CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION

CCTV is a highly effective technology which contributes to deter and detect security threats. A typical CCTV system consists of the cameras, the signal transmission medium, the monitoring station and the recording capability.

CAPTURING THE IMAGE:

Capturing a good image, depends on: a. The Lighting Conditions: Light plays a crucial role in video surveillance because without it a picture cannot be obtained. Therefore the area to be viewed must be illuminated either naturally, by the sun, or by artificial light sources. Both low light and extremely bright conditions will result in poor image quality as will a lack of contrast between moving objects and the background. During the day the amount of illumination reaching a scene depends on the time of day and atmospheric conditions. Direct sunlight produces the highest-contrast scene, allowing maximum identification of objects. On a cloudy or overcast day, less light is received by the objects in the scene, resulting in less contrast. Typically, scene illumination measured in foot-candles (ftcd) can vary over a range of 10,000 to 1 (or more), which exceeds the operating range of most cameras for producing good quality video images.

Each of these components is important and the way in which they are integrated influences the overall effectiveness of the CCTV system. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the components of a CCTV system and to provide some insight into the variables which can be manipulated to achieve the desired outcomes for each particular system.

The chart below summarizes the light levels occurring under daylight and these low light level conditions. The equivalent metric measure of light level (lux) compared with the English (ftcd) is given.

Lux and low lighting chart

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To light up a scene artificially one can use: White light Illuminators: reproducing the wide spectrum light hence not conditioning the camera to have a good response to Infrared light, as not all cameras have similar spectral sensitivity Infra Red light Illuminators: reproducing only Infrared light wavelength which is not visible to the human eye which could be an advantage in some situations , but requires proper lens to have a more or less similar refraction factor for IR light as for white light

To produce an optimum camera picture under the wide variation in light level (such as when the sun is obscured by clouds), an automatic-iris camera system is required. b. The Lens: The quality of the lens, conditions the amount of light that hits the sensor. Since conventional CCTV lenses are being designed for the visible spectrum, once used in the (near) infrared. This will produce an out of focus and blurry image, even after readjusting the lens. High quality IR lens has extremely fine resolution in near infrared because there is no offset of focus position from visible light to near infrared. It provides a clear image because there is no drop in its recognition ability.

Spectral sensitivity Diagram

It is advisable to use illumination with adaptive features so as to offer the maximum lighting in the angle of view of the camera/lens monitoring the scene. Not to forget that the intensity of the light drops with distance and is inversely proportional to its square. As the luminous flux travels away from the light source the area over which it spreads increases, therefore the illuminance (lux) must decrease. For instance, a light source providing a level of 30 lux at 20 meters will provide 7.5 lux at 40 meters and only 3.3 lux at 60 meters.

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The choice of the lens depends mainly on the angle of view required to cover the scene, and also on lighting condition where the aperture of the lens is very important. The f number of a lens is the ratio of the focal length to the effective object lens diameter. It does affect the amount of light energy passed to the sensor and will play a significant part in the resulting picture. Traditionally camera manufacturers have specified sensitivity with a lens having an aperture of f 1.4. This would be fine if they all did it the same, but they dont. Some say with 75% reflectance some say 89% and so on. Then again some will state the sensitivity with AGC on but not what the AGC gain is. Camera specmanship is too vast a subject to expand on in this article but suffice to say the f number of the lens is a most important consideration.

Yes, it is true that with an aperture of f1.4 only 10% of the light on the lens is passed to the sensor. Some manufacturers specify camera sensitivity as that on the faceplate or sensor. In these cases use these ratios to convert to the light required on the lens. I.e. 1 lux faceplate sensitivity requires 10 lux with an f1.4 lens or 20 lux with an f2.0 lens. It may seem relatively unimportant to quibble about the difference between an f1.2 lens and an f1.4 lens, especially when the latter is much cheaper than the first. It is significant though because the f1.4 lens needs 50% more light for the same energy on the sensor, and usually cost 50% less. The three types of common lenses are fixed focal, vari-focal and zoom lenses. But most important is to make sure that the light variation during the day can be managed by the cameras internal electronic shutter, other wise it is mandatory to use auto iris lenses, which help mechanically vary the aperture of the lens so as to allow the exact amount of light to the sensor. Typically all outdoor installations require auto iris lenses. c. The Camera Sensor: The most important characteristics of a sensor are its: - Type: Both CCDs and CMOS imagers can offer excellent imaging performance when designed properly. CCDs have traditionally provided the performance benchmarks in the photographic, scientific, and industrial applications that demand the highest image quality (as measured in quantum efficiency and noise) at the expense of system size. CMOS imagers offer more integration (more

