Education –Key to Unlocking Thailand's Potential

Editor / Provider: The Editorial Team | Updated: 9/7/2011 | Article type: Hot Topics

The overall market in Thailand is strong. 2010 saw steady growth, the pace of which is expected to be maintained in 2011. While the majority of the market continues to be video surveillancedriven, demand for pedestrian barriers and more integrated security systems is increasing. Although integration has been around in other regional markets for a long time, it is only beginning to grow in Thailand, as people are beginning to understand the benefits of an integrated system.

Thailand has relatively low security awareness, as the risk is not perceived to be high. Indeed, the national crime rate is lower than that of many other countries.

For example, banks in the U.S. are secured with man-trap doors, armed guards and an abundance of surveillance cameras. In Hong Kong, cash in transit is delivered by armored cars and two men with shot guns, said Henny Beeber, CEO and CTO of AES Group. “But you walk into a bank here in Thailand, and you find unarmed guards and no counter-to-ceiling bulletproof glass — yet they have tens of millions of baht behind the counter.”

OVERVIEW
Research reports provide valuable insight on the overall market, but industry experts recommend doing your own homework. “Market research firms estimate 10- to 12-percent growth. From my own dealings, it is closer to 30 percent, so I generally take market research with a grain of salt,” said Sumrith Ngaochai, GM of Guts Securitech.

However, recovery from the financial crisis was slow for some security players. After five years in the business, last year was the worst one ever, said Somchai Junpuan, Country Manager, AVerMedia Information. “However, we have a positive outlook for 2011. The market and political front will stabilize this year, and we expect a big jump to happen in 2012, as the economy continues to recover.”

The economy and the market were rather slow compared to previous years, but there are good signs for a bright future this year, said Jason Kwan, MD at CommExpress.

With the growing number of companies entering security, the market is becoming competitive. Ultimately, the way to stay ahead in the race is to provide good service, said Kittichai Samittiwuttikul, President of Smart Computer International.

“With branded products, we have been very successful in the past year,” said Dej Churdsuwanrak, MD at Bangkok OA Coms. “People come to us, and we have a competitive edge when it comes to major projects.”

The products selected must perform well and satisfy customers' needs, said Suwich Chitkasemsuk, MD at Digitalcom. “What we try to do now is communicate with the customers for their specs, requirements and budgets before coming up with the solution.”

The market in Thailand is dynamic, and this year new technologies will fight hard to gain a foothold in a sweetand- sour country. “I believe technology is facing an uphill battle, and it is important to not only be able to offer new products, but also understand how the market works in Thailand,” Ngaochai said.

IP VERSUS ANALOG
Many organizations are switching from analog to IP, including airports and international schools, Chitkasemsuk said. “The people writing the specs must consider the life span of the system, and IP is the most future-proof way today.”

Those who are new to video surveillance tend to choose analog systems, especially if they have slim budgets, said Narathip Patcharothai, GM at I Security Center. “Small mom-and-pop shops prefer a US$500 analog system.”

“The market is limited if you aim to offer premium-grade products, which are niche. Government projects tend to adopt IP for new projects, since tech specifiers believe analog systems are not advanced enough,” Ngaochai said. “The general market, however, is very sensitive to price. Sure, you can upgrade systems with IP, but analog use is far higher, at more than 70 percent. Research claims analog has 70 to 80 percent of the market share, but in reality, it's much more.” Customers are very price-sensitive. “Everyone definitely wants the best system they can get, but if you go over their budget, they will want to find a new contractor,” said Arnon Kulawongvanich, GM of Sales and Marketing at Chubb (a UTC Fire & Security company).

While analog still dominates, IP is expected to overtake analog in the next five to 10 years. “It may not be this year or the next, but we have come from pure analog to hybrid and will eventually move to IP,” said Pichai Sihsobhon, MD at Semple Cochrane (Asia).

From a commercial point of view, analog systems are more popular in Thailand and easier to control, Patcharothai said. “Many people don't know about IP solutions. When we propose IP and educate them on the benefits, they are almost always wowed. However, they will still prefer analog because of the price. We need to prepare for IP solutions, but analog will still dominate the market for the next two or three years.”

WIRELESS
Three advantages of wireless infrastructure are mobility, cost and cable elimination, Kwan said. “Customers today are dealing with larger-scale projects, where previous data-driven implementations such as point-topoint (PtP) and point-to-multipoint are no longer sufficient. However, customers are often confused by marketing, so there is still a strong need to educate the market.”

A wireless infrastructure is about three times cheaper than running fiber optics in Thailand, said Jeremy Koh, Regional Sales Manager of APAC for Firetide. “For the traffic-packed streets of Thailand, cabling is probably not even an option. Since video is the most demanding kind of traffic on a network, a reliable network with high throughput is crucial. So, critical wireless infrastructure has huge potential in Thailand.” [NextPage]

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE
There is a strong need to educate the market, as the government sometimes directly specifies the tenders, as opposed to consulting an unbiased firm. The end result can be specs that mix and match products from four different brands. “When the customer uses different products from different companies, it opens the door for a lot of finger pointing,” Kulawongvanich said.

Countries such as Korea have organizations that act as a bridge between the government and the security industry, but there is no such body in Thailand. “A nonprofit organization in Thailand called the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) has the potential to assume such a role,” said Somvith Leelaprapal, MD at JES CQtec. “However, security has not yet established deep roots in the EIT.”

Educating the market is necessary for new technologies. People are generally unfamiliar with transmission, as PtP has traditionally been the dominant choice, Koh said. “We are putting a great deal of energy into this space, but it is a difficult process since this is an industry where people are reluctant to adopt new technology. They tend to continue to use whatever is available to them, but as we go about this education process, people will start to see the value of this technology.”

Many end users deploy IT equipment for video surveillance; a year later, they will realize it does not work, Ngaochai said. “There's a general lack of knowledge for security systems, and educating the market is essential for future growth. It's a very technical market where things are no longer as simple as plug-and-play. Today, many people don't even understand the difference between a box and a dome camera.”

Many project specifiers and decision makers do not know why they need a wireless infrastructure, or why they need a specific type of camera. End users can be educated through road shows and seminars, but consultants need exhibitions, Chitkasemsuk added.

DISTRIBUTION
Distribution is a challenge in Thailand. “The distribution channel is difficult to set up because the market here is significantly smaller compared to markets such as the Americas, Europe and China,” Koh said. “We need to deal directly with the system integrators, and ship our products to them, especially for high-end offerings.”

GOVERNMENT PROJECTS
“Much of the spending comes from the government,” Sihsobhon said. “It comprises roughly 50 percent of the total market, and there will be significant growth in the public sector this year.”

Government security spending is a major market driver. “Even during the 2009 financial crisis, liquid cash from the government pumped into the public sector helped propel security,” said Panja Klaipothong, Country Manager at Firetide. “When times are bad, people need security. When times are good, people also need security.”

The security business has significant growth potential. “If it's commercially driven, everybody pulls back when a crisis hits,” Klaipothong said. “But the government puts money into security; large, public safety infrastructure projects were still sustained by government funding, regardless of the political situation.”

Some experts expect the market to peak before dropping again. “What we're seeing now is that most of the money put on hold is finally being released,” Beeber said. “Projects from two years ago were put on hold and are now going forward.”

CHALLENGES
Thailand's public bidding process is electronic and intended for fairness. This works well for construction, but is challenging for integrated security bids. For example, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (city government) has thousands of cameras installed, which cannot all be viewed on the same system. However, if the government did not have an open-bid process, it would be accused of corruption.

The lowest bid or “survival of the cheapest” has other effects. A mass-transit subway project four years ago received three or four proposals, with all bids differing only by 3 to 4 percent. One company — which had never worked on security before — proposed using equipment that was more expensive than its competitors and pitched its bid 18 percent below the top bid. Earlier this year, the company announced it could not finish the subway security project.

