Axis Video Server 243Q Blade User Manual

Axis Video Server 243Q Blade User Manual

Axis communications video server user's manual
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AXIS 243Q Blade
Video Server
User's Manual

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Table of Contents
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Summary of Contents for Axis Video Server 243Q Blade

  • Page 1 AXIS 243Q Blade Video Server User’s Manual...
  • Page 2: About This Document

    Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Axis Communications AB is independent of Sun Microsystems Inc. UPnP™ is a certification mark of the UPnP™...
  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Contents Product description ............. . 6 Overview .
  • Page 5 SOCKS ............45 QoS (Quality of service) .
  • Page 6: Product Description

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Product description Product description Overview The AXIS 243Q Blade Video Server is a fully featured video server intended for security surveillance and remote monitoring needs. It is designed for mounting in the AXIS 291 Video Server Rack, which provides power and network connectivity. DIP switches Control button Video inputs 1-4...
  • Page 7: Led Indicators

    Up to 20 viewers can access each video input on the AXIS 243Q Blade simultaneously when using Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 unicast. The number of simultaneous viewers can be increased by using multicast MPEG-4. When using AXIS Media Control (AMC) to view MPEG-4 video streams, each MPEG-4 viewer requires a separate MPEG-4 decoder license.
  • Page 8 AXIS 243Q Blade - Product description Control Button - Press this button to restore the factory default settings, as described in Resetting to the factory default settings, on page 49, or to install using AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service (see the Installation Guide). Video Input - Each video input is connected using a coax/BNC connector.
  • Page 9: Accessing The Video Server

    Accessing the video server For information on installing the video server, please refer to the Installation Guide. The AXIS 243Q Blade can be used with most standard operating systems and web browsers. The recommended browser is Internet Explorer with Windows, and Firefox with other operating systems.
  • Page 10: Setting The Root Password

    Setting the root password When accessing the camera for the first time, the Configure Root Password dialog is displayed on the screen. 1. Enter a password and re-enter to confirm the spelling. Click OK. Note: Before you enter your password at this point, you can secure configuration of the root password via HTTPS by creating a self-signed certificate.
  • Page 11 The Snapshot button saves a snapshot of the image currently being displayed. Right-click on the video image to save it in JPEG format on your computer. This button is intended for use when the AMC viewer toolbar is not available. The AMC viewer toolbar (AXIS Media Control) is available in Microsoft Internet Explorer only and displays the following buttons: The Play/Stop buttons start and stop the media stream.
  • Page 12: Video Streams

    Video streams The AXIS 243Q Blade provides several different video stream formats. You select the type depending on your requirements and on the properties of your network. The Live View page in the AXIS 243Q Blade provides access to Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 video streams, as well as to single JPEG images.
  • Page 13: Mpeg-4 Protocols And Communication Methods

    MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods To deliver live streaming video over IP networks, various combinations of transport protocols and broadcast methods are employed. • RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) is a protocol that allows programs to manage the real-time transmission of multimedia data, via unicast or multicast. •...
  • Page 14: Axis Media Control (Amc)

    Unicasting should be used for video-on-demand broadcasting, so that there is no video traffic on the network until a client connects and requests the stream. However, as more and more unicast clients connect, the traffic on the network will increase and may cause congestion.
  • Page 15: Other Mpeg-4 Clients

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Video streams Other MPEG-4 clients Although it may be possible to use other clients to view the MPEG-4 stream, this is not guaranteed by Axis. For some other clients, such as, QuickTime™ the Video Object Type must be set to Simple. It may also be necessary to adjust the advanced MPEG-4 settings.
  • Page 16: Configuring The Video Server

    Configuring the video server This section describes how to configure the AXIS 243Q Blade and is intended for administrators, who have unrestricted access to all the Setup tools The AXIS 243Q Blade is configured from the Setup link, in a standard web browser. For more information on supported browsers, see Technical specifications, on page 57.
  • Page 17: Video & Image