In simple terms the smaller the f number the more light is passed to the sensor, therefore f1.2 is better than f1.8. The percentage of light passed by different apertures is listed in the table below. This shows the percentage of light falling on the lens that is passed to the sensor. The f stops in bold face are full stops and each number in the scale halves or doubles the light passed. There are two intermediate stops shown because they are common stops found in CCTV lens.

Light percentage passed by f stops

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functions on the chip), lower power dissipation (at the chip level), and the possibility of smaller system size, but they have often required trade-offs between image quality and device cost. Today there is no clear line dividing the types of applications each can serve. CMOS designers have devoted intense effort to achieving high image quality, while CCD designers have lowered their power requirements and pixel sizes. As a result, you can find CCDs in low-cost low-power cellphone cameras and CMOS sensors in high-performance professional and industrial cameras, directly contradicting the early stereotypes. Nevertheless, CMOS architectures use intrapixel amplification in conjunction with both temporal and fixed-pattern noise suppression circuitry (correlated double sampling), which produces exceptional imagery in terms of dynamic range and noise. CMOS sensors also have built-in anti-blooming protection in each pixel, eliminating artifacts, smear, or blooming effects. - Size: As stated earlier, light is energy measured in Watts per square meter. Therefore if the area of a sensor is known then the resultant power in watts can be easily calculated. The nominal areas of the sensors in common use are listed in table below.

compensate for a smaller sensor:

- Dynamic Range: Real environments present a very wide range of illumination levels and the human visual system is highly effective at extracting information in the most extreme conditions. A camera must do the same, or better, if its performance is not to vary strongly depending on its location, the time of day, and the ambient lighting conditions. While a combination of low noise CCD or CMOS sensors and an intelligent auto-gain algorithm is readily able to adjust camera sensitivity between day and night conditions, it is scenes in which very bright and dark areas coexist that present the most serious challenge. These occur frequently in real situations: at dawn and dusk; in direct sun with deep shadows; under backlit conditions found frequently in entrance areas; at night under directed artificial illumination. Wide Dynamic Range CMOS sensors with a range up to 120dB, allow the sensor to adjust the lighting on each pixel individually and hence giving each portion of the image the right illumination and avoid under exposed and over exposed parts in the picture.

The power produced by each individual pixel in the sensor is directly proportional to its area. If three cameras are considered each with the same resolution of say 500 lines then the number of pixels on each sensor must be the same. The result of this is that the pixels on each smaller size of sensor must also be smaller. Therefore the power produced will be less for the same aperture setting, i.e. the same amount of light energy, unless a different F stop is chosen for every camera. Below is a table that shows how a lower f stop can
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- Resolution: In standard coaxial cameras the resolution, which is directly related to the number of pixels on the sensor, has reached 600TVL (horizontal pixels / row) in color cameras and 700TVL in B&W ones, but with Mega Pixel IP cameras the resolution has reached

4,872TVL in 16MP cameras using 1.38 sensor. Remember that, for the same sensor size, the higher the resolution the less light hits each pixel, and hence the less the contrast

in the picture. Hence, while considering higher resolution for a specific camera, always consider the sensor size, illumination and the lens used with it, to ensure a proper image.

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- Scanning method: There are basically two ways to display video: interlaced scan or progressive scan. Progressive scan, used in computer monitors and digital televisions, displays all the horizontal lines of a picture at one time as a single frame . Interlaced scan, used in standard television formats (NTSC, PAL, and SECAM), displays only half of the horizontal lines at a time (the first field, containing the odd-numbered lines, is displayed, followed by the second field, containing the evennumbered lines). Interlacing relies on phosphor persistence of the TV tube to blend the fields together over a fraction of a second into a seemingly single picture. The advantage of interlaced video is that a high refresh rate (50 or 60 Hz) can be achieved with only half the bandwidth. The disadvantage is that the horizontal resolution is essentially cut in half, and the video is often filtered to avoid flicker (inter field twitter) and other artifacts. CRTs can display interlaced video directly, other display technologies may require some form of de interlacing. Modern CRTbased monitors used as computer displays utilize progressive scanning, so they also require de interlacing. While the only disadvantage of progressive scan is the high bandwidth required for the signal transmission, its advantages are numerous: Higher vertical resolution than interlaced video with the same frame rate. Absence of visual artifacts associated with interlaced video of the same line rate, such as interline jitter, especially when viewing fast moving objects where the odd lines are shown displaced with respect to the even lines

