom Commands

VPort products provide 10 custom commands in addition to the general pan, tilt, zoom, and preset

functions, which are also shown on the PTZ Control Panel . Administrators can click on Setup
Custom Commands to configure the commands, and refer to the manual enclosed with the
attached PTZ camera to set up frequently-used functions. The Command should be entered in

ASCII format. The VPort will translate the commands into binary code and then send the data out
through the serial port. For instance, the text string 81 01ABCDEF will be translated into five
bytes of hexadecimal: 81, 01, AB, CD, and EF. The maximum length of a command string is 60,

which is equivalent to 30 hexadecimal bytes. The Display string is for the text on the command
buttons and should be less than 8 characters. If Custom Camera is selected, there will be more

commands for PTZF that relate to custom camera.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Setting Up Custom Camera

If the PTZ camera’s driver is not in the list, the administrator can select the custom camera from

the Select Camera driver menu to program the PTZ camera with ASCII code. A custom camera
window will pop up when the Setup Custom Camera button is clicked. Input the ASCII code into
this window. Port Settings (Data bits, Stop bits, and Parity bits) are for the serial
communication parameters and Control Settings are for programming the TILT (Move Up,

Move Down), PAN (Move Left, Move right), HOME, ZOOM (Zoom in, Zoom out) and
FOCUS (Focus near, Focus Far) actions.

NOTE

The control protocols are available from the PTZ camera’s supplier. You will need to get the
protocols from the supplier before programming the PTZ camera.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Uploading a PTZ Camera Driver

In addition to the PTZ camera drivers and custom camera functions supported by the VPort 251,

an alternative user-friendly Upload a PTZ Camera Driver function is available for implementing

the PTZ camera control. Moxa will release new PTZ camera drivers to Moxa’s website as they

become available. Administrators can click on Browse to upload the new PTZ camera drivers to

the VPort 251.

Audio

Audio Source

The VPort 251 supports real-time and synchronous video/audio transmission. Administrators need
to select the correct input type of audio source to avoid audio input distortion.

Setting Description Default

Audio Source

For the audio connection, MIC-in
(microphone) and Line-in (voice
amplifier) are included for convenience.

Microphone

Alarm

System Alarm

In addition to the LED indicators, three kinds of system alarm are provided by the VPort 251 for
notifying the system operation administrator.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Alarm T ype T riggered Condition T riggered Action

Network Disconnected

N

etwork disconnected Relay

Network Disconnected Alarm

Setting Description Default

Enable network
disconnected alarm

Enable or disable network disconnected
alarm.

Disable

Trigger Relay alarm

Enable or disable the action of triggering

Relay 1 or Relay 2 alarms.

Disable

NOTE

Since several alarms can be set up to trigger the VPort’s relays, the administrator should
configure these alarms carefully in case a relay message is read incorrectly.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Event Alarm

Four kinds of event alarm are provided by the VPort 251 for building an intelligent video
surveillance system.

Alarm T ype Triggered Condition Triggered Action

Video Motion Detection
(VMD)

1. VMD 1

2. VMD 2

3. VMD 3

1. Relay

2. Email

3. FTP

4. HTTP Event Server

Digital Inputs

DI

1.Relay

2.Email

3.FTP

4.HTTP Event Server

Video Loss

Video signal is lost

1. Relay

2. Email

3. HTTP Event Server

Sequential Snapshot

Enable sequential snapshot

1. Email

2. FTP

Basic

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Alarm Time Interval

Setting Description Default

Delay second(s) before
detecting the next
alarm

Set up the time interval for each event
alarm triggered.

32 seconds
(10 to 999 seconds)

NOTE

The delay before detecting the next alarm cannot be less than the time needed to take a snapshot
after an event (post-event image).

Send alarm with snapshot image

Setting Description Default

Take snapshot
seconds(s) before the
event

A snapshot image is taken this number of
seconds before the event alarm is
triggered.

2 seconds
(from 1 to 6 seconds)

Take snapshot
seconds(s) after the
event

A snapshot image is taken this number of
seconds after the event alarm is triggered.

11 seconds
(from 1 to 999 seconds)

NOTE

VPort products will take 3 JPEG snapshot images: VPRE.JPG (pre-event), VTRG.JPG (the
moment of event) and VPOS.JPG (post-event) for the video channel when the trigger condition
is met. The three snapshots can also be downloaded by Email and FTP.

Suffix of Snapshot Image File Name in FTP

The snapshot images can be sent either by email or FTP. Administrators can add a suffix to the
filename of each JPEG snapshot image to make it easier to identify the files when using FTP to
download the snapshots.