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image Video & Image The following descriptions show examples of the available features in the AXIS 243Q Blade. For details of each setting, please refer to the online help available from each page. Click to access the online help.
  • Page 18 All configuration of images and overlays will affect the performance of the video server, depending on usage and the available bandwidth. • High resolution generates larger files Selecting the Aspect ratio correction option improves the appearance of images from analog video sources, that are displayed on computer monitors. When using MPEG-4 as video format, any aspect ratio correction for the image is applied by the viewing client (the correct aspect ratio is contained in the MPEG-4 stream).
  • Page 19: Advanced - Mpeg-4 Settings

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image Video source settings These settings allow you to eliminate black borders surrounding the image, by making Offset adjustments. By entering values in these fields you can change the horizontal and vertical synchronization for the image. See the online help for more information.
  • Page 20 AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image Adjusting the Maximum bit rate and setting it to Variable or Constant helps control the bandwidth used by the MPEG-4 video stream. Bit Rate control Adjusting the maximum bit rate and setting it to variable or constant is a good way of controlling the bandwidth used by the MPEG-4 video stream.
  • Page 21: Advanced - Mjpeg Settings

    Advanced - MJPEG settings Sometimes the image size may be large due to low light or complex scenery. Adjusting the Maximum frame size is a good way of controlling the bandwidth and storage used by the MJPEG video stream in these situations. Defining the frame size as Unlimited will provide consistently good image quality at the expense of increased bandwidth and storage usage during low light.
  • Page 22 3. Click Save. Overlay image requirements: Image Formats • Windows 24-bit BMP (full color) • Windows 4-bit BMP (16 colors) Overlay image limitations: • The maximum overlay image size supported by the AXIS 243Q Blade is the same as the maximum image resolution. See Technical specifications, on page 57. •...
  • Page 23: Live View Config

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Live View Config Live View Config Layout The settings on this page help determine the features to include in the Live View page, such as buttons and links. Default Video Format Select the default format to use on the Live View page. Checking the Show video format selection option displays a drop-down list on the Live View page allowing you to temporarily change the format.
  • Page 24 The Show crosshair in PTZ joystick mode option enables the display of a crosshair in the video image when the PTZ mode is set to joystick. Enabling the Use PTZ joystick mode as default option sets the PTZ mode to joystick. The mode can be changed temporarily on the PTZ Control Panel, but will default to joystick if this is selected.
  • Page 25: Pan Tilt Zoom

    Pan Tilt Zoom Installing PTZ devices Video input 1 on the AXIS 243Q Blade supports several Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) devices. Please see www.axis.com for a complete list of supported devices, and to obtain the correct driver. PTZ devices can also be used on video inputs 2-4, by creating an internal connection to them from input 1.
  • Page 26: Ptz Configuration

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Pan Tilt Zoom PTZ configuration When PTZ has been installed for the AXIS 243Q Blade, the menu item PTZ Configuration appears to the left, along with sub menus. Preset positions Many PTZ devices provide Preset positions, which are pre-defined camera views that can be used to quickly move the camera to a specific location.
  • Page 27: Ptz Controls

    PTZ controls If the AXIS 243Q Blade has been appropriately configured, the Live View page displays the controls available for the installed Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) device. The administrator can enable/disable the controls for specified users. The exact controls shown depends on the make and model of PTZ device. The most common controls are: •...
  • Page 28 In contrast, when using an absolute driver, each position on the bar (see right) represents a defined position in the device’s range of movement, with the center of the bar representing the point midway between the two extremes of movement. Clicking a position directly on the bar moves the camera directly to the new position in one smooth movement.
  • Page 29: Preset Positions

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Pan Tilt Zoom Preset positions Select presets from the drop-down Source list on the Live View page. These will move and/or zoom the camera to a pre-defined position, to cover an area of particular interest. Events can also be configured to go to preset positions when triggered. For information on setting up preset positions, please see Preset positions, on page 26 and the online help.
  • Page 30: Ptz Control Queue

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Pan Tilt Zoom OSD Menu - If the PTZ unit supports an internal configuration menu, this can be accessed using the On-Screen Display (OSD). Configure the analog camera by opening and navigating through its internal menu in this display. PTZ control queue Use the PTZ control queue window to enable and disable PTZ queueing.
  • Page 31: Using Ptz On Video Inputs 2-4

