IPIX Networking Camera

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General Questions

1. How can I restore the camera image default settings for my IPIX Network camera?
2. How can I see if the camera is turned on after the boot process and has a valid network connection?
3. Can I turn off or shutdown the IPIX Network camera?
4. What is the power requirement for the IPIX Network camera?
5. What happens when I turn on the IPIX Network camera?
6. What are the specifications for the interface connector and the camera I/O?
7. What is the trigger input GPIO?
8. What is the specification for the alarm output GPIO for the IPIX Network camera?
9. How do I initially connect to the IPIX Network camera if the default settings use DHCP but there is no DHCP server running on my network?
10. How do I securely access the IPIX Network camera over the Internet?
11. Why does the IPIX Network camera have two IP addresses?
12. What factors can cause the image quality to vary?

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1. How can I restore the camera image default settings for my IPIX Network camera?

To restore the factory default image settings for the IPIX camera, use the following method:

Note: By restoring the factory default settings, the camera's network settings are set to use DHCP to acquire an IP address.

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2. How can I see if the camera is turned on after the boot process and has a valid network connection?

The Link LED (green LED) of the camera remains lit as long as it has a working Ethernet connection to a network device or computer.

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3. Can I turn off or shutdown the IPIX Network camera?

The camera does not have a shutdown process. The power can be removed at any time without damaging the camera. The camera configuration should be saved before removing power so as to maintain these settings on the next reboot.

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4. What is the power requirement for the IPIX Network camera?

The camera will accept AC or DC voltage sources in the range of 12-24V. The camera power consumption is 4W max. The specifications for the voltage input are as follows:

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5. What happens when I turn on the IPIX Network camera?

The Network camera contains an Operating System (OS) that boots in a similar way to a desktop computer. When power is applied to the camera the Boot LED of the Ethernet connector turns orange. After one minute, this light disappears indicating that the camera is now ready for use. The Boot LED will also turn on when upgrading the camera software. If the camera is set to dynamically obtain its' IP address from a DHCP server, the camera should be connected to the LAN when power is applied. The camera sends a DHCP request during its' boot process to obtain an IP address. In the case that a DHCP request is not returned, the camera defaults to its' DHCP fallback IP address. The factory default for this address is 192.168.1.222.

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6. What are the specifications for the interface connector and the camera I/O?

The interface connector that is included with the Network camera has a total of ten inputs. The connector only fits into the Network camera in one position. Each wiring input has a locking connection that holds electrical wires into the interface. To open the lock, insert a small flat-head screwdriver into the lock and push the metal lock towards the wiring input. The interface connector holds 18 to 24 AWG wire.

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7. What is the trigger input GPIO?

The trigger input GPIO circuit allows the camera to receive an alarm trigger input. When the trigger occurs, the camera starts recording video and sends a notification to the pre-defined user.

The trigger input port requires a current of 10-30 mA to trigger an alarm. The circuit is designed with a 220 Ohm resistor in series allowing a typical input voltage of 5 V, as shown in the figure below. For higher voltage triggers an external resistor or other limiting device should be used to limit the current through the trigger input.

Note: TRIG_A and TRIG_K on the diagram above corresponds to the Trigger In + and Trigger In - respectively on the camera's interface connector.

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8. What is the specification for the alarm output GPIO for the IPIX Network camera?

The alarm output GPIO circuit consists of the collector and emitter of an opto-isolator. A voltage bias is required across the collector (Alarm Out +) and the emitter (Alarm Out -) ports to output an alarm from the camera.

Note: ALARM_C and ALARM_E on the diagram above corresponds to the Alarm Out + and Alarm Out - respectively on the camera's interface connector.

When the camera causes an alarm, the transistor conducts current from the Alarm Out + to the Alarm Out - outputs. In typical use, the Alarm Out + pin is tied to a voltage source, or the Alarm Out - pin is tied to ground. The other, unconnected, pin can be resistively biased (to prevent over current), and fed to a voltage or current sensor (such as the input to a logic gate, or the base of a higher power transistor).

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9. How do I initially connect to the IPIX Network camera if the default settings use DHCP but there is no DHCP server running on my network?

The DHCP fallback IP address is available on the camera if there is no DHCP server present. Add an IP address to your network connection that is compatible to the DHCP fallback (192.168.1.222) or the link-local (169.254.X.X) IP address.

If there is a router or gateway between the camera and your computer, the DHCP fallback route should be used instead of the link-local route. In this case, the network device should be configured to work with the DHCP fallback route.

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10. How do I securely access the IPIX Network camera over the Internet?

The camera, as shipped, does not have the security required to directly place it onto the Internet and therefore should be placed behind a firewall.

Port 8080 is configured on the camera as a web-server that does not allow administrative privileges. Make this port available externally from the network to allow access to the camera over the Internet. An example of the HTTP connection would be http://camera_ip_address:8080.

You can gain administrative access to the camera using a secure shell. Make SSH port 22 on the camera externally accessible from the network. It is recommended that the network administrator should add/change their own password and/or the camera administrative password to protect the camera on the Internet.

To access the camera externally, a computer on the camera's network should run SSHD. SSHD will listen for incoming SSH requests and facilitate an SSH connection.

Once an SSH connection is established, you can connect to the camera's administrator page by typing http://localhost:8000/admin.html into any web browser's address field.

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11. Why does the IPIX Network camera have two IP addresses?

The IPIX Network camera has two IP addresses. The first one is configurable to a static or dynamic IP address. The second one is a link-local IP address that is available when the DHCP server is unavailable or for a network administrator.

The link-local IP address of the camera is derived from the camera's MAC address. It is located within the 169.254.93.0 address block. You can disable the camera's link-local IP address.

To determine the link-local address of your camera, use the following equation:

Link - local = 169.254.(93+MAC ^{byte #5 decimal}).(0+MAC ^{byte #5 decimal}) )

An example of this would be a camera with MAC address 00:0B:E2:0B:01:6D. The cameras link-local IP address would then be 169.254.94.109.

IP Address	Configuration	Default	DHCP Fallback
IP Address 1:	Static / Dynamic	Dynamic	192.168.1.222
IP Address 2:	Derived from MAC	Enabled	-

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12. What factors can cause the image quality to vary?

There are two primary factors that affect the image quality of the cameras.

The camera auto-exposure algorithm adjusts the exposure rate and gain of the image to accommodate for lighting conditions. Low light settings cause the camera to increased the gain and exposure which leads to increase image noise and blur.

The camera uses a JPEG compression algorithm to compress the images transferred over the network, and depending on the compression ratio used, you might see a variation in the image quality.