Setting Description Default

With Date and Time

Enable or disable the function of adding
the date and time to the filename.

Enable

With Customized
words

Enable or disable the function of adding
some additional text to the filename to
identify the snapshot image.

Enable

DI, Relay Status

Administrators can check the current DI and Relay status of this VPort in the “DI, Relay Status”
section on the “Event Alarm Basic Settings” page. Two options are available to return the relay’s

status back to the system defaults. To make the function work, check the Override Relay
warning setting box, and then click on Save.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

The relays will not be triggered when the Override Relay warning setting box is checked.
Un-check this box to ensure that the relays will trigger.

Schedule

A schedule is provided to set event alarms for daily security applications.

Event Type

Setting Description Default

Video Loss, Digital Input,
Video Motion De te c ti o n,

N

et w or k Failure, and

Sequential Snapshot

Set up the schedule of each kind of event type. Video Loss

Weekly Schedule

Setting Description Default

Event Alarms are
active all the time

Select the option “Event Alarms are
active all the time”

Event Alarms are on a
weekly schedule

Select to operate event alarms on a
weekly schedule.

Event Alarms are active all the
time

NOTE

The applications described in the following sections will only work properly if either Event
Alarms are active all the time or Event Alarms are active based on weekly schedule is
selected.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Setting Description Default

[I]Sun [I]Mon

[I]Tue [I]Wed

[I]Thu [I]Fri

[I]Sat

Select the weekday for scheduling event
alarms.

N

one

Begin 00:00 Set the beginning time of the event alarm. 00:00

Duration 00:00

Set the time period of the event alarm to
be activated.

00:00

NOTE

Administrators can use the following few steps to set up an event schedule:

1. Select Event Type

2. Enable Event Alarms are active based on weekly schedule

3. Select the weekday

4. Set up the begin time

5. Set up the duration this event will be active.

6. Save

Video Motion Detection

Video Motion Detection (VMD) is an intelligent event alarm for video surveillance network
systems. With the 3 area-selectable VMDs and sensitivity/percentage tuning, administrators can
easily set up the VMD alarm to be active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Setting Description Default

Enable VMD alarm Enable or disable the VMD alarm. Disable

Show alert on the
image when VMD is
triggered

Enable or disable alert for sections of the
homepage image on the homepage.

Disable

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

Once the Show alert on the image when VMD is triggered is enabled, the red frames that appear
on the homepage image indicate the size of the VMD window set up by the administrator.

Set up a VMD alarm

Setting Description Default

Window Name The name of each VMD window.

N

one

Sensitivity

The measurable difference between two
sequential images to trigger VMD. Set a
larger sensitivity to make it easier for the
VMD to be triggered.

1

Percentage

The minimum size of the image change
to trigger the VMD. Set a smaller
percentage to make it easier to trigger the
VMD.

0%

Trigger Conditions and Actions

Administrators can set up triggers for each VMD, including Trigger Rel a y alarm, Send snapshot
image via E-mail, Send snapshot image via FTP, and HTTP Action Settings.

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

How to Set up a VMD alarm

Step 1: Check the Enable VMD alarm box. If the Administrator wants to show the red frame
alert on the image on the VPort 251’s web homepage, check the Show alert on the
image when VMD is triggered box. Click on the Save button to save these 2

configurations.

Step 2: Check on VMD1~3 to enable the VMD window. Left click the title bar of this window

to move the location of the VMD window, or drag the border to change the window size
so that it fits the desired VMD area.

Step 3: Assign a name to the VMD window in the Window Name column.
Step 4: Set up the Percentage parameters for individual VMD windows and the Sensitivity for

all VMD windows.

Step 5: Click on the Save button to save the settings.
Step 6: To test the VMD condition, check the action of the graphics bar on the left side of the

save button. Wave your hand in front of the camera, in the VMD area, and then note
which color shows up in the graphics bar. Green means VMD is not triggered. Red
means VMD is triggered.

Step 7: Set up the Trigger Conditions and Actions of each VMD, and then click on the Save

button to save these configurations.

NOTE

Video Motion detection is provided as a reference because it is environment-dependent. When
the settings are configured to be very sensitive to motion, some triggered events might actually
be false alarms, since in fact there is only a tiny difference between sequential images. False
alarms can be triggered by the flashing of florescent lights, shifting of shadows, etc.

Digital Input

One digital input is provided by the VPort 251 for linking with alarm detection devices, such as
sensor.