    The order of priority for taking control of the queue is as follows: 1. Administrators - An administrator takes over PTZ control regardless of who is currently first in queue. The administrator will be removed from the queue 60 seconds after their last PTZ control command. 2.
  • Page 32: Event Configuration

    Event configuration This section describes how to configure the AXIS 243Q Blade for alarm handling. An event in the camera happens when certain conditions are fulfilled, and result in specific actions. The set of parameters (or conditions) that define these actions is called Event Type. For example, an alarm could be the condition, that causes the camera to act by uploading images onto a server.
  • Page 33 Triggered Event A triggered event is activated by one of the following: • a signal on an input port, from a connected push button • detected movement in a configured motion detection window • when the video signal is lost •...
  • Page 34 The Include post-trigger buffer option contains images from the time immediately after the trigger. Configure as for pre-trigger. Note: If the pre- or post-buffer is too large for the AXIS 243Q Blade's internal memory, the frame rate is reduced and individual images may be missing. If this occurs, an entry will be created in the unit's log file. The Continue image upload (unbuffered) option enables the upload of images for a fixed length of time.
  • Page 35: Camera Tampering

    AXIS 243Q Blade - Event configuration Camera tampering The camera tampering application generates an alarm whenever the camera is repositioned, or when the lens is covered, sprayed, or severely defocused. You must create an event, (see How to set up a triggered event, on page 33), for the camera to send an alarm.
  • Page 36: Motion Detection

    Motion detection In the Motion Detection menu, you can configure the video source(s) for motion detection. The motion detection feature is used to generate an alarm whenever movement occurs or stops in the image. The AXIS 243Q Blade can use a maximum of 10 Include/Exclude windows per video input.
  • Page 37: Port Status

    If there are parts of the Include window that you wish to exclude, click the Configure Excluded Windows radio button and perform steps 3-7 above. Parameter Size Object High Only very large objects trigger motion detection Even very small objects trigger motion detection Default values Low •...
  • Page 38: System Options

    System options Security User access control is enabled by default, when the administrator sets the root password on first access. New users are authorized with user names and passwords, or the administrator can choose to allow anonymous viewer login to the Live View page, as described below: Users The user list displays the authorized users and access levels: Viewer...
  • Page 39 HTTPS For greater security, the AXIS 243Q Blade can be configured to use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over SSL (Secure Socket Layer)). That is, all communication that would otherwise go via HTTP will instead go via an encrypted HTTPS connection. Certificate - to use HTTPS for communication with the AXIS 243Q Blade, a Certificate must be created using one of these methods: •...
  • Page 40 To perform the authentication, the RADIUS server uses various EAP methods/protocols. The one used in the Axis implementation is EAP-TLS (EAP-Transport Layer Security). The AXIS network video device presents its certificate to the network switch, which in turn forwards this to the RADIUS server. The RADIUS server validates or rejects the certificate and responds to the switch, and sends its own certificate to the client for validation.
  • Page 41: Date & Time

    CA servers In cryptography, a Certification Authority (CA) is an entity that provides signed digital certificates for use by other parties, and thus acts a trusted third party. There are many commercial CAs that charge for their services. Institutions and governments may have their own CA, and there are free CAs available.
  • Page 42: Network

    Network Basic TCP/IP settings Network Settings. Click the View button to see current network settings. IPv4 and IPv6 Address Configuration The AXIS 243Q Blade supports both IP version 4 and IP version 6. Both versions may be enabled simultaneously, and at least one version must always be enabled. When using IPv4, the IP address can be set automatically via DHCP, or a static IP address can be set manually.
  • Page 43 AXIS 243Q Blade - System options Advanced TCP/IP settings DNS configuration DNS (Domain Name Service) provides the translation of host names to IP addresses on your network. Obtain DNS server address via DHCP - automatically use the DNS server settings provided by the DHCP server.
  • Page 44 Link-Local IPv4 address Link-Local Address is enabled by default and assigns the network camera with an additional IP address for the UPnP protocol. The network camera can have both a Link-Local IP and a static/DHCP IP address at the same time - these will not affect each other.
  • Page 45: Socks

