Ethernet switches from barox Kommunikation AG, the manufacturer of ‘switches made for Video’, including professional standard switches, PoE media converters and IP extenders, has been white-listed by the German video surveillance product company Dallmeier electronic for use with the firm’s range of Panomera multifocal sensor cameras.
In a recent performance test by Dallmeier, with a systems integrator, Dallmeier tested a mix of barox managed and unmanaged Ethernet switches integrated with a variety of Panomera cameras. The test was conducted to see the viability and video transmission performance of the barox switch and Panomera combination, primarily, to conclude a solution for a large-scale installation at a logistics carrier’s distribution site. In fact, the test was initially ‘driven by customer demand’ as Dallmeier had been specifically asked for barox products to be used in this project.
As with large stadium projects, this logistics project required large amounts of video data to be gathered by the carrier, using Panomera cameras for general surveillance monitoring and as part of a warehouse parcels tracking application; to manage the logistics process by tracking parcels as they enter the site, through to final dispatch.
The test involved data security specialists who went on to praise the built-in security and safety aspect of the barox switches and low total cost of ownership, making them fit for purpose for surveillance applications with the Dallmeier Panomera cameras.
By using Panomera cameras, customers can save on infrastructure and need up to 24 times fewer cameras compared to conventional cameras, according to the makers. With Panomera, any aspect of a scene can be selected and zoomed-in, giving the operators unlimited ‘virtual PTZ cameras’ while maintaining the overall view – in live and recording modes, so that users can capture video data over a large area, with a minimum of cameras. The cameras can be used with video management and PSIM (Physical Security Information Management) solutions, such as those from Advancis, Genetec and Milestone.
The barox switch-Panomera camera multicast capability is a specific requirement of the logistics project, to support disparate users within the site, where video data from a single source can provide multiple streams to distribute video to many monitoring stations. Kai Gronauer, Strategic Alliances Manager at Dallmeier electronic, described it as a big deal. “To explain, we had some Dallmeier integrators reporting problems when using Panomera cameras with products from some other well-known Ethernet data switch brands, and this was compounded by long delivery lead times and uncompetitive pricing.”
With the barox switch integration, according to the product firms, the logistics customer can now rely on the data-heavy solution they wanted, using Panomera cameras, with a combination of multiple lenses and sensors with different focal lengths, in one optical unit. Panomera cameras with Dallmeier’s patented multifocal sensors capture rear and middle images with the same high resolution as scenes in the foreground.
Kai added: “In summary, we’re very happy to work with barox and approve their compatible ‘Switches made for video’ technology. We like their functionality, such as the Device Management System (DMS), where the configuration & monitoring menu allows you to see the network architecture of devices, switches and servers, and view what data comes in and what goes out.
“We were also impressed with the depth of barox technical support; resources which some companies are missing. Device functionality and easy set-up, along with ‘always on PoE’ (which reduces IP camera downtime when re-boot tasks need to be performed), and automatic re-boot functionality, are all ideal features for Panomera camera surveillance of large open space applications, such as airports, cities, stadiums, retail, logistics etc.”
And Rudolf Rohr, barox co-founder and managing partner, said: “Dallmeier is pushing new boundaries with its flagship Panomera camera. A multicast device, Panomera allows video images from one camera to be sent to many users, at the same time, without the need to send video across the network multiple times. With this advanced functionality, multicast can considerably reduce the volume of network traffic that is normally generated by repeatedly displaying the same camera images. Users log-on using the Internet Group Messaging Protocol (IGMP), and the barox network components ensure that as far as possible, only the multicast streams needed are transmitted.
“Designed to deliver identical packets to many receivers, multicast applications present complex network challenges and many switch manufacturers avoid it. The main reason being that of performance, where the packets must often be replicated at an exponential rate, resulting in the need for staggering bandwidth and CPU requirements, however, barox fully support this challenging setup.”
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