Q: What is Access Control?
Access Control is used in the Security industry to describe a system where electronic keys and readers are used in place of conventional keys and locks. A computer or microprocessor contains all of the electronic key information and uses this information to allow or deny specific users entry to the site/building/room.
Q: What is Intruder Detection?
Intruder Detection is the term used by the security industry to describe a system designed to detect unauthorized entry to a site/building/room. Intruder Detection systems typically consist of sensors such as PIR (Passive Infrared) motion detectors, reed switches (door and window contacts) and a main controller to process the alarms and notify the authorities
Q: What is CCTV?
CCTV is short for Closed Circuit Television and is used to describe any Security Camera system. With the advent of broadband networking nowadays many CCTV systems are no longer "Closed Circuit" allowing users to log in to their system from a remote location or even utilize existing network infrastructure to transmit video (and sometimes audio) to a central or distributed server.
Q: What is an Analogue Camera?
An analogue camera is a camera that outputs images using analogue protocols like NTSC and PAL. The engine of the camera is digital and has been for many decades. However, since the output is analogue the cameras are called analogue cameras.
Q: What is a Day & Night Camera?
A day/Night camera is a camera that is able to adjust a physical light filter internally to allow the camera to get a better picture in low light conditions. When the camera is in Day mode the camera operates in a normal manner similar to standard CCTV cameras. In the Night mode the camera physically places a light filter in front of its sensor which allows it to capture images in light conditions much lower than the minimum light requirements for a standard camera. Day/Night cameras are typically used in fairly dark areas where standard cameras fail to capture images at night.
Q: What is a Wide Dynamic Camera?
Wide Dynamics is a feature found on some cameras which help the camera extract details out of images that has two extreme levels of light. For example, in a picture with an area in direct sun light and another area in the dark, typical cameras will adjust its setting to capture details in either the lighter or darker areas only. Only a Wide Dynamic camera is able to capture details in both the bright and the dark areas of the image at the same time.
Q: What is an IR Camera?
IR stands for Infrared, Infrared light is a radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of microwaves. The term Infrared roughly mean “below red”. Human eye is unable to see infrared however some cameras can see it. In zero light conditions infrared illuminators (typically LED based) floods the area with IR and allows cameras to continue monitoring the area in black and white only.
Q: What is an IR Lens?
An IR corrected lens is a lens made specifically for Day/Night cameras. This type of lens will remain in focus even when the camera switches from day to night more or vice versa. A standard lens on a Day/Night camera will force the image out of focus slightly whenever the camera switches between the day mode and night mode.
Q: What is a PTZ Camera?
PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt and Zoom. These cameras are able to move up/down, left/right and zoom in/out as required. The camera is typically controlled by a guard using a joystick or a computer mouse. The camera can also monitor many areas in a sequential manner by continuously changing its FOV (Field of View) automatically from one FOV preset to another. These cameras are best used for tracking a moving object in large areas or covering multiple areas with the same camera.
Q: What is a Digital PTZ Camera?
A standard PTZ camera is a camera that typically moves while being controlled. A Digital PTZ camera is a camera that allows the user to pan, tilt and zoom within the current field of view of the camera without physically moving the camera. Digital PTZ is a common feature of MegaPixel cameras and unlike traditional PTZs the Digital PTZ cameras allow multiple users to pan, tilt and zoom independently without affecting the recording of the system. A major advantage of Digital PTZ over analogue PTZ is that in digital PTZ systems, the user is able to pan, tilt and zoom in past events, not only the current time.
Q: What is a Traffic Camera?
A traffic camera is a camera that has a very fast shutter which allows it to capture clear images of fast moving objects. This type of camera can typically capture plate numbers of vehicles moving at speeds over 100km/h.
Q: What is an IP Camera?
An IP camera is a camera that uses Ethernet TCP/IP networks to transmit images. Since the camera capture, processes and transmit images digitally there are large advantages in networking IP cameras and no problems with quality loss due to transmission interference.