No necessity in intentional blurring (sometimes referred to as anti-aliasing) of video to reduce interline jitter and eye strain. Offers much better results for scaling to higher resolutions than equivalent interlaced video, such as up converting 480p to display on a 1080p HDTV. Scaling works well with full frames, therefore interlaced video must be de interlaced before it is scaled. De interlacing can result in severe combing artifacts. Frames have no interlace artifacts and can be used as still photos. d. The Signal Analysis: Some cameras come with built-in signal analysis such as motion detection that is interesting with long distance monitoring over limited bandwidth networks.

TRANsMITTING THE IMAGE:

The most common forms of transmission for CCTV data are coaxial cable, twisted pair and fibre optics. Coaxial cable consists of a central core which transmits the signal and an external shield which serves to reduce the effect of electromagnetic interference on the signal transmission. Coaxial can be used for cable runs up to 300m.

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Where cable runs of greater distances are required twisted pair provides a good alternative to coaxial cable and can be used for cable runs up to 600m without any line repeaters. Twisted pair, as the name suggests, consists of a pair of wires twisted around each other repeatedly which serves to reduce the amount of electromagnetic interference, over large distances, resulting in high quality video signal at the receiving end. Another advantage of twisted pair is that four pairs of wires are incorporated into the one cable and so four cameras can be connected on the one cable run. The most effective form of video transmission is achieved through the use of fibre optic cable. Fibre optics provides the best quality and the most secure form of signal transmission and can be used for far greater distances than both coaxial and twisted pair.

CRT monitors because the electron gun can be turned off for true blacks. In an LCD the backlight is always on so a certain amount of light will always show through. Because of this, buyers should be aware of an LCD monitors contrast ratio. An effective ratio is 400:1. Another drawback is LCD monitors sometimes generate dead pixels, or areas of the screen that remain black because they no longer function. If the monitor is under warranty, most manufacturers will repair dead pixels, but this leads to system downtime. Even with these drawbacks factored in, an LCD monitor is clearly the best choice for your surveillance needs. Last but not least, for Mega Pixel cameras, it is recommended to use progressive scan HD LCD monitors, since the high resolution of the signal needs the highest resolution possible on screen which today is 1920x1080. Note that the HD LCDs are also progressive refer to the letter p in its stands for progressive instead of I for interlaced.

VIEWING THE IMAGE:

With the introduction of digital storage, analog CRT monitors are being replaced by digital VGA LCD monitors. CCTV LCD monitors should be favored for surveillance purposes over a CRT for several reasons. First, they provide better image quality than CRTs. CCTV LCDs produce a sharper, brighter picture because they can process CCTV signals at a higher resolution. These monitors are also more responsive than CRTs, making them ideal for live video monitoring. They are much lighter and less bulky than CRT monitors so they take up much less room. They also come in large sizes for multiple camera viewing situations. A big advantage of CCTV LCDs over CRTs is that LCDs do not suffer from magnetic interference. Speakers, for example, do not need to be shielded to be used in conjunction with the monitor. Another advantage of a CCTV LCD is screen flicker is not an issue. With CRT monitors, low refresh rates leads to screen flicker, an annoying occurrence. Despite all these advantages, there are some disadvantages to a CCTV LCD. One is the contrast ratio. It is easier to produce higher contrast in