The unpredictable political climate means government projects may be put on hold for a variety of reasons, Kuan said.

“But the private sector is also strong in Thailand, and we have a strong presence in that space,” Junpuan said. “We prefer to focus on the private sector, and our records show that only 30 percent of our sales went to government projects.”

Thailand's market is difficult for foreign companies to compete in, since it involves politics, said Kazutoshi Takakura, GM of Thailand, CBC. “When I entered Thailand two years ago, we heard good news about the expanding market. Many projects have been postponed for a year or two due to politics, but security in the public sector is huge right now.”

SECURITY ALWAYS NECESSARY
“Just five years ago, people were more concerned with security in terms of projects. Now, we also see growth from residential end users. This can be observed in public development projects such as apartments, condos, car parks and more,” said Phrot Srisumran, Manager at LG Electronics.

Despite the political unrest, the market outlook in Thailand shows great potential as more people become aware of personal security. “We're very positive on the outlook. Although we experienced a minor setback due to the political situation, these are the very events that increase awareness and drive growth in the security industry,” Koh said. “When everyone is concerned about airport bombings in Thailand, they will want to invest in better security, which is a good thing for us. As long as security is good, Thailand will be fine — that is why the public sector will always be funded.”

The general consensus is that political conditions of Thailand should be stable this year. Business will boom for the security industry in Thailand from 2011 to 2012

Calling All Nodes

Editor / Provider: a&s International | Updated: 5/24/2011 | Article type: Tech Corner

We now live in a world where wireless technology has become a “way of life” for many. Traditionally considered a last resort in security applications, wireless transmission has come a long way in signal reliability and resilience — in some cases, it is even the only option.

Ksenia Coffman

“Where we're going, we don't need roads,” said Dr. Brown in the 1980s' blockbuster Back to the Future. While we are far from eliminating roads today, technology has allowed us to remove something comparable — wires.

Three key wireless topologies exist today, namely point-to-point (PtP), point-to-multipoint (PtMP) and multipoint-to-multipoint (MPtMP). The flexibility of mesh allows it to be deployed in many scenarios for complete redundancy, said Ksenia Coffman, Senior Marketing Manager at Firetide. “Some deployments start as PtMP and then are reconfigured into a mesh topology when security needs call for ubiquitous coverage later on. Some integrators deploy mesh equipment in a PtMP topology, with ‘mesh on the edges' to provide reach into remote areas.”

Where the Wires End,Life Begins
The Americas and EMEA regions' combined market for wireless infrastructure used in video surveillance was estimated to be worth around US$175 million in 2009, with an estimated growth rate of nearly 20 percent in 2010, according to IMS Research.

Wireless transmission for security is getting adopted across a broad spectrum of use cases, said Manju Mahishi

Manju Mahishi

, Director of Wireless Products Strategy at Motorola Solutions. “Most notable is mass transit with trains and buses, where a wired network is not even an option, and perimeter security at large facilities, where wiring would be cost-prohibitive.”

Two of the key vertical markets with strong demand are government and public safety, Mahishi continued. “Other key markets for wireless mesh networks include manufacturing (such as petrochemical), transportation (airports, seaports) and construction (large sites/projects).”

“Three vertical markets where demand for wireless infrastructure for video is especially strong are government (city surveillance, homeland security, emergency preparedness, critical infrastructure), transportation (mass transit, railways, highway systems) and industrial (plants, construction, oil and gas, utilities),” Coffman added.

“Ease of deployment and low cost of ownership are the main advantages of using a wireless video surveillance system,” Mahishi said. “There are no disadvantages in using a wireless system if it is deployed correctly.”

For security applications, wireless transmission is often utilized in outdoor settings, where a wired infrastructure

Jeremy Damato

is nonexistent, cost-prohibitive or impractical, Coffman said. “Wireless networks are also ideal for temporary installations from days (such as special events, fairs, rallies) to months (construction sites). Wireless installations are much faster and do not require major construction or cause the disruptions that fiber installations do. We've seen wireless deployed for indoor surveillance in cases where it's impossible to wire, such as monuments with historical value.”

Wireless is best suited for locations with established infrastructure such as roads, parking lots and buildings, where trenching is cost-prohibitive, added Jeremy Damato, Technical Support Manager at KBC Networks. “It's also a cost-effective solution for systems requiring remote transmission from locations that exceed standard cable limitations.”

Meshed Together
Wireless networks for video surveillance must be reliable. A wireless mesh network typically utilizes the 802.11 standard and provides redundancy and multiple paths to ensure tolerance for failure of individual points within the network. “The advantage of wireless mesh networks is that redundant links eliminate single points of failure associated with conventional wireless networks, with multiple paths overcoming line-of-sight (LoS) issues,” Coffman said.

“Mesh systems allow for redundant paths in the event the signal is obstructed by a mobile object or if a competing device is turned on in the vicinity of the primary path,” Damato added.

Mesh networks are also designed to provide several different options, Damato continued. “Based on the radio integrated into the mesh node, the system can offer multiple frequency bands and networking parameters to better equip the system in harsh radio frequency (RF) environments. For this reason, wireless mesh systems are becoming more popular in traditional PtP environments, such as apartment complexes.”

“Today's multi-in-multi-out (MIMO, 802.11n) wireless mesh networks have already been deployed to support HD and megapixel video surveillance. One limitation compared to fiber continues to be throughput — wireless mesh is not yet capable of providing gigabit (Gbps) speeds,” Coffman said. “However, with up to 90-percent reduction in cost, this trade-off is often acceptable to our customers.”

Wireless mesh is essentially a companion technology to cellular broadband, Coffman continued. “For example, our customers build out mesh backhaul to connect the cameras (in lieu of fiber), and then use a cellular broadband technology to provide access to the feeds from the field (such as via cellular routers). So, the two technologies complement each other. To illustrate the point, wireless mesh provides 100 to 150 Mbps of user throughput per hop (essentially equaling wired Ethernet and approaching fiber). Cellular broadband, in contrast, provides an average of 5 Mbps for download and 1 or 2 Mbps for upload. Latency is also much higher in cellular broadband technologies.”
[NextPage]

A Virtual Pipe
Sufficient throughput is critical, especially with the advent of HD video. “Video surveillance requires an extensive amount of bandwidth, especially with the new megapixel and HD cameras. Without enough bandwidth, cameras cannot deliver evidentiary-grade video or support video analytics,” Coffman said.” The video security system is only as good as the network that enables the transmission from the cameras to the command center. That is why transmission can become the Achilles' heel of a project if cameras need to be deployed in areas where no networking infrastructure exists.”

“With the advent of products based on 802.11n technology, wireless transmission can achieve throughput speeds in excess of 100 Mbps and, therefore, can satisfy even the high-bandwidth requirements,” Mahishi said.

“The latest breakthrough in wireless infrastructure is MIMO-based mesh, enabling fiber-equivalent throughput over a reliable, self-healing network,” Coffmanadded . “ The high throughput (up to 300 Mbps) makes wireless mesh an ideal solution for professional security networks — from video surveillance to access control and mass notification devices,enabling extensive municipal, transportation and industrial security networks.” The high-bandwidth capabilities of a MIMO mesh make it an ideal solution for voice and video, the most bandwidth-intensive and latency-intolerant applications on the network.

Selection Criteria
The wireless technology used in a system is essential to its success; choppy or granular video caused by the network is a critical flaw when it comes to surveillance, Coffman said. “Not all wireless technologies are created equal, and extensive due diligence should be a part of any technology selection process.”

The most important criterion for choosing a wireless network should be the TCO, Mahishi said. “TCO includes cost of equipment, cost of installation and cost of maintenance. Low-power, short-range access points (APs) are generally cheaper than high-power, long-range APs, but may eventually cost more as more of them are needed to provide coverage in a given area.”