Q: What is a MegaPixel Camera?
A MegaPixel camera is an IP camera capable of outputting images four times or more detailed resolution than conventional cameras. The high resolution allows the CCTV system to cover larger areas using fewer cameras. At the same time high resolution cameras allow for greater digital pan tilt and zooming capabilities within the field of view of the camera.
Q: What is a MegaPixel Lens?
A MegaPixel lens is a lens manufactured specifically for a certain resolution MegaPixel camera. The lens ensures that the entire picture is in focus correctly. A standard lens on a MegaPixel camera creates a focused area at the centre of the image while the edges of the image remained unfocused.
Q: What is a DVR?
A DVR is a Digital Video Recorder. DVRs are computers that store video footage from security cameras on Hard Disk Drives (HDDs).
Q: What is a Network Video Decoder (or Video Server)?
The decoders are devices that have an analogue input that allows it to capture images from an analogue camera and convert it to a TCP/IP format. Thus allowing an analogue camera to be attached to an IP based CCTV system.
Q: What is an NVR?
NVR stands for Network Video Recorder. NVRs are devices that are attached to the network using Ethernet connections and extract, process and store images from IP cameras within the same network. Therefore the NVR is the digital version of the DVR.
Q: What is DECT?
DECT stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications. This is a standard for digital cordless phones used for home and business. The frequencies that DECT phones operate on are reserved exclusively for voice communication applications and therefore are less likely to experience interference from other wireless devices such as baby monitors and WiFi networks.
Q: What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a protocol used for transferring data over short distances. Bluetooth uses short length radio waves to transfer data from one device to another. Typically Bluetooth functions at a maximum distance of 10 meters.
Q: What is the passkey for the Plantronics Bluetooth headsets?
The passkey is usually 0000.
Q: What are the different types of Telephone Systems?There are several mainstream types of Business Communications Systems:
Electronic: uses hardware to switch voice paths to connected devices (i.e. relays). Early telephony systems used this architecture. (Example Aria 28, Aria 148). Electronic systems are very feature limited and are currently offered by very few vendors.
Digital: uses Digital signalling (very much like ISDN) to connect devices, and to maintain call integrity and call flow performance. Digital systems heralded greatly improved flexibility of call flow design and overall speech clarity. (Example: Aria 34e, Aria 186). Digital technology is very robust and less expensive (than IP) to manufacture, but is considered to be limited in its scope for future feature improvement. As such it is now a legacy technology (although the recent emergence of IP based Digital Hybrid systems have revived some advantages of this technology).
IP (Internet Protocol): uses Internet Protocol to connect and maintain devices throughout the phone system. IP communications systems signalled another leap forward in feature flexibility and complexity. (Example: iPECS (50~600)). IP systems are typically based on very powerful processers, capable of supporting the growth of new features for some years to come
Hybrid: these systems attempt to combine the best of both technologies (IP and Digital). They fall into either the older generation Hybrid or newer generation Hybrid systems:
- Older Generation:Digital based systems that are IP capable. (Aria 24ip, ipLDK-300). Initially evolved as existing Digital technology with IP functionality added.
- Newer: IP based Systems that are Digital capable. (iPECS-MG (100 & 300)). As these are IP based the systems offer the same future proofing of feature set, as well as the efficiency advantages of Digital technology afforded in some installation scenarios.
Q: What is a true IP Communications System?
A true IP Business Communications System is one that operates natively by IP (the system processor connects to all its devices via IP – working at about 100Mbps compared to about 128Kbps for digital based systems). It is designed to utilise IP handset (or IP softphones). Some systems marketed as IP actually are Hybrid systems as they typically connect digital handsets using digital signaling.
Q: What is UC (UCS)?
UC is the acronym for Unified Communications (or Unified Communications System). Unified Communications can be defined as: "The merging of telephone, e-mail, conferencing, presence and instant messaging functionality into a single application that serves as the standard communications environment for the office worker." (Frost & Sullivan)
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