    SOCKS SOCKS is a networking proxy protocol. The AXIS 243Q Blade can be configured to use a SOCKS server to reach networks on the other side of a firewall/proxy server. This functionality is useful if the video server is located on a local network behind a firewall, but notifications, uploads, alarms, etc., need to be sent to a destination outside the local network (e.g.
  • Page 46: Snmp

    SNMP The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) allows the remote management of network devices. Select the version of SNMP to use, depending on the level of security required. Select the version of SNMP to use, by checking the appropriate box. The three levels of security are: •...
  • Page 47: Maintenance

    Maintenance • Restart - The video server is restarted without changing any of the settings. Use this method if the unit is not behaving as expected. • Restore - The video server is restarted and most current settings are reset to factory default values.
  • Page 48: Advanced

    Access Log - The Access Log may be used for various purposes: • Security - Tracking all access to your the camera. The access log lists the IP addresses, users and networking protocols used to access the camera. • Simple web attraction tracker. •...
  • Page 49: Resetting To The Factory Default Settings

    Resetting to the factory default settings This will reset all the parameters in all 4 units (including all four IP addresses) to the factory default settings. 1. Disconnect power. 2. Press and hold the Control button and reconnect power. 3. Release the button when the Status Indicator displays red (this may take up to 15 seconds).
  • Page 50: I/O Terminal Connector

    I/O Terminal connector The inputs and outputs on the AXIS 243Q Blade are accessed via the 12-pin I/O terminal connector on the AXIS 291 1U Video Server Rack. The following are available: • 4 digital transistor outputs (1 per video input) •...
  • Page 51: Schematic Diagram - I/O Terminal Connector

    Schematic diagram - I/O terminal connector RS-485 AXIS 243Q Blade AXIS 243Q Blade - I/O Terminal connector +12V Out (100mA) Relay Device e.g. push button...
  • Page 52: Rs-485 Com Port

    RS-485 COM port The RS-485 COM Port supports several operational modes: • Generic TCP/IP - enables the video server to receive status/data and send com- mands via TCP/IP • Generic HTTP - enables the video server to receive status/data and send com- mands via HTTP •...
  • Page 53: Troubleshooting

    Pre-configured and customized settings will be retained after the new firmware is installed (provided the features are available in the new firmware) although this is not guaranteed by Axis Communications. 1. Save the firmware file to your computer. The latest versions of the firmware files for the AXIS 243Q Blade are available free of charge from the Axis Web site at www.axis.com/techsup...
  • Page 54: Support

    Emergency recovery procedure If power or the network connection to the AXIS 243Q Blade is lost during the upgrade, the process will fail and the unit will become unresponsive. A red Status LED indicates a failed upgrade. To recover the unit, follow the steps below. The serial number can be found on the label supplied with the product.
  • Page 55 Symptoms, Possible Causes and Remedial Actions Problems setting the IP address Using ARP/Ping IP address must be set within two minutes after power has been applied to the video server. Restart the server and try again. Ensure also the ping length is set to 408. (See the AXIS 243Q Blade Installation Guide).
  • Page 56 Image too dark or too light Check that the termination dip switch for the video source is set to the correct position. See also the online help on Video Source Settings. Black borders around the video Adjust the X and/or Y offset, in the Video Source Settings. See the online help for information. image Problems uploading own files There is only limited space available for the upload of your own files.
  • Page 57: Technical Specifications

    Technical specifications Item Specification Model • AXIS 243Q Blade Video Server • Requires the AXIS 291 1U Video Server Rack Video compression • Motion JPEG • MPEG-4 Part 2 (ISO/IEC 14496-2), Profiles: ASP and SP Resolutions • 4CIF, 2CIFExp, 2CIF, CIF, QCIF •...
  • Page 58 Item Specification Processors and memory • CPU: 4 x ETRAX 100LX 32bit • Video processing and compression: 4 x ARTPEC-2 • RAM: 4 x 32 MB • Flash: 4 x 8 MB • Battery backed up real-time clock Operating conditions •...
  • Page 59 Item Specification Approvals • EN 61000-6-1, • EN 61000-6-2, • EN 55024 • EN 55022 Class B • EN 61000-3-2, • EN 61000-3-3, • FCC Part 15 Subpart B Class B, • AS/NZS CISPR 22 • ICES-003 • VCCI Class B, ITE •...
  • Page 60: General Performance Considerations