When considering IP-based or HD systems, throughput consumption should be considered. Mesh and MIMO wireless systems provide more throughput for bandwidthhungry devices like megapixel and HD video systems, Damato said. “The number of turbo-mode channels should be identified and used when throughput capacity is a key component of the wireless solution specified for a megapixel or HD streaming video project.”

“Other important criteria include support for standards; routing protocol (speed of convergence); quality-of-service support for video/ voice; support for reliable video multicast; and interference mitigation mechanisms as video is very susceptible to latency which could be introduced especially in challenging RF environments,” Mahishi said.

According to Coffman, some other key factors to evaluate are:
1.Video performance: Video applications can eat up bandwidth quickly,and any wireless infrastructure should have plenty of room to grow — even if current requirements appear limited.
2.Security and privacy of video streams: The most secure systems offer end-to-end encryption supporting WPA2 and WEP. Encapsulation schemes can also be used to add another layer of security, where only the mesh nodes can see the encapsulated packets.
3.Multiservice networks: The transmission medium must give appropriate priority and quality of service to mission-critical applications among various video, voice and alarm signals.
4.Ease of setup: Wireless negates the need to pull cable, drill holes or disrupt day-to-day operations. Unlike a PtMP system, any mesh node can act as a “head end,” allowing multiple command centers to be set up at any point on the network.
5.Multicasting: Multicasting enables video feeds to be sent to multiple destinations for simultaneous viewing and recording. Multicasting is essential for monitoring by multiple decision makers, but can minimize the impact from bandwidth requirements.

Environment First
When connecting via wireless, environmental conditions have an impact on the reliability and over-the-air throughput potential, Damato warned. “But there are several ways to maintain sufficient wireless links to help guarantee the pipe needed over the air.”

“LoS between antennae will become more critical if the distance increases.The presence of other possible interfering sources can also limit the distance transmitted or throughput gained in a wireless environment,” Damato said. “An open area should be available so that the entire Fresnel zone is free of obstructions, especially for streaming video over wireless. Clear LoS is necessary to pass the RF to obtain maximum signal strength and data rates.”

High-gain directional antennae are recommended to increase the signal strength and attempt to overcome noise. This would be similar to raising your voice to talk to someone across the room while music is playing or there are other people in the room who are also creating noise, Damato said. “Increasing the gain of the antenna can help overcome some limitations of wireless systems.”

Other options include configuring megapixel cameras to lower frame rates or other settings to reduce the overall throughput need on the mesh, Damato added. “Streaming IP video is different from standard Ethernet data packets, which consist of bursts of traffic when packets are accessed over the link. With a constant video stream with changes in the picture or the entire M-JPEG video frames, the traffic is a nonstop flow of throughput consumption with potential data bursts as well. A mesh network that can handle this form of throughput consumption is recommended for integrating a wireless mesh network for streaming video and management software.”

The availability of frequencies in a particular wireless environment should also be taken into consideration. License-free wireless transmission utilizes RFs and power output ratings allowed by the US Federal Communications Commission and other regulatory domains, Damato said. Different frequency bands are allowed for use for different industries.

However, the frequencies used for industrial, scientific and medical applications in the U.S. can also be shared by many consumer electronics, as well as commercial and industrialgrade devices, Damato cautioned. “For instance, radar technology can interfere with RF devices operating on the 5-GHz frequency band. Environments that contain signs of interfering sources and/or physical obstructions to LoS are places where wireless is the last-resort alternative, as certain requirements may be necessary to deal with the environmental restrictions.”

[NextPage]

Depl oyment Chall enges
High-performance wireless infrastructure is not easy to design and deploy, and professional wireless equipment is a considerable investment, Coffman said. “To ensure the success of any wireless surveillance installation requires intelligent planning from the start. You must perform site surveys, for example, to determine any issues involving LoS obstructions, RF environments, distances and access to camera sites.”

Major challenges in implementing wireless mesh networks include deployment and training, Mahishi said.

Deployment often requires coordinating resources that are not under the direct control of the customer or integrator, such as public utilities, telephone, cable and private companies, Coffman said. “From a technical point of view, ensuring LoS between nodes is essential. Design work may occur in the winter months when foliage is minimal; the spring-time foliage, however, can obstruct LoS. Such issues can be dealt with by going around obstructions; some projects call for the construction of a tower or mast.”

Securing power and gaining access to camera locations can also be challenging, if the customer does not “own” the light poles or buildings where cameras are to be mounted, Coffman continued. “Solar or power generators may be required to power remote installations. When allocating budgets and finalizing network design, the provider should consider all contingencies and discuss them with the end user.”

The learning curve for deployment of a wireless mesh network is longer than general wireless apparatus, Damato added. “Previous wireless and IT management experience, as well as previous experience with a particular manufacturer's mesh system, will assist with how to properly use specific diagnostics tools.“

Mesh topologies can involve redundant path scenarios which will require configurations to eliminate loops in the communication, Damato continued. “If a mesh system manufacturer does not simplify the interface for setup, it can be more difficult to integrate the system. On the other hand, if they simplify it too much, it becomes easier to cause loops. There should be tools and diagnostics within the GUI with which a user can determine the correct route(s) for the wireless c ommu nication with in the network.”

No Interoperab ility
Currently, there is no industry stand a rd for wire less mesh networks. All mesh solutions are proprietary, and wireless gear from different providers cannot be properly integrated together, Mahishi said. “However, IEEE 802.11s is very close to being ratified by IEEE and may provide this support in the future.”

No Silver Bullet
Most of the confusion and unrealistic expectations from wireless mesh networks arise from confusion between data rate and throughput; real throughput in noisy environments; throughput as the number of mesh nodes increases; and backhaul link throughput.

“Throughput across the wireless network is a common misconception. If the node has two radios, users assume that there is 100 Mbps combined. In reality, in turbo-mode channels, each radio can independently offer up to 50 Mbps, depending on the frequency, environment and local regulations,” Damato explained.

“The specifications should be closely examined. Often, a ‘signal rate' is thought to be the throughput over the air. The signal rate refers to the speed of connection between radios, whereas the throughput is the overall pipe capacity based on specs such as the signal rate, signal strength, possible interfering sources and other environmental factors,” Damato said.

Vendors should articulate clearly real-life performance metrics under various deployment scenarios to minimize confusion for their clients and better educate end users on realistic expectations in real-life settings.

Guangzhou Expressway Deploys Transmission System

Editor / Provider: SUBMITTED BY INFINOVA | Updated: 10/15/2010 | Article type: Infrastructure

Infinova provided a comprehensive digital video surveillance solution for fast, reliable, convenient and affordable surveillance for Guangzhou’s sprawling West 2nd Ring Expressway system.

The Guangzhou West 2nd Ring Expressway, also known as the Xiaotang to Maoshan section of Guangzhou City Circular Highway, connects six expressways of approximately 42 kilometers. The highway surveillance system includes decentralized edge sites distributed along the expressways. Due to the long distances, transmission quality has been a challenge for this intelligent highway system.

Traditionally, point-to-point (PtP) digital fiber-optic modems have been used in such systems, but create problems despite competitive pricing. Also, as a PtP setup requires fiber to run from each edge site to the monitoring site, the amount of fiber needed for a highway surveillance system can be high. This increases the overall investment and the cost of installation.

For the expressways, a comprehensive digital video surveillance solution was needed, which integrates real-time video transmission, online storage, archive search and playback, and multiple levels of remote control. This ensures the system’s improved security responses, faster handling of emergencies, timely and reliable video information for traffic management, and allows supervisors to call up and collect evidence.

Solution
Two types of transmission modes were used to assure reliability within the surveillance system — a fiber-optic modem integrating with a traditional video matrix-switching system. One link can achieve real-time transmission of up to 10 channels of video with eight channels of bidirectional audio and data (or 16 channels bidirectional data), and two channels of reverse data and one channel of Ethernet.