SToRING THE IMAGE:

a. Methods of Storage There are a number of recording methods available for the storage of CCTV images and each of them has advantages and disadvantages over the others. The coding formats which are commonly used include: Motion JPEG, Motion JPEG2000, H.26x, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 as well as the Common Intermediate Format (CIF). CIF refers to the number of horizontal and vertical lines in the video picture frame (the resolution) and the frame rate. The official CIF size is 352 x 288 lines at 25 frames per second, but video can also be transmitted and displayed at 2CIF and 4CIF. Motion JPEG records a very high quality image because it records a full frame image of the video stream. This is great for viewing the video, but is not practical for storage, given the large amount of hard disk space which is required. Motion JPEG 2000 enables better compression which results
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in a good quality image but with a around 20% less storage requirement than Motion JPEG. MPEG uses what is known as a key frame, at the beginning of the video sequence, which involves recording a full frame of the picture and using that, as a reference, for succeeding images. For each additional frame only those parts of the image which have moved are recorded which results in a reduction in the storage requirements and enables a longer sequence of video to be recorded. MPEG-2 uses advances in technology to produce a better video image than MPEG-1 but with the same bandwidth and storage space requirements. The release of the MPEG-4 (Part 2) standard, in 2000, enabled video to be encoded at lower bit rates while maintaining a high quality image. It was designed to be suitable for a wider range of video encoding applications, from movies to mobile phones, but it offers very little advantage over MPEG-2 for security surveillance applications. MPEG-4 (Part 10) is also referred to as H.264 and is currently the highest performing video coding format available on the market. MPEG-4 (Part 10) can provide the same quality recordable image as MPEG-2 but at half the bit rate. Real-time video surveillance applications require high performing compression standards such as MPEG-2 (Part2), MPEG4(Part2) and MPEG-4 (Part10), which offer a higher level of performance than their predecessors. An added advantage of these standards is the fact that it is possible to adjust the compression ratio. This means that by adjusting the compression rate, and therefore the quality and size of the image, various qualities of video can be used. b. What Compression Standard to Use For real-time video surveillance applications users should be looking for high performing compression standards such as MPEG-2 (Part 2), MPEG-4 (Part 2) or MPEG-4 (Part 10). These are now better standards to
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use than Motion JPEG, Motion JPEG2000, H.262 and MPEG-1. Most users will notice little difference between the coding abilities of MPEG-2 (Part 2) and MPEG-4 (Part 2), however, a proper implementation of MPEG-4 (Part 10) is capable of offering the best performance of all. Additionally, all the above standards have the option to adjust the compression ratio (the quality setting) which is a measure of the amount of compression used. This has a direct effect on the resultant image quality and size. As the compression ratio is increased the smaller each frame size becomes at the expense of image quality. c. Determining Storage Requirements Now that we know how different CIF sizes and compression standards can be used together it is important to know how they directly affect the size that each compressed frame of video takes up when stored. The question many people have when they purchase recording systems is how much hard disk drive capacity they should allow for.

This can be a complex question to answer and one that is usually vendor specific. Different vendors use different compression standards and varying compression ratios. The following step-by-step guidance is provided to assist the end user when determining hard disk capacity: Determine the numbers of cameras (Nc); Determine the frame rate (frames per second) at which each camera will be recorded at (Rf); Determine the average size (in Kilobytes) that each compressed frame of video will take up on the hard disk (Sf) after the compression ratio has been applied; Approximate the activity (in percentage) time each camera will be recording at the above frame rate (A); and Determine the duration (in days) that video from each camera will be retained (D). Once these values are determined, the following formula can be used to determine the HDD capacity; Among all the above factors the Average Frame Size is the one that is directly related to the coding format used, and as a rule of thumb one can use the following table and graph, which shows that for a 640 x 480 resolution with 50% activity and good lighting conditions: at low compression: MJPEG has a ratio of 7:1 over H.264 with an average of 170KB/ frame for the MJPEG compared 25KB/ frame for the H.264 at high compression: MJPEG has a ratio of 5:1 over H.264 with an average of 50KB/frame for the MJPEG compared 10KB/frame for the H.264

Needless to say, the performance of the server managing the storage is also affected by the compression and gives advantage to the H.264 format which allows the same server configuration to manage more cameras with the same settings.

SYsTEM ARcHITEcTURE:
CCTV systems are either analogue or digital or a combination of the two. Analogue is the older format and more recent developments have been in the area of digital technology. The digital transmission standard is Internet Protocol (IP) which enables the video signals to be sent over the internet. This can congest an organizations IT network if not managed carefully. The IP CCTV infrastructure is considerably cheaper to install than a purely analogue system. Where analogue cameras are used instead of IP cameras, streamers or video encoders are used to convert the analogue signal to digital which is then stored on a network video recorder (NVR) or high capacity storage array.