Setting Description Default

Enable digital input
alarm

Enable or disable the digital input alarm. Disable

Trigger Conditions

Setting Description Default

High

The DI is always in the “High” state after
an alarm is detected.

Disable

Low

The DI is always in the “Low” state after
an alarm is detected.

Enable

Rising

The DI works from state “Low” to state
“High” and then back to state “Low”
when an alarm is detected.

Disable

Falling

The DI works from state “High” to state
“Low” and then back to state “High”
when an alarm is detected.

Disable

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

NOTE

Please refer to Chapter 1 to see the DI specifications.

Trigger Actions

Administrators can set up trigger actions for each DI, including Trigger Relay alarm, Send
snapshot image via E-mail, Send snapshot image via FTP, and HTTP Action Settings.

Video Loss

Setting Description Default

Enable video loss
alarm

Enable or disable video loss alarm. Disable

Trigger Relay alarm

Enable the trigger action in triggering

Relay alarms.

Disable

Send Snapshot Image

Enable the trigger action to send a
warning message via email and FTP

Disable

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VPort 251 User’s Manual System Configuration

Alarm/Event Alarm/Sequential Snapshot

With this feature, the VPort can upload snapshots periodically to an external E-mail or FTP server

as a live video source. Use the Send sequential snapshot image every seconds option to set the

time interval. The interval can be set to any number from 1 second to 9999 seconds.

Setting Description Default

Enable Sequential
Snapshots

Enable or disable the Sequential
Snapshots.

Disable

Send sequential
snapshot image every
seconds

Set the time interval of each snapshot
image.

30 seconds
(from 1 second to 30 seconds)

Send Snapshot image
via E-mail

Send Snapshot image
via FTP

Choose how to send the snapshot images.

Send Snapshot image via
Email

4-41

A

A

Appendix A Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What if I forget my password?

A: Every access to the video encoder needs authentication, unless the admin password is set up
as blank. If you are one of the managed users, you will need to ask the administrator for the
password. If you are the administrator, there is no way to recover the admin password. The

only way to regain access to video encoder is to utilize the RESET button on the top panel

to restore the factory settings (see Chapter 1 for details).

Q: Why can’t I see video from the video encoder after it has been authenticated?

A: There are many possible scenarios:

1. If you have just installed the video encoder and are unable to see the video, check the

video modulation on the System Configuration\Video\Camera Modulation page.

2. If the video encoder is installed correctly and you are accessing the video encoder for

the first time using Internet Explorer, adjust the security level of Internet Explorer to
allow installation of plug-ins.

3. If the problem still exists, the number of users accessing the video encoder at the same

time may exceed the maximum that the system allows.

Q: What is the plug-in for?

A: The plug-in provided by video encoder is used to display motion pictures. The plug-in is
needed because Internet Explorer does not support streaming technology. If your system
does not allow installation of plug-in software, the security level of the web browser may
need to be lowered. It is recommended that you consult the network supervisor in your
office before adjusting the security level.

Q: Why is the timestamp different from the system time of my PC or notebook?

A: The timestamp is based on the system time of the video encoder. It is maintained by an
internal real-time clock, and automatically synchronizes with the time server if the video
encoder is connected to the Internet and the function is enabled. Differences of several
hours may result from the time zone setting.

Q: Why doesn’t the image refresh regularly?

A: This may be due to the time it takes to store recorded video and snapshots into memory, or
the time it takes to send the images to the SMTP and FTP server when events occur.

VPort 251 User’s Manual Frequently Asked Questions

A-2

Q: How many users are allowed to access the video encoder at the same time?

A: Basically, there is no limitation. However the video quality also depends on the network
bandwidth. To achieve the best effect, the video encoder will allow 10 users for
udp/tcp/http connections and 10 users for multicast to be connected. We recommend using
an additional web server that retrieves images from the video encoder periodically if you
need to host a large number of users.

Q: What is the video encoder’s video rate?

A: The codecs can process 30 frames per second internally. However the total
performance is subject to many coefficients, as listed below:

1. Network throughput.

2. Bandwidth share.

3. Number of users.

4. More complicated objects result in larger image files.

5. The level of your PC or notebook that is responsible for displaying images.

In general, the transfer rate for a general local network environment can achieve over 800
kilobytes per second and approximately 10 to 20 pictures of a normal environment per second.

Q: How can I keep the video encoder as private as possible?

A: The video encoder is designed for surveillance purposes and has many flexible interfaces.
The user authentication and special confirmation when installing can keep the video
encoder from unauthorized access. You may also change the HTTP port to a non-public
number. Check the system log to examine any abnormal activities and trace the origins.