Since the surveillance system must transmit many types of signals — video, audio and alarm — the most logical choice was to create a centralized transmission distribution mode. Video signals collected at each toll gate and from cameras along traffic lanes were sent to the closest communica- SUBMITTED BY INFINOVA tions station to be compressed and encoded by video encoders working with the on-site digital video storage server. Ultimately, the data is transmitted to the monitoring and management center via the fiber ring network. The resilient packet ring channel is dynamically distributed to fully leverage the fiber wiring, which guarantees real-time surveillance of emergencies and faster response to incidents, including counterterrorist activities.

The network video surveillance system software can assign priority for different management stations, such as the overall control center, expressway monitoring center and area subcenter. Authorization levels allow the center to remotely call up, control and store video from the edge sites. In addition, distributed management allows every toll station to call up videos from monitoring sites by using its individually managed matrix switcher. Video can be retrieved and transmitted manually, by schedule or events, and can be viewed live on Internet Explorer.

Result
The use of a node fiber-optic modem greatly reduced the engineering costs of the surveillance system. Deploying a standard time division multiplex and an add/drop multiplex approach, the node fiber-optic modems save the expressways fiber resources.

The industrial-grade OSE real-time main operating system assigns a unique internal 31-level priority of the network video encoder/decoder for multilevel priority management. Since it does not rely on server authorization control, the system is more stable.

The solution provides self and online checks for the encoder/decoder, DVR and their communication lines for troubleshooting purposes. With its rack encoder/ decoder, the system saves installation space at the local sites and the control center while ensuring easy maintenance for future system expansions.

Detangling Wireless Technology for Effective Deployments

Editor / Provider: The Editorial Team | Updated: 8/12/2010 | Article type: Tech Corner

The recent financial and economic climate has prompted the search for low-cost solutions while still delivering the same quality. Compared to wired transmission, wireless transmission can save tens of thousands of dollars per project on trenching, cabling and building remodeling.

Wireless transmission has picked up speed over the past few years. Previously, wireless networks were used primarily for telecommunications and general Internet traffic, but the security industry has noticed their possibilities for growth and is enthusiastically deploying them in newer installations.

The greatest attribute of wireless transmission is its ability to negate wiring. “This means there is a lower cost of installation and easy maintenance,” said Parul Oswal, Industry Analyst, Frost & Sullivan. “It also gives users flexibility and ease in installing and moving cameras, remote accessibility to real-time video, and customization and integration with other features.”

“There are many large deployments all over the world,” said Geoffrey Smith, Senior VP of Sales for the Americas, Europe and Africa, Proxim Wireless. “Only two years ago, companies had to spend a lot more time educating customers. Now, people have a better understanding of the technology and they realize that it works.” The percentage in video surveillance deployments has grown drastically due to increased awareness. “In terms of new installations,only 10 percent relied on wireless transmission back in 2008. These have grown to an estimated 50 percent in 2010.”

SMALL-SCALE PROJECTS
A smaller installation usually consists of fewer than 10 network cameras, with additional signals from intrusion and access systems which do not generate much data to be transmitted. “Wireless is ideal for a home, SOHO or SMB, since wires cause clutter and cabling pains and are not aesthetically appealing,” Smith said. “Such installations do not require wide coverage and are simple. Wireless nodes are connected to the gateway, which in turn is connected to the computer and Internet. Connecting to the Internet allows for remote access, which is very appealing.”

The public have become very familiar with Wi-Fi, and it is common to find it in a majority of homes. Proprietary devices, such as gateways, can be used to allow communication up to certain distances between smaller wireless devices in a home environment. However, Wi-Fi is not optimal for video deployments. “Wi-Fi would encounter interference, resulting in dropped frames. Each camera can require up to 10 megabits (Mb) of bandwidth,” Smith said. “Wi-Fi can support up to three low-resolution cameras in an indoor development but falls apart when HD cameras are added.”

Residential or SMB projects that require more bandwidth use access points. “Access points that look like smoke detectors are attached onto the ceiling, and they serve various Wi-Fi enabled clients such as laptops, smartphones and iPads,” said Walt Shaw, Senior Product Line Manager, Wireless Networking Business Unit, Cisco Systems. These are then connected to the LAN for integration.

Since most small integrations do not carry an abundant array of devices, the point-to-point (PtP) topology is used. “PtP is the most used wireless topology for security, and it is mostly used in residential and some smaller commercial projects,” said Michele Bonafede, Sales and Marketing Manager, VS Safety.

In Europe, all security systems use 868 megahertz (MHz) for transmission . “ Priorto the development of the 868-MHz band 11 years ago, 433 MHz was used. Everything used to run on 433 MHz, such as remote-control toy cars and garage doors, which made the 433-MHz band a less secure frequency. The 868-MHz frequency is much narrower, which allows for less data but encounters less interference. In Greece, it is the frequency used for military purposes,” Bonafede said.

New frequencies are constantly being opened up for communications. “60 gigahertz (GHz) is now being used for a new standard for indoor connectivity called Wi-Gig, which will be used in residential installations for digital-video HDMI applications,” said Joe Schraml, VP of Marketing, BridgeWave Communications.

MEDIUM-SCALE PROJECTS
Medium-sized installations, such as a hotel or building complex, require larger bandwidth capabilities. “PtP and point-to-multipoint (PtMP) using Wi-Fi or other unlicensed transmission frequencies are probably the most appropriate for medium-sized projects — for both video surveillance only and integrated systems,” said Roy Cummings, Technical Support Manager, AMG Systems.

The environment of the installation site determines the types of devices that can be deployed. “We're seeing more HD cameras implemented indoors, and 802.11n is the most suitable for this application because it can transmit at speeds up to 300 Mb per second (Mbps) on one frequency. If larger data packets need to be transmitted, an extra frequency band can be added and the two frequencies together can transmit up to 600 Mbps,” Shaw said.

For outdoor deployments, using a private, dedicated, licensed frequency may seem appealing, but it is not often done due to cost considerations. “There are benefits to licensing a frequency because you own the whole spectrum, but it can cost up to thousands of dollars and will require numerous approvals,” Shaw said. “Most of the time, many frequencies are used to complete a system. For example in an outdoor mesh deployment, 2.4 GHz is used for access, and 5 GHz for the backhaul. 5 GHz doesn't meet much interference, so applying it to the backhaul is ideal because it is the most important ‘link' in a system. The lower the frequency, the less degradation of data occurs because it is less susceptible to harsh conditions.” Often, two frequencies are used — one for transmitting and one for receiving — to reduce the clutter running on one band. Both 2.4 and 5 GHz are unlicensed, making them accessible to anyone.

The double-frequency technique is also used for larger files requiring longertrans mission times. “Bandwidth limitations mean all data needs to be compacted, but even so, wireless still takes longer to transmit. To have a system that sends and responds quickly during an event, two different frequencies are used here in Europe. The 868-MHz frequency is used to transmit intrusion detection data first so that it may be immediately responded to, and video is sent on the 2.4-GHz frequency at a slower pace due to its file size,” Bonafede said. “Webcams can use the GSM network to transmit data in real time, but they are not usually used in mid-sized installations.”

LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS
Larger integration projects, such as city surveillance, would consist of many different types of products running on different frequencies and topologies. “The most appropriate technology for large-scale applications would be mesh due to its ability to reconfigure a large number of cameras to changing requirements using WiMAX or an extension to WiMAX,” Cummings said.

A mesh network forms a data transmission grid over a large area, and is optimal for medium-sized integrations as well as large integrations. “Mesh networks automatically adjust to topology changes. Nodes can be added, removed, replaced or relocated without the need for traditional network administration. Mesh networks can optimize or increase the visibility of dynamic systems, such as the environmental conditions inside of a commercial building or the conditions of machinery in a manufacturing plant, without the cost and administration of a wired network,” said Benno Ritter, VP of Marketing and Business Development, ZigBee Alliance.