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Nevertheless, with the Mega Pixel IP cameras offering impressive quality, HD LCD monitors and powerful processors and more and more competitive TB storage systems, the tendency today is to move directly into the fully digital system especially for average size to large size systems, replacing PTZ cameras with 180 or 360 8MP cameras, and the multitude of monitors with video walls, giving the operator higher flexibility in viewing live and recorded cameras in various sizes and resolution, locally or remotely over LAN or WAN in a virtual matrix environment. Note that with 1 camera replacing several, not only the license for camera connection to the system is reduced but the cabling is also reduced, lowering the overall system cost. Lets take for example 1 3MP camera replacing 9 normal resolution cameras:

Needless to say, that if the available network is not enough to accommodate the bandwidth required then a separate network for the CCTV would be recommended, knowing that the distance is no longer limited to 100m because repeaters are now available to extend these connections to several hundreds of meters, that is if we do not wish to go for fiber optics. Last but not least, with the Mega Pixel cameras, the choice of camera resolution and zoom lens required for a scene, can have a different approach using the concept of PPM or Pixel/m where one starts by defining the precision level required from the picture, then moves up to close the sensor that offers this resolution and the lens that allows the proper coverage from the distance one has.

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For reference, the Pixel density adopted in the surveillance business today are:

As an example for the License plate recognition refer to the below pictures taken with different Pixel Density:

Systems and Equipment cannot be reliable unless properly maintained by professionals on a yearly basis

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GlossARY Of TERMs FoR CCTV:

AGC: Automatic gain control-electronic circuitry, to increase the video signal in low light conditions. This usually introduces noise in the picture giving a grainy appearance. Camera specifications must always be considered with AGC off. ANGLE OF VIEW: The maximum scene angle that can be seen through a lens. AUTOMATIC IRIS:

CCD: Charge coupled device, a flat thin wafer that is light sensitive and forms the imaging device of most modern cameras. Size is measured diagonally and can be 1/4-1/31/2 or 2/3. There are two types, frame transfer and interline transfer. CCIR: The European 625 line standard for the video signal.

CCTV: The common abbreviation for closed circuit television. A private or closed television system. CAMERA: A device that translates light into a video image and, transmits that image to a monitor for viewing. It contains the image sensor and other electronic circuitry to create a video signal.

A lens that automatically adjusts to allow the correct amount of light to fall on the imaging device. There is a tiny motor and amplifier built in which generally receives a control signal from the camera to maintain a constant onevolt peak to peak (pp) video level. There are two manual controls on the lens to allow compensation for varying conditions of peak and average light. C-MOUNT: The standard screw mounting for 2/3, and 1camera lenses. The distance from the flange surface to the focal point is 17.526 mm. A C-mount lens can be used on a camera with a CS-mount by adding an adaptor ring to reduce this distance to 12.5mm (see CS-mount).

CONTRAST:

The range of light and dark values in a picture or the ratio between the maximum and the minimum brightness values. CS MOUNT:

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A new generation of lenses designed for 2/3,1/2 and 1/3 cameras incorporating CS-mount. The distance from the flange surface to the focal point is 12.5 mm. CS-mount lenses cannot be used on cameras with C-mount configuration. These lenses are more compact and cheaper than the C-mount equivalents.

DVR: Digital Video Recorder, a method of storing video information in digital form as opposed to analog recording.

DWELL TIME: The length of time a switcher display one camera before sequencing to the next. Usually a variable setting. EIA: The American 525 line standard for the video signal. F STOP: This is the ratio of the focal length to the effective diameter of the lens (f/A). It is not a measure of the efficiency or the transmission value of the lens. The smaller the fnumber the more light is passed.

DEPTH OF FIELD:

The proportion of the field of view that is in correct focus. The depth of field in focus DECREASES when: the focal length is longer, the f-number is smaller, or the object distance is shorter. DIGITAL SIGNAL: An analogue signal that has been converted to a digital form so that it can be processed by a microprocessor. DSP: Digital Signal Processing, a method of adjusting various parametera of the video signal to obtain improved performance.