Q: I have a PTZ camera that is not on the support list. How can I control it?

A: The video encoder provides a custom camera command interface to control cameras that
are not supported. The details are described in this manual. Be sure that the PTZ port
settings are applied to the camera specifications. The general PTZ command is composed
of one start command and one stop command. When editing both commands in the edit box
of the configuration page, use comma(s) to separate commands. Each comma represents
200 milliseconds. In addition, the VPort has a PTZ driver upload function. Users can also
seek help from Moxa to create a new PTZ driver.

Q: How fast will the video encoder check the status of digital inputs?

A: The video encoder will check the input status in less than half a second.

Q: Why can’t I access the video encoder when I set up some options in the application?

A: When the video encoder is triggered by events, video and snapshots will take more time to
write to memory. If the events occur too often, the system will always be busy storing video
and images. We recommend using sequential mode or an external recorder program to
record motion pictures if the event is frequent. If you prefer to retrieve images by FTP, the
value could be smaller since an FTP server responds more quickly than a web server. Once
the system is too busy to configure, use the restore factory default and reset button to save
the system.

Q: The image is not clear enough. Is anything broken?

A: The lens can be focused by rotating the outer ring. Rotate it clockwise or counter-clockwise
to focus near or far.

B

B

Appendix B Settings of Supported PTZ Cameras

Since the COM port settings can be adjusted to other than the default settings, check the correct
default settings for the attached camera.

Camera model Baud rate Data bits Stop bit Parity bit

Pelco D, P Protocol 2400 8 1 None
DynaDome 9600 8 1 None

C

C

Appendix C Time Zone Table

The hour offsets for different time zones are shown below. You will need this information when
setting the time zone in automatic date/time synchronization. GMT stands for Greenwich Mean
Time, which is the global time that all time zones are measured from.

(GMT-12:00) International Date Line West
(GMT-11:00) Midway Island, Samoa
(GMT-10:00) Hawaii
(GMT-09:00) Alaska
(GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada), Tijuana
(GMT-07:00) Arizona
(GMT-07:00) Chihuahua, La Paz, Mazatlan
(GMT-07:00) Mountain Time (US & Canada)
(GMT-06:00) Central America
(GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
(GMT-06:00) Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
(GMT-06:00) Saskatchewan
(GMT-05:00) Bogota, Lima, Quito
(GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
(GMT-05:00) Indiana (East)
(GMT-04:00) Atlantic Time (Canada)
(GMT-04:00) Caracas, La Paz
(GMT-04:00) Santiago
(GMT-03:30) Newfoundland
(GMT-03:00) Brasilia
(GMT-03:00) Buenos Aires, Georgetown
(GMT-03:00) Greenland
(GMT-02:00) Mid-Atlantic
(GMT-01:00) Azores
(GMT-01:00) Cape Verde Is.
(GMT) Casablanca, Monrovia
(GMT) Greenwich Mean Time: Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
(GMT+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Stockholm, Vienna
(GMT+01:00) Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, Prague (GMT+01 :00) Brussels,
Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
(GMT+01:00) Sarajevo, Skopje, Warsaw, Zagreb
(GMT+01:00) West Central Africa
(GMT+02:00) Athens, Istanbul, Minsk
(GMT+02:00) Bucharest
(GMT+02:00) Cairo

VPort 251 User’s Manual Time Zone Table

C-2

(GMT+02:00) Harare, Pretoria
(GMT+02:00) Helsinki, Kyiv, Riga, Sofia, Tallinn, Vilnius
(GMT+02:00) Jerusalem
(GMT+03:00) Baghdad
(GMT+03:00) Kuwait, Riyadh
(GMT+03:00) Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd
(GMT+03:00) Nairobi
(GMT+03:30) Tehran
(GMT+04:00) Abu Dhabi, Muscat (GMT+04:00) Baku, Tbilisi, Yerevan (GMT+04:30) Kabul
(GMT+05:00) Ekaterinburg
(GMT+05:00) Islamabad, Karachi, Tashkent (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New
Delhi
(GMT+05:45) Kathmandu
(GMT+06:00) Almaty, Novosibirsk (GMT+06:00) Astana, Dhaka
(GMT+06:00) Sri Jayawardenepura (GMT+06:30) Rangoon
(GMT+07:00) Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta (GMT+07:00) Krasnoyarsk
(GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hongkong, Urumqi
(GMT+08:00) Taipei
(GMT+08:00) Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar (GMT+08:00) Kuala Lumpur, Singapore (GMT+08:00)
Perth
(GMT+09:00) Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo (GMT+09:00) Seoul
(GMT+09:00) Yakutsk
(GMT+09:30) Adelaide
(GMT+09:30) Darwin
(GMT+10:00) Brisbane
(GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
(GMT+10:00) Guam, Port Moresby (GMT+10:00) Hobart
(GMT+10:00) Vladivostok
(GMT+11:00) Magadan, Solomon Is., New Caledonia
(GMT+12:00) Auckland, Wellington (GMT+ 12:00) Fiji, Kamchatka, Marshall Is.
(GMT+13:00) Nuku’alofa