Being able to use many different frequencies opens up device selections, but it could also mean higher cost. “For some systems, it is possible to integrate several frequencies, but the cost becomes 50 to 70 percent higher,” said Patrick Lim, Sales and Marketing Director, Ademco Far East.

In the outdoor space, 60 GHz has been used over the last few years to provide high-capacity gigabit connectivity for enterprise, government and service provider users. Not all frequencies are made the same. “For dense, urban applications where a lot of data needs to travel short distances of 1 to 3 kilometers, 60- to 80-GHz transmissions are ideal. In urban areas, cameras can be mounted on light poles or sides of buildings and backhauled to a control center using 60 to 80 GHz gigabit links,” Schraml said.

The most appealing aspect of the mesh topology is its ability to provide redundancy. “Some mesh options are intelligent enough to select up to eight different routes to send back a signal,” Lim said. He warns, however, that total redundancy for wireless video transmission is seldom considered, as it requires costly duplication of equipment and infrastructure.

It is critical for outdoor deployments to have a good line of sight (LoS) for data to be carried across long distances smoothly. “Antennas are placed high on top of buildings so that the transmission can avoid running into as many physical objects as possible, which can cause interference,” Shaw said. Objects such as mirrors, cement and so forth can degrade wireless signals.

Wireless video is very popular and can help reduce cabling cost in temporary large events, and it can also act as an extension to existing surveillance systems that have a direct LoS, Lim added.

MEGAPIXEL AND HD NEEDS
Megapixel and HD cameras are becoming more popular as users realize the need for usable images in the event of a crime. Different bandwidth capabilities and wireless applications have their own limitations, and not all are suitable for transmitting large image files from megapixel and HD cameras. “The volume of data produced by megapixel and HD cameras place more stress on the wireless network. This can be coped with by integrating more links, thus effectively increasing the size of the network. Potentially, this could mean using a separate link per camera, which would of course increase the cost of the overall network,” Cummings said.

A single network video surveillance camera can transmit up to 5 Mbps, and 60- and 80-GHz frequencies have ample spectrum to allow the aggregation of multiple network video cameras f o r transmission to a central command center, Schraml said.

Naturally, implementing multiple network video cameras would require very large bandwidth, and one would consider using H.264 compression to decrease file size. This indicates that wireless transmission may not be the best approach for applications where image quality is of the utmost importance. “Compressed video signals always represent a trade-off between image quality and latency,” Cummings said. To set up a strong wireless system involving megapixel and HD cameras may cause much budget concern arising from the additional devices required to stabilize critical transmission.

Wired Up With Transmission

Editor / Provider: a&s International | Updated: 7/12/2010 | Article type: Tech Corner

With convergence heating up, transmission plays a crucial role in an integrated security solution. There are many options to choose from, depending on the devices used and the environment they operate in.

Wireless maybe an industry buzzword, but wired transmission technology still dominates today. Its reliability and ability to transmit data efficiently continues to be relevant. To determine the type of transmission medium most suitable for a project, one must perform clear calculations, understand the environment of the project, and fully understand the user's requirements.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. "The info-communication requirements for various integrated systems can be vastly different between a campus-wide complex, an integrated resort or a mass rapid transit infrastructure," said Thong Hsi, Division Manager, Integrated Communications Division, ST Electronics. “The choice of medium gets more complex, especially for large scale projects that involve thousands of access control/points and subsystems. A project's requirements, limitations and cost constraints need to be evaluated to figure out advantages and disadvantages of various wired transmission media.”

It is crucial to find the right transmission medium based on the environment of the system. A home installation can be simple, while transmission for a transit system will include many different mediums.

Power Line Cables
For many home installations, power cables are sufficient to transmit data from one device to another. “Power line transmission cannot extend past 600 to 800 meters with power, rendering them only suitable for small offices or homes,” said Ben Chiang, Product Manager at EtherWAN Systems. Data is passed through the power cables in the form of electricity

Power cables require minimum costs, since they are already present. “Power line is a good and low-priced solution for installations where no network cables are installed,” said Michael Blottnicki, Business Development Manager, IP Video Systems, Europe, Plustek. Integration can be achieved by the user, thus saving on installation costs.

The power cable's advantage of using available infrastructure may also be its greatest disadvantage. “Since everything is connected, it leads to more disturbances,” said Peter De Konink, Product Manager of Codecs and Analytics, Optelecom-NKF.

Copper Wire CAB LES
There are two types of copper wire cables — phone wires and twisted pair cables. Much like power line cables, network cables are easily available. They have RJ-45 connectors and are widely used for computer networking, such as connecting computers to a broadband network. But if there is no existing infrastructure to work with, network cables have higher costs. “Network cables are much more expensive to install compared to utilizing power cables,” Blottnicki said.

Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and shielded twisted pair (STP) cables are pairs of wires that form a circuit to transmit binary data, said Mark Wilson, VP of Marketing, Infinova. “UTP cable is easy to install and is less expensive than any other type of transmission wire. Depending on the category, they can transmit data from 10 megabits per second (Mbps) to one gigabit per second (Gbps). It can also be used in most major architectures of network systems,” he said.

UTP cabling can produce fiber-like video quality at a fraction of the cost and is a tenth the size of coaxial cables, while carrying more data. "UTP cables are easy to install, test and troubleshoot due to their color coding," said Guy Apple, VP of Marketing and Sales, Network Video Technologies. They are fully compatible with all structured datacom networks and can be used for both analog and IP devices.

They are suitable for both video only and for integrated solutions, said Sara Bullock, International Sales Director, AMG Systems.

However, they carry disadvantages.“Electrical noise and other interferences can easily affect the quality of the data,” Wilson said. “Even though IP-based video is gaining users, there remains a serious distance limitation with UTP cabling infrastructure, which hinders the placement of cameras. For example, if a camera is located 1,000 feet from the head-end without any active signal conditioning, about 37 percent of the information will be lost in transmission. This is not counting the need and cost for signal amplification, ground fault correction and surge protection.”

Transmission distances need be considered, especially above 250 to 300 meters. They operate on point-topoint (PtP) only and the maximum length for IP data is 100 meters using Cat-5 or Cat-6 cables, Bullock said.

CoaxiaL CABLES
Coaxial cables cost more than twisted-pair cables, but are still considered cost-effective and outperform twisted pair. “Coaxial cable is widely used because it supports 10 to 100 Mbps, whether it is a thin or thick coaxial cable. It can transfer data approximately 1,600 feet, which is around five times greater than twisted pair cables. It also has lower error rates,” Wilson said. “They work by transmitting electromagnetic waves through the dielectric inside the cable between the conductors.”

The picture quality for phase alternate line (PAL) and national system television commitee (NTSC) cameras is perfectly adequate using coaxial cables, and no significant degradation can be found when transmitting up to 300 meters. Another issue is that multiple camera signals cannot be run on a single coaxial cable because of the limited bandwidth. Therefore, each camera needs its own dedicated cable, Bullock said. “They are simple and easy to install and maintain — no specialist connection techniques are required and no active transmission equipment is needed.”

The downside of coaxial cabling lies in how certain systems may require dedicated wiring, meaning it can be system-specific. This makes upgrades difficult. Coaxial cables are bulky and can only perform with PtP typology, Bullock said.

The difficulty in using coaxial cables comes from a lack of cabling or network standards. “Coaxial cables are also more difficult to terminate and have a rather limited future,”Apple said.

Coaxial cables are only suitable for small area networks less than 600 meters in distance, but are a good fit due to their low costs, Bullock said.

Fiber OPTIC CABLES
Fiber optic cables are strands of optically pure glass — as thin as a human hair — that carry digital information over long distances. “These strands are regularly bundled and insulated in cable,” said Corin Moorhead, Product Manager, COE.  “Digital video transmission across optical cable occurs at the speed of light, and the only limit to the level of video data that can be transmitted simultaneously across optical fiber is the ability of the devices at each end of the cable to interpret and distribute this data.”