FOCAL LENGTH: The distance between the secondary principal point in the lens and the plane of the imaging device. The longer the focal length, the narrower is the angle of view. FOCUS: The focal point. An adjustment to the lens optics to improve the clarity of the picture.

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FORMAT: The size of the cameras pickup device (imager). GAMMA CORRECTION:

HERTZ: The number of variations per seconds. HORIZONTAL RESOLUTION: The number of horizontal lines on a video monitor.

An electronic correction carried out in the camera circuitry to balance the brightness seen by the camera to that of the monitor. GEN LOCK: Also called external sync. A separate coaxial cable is run to each camera and carries sync pulse information to ensure that All cameras are producing fields at exactly the same time. This eliminates picture bounce during switching and can improve quality and update time in multiplexers. GHOST: A shadowy or weak image in the received picture, offset to either the right or to the left of the primary image. GRAY SCALE: The number of variations from white to gray to black.
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IMAGE DEVICE (IMAGER): The detector in the camera, either a tube or a CCD solid state device. INFRARED LIGHT: The wavelength of light produced above the visible part of the spectrum. INFRARED TRANSMISSION: A method of transmitting video and telemetry signals across free space along an infrared beam. This opens possibilities for using CCTV where it had been previously impossible to run cables. Distance can be limited and the signal can be degraded in adverse weather conditions. INTERLINE TRANSFER: Another type of CCD imaging device in which the rows of charge are stepped down one at a time and processed straight away.

IP RATING: Index of protection, a number combination that defines the protection from outside influences offered by an enclosure. j61 RATING CHART Protection of persons and protection of equipment indicated by the IP code

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NEMA RATING The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) in the United States also publishes protection ratings for enclosures similar to the IP rating system published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). NEMA however also dictates other product features not addressed by IP codes, such as corrosion resistance, gasket aging, and construction practices. For this reason while it is possible to map IP Codes to NEMA ratings that satisfy or exceed the IP Code criteria, it is not possible to map NEMA ratings to IP codes, as the IP Code does not mandate the additional requirements. The table to the right indicates the minimum NEMA rating that satisfies a given IP code, but can only be used in that way, not to map IP to NEMA IP Code Min NEMA Enclosure rating to satisfy IP Code IP20 IP54 IP65 IP67 IP68 1 3 4.4X 6 6P

LIGHT: Portion of the spectrum visible to the human eye. LIGHT SCATTERING: The action of light being reflected and/ or refracted off particles of combustion for detection by a photoelectric smoke detector. The action of light being refracted or reflected.

IR SHIFT: The difference in the field of view in focus between daylight and infrared light. IRIS: The mechanism that can be adjusted to vary the amount of light falling on the imaging device. ISIT: Intensified silicon intensified target, a camera for use in exceptionally low light conditions. These require great care if needed for use in daylight. Some cameras have an internal sensor that automatically cuts out the first level of intensification. LENS: A transparent optical component that converges light rays to form a two dimensional image of that object.
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LINE LOCKED: The sync pulses of cameras are locked to the AC mains frequency. LINE POWERED: A camera in which the power is supplied along the same coaxial cable that carries the video signal. Makes for ease of installation, but cabling distances can be restricted and connections to other equipment can cause problems.

LISTED: Equipment or materials include in a list published by an organization acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with product evaluation, that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials and whose listing states either that the equipment or material meets appropriate standards or has been tested and found suitable for use in a specified manner. NOTE: the means for identifying listed equipment may vary for each organization concerned with product evaluation, some of which do not recognize equipment as listed unless it is also labeled. The authority having jurisdiction should utilize the system employed by the listing organization to identify a listed product. LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN): A private communications network for transferring data among computers and peripheral devices. LOOP FRAME STORE: There is a variety of proprietary names for this latest advance in video storage technology. The principle is that a series of video frames is compressed and stored in digital form in what is likened to a continuous loop. This records, for instance, 200 frames and then records over the top again and carries on doing this until an alarm signal is received. When this happens it carries on recording for (say) 150 frames and then stops. This means that 50 frames BEFORE the event causing the alarm and 150 frames after the event are captured. It eliminates the tedious searching through hours of dubious quality video recording and concentrates the reviewing on the period of real activity. There are currently systems that can record four or eight cameras using this technique. LUMEN: Amount of light emitted by a 1 candela source passing through a specified area space. LUX: Density of light measured in lumens/sq meter. This is used to define the sensitivity of camera imaging devices.

