NPS selected the Siqura BC620WDR due to its unique approach to a security solution. This network camera facilitates system upgrades, such as those from analogue to IP or the incorporation of video analytics, while at the same time reusing existing network infrastructures, thereby ensuring users can install an intelligent IP solution anywhere.

“The Siqura BC620WDR from TKH Security Solutions is a great example of bringing innovation to the marketplace,” said SIA NPS Chair Jennifer Martin.

The Siqura BC620WDR is an IP camera based on an advanced new platform that puts entire video analytics systems in stand-alone devices at the edge of the network. Since its image sensor uses an adjustable shutter speed for each pixel, the Siqura BC620WDR provides superior low-light performance as well as wide dynamic range (WDR). With a built-in SFP option, the BC620WDR can stream ethernet signals directly over fiber optic, coax, or Cat 5 cabling.

Siqura is the only manufacturer in the industry to offer an integrated adaptor for ethernet over coax. The BC620WDR includes interface options for streaming ethernet signals directly over fibre optic, coax, or Cat 5 cables. This accommodates any streaming situation, from short segments to vast distances, while resourcefully taking advantage of the existing network infrastructure. In combination with a multistream encoding functionality (i.e., MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MJPEG, H.264), the BC620WDR innovatively meets the industry-wide demand to upgrade legacy systems.

The BC620WDR is embedded with field-proven analytics algorithms for specific outdoor applications, including automatic incident detection and traffic data collection; perimeter detection algorithms are currently being integrated into the BC620WDR, with an expected release in the third quarter of 2012. Since the BC620WDR contains a separate DSP for the analytics and encoding, there is no impact on the performance of the camera itself when applying content analysis to video streams.

The BC620WDR contains the Seawolf DPS image sensor from Pixim and processes each pixel individually, thereby ensuring extremely clear images in outdoor applications. Whereas other WDR cameras use varying shutter speeds to average two or four complete frames, the BC620WDR adjusts the shutter speeds for individual pixels in a single frame. Therefore, the BC620WDR does not smear or bloom in difficult lighting situations, such as those posed by traffic applications, where car and street lights and sun reflections obstruct monitoring and analytics algorithms. Additionally, the BC620WDR’s true colour reproduction makes it possible, for example, to differentiate and identify car colours at night when streetlights are the only form of illumination.

The BC620WDR includes the Siqura Camera Health Check, an application that guarantees the availability of quality video material. It continually assesses the well-being of the camera by monitoring the camera’s position and image quality. It conveys the status information via an intuitive dashboard-style user interface. When something is amiss, the application triggers an alarm to promptly alert operators. This, in turn, provides a proactive approach towards system maintenance, potentially reducing the unnecessary costs generally associated with scheduled upkeep.