The global market for fiber optics in security applications is around US$120 million to $150 million, said Joseph Frank, Sales Director, Americas, OT Systems. Fiber cable is considered the best option for long distances and has the best transmission quality.

Compared to other transmission media, fiber optics can go great distances with little or no amplifier. “They can transmit distances up to 120 kilometers,” said Jack Xu, Marketing and Sales Director, Overseas Business Department, OB Telecom lectronics.

There is less signal degradation with fiber optics. “They are immune to external electromagnetic disturbances,” De Konink said.

Fiber has a low rate of error and resists electrical and magnetic interferences, ilson said. “It also provides extremely high bandwidth — the bandwidth capacity of a single strand of standard multimode fiber is more than 45 times that of a Cat-5 cable, while the maximum bandwidth capacity of single-mode fiber has yet to be reached, according to fiber optics experts,” he said. It is small, providing better tensile strength than other wired cables.

Transmitters interpret electronic data into light, and fiber optic cables transmit the light to the other end. The receiving end then interpretsit back into electronic data. “Fiber optic cables can transmit data in this fashion at one Gbps,” Wilson said.

Fiber cables are considered more stable. “Fiber optic transmission is well-suited for industries such as petrochemical, eliminating the risk of sparking,” Moorhead said. “The ability of fiber optics to instantly transmit high channel counts of uncompressed video over many miles is also valuable.” Transmission capacity goes up to 1.25 Gb, compared to an Ethernet transmission that is limited to 100 Mbps.

The advantages of fiber make it the most widely selected transmission medium for security applications such as airports, city surveillance, campus environments, factories, shopping malls, transportation and all other applications where long distances and/or high loads of signal transmission are required.

There are two types of fiber optic cables: multimode and single-mode. Multimode fiber cables were once less costly, but had a lower bandwidth and transmission distance. Single-mode fiber cables have a much higher bandwidth and transmission distance, and their price has been lowered to cost less than that of multimode fiber cables. “By upgrading older systems, which relied on multimode fiber to a single-mode fiber network, and also using the correct transmission devices for single-mode fiber; a system communication bandwidth and distance capabilities can be largely increased while saving time, money and other resources by minimizing the number of fibers used.”

Mixed Transmission
As more installations combine IP and existing analog devices, transmission technologies can be mixed to create a single hybrid ntegrated solution. “A system which incorporates both network and analog cameras transmits both types of signals back on the same transmission system,” Bullock said. “Likewise, coaxial or twisted-pair cables can bring back signals from short-distance cameras to a cluster point and then transmit them onwards onto fiber-optic cables.”

By mixing ansmission technologies, cost issues are addressed. For example, it may be too costly to wire a whole system using fiber, so it is only applied to critical areas while the rest of the system uses more affordable cabling. As systems are built on top of existing infrastructures, it can be costly and labor-intensive to remove existing wiring. This is why new wiring is added to the existing infrastructure. “When planning for the future, it can be time-consuming and often difficult to determine link type and availability after cables have been installed, which is why mixing transmissions is often a good idea,” Wilson said.

Integrating different transmission technologies for a single installation is achieved by applying different switches to integrate different transmission technologies, Xu said.

Combining transmission technologies was not the case until recently. “For older types of installations, integration of different signals were rarely used: there were coaxial cables used for video transmission, twisted pair for control signals (RS-485/422) and power cables for powering the equipment. Integration started when control signals were inserted and transmitted together with video signals over coaxial cable, so twisted pair cable were not needed anymore in these types of installations,” Frank said.

Another type of integration started with coaxial to UTP converters, which enabled video transmission over UTP cables, Frank said. One four-pair UTP cable was able to transmit one or two video signals, one control signal and even low-level power signals. Due to instability and poor immunity to RFI/EMI, this type of transmission is rarely used for demanding installations.

Higher levels of integration are achieved using IP protocols in electronic security applications.Multiple channels of video, control, audio and other signals can be
transmitted over one UTP cable, Frank said.

However, there are many problems to tackle. The integration, along with the number of signal transmission possibilities, limits the bandwidth. In security applications, the maximum distance that can be covered with UTP cables is insufficient. “Switches, repeaters and boosters must be used, and they take away from the reliability of the entire system,” Frank said.

Fiber optics became the answer to these problems. “The superiority over other transmission media in terms of distance and bandwidth allowed for many channels of video, control, audio, contact closures, IP and other signals to be transmitted over a single fiber core,” Frank said.

Wireless Performance by Design

Editor / Provider: Submitted by Firetide | Updated: 6/23/2010 | Article type: Tech Corner

Transmission cabling can be tricky, which makes wireless video deployments attractive. Ksenia Coffman, Senior Marketing Manager for Firetide, discusses wireless mesh projects that deliver wired performance.


Wireless mesh networks are receiving more attention from the security industry. They allow security integrators to deploy network infrastructure where wire — cable or fiber — is either impossible or cost-prohibitive. But how do integrators achieve the performance they've come to expect from the wired networks?


This article provides tips and ideas on how to turn wireless projects into rock-solid deployments delivering wire-like performance for security applications.


Security deployments, especially in mission-critical situations, require high frame rates. Today's wireless networks based on 802.11n radios enable high throughput to support high-definition or megapixel cameras, so users don't have to settle for 5 or 10 fps. While fixed WiMAX systems deliver about 20 to 30 Mbps of capacity for the point-to-multipoint (PtMP) sector, MIMO 802.11n systems can deliver up to 300 Mbps of real-world capacity.


Law enforcement agencies require evidence-grade video for forensic investigations and prosecutions. Areas with fast motion such as intersections require 30 fps video at 4CIF resolution, even in nonlaw enforcement applications.


Unlike data applications which do not suffer from occasional delay and dropped packets, real-time streaming applications are sensitive to latency, jitter and dropped packets. If the wireless network is low performing, the resulting video will be pixelated or frozen, while excessive latency will prevent monitoring staff from operating PTZ cameras in real time. A wireless system must provide low latency, low jitter and end-to-end quality of service to make sure that delay-sensitive transmission receives priority.


Challenging Environments
Point-to-point (PtP) and PtMP systems require tall assets to place the base station in every sector of coverage. These systems will not be the right solution if the tall assets cannot be secured in sufficient quantities, such as rooftops of privately owned buildings. The same challenge applies to industrial facilities. Deploying mesh, with its ability to repeat the signal through a series of nodes, can be an alternative to constructing towers.


In dense urban environments, even with access to rooftops, the topology of urban canyons is such that you cannot achieve line-of-sight (LoS) from the rooftops to all the camera locations, which requires installers to go street level. Cities require street-level coverage with multihop, which can only be delivered by a mesh topology.


Compared to PtP and PtMP systems, mesh extends the reach of the network beyond the first hop. Wireless systems eventually run out of usable spectrum to achieve a clear LoS. At frequencies of 2.4/4.9/5 GHz, they are forced to radiate from at least one high point. This fills the airwaves with a chosen band of frequencies, which are limited.


Mesh avoids this issue by isolating the RF signal. Radios are typically mounted on street poles where the RF can be directed between buildings and trees in a given pathway back to a final destination, through a series of repeater nodes in a multihop configuration. Because the frequencies can be reused along the path, the limitations of PtP and PtMP solutions do not apply.


Cost Savings
Mesh is a superset of the available wireless topologies: PtP and PtMP. The best feature of mesh radios is that they are flexible in their configuration, whether as mesh, PtP, PtP daisy chaining (also called linear mesh) or PtMP. Having one piece of equipment not only simplifies installation and configuration, but is also great for sparing. Both are efficient and cost saving.