MATRIX SWITCHING:

This is an advanced method of switching video signals where there can be any number of inputs directed to any number of outputs. These are generally associated with larger systems where it is necessary to have several control positions, each of which can be programmed to control different groups of cameras.

MICROWAVE TRANSMISSION: Another method of transmitting video and telemetry signals over free space. This is less affected by weather conditions and transmits over longer distance. The need for a license should be checked for the system being considered.

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MONITOR: A device that converts electronic signals into video images that was generated by the camera and lens. The picture end of a CCTV system.

PIC IN PIC (PIP): An electronic device to superimpose the view from one camera over that of another. PIXEL: Picture element. The smallest cell or area for a CCD chips capable of displaying detail on a screen. The greater the number of pixels, the higher the resolution.

MULTIPLEXER (MUX): Electronic systems that can accept a number of cameras inputs and record them virtually simultaneously. Most also provide many other features such as multi screen displays with four, nine, sixteen, etc. Cameras on the screen at once. Most have alarm inputs that trigger several pre programmed functions. Multiplexers can be used to transmit up to sixteen pictures down a single video line whether it is a coaxial cable, microwave, infrared link, etc. this requires a multiplexer at each end of the line. PAN TILT:

REMOTE SWITCHER: A video switcher to which the cables from the cameras are connected and which contains the switching electronics. This unit may be remotely located and connected to a desktop controller by a single cable for each monitor. RESOLUTION:

A device that can be remotely controlled to provide both vertical and horizontal movement for a camera.
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A measure of the ability of a camera, or, television system to reproduce detail. Typically refers to the number of picture

elements that can be reproduced with good definition. RS-232-C: Designation for a communications interface used to communicate with devices such as printers.

horizontally vertically or one picture inserted in another. SENSITIVITY: Of a camera usually specified in LUX and should be the amount of light falling on the imaging device to produce a video signal of 1 volt pp (peak to peak). However, it is more often given as the amount of light at the lens. This can be confusing unless the lens specification is provided in detail, including its light transmission value. SLOW SCAN: A term usually applied to a method of transmitting video signals through the public telephone network. The speed of transmission is dependent on the type of network the transmitter and receiver. The quality of picture is proportional to the speed of transmission. Modern systems using digital compression techniques can transmit good quality pictures in a few seconds.

S/N RATIO: Signal to noise ratio, a measurement of the noise level in a signal expressed in DB (decibels). In a video signals values from 45 DB to 60 DB produce an acceptable picture. Less than 40 DB is likely to produce a noisy picture.

SWITCHER: A device used to switch the video signals from two or more cameras to a monitor. TELEMETRY: The system by which a signal is transmitted to a remote location in order to control operation of equipment. In CCTV systems to control pan and tilt and zoom functions, switch on light, move to preset positions, etc. the controller at the operating position is the transmitter and there is a receiver at the remote location. The signal can be transmitted along a simple twisted pair cable or along the same coaxial cable that carries the video signal. TERMINATION: The video cable requires an impedance of 75 ohms at normal video signal bandwidth. This is often called low Z. There is a switch on the back of the monitors to select either 75 ohm or high Z (sometimes high/low). If a signal is looped through more than one monitor all should be set to high except at last, which should be to low or 75 ohm.
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SCREEN SPLITTER: A term usually used for a device that can combine the views from two cameras on a single screen. The split can be arranged

TILT: The up and down movement of a camera. To elevate or depress the vertical angle of view. VMD OR VIDEO MOTION DETECTION: A method of detecting movement in the view of the camera by electronic analysis of the change in picture contrast.

ZOOM RATIO: The ratio of the starting focal length (wide position) to the ending focal length (telephoto position) of a zoom lens. Typically 10x. ZOOM LENS: A lens with a variable focal length. This lens may be effectively used as a wide angle, standard, or telephoto lens by varying the focal length of the lens. A varifocal lens, they exist in manual or motorized form.

ZOOM LENS

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