    General performance considerations When setting up your system, it is important to consider how various settings and situations will affect performance. Some factors affect the amount of bandwidth (the bit rate) required, others can affect the frame rate, and some will affect both. If the load on the CPU reaches its maximum, this will also affect the frame rate.
  • Page 61: Bandwidth

    Bandwidth As there are many factors affecting bandwidth, it is very difficult to predict the required amounts. The settings that affect bandwidth are: • the image resolution • the image compression • the frame rate • the MPEG-4 object type •...
  • Page 62: Glossary

    Glossary ActiveX - ActiveX is a standard that enables software components to interact with one another in a networked environment, regardless of the language(s) used to create them. Web browsers may come into contact with ActiveX controls, ActiveX documents, and ActiveX scripts. ActiveX controls are often downloaded and installed automatically as required.
  • Page 63 of buildings. It is used to visually monitor the location for security or industrial purposes. Video from the CCTV system can be recorded and viewed on-site or remotely. CCTV video camera - A traditional CCTV video camera is an analog camera, available in both monochrome (black and white) and color.
  • Page 64 physical size as a CD, but with significantly greater storage capacity. DVR (Digital Video Recorder) - A DVR records analog video to a hard disk in digital format. Most DVRs use the MPEG-2 format for encoding analog video signals. Encoder - See Video encoder. Ethernet - Ethernet is the most widely installed local area network technology.
  • Page 65 of the server. Hub - A (network) hub is used to connect multiple devices to the network. The hub transmits all data to all devices connected to it, whereas a switch will only transmit the data to the device it is specifically intended for. IEEE 802.11 - A family of standards for wireless LANs.
  • Page 66 lacks the electronics to pick up regular television signals. Motion JPEG - Motion JPEG is a simple compression/decompression technique for network video. Latency is low and image quality is guaranteed, regardless of movement or complexity of the image. Image quality is controlled by adjusting the compression level, which in turn provides control over the file size, and thereby the bit rate.
  • Page 67 (set of communication rules) that allows corporations to extend their own corporate network through private "tunnels" over the public Internet. In this way a corporation can effectively use a WAN (Wide Area Network) as a large single LAN (Local Area Network). This kind of interconnection is known as a virtual private network (VPN).
  • Page 68 supplies the requested HTML pages or files to the client (web browser). Simplex - In simplex operation, a network cable or communications channel can only send information in one direction. See also Full-duplex. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) - Used for sending and receiving e-mail.
  • Page 69 AXIS 243Q Blade - Glossary analyzing image data and differences in series of images. This detection can, for example, be used to trigger an alarm event in a network camera and start the upload of images from the camera. Video switcher - An analog video switcher sequentially displays full screen images, from one camera after another, typically at 3-5 seconds intervals.
  • Page 70: Index

    Index Access from a browser 9 Accessing the Setup tools 16 Action buttons 24 Active/Inactive 24 Administrators 16, 38 Advanced Simple Profile 12 Advanced TCP/IP settings 43 Alarm 32, 36, 50 Allowed IP addresses 38 AMC Viewer Toolbar 11 Anonymous viewers 38 ARP/Ping 42 AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service 42 AXIS Media Control (AMC) 9, 14...
  • Page 71 Live View Page 10 Live View page 16 Motion detection 36 Motion JPEG 12 MPEG-4 12 MPEG-4 protocols 13 MPEG-4 settings 46 Multicasting 13 Network settings 42 Network traffic 44 NTP Server 41 NTP server 43 Operator 38 Other MPEG-4 Clients 15 Output buttons 24 Overlays 18 Overview 6...
  • Page 72 Video source 19 Video streams 12, 14, 18 Viewer settings 23...

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