In an ironic but true statement, wireless mesh is sometimes not true mesh. The actual deployment topologies in the field vary greatly. Most often the end result is a "partial" mesh: some redundant links, some PtP and PtMP, and some linear mesh. An example of linear mesh would be mesh nodes strung together to reach into a neighborhoods or go alongside a key thoroughfare, which mostly used when the budget does not allow for 100 percent coverage of a given area.


Infrastructure mesh is not "Wi-Fi mesh" that went mainstream during the municipal Wi-Fi boom. With omnidirectional antennas and with an access point (AP) built in for client access, these devices were designed for low-bandwidth data.


The most advanced infrastructure for video is "infrastructure mesh." This features dual-radio IP infrastructure designed from the ground up for real-time high-bandwidth applications: voice, video and data. Trying to fit mesh APs in a video surveillance space is often a recipe for disaster. It requires many more mesh nodes in a given area, expensive wireless or wired backhaul and more complex network design.


Real-Time Mobile Video
Recorded video is fine for investigations after the fact. However, a real-time view into unfolding situations or the ability to know what's ahead is what transit agencies and industrial companies look for. Mobile real-time video is the wave of the future for city-wide public safety, industrial sites, campus environments, mining and transportation.


When applications need the ability to maintain real-time connections between fixed and mobile nodes moving at high speeds — without dropping packets and introducing latency or jitter — only wireless mesh will fit the bill. Wi-Fi access client mobility is enough to support noncritical low-bandwidth data, but is not sufficient to deliver real-time video streaming. Similarly, users cannot implement mobility with PtMP equipment, because the central command-and-control architecture does not allow for roaming. Mesh can support mobility with its distributed architecture and built-in intelligence, even for roaming across multiple meshes.


Considering Wireless?
Wireless can be as robust, secure and reliable as any wired infrastructure. For integrators, they should definitely look into wireless infrastructure or risk being outbid on a project. For end users, a properly implemented wireless system will save expense, time and headaches. The key is "properly implemented," so users should look for experienced integrators and perform due diligence on their technology of choice.

Behind the Scene with Transmission

Editor / Provider: a&s International | Updated: 10/19/2009 | Article type: Tech Corner

With the dawning of IP-based video surveillance and megapixel cameras, wireless access control solutions and intrusion alarms, the quality of data transmission is more critical now than ever. A&S explores how transmission providers from Ethernet to wireless to fiber optics keep their offerings competitive.


Video surveillance requires high bandwidth and low latency, making it more demanding than access control or intrusion detection. A surveillance system is only as good as its network, enabling transmission from the cameras to the control center. “This is why transmission can become the ‘Achilles heel' of a project, especially if cameras need to be deployed in areas where no networking infrastructure exists,” said Ksenia Coffman, Marketing Manager at Firetide


Geographically dispersed IP video networks will continue to grow, and with it, the challenges of managing them, said Roni Klein, VP of Sales at Verint Video Solutions APAC, Verint Systems.

IMS Research reported the worldwide video surveillance market to be worth US$9.5 billion in 2009, and transmission technologies including Ethernet, wireless and fiber optics form a significant part of this market, said Corin Moorhead, Product Manager for COE.

Though IMS Research downscaled its growth forecast from 6 to 3 percent for 2009, transmission technologies have strong market potential, especially for IP systems.            


Design and Options
A transmission system's lifespan, cost, installation ease and future-proofing capability are considerations at a project's onset. “The communication layer is key and can be considered a basis for building the security system,” said Avi Shabtay, GM of Private and Alternate Networks Line of Business, Alvarion.


Popular transmission options include power line communication (PLC), Ethernet, wireless and fiber optics. Installation sizes range from small (hundreds of meters) for a gas station or retail shop; to medium (tens of kilometers) such as SMBs and large supermarkets; and to large (hundreds of kilometers), such as city surveillance and critical infrastructure.


PLC is useful in domestic applications, but is more difficult at bigger complex sites. Large buildings such as hospitals host a huge number of electronics that inject a great deal of noise onto the power lines, said Alastair McLeod, MD of the U.K. at Veracity.

Any type of power line technology needs continual repeaters to amplify the signal to achieve greater distances, said Geoffrey Smith, VP of Sales and Marketing at Proxim Wireless.


Wireless installations cost less than wired alternatives for labor. For projects that need to be completed rapidly and demand portability or scalability, wireless solutions may be the right choice, said Brian Carlson, VP and GM of Global Sales at Azalea Networks. Wireless signals, however, can be disrupted.


Both Ethernet and fiber optics require cabling. PoE can deliver power but is limited by distance, whereas fiber optics runs long distances but cannot deliver power.


Connecting Through Ethernet
Every IP-based device requires a network switch port, more likely several in a chain. “We estimate that more than 20 percent of such devices, grown from less than 5 percent two years ago, are now being powered by PoE,” McLeod said. With Ethernet, projects can range from a handful to nearly 2,000 cameras or other devices.


The three major advantages of cabled Ethernet transmission are lower cabling costs, easy expansion and ability to support hybrid infrastructure through adapters.


With budgets still tight, making use of existing analog cables to upgrade to IP is an attractive choice for many.


Installation challenges can occur when using Ethernet-over-coaxial adapters on old cables, which may not allow for the full data rate (100 megabits per second each way).


Wireless Topologies
“To ensure the deployment gets off the ground successfully, you must perform site surveys to determine issues involving line-of-sight (LOS) obstructions — buildings, tunnels or hills, radio frequency environment, distances, access to camera sites and electrical power,” Coffman said.

The global wireless transmission market for 2009 is about $1.5 billion, with security and mission-critical applications portioning $250 million, said Torquato Bertani, CTO at Fluidmesh Networks.


Available wireless topologies are point-to-point (PtP), point-to-multipoint (PtMP) and multipoint-to-multipoint (wireless mesh). Without additional antennae, radios, routers or other accessories, wireless products achieve roughly 14 kilometers on average, and 25 kilometers maximum.


“Today's solutions are based on standards, with better performance, scalability and price/performance,” Carlson said. IEEE 802.11 standards for WLAN in the 2.4-, 3.6- and 5-GHz frequency bands set the bar for wireless solutions.



PtP
PtP systems can be expensive, but suit larger security deployments, such as remote surveillance. “In 2008, the PtP market for the 5-GHz band was estimated at $140 million,” Shabtay said.


The goal for a network design is to minimize the number of hops from the source to the destination, Shabtay said. However, as distance increases, the capacity decreases due to signal degradation. Link distances for millimeter wave operators (60- to 90-GHz) may be a challenge during inclement weather.

Added antennae can provide greater distance and improve performance. “Rain is the impediment that causes challenges in stretching the distance of these millimeter wave solutions. Depending on the engineering of the link, distances are in the range of 3 to 5 kilometers,” said Joseph Schraml, VP of Marketing at Bridgewave Communications.


Finding a suitable location to provide clear LOS between two radios is key to maximizing performance.


For situations that require non-LOS (NLOS) performance, enhanced radio technologies such as orthogonal frequency division multiple access can penetrate light obstructions and still deliver quality video, Shabtay said.

Carlson added that, “Most systems are LOS or ‘near LOS,' unless you are using 800- or 900-mHz radio frequency to achieve the necessary propagation for NLOS.

High-capacity backhaul aggregates traffic from base stations, adding low latency. “Performance is likely foremost on the buyer's mind when choosing a backhaul solution,” Schraml said.


PtMP
PtMP is suitable for wider area coverage, such as city surveillance. WiMax is currently the only standardized solution for wireless PtMP networks, but can be expensive and inefficient. Alternatives are wireless outdoor router protocols.


Three considerations are frequency support, multicast support and overcoming interference.

Solutions that support multicast transmission greatly reduce the bandwidth needed for every camera or IP device connected.


Interference with other 5-GHz radios is a huge challenge for PtMP systems. Supporting the entire 5-GHz band on a single platform provides maximum flexibility. To enhance interference mitigation and improve radio communication, WiMAX 16e breakthroughs include multiple inputs multiple outputs (MIMO), large FFT size filters (1024), HARQ and more to increase maximum performance in license-exempt environments, Shabtay said.


