With the VOC Industrial Event Camera, Pepperl+Fuchs is expanding its industrial vision portfolio. The camera allows event-driven video recording up to 60 seconds before and after a trigger signal, therefore enabling targeted and simple remote diagnostics as well as automatic documentation.
If a malfunction, a predefined status or process occurs, the trigger initiates the video recording. In an automated parking garage, for example, every parking process should be documented in order to quickly and easily prove the condition of the vehicle in the event of liability. The recording starts every time a new vehicle enters the parking garage. Due to the automatic timestamp and the User Datagram Protocol interface for dynamic text overlays, users can find the files quickly and easily.
As soon as an event activates the trigger, the camera generates and saves a video recording as a permanent data record. This contains up to 60 seconds before and after the trigger signal. The integrated circular buffer is cyclically filled with the image recording. By recording only relevant situations, the amount of stored data is kept to a minimum. The data is stored on a local, exchangeable SD card with a capacity of 8 GB. Compared to 24-hour video recording, no complex data integration or PC hardware is required here. Depending on the preset resolution, length and quality of the sequence, the event camera can store up to 10,000 events on the card. To further optimize data storage, it is also possible to set video recordings to be automatically deleted at a certain point in time or to overwrite the oldest data with the new data when the memory is full.
Camera settings are easy to adjust due to the web-based, password-protected user interface. It displays the camera’s live image in HD quality so that it can be easily configured remotely—without the need for external software. In addition, REST API allows to program a custom user interface and integrate the camera directly with IT systems. It can also read information and issue commands, such as a trigger signal. The real-time streaming protocol RTSP enables straightforward integration into standard HMI displays.
The electrical trigger signal, e.g. the output of a sensor, is connected to the camera via the digital hardware input. Even more flexibility in use is provided by the high depth of field at 0.5 m to over 10 m mounting distance, the operating temperature range of –30 °C ... +50 °C and the large field of view. At a standard distance of 2.5 m from the monitoring area and an orientation of 0°/180°, the field of view is 3.0 m x 1.7 m. With the same orientation and 10 m distance to the monitoring area, it is 12.1 m x 6.8 m. In addition to the integrated heating against condensation, the aluminum housing and the guarantee of IP65 degree of protection provide optimal conditions for the use of the event camera both indoors and outdoors.