D

D

Appendix D Technical Specifications

Video

Video Compression MPEG4, MJPEG

Video Input 1, BNC Connector

NTSC/PAL Auto-sensing or Manual

Video Resolution and FPS (frames per second):

NTSC PAL

Size Max. FPS Size Max. FPS

QVGA 320 x 240 30 320 x 288 25

CIF 352 x 240 30 352 x 288 25

VGA 640 x 480 30 640 x 480 25

4CIF* 704 x 480 30 704 x 576 25

Full D1 720 x 480 30 720 x 576 25

Video Viewing Adjustable image size and quality
Timestamp and text overlay

Audio

Audio Input 1 Line-in or MIC-in, 3.5 mm phone jack

Audio Output 1 Line-out, 3.5 mm phone jack

Network

Protocols: TCP, UDP, HTTP, SMTP, FTP, Telnet, NTP, DNS, DHCP,

UPnP, RTP, RTSP, ICMP, IGMPv3, QoS (ToS), SNMP
(V1/V2c/V3), DDNS

Ethernet 1 auto-negotiating 10/100BaseT(X) port with RJ45 connector

Serial Port

PTZ Port 1 RS-232 or RS-422/485 port with terminal block connector;

max. speed of 115.2 Kbps

Console port 1 RS-232 port with RJ45 connector

GPIO

Digital Input 1 channel, max. 8 mA

“Low”

: +13V to +30V

“High”: -30V to +3V

VPort 251 User’s Manual Technical Specifications

D-2

Relay Output 1 channel, max. 24 VDC @ 1A

LED Indicators

STAT Indicates if the system booted properly

VIDEO Video input signal active

PTZ PTZ control signal active

Power

Inputs Two 12/ 24 VDC or 24 VAC for redundancy

Output 2-pin terminal block for power output (looped through power

input)

Consumption Max 7.5W

Mechanical

Housing Metal case

Dimensions (W x D x H) 88 x 107 x 50 mm (4.33 x 4.21 x 1.96 in.)

Weight 850 g

Installation DIN-Rail or Wall mounting (with optional DK-35A Kit)

Environmental

Operating Temperature 0 to 60°C (32 to 140°F)

Storage Temperature -40 to 85°C (-40 to 185°F)

Ambient Relative Humidity 5 to 95% (non-condensing)

Regulatory Approvals

EMI FCC Part 15, CISPR (EN55022) class A

EMS EN61000-4-2 (ESD), Level 2

EN61000-4-3 (RS), Level 3
EN61000-4-4 (EFT), Level 3
EN61000-4-5 (Surge), Level 3
EN61000-4-6 (CS), Level 3
EN61000-4-12 (Oscillatory wave immunity), Level 3

Shock IEC60068-2-27

Freefall IEC60068-2-32

Vibration IEC60068-2-6

MTBF 160,000 hours

WARRANTY

5 years

Alarm Features

y Video motion detection with sensitivity tuning.
y Video loss alarm
y Daily repeat timing schedule.
y Alarm-triggered JPEG snapshots with pre and post-alarm images

VPort 251 User’s Manual Technical Specifications

D-3

y Automatic transfer of stored images via email or FTP with event-triggered actions.
y HTTP action setting for custom alarm messages by HTTP event server.

PTZ (PAN/TILT/ZOOM)

y PTZ camera control through RS-232/422/485
y Supported devices and protocols:

Pelco D, Pelco P, Dynacolor DynaDome, , Custom Camera

y Support PTZ driver upload
y Support Transparent PTZ Control for controlling the PTZ camera via legacy PTZ control

panel or keyboard

Security

y User level password protection
y IP address filtering

Recommended System Requirements

y Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz or above
y 512 MB memory or above
y Windows XP/2000 with SP4 or above
y Internet Explorer 6.x or above
y DirectX 9.0c or above

Software Bundled Free

Moxa SoftDVR Lite 1- to 4-ch IP Surveillance Software for viewing & recording

(please check the release information on Moxa’s website)