However, today's devices have advanced to pick between networks and choose the best performing one to use, said Massimo Scavo, International Sales Manager of Selea. It is also cost-effective to use existing wireless infrastructure rather than take up greenfield projects, and many opt for 3-G as a backhaul network.


MIMO takes different data streams and, using two to four antennae, allows users to transmit more than four times the data over twice the distance.



Mesh
The flexibility of mesh allows it to be deployed in any of the above scenarios — PtP for backhaul, PtMP or “true” mesh for complete redundancy. Unlike PtMP, any mesh node can act as a “head end,” allowing multiple command centers to be set up at various points on the network. “The equipment needed for a 15-node mesh is the same as for a 500-node mesh — you just grow the coverage area by adding meshes,” Coffman said.


High-bandwidth capabilities of MIMO 802.11n wireless mesh make it an ideal solution for video, the most bandwidth-intensive and latency-intolerant application. MIMO mesh can deliver up to 300 megabits per second with 0.9-millisecond latency, ideal for municipal, transportation and industrial security, Coffman said.


Mesh networks are self-healing for resiliency: Redundant links eliminate single points of failure, while multiple paths overcome LOS issues. The use of multiple intermediary nodes can slow down video transmission, Klein said. One node may slow multiple cameras, causing latency and interfering with image quality.



The right antennae can make or break mesh deployment. For video surveillance, directional antennae are appropriate because they concentrate the signal the most and are less susceptible to interference, Coffman said.


Fiber Optics
Fiber optics cost more but is more stable than wireless transmission. “There seems to be a lack of understanding in the market that fiber optics can provide all the advantages of a synchronous digital hierarchy or Ethernet solution, without having to compromise on bandwidth,” said Sara Bullock, Executive Sales Director of AMG Systems.


Transmission should be specified to at least 10-bit digital encoding, for improved signal-to-noise ratio with less distortion of the original image. “Recent developments in small form factor pluggable optics are allowing for transmission at distances of up to 160 kilometers on single mode fiber,” Moorhead said.


The outstanding technical challenge is fiber splicing, simplified with semiautomated fusion splicers, Moorhead said.

Optimal Combination for Traffic Monitoring

Editor / Provider: Submitted By Mobotix | Updated: 10/23/2007 | Article type: Infrastructure

Traffic monitoring requires coordinated efforts, and MOBOTIX cameras help simplify the process and reduce resources involved. Image quality is not sacrificed in any way, and the control center can still find the information it needs and take appropriate actions.

De Fusball kummt haam, or football is coming home, is a Palatinate phrase that clearly indicates where the people there believe the home of football is: Kaiserslautern since the 1950s, at least. During the 1950s, F.C. Kaiserslautern, the city's football club, won the German championship twice (1951 and 1953). At that time, Fritz and Ottmar Walter, along with three other club members, formed the backbone of the legendary German national team which won the World Cup in Bern in 1954. In 1991 and 1998, the team won the German championship yet again, and in 1990 and 1996the DFB Cup. In 2006, Kaiserslautern was proud to be one of the 12 World Cup venues in Germany.

High-tech Hub

Kaiserslautern, with its population of 105,000, has also made quite a name for itself internationally as an IT location for the past few years. In the 1990s, for example, the so-called PRE-Park was built, in which businesses in the information and communications industries settled and 75 companies with 2,350 jobs found an attractive home. A follow-up projectthe "PRE-Uni-Park", which was launched in 2003is a place where modern research companies have set up their businesses.

It is, thus, not really a surprise that state-of-the-art technology has been used in Kaiserslautern in many aspects of football stadium security. WVE, for example, has installed a complex traffic monitoring system throughout the entire city, at the autobahn exits and in large parking lots.

An Affordable Solution

Fifty-seven MOBOTIX network cameras make up the "eyes" of the traffic surveillance system. The cost for all the equipment, including the cameras, control center and installation, is approximately US$270,000. This means that, of all the 12 World Cup cities, Kaiserslautern has by far the most cost-effective traffic monitoring system.

Keeping the Traffic Flowing

All Clear

On Saturday, June 17, 2006, the whistle was blown to start the World Cup match between Italy and the U.S. For the Americans, it was almost a home game. After all, there are more than 40,000 U.S. soldiers and family members stationed in Kaiserslautern. More than 100,000 visitors were in the city: 46,000 in the sold-out Fritz-Walter Stadium and the rest on the fan mile and at the public-viewing locations downtown. With this amount of traffic, it was a good thing that unrestricted mobility was one of the top priorities for the organization of the World Cupand without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges a World Cup city had to face.

"That's why we created 15,000 parking spaces on the outskirts of the city and considerably increased the frequency and range of public transitthe measures that we initiated to try and keep vehicles out of the city center," explained Chief-of-Police Siegfried Ranzinger, who was responsible for all the traffic flow management and control in Kaiserslautern during the World Cup. "In addition, we set up four different main routes that led to the Fritz-Walter Stadiumparticularly for the shuttle. Traffic had to move along freely on these routes."

Clear Shots

Jurgen Dressing, who heads the Department of Law and Order in Kaiserslautern, commissioned the community services provider, WVE, with the technical project to develop, plan and implement the required traffic monitoring system. Together with master electrician Dieter Burkey and technician Ralf Kattler, project leader Michael Theis was responsible for the selection of the features and functionality as well as installation of the cameras.

With the whole world watching, it was absolutely vital that everything worked right down to the last detail. "The reliability of MOBOTIX cameras was certainly one of the most important reasons," Michael Theis said. "The cameras also deliver excellent images, are network-compatible and are good value for the money. In addition, we are also using these products in other projects and are very satisfied with the results."

UMTS Transmission

To avoid the cost of cabling and re-cabling, the project group opted for a mobile solution for the transmission of image signals: All MOBOTIX cameras were networked to the control center using Mobile Connect Cards from Vodafone and Mobile Connect Boxesa development of system supplier konzeptpark. In other words, the image data was transmitted via UMTS. Each camera sent a 640x480 image every 30 seconds, which the UMTS bandwidth could easily accommodate. The low frame rate was chosen to save on transmission costs, while still allowing for a reliable evaluation of the prevailing traffic conditions. If desired, it would be possible to have images sent every 10 seconds. Another advantage of this solution was that camera positions could be changed quickly and at short notice, meaning that not only was the system affordable and flexible, but it was also quick and easy to install.

Remote Control

Camera images were transmitted via a receiving station and a VPN tunnel to be stored on an FTP server. "In contrast to the monitoring systems used in the other World Cup cities, the images were four times higher in resolution in VGA format, transmitted in 640x480 pixels," Theis explained. "That's why we were able to obtain a much higher degree of detail at almost the same image size and 30-percent JPEG quality, instead of the usual CIF format with 352x288 pixels. This made it possible to get an exact impression of the situation on site directly in the traffic control center." A corresponding server-client application and the easy-to-use user interface, which was individually customized to meet the special needs of the police, also ensured that everything was running smoothly.

On the days when games were played, there was no room to spare in the control center. Approximately 25 employees from the police, the city, technical services and emergency medical services evaluated the incoming information from the traffic monitoring system and were ready to take action immediately, if necessary. In addition, some of the bus lines were monitored; the traffic radio station was kept up to date; and the traffic signals were controlled as required.

Invaluable Assistance

"The monitoring system was an incredible help in getting our job done," Ranzinger recalled. "It allowed us to monitor all relevant traffic intersections at the same time, to assess how complicated a possible problem might become and to react as quickly as possible."

Theis was happy that the system not only stood the test in advance during the German Football League trial games, but also proved itself during the World Cup. By the way, the U.S. team was able to manage a 1:1 tie against Italy, despite the fact that they were a player short. As expected, there were no signs of traffic chaos, neither before nor after the game.