AXIS Q1686-DLE Radar-Video Fusion Camera - User manual

A radar-video fusion camera is a visual camera with a fully integrated radar module. As such, this camera can use the radar to measure the speed of approaching or departing vehicles, and the video to capture license plates.

Use AXIS Q1686-DLE with an optional license plate capture application, like AXIS License Plate Verifier, or with a third-party solution, to process the images and speed provided by the camera.

Each technology in AXIS Q1686-DLE – radar, video, and optional license plate capture software – generates metadata on its own. The metadata includes information like speed, object class, direction, and license plate information. What’s special about this device is that it fuses the metadata, which means it connects the speed and license plate of the same vehicle.

This video shows an example of how to install a radar-video fusion camera.

For complete instructions on all installation scenarios as well as important safety information, see the installation guide on axis.com/products/axis-q1686-dle/support

Preview mode is ideal for installers when fine tuning the camera view during the installation. No login is required to access the camera view in preview mode. It is available only in factory defaulted state for a limited time from powering up the device.

Mount the product appropriately to get the best video and radar coverage. Consider the following when you mount a radar-video fusion camera that is going to be used for license plate capture:

Center or side mounted

You can mount the camera on a gantry above the road, or on a sturdy pole on the side of a road. The ability to capture license plates and measure the speed of vehicles is affected by factors like the mounting height of the device, its position, the zoom of the camera, and the speed of approaching or departing vehicles. For more information about possible mounting scenarios, see Installation examples.

Environment

Environmental aspects can affect the performance of the video and the radar. Direct sunlight can distort the image and affect the camera’s ability to capture license plates. Solid and metal objects, such as road signs, trees or large bushes, can affect the radar by creating blind spots (radar shadow) behind the object. Metal objects in the field of detection, such as containers or trams, can cause reflections that affect the radar’s ability to perform classifications, which can lead to ghost tracks and false alarms in the radar stream.

Radar coexistence

If you mount more than eight radars or radar-video fusion cameras operating on the 60 GHz frequency band close together, they may interfere with each other, which can affect the radar’s performance.

AXIS Q1686-DLE doesn’t include any license plate capture software. However, the device is built on an open platform, which makes it possible to use the device with third-party solutions on the edge or server side.

You can use AXIS Q1686-DLE with the edge application AXIS License Plate Verifier. The combination has been thoroughly tested and produces metadata that connects the speed and direction of a vehicle with its license plate. For recommendations on how to mount the device when you’re going to use it with AXIS License Plate Verifier, see Mounting recommendations.

For information about third-party options for license plate capture, see axis.com/support/tools/technology-partner-finder. Contact your preferred supplier for recommendations on how to use the software.

The radar in AXIS Q1686-DLE has a horizontal field of detection of 95°. Its detection range depends on factors like the mounting height and tilt angle of the device, and the size and speed of moving vehicles. The detection range also depends on the radar profile.

There are two available profiles in this radar: road monitoring and area monitoring. The road monitoring profile is optimized for tracking vehicles moving at speeds up to 200 km/h (125 mph) while the area monitoring profile is optimized for tracking humans, vehicles and unknown objects moving at speeds up to 55 km/h (34 mph).

By default, the radar profile in AXIS Q1686-DLE is set to Road monitoring. For more information about the radar’s detection range when used for road monitoring, see Road detection range.

If you want to use AXIS Q1686-DLE for area monitoring instead, select the Area monitoring profile. For information about the radar’s detection range when used for area monitoring, see Area detection range.

The road monitoring profile in the radar is optimized for detection of vehicles and is recommended when you use the radar-video fusion camera for speed measurement and license plate capture. With the road monitoring profile, the radar provides a speed accuracy of +/- 2 km/h (1.25 mph) when monitoring approaching or departing vehicles moving at up to 200 km/h (125 mph).

The mounting height of the radar-video fusion camera and the vehicle speed impacts the detection range of the radar. When mounted at an optimal installation height, the radar detects approaching and departing vehicles within the following ranges:

• 25–100 m (82–328 ft) for vehicles moving at 50 km/h (31 mph).

• 40–80 m (131–262 ft) for vehicles moving at 100 km/h (62 mph).

• 50–70 m (164–230 ft) for vehicles moving at 200 km/h (125 mph).

The detection range is the distance within which an object can be tracked and can trigger an alarm. It’s measured from a near detection limit (how close to the device a detection can be made) to a far detection limit (how far from the device a detection can be made).

The area monitoring profile is optimized for human detection, however, it will also allow you to track vehicles and other objects moving at up to 55 km/h (34 mph) with a speed accuracy of +/- 2 km/h (1.25 mph).

When mounted at the optimal installation height, the detection ranges are:

• 5 – 60 m (16–200 ft) when detecting a human

• 5 – 90 m (16–300 ft) when detecting a vehicle

The radar detection range was measured under these conditions:

• The range was measured along the ground.

• The object was a person with a height of 170 cm(5 ft 7 in).

• The person was walking straight in front of the radar.

• The values were measured when the person entered the detection zone.

• The radar sensitivity was set to Medium.

Center mounted

You can mount the radar-video fusion camera on a gantry above the road. This is the recommended placement if you want to measure the speed and capture license plates in two adjacent lanes.

Place the camera above the vehicles to view the license plates head on, and make sure to zoom in so that the lane, or lanes, where you intend to capture license plates cover the image.

The same type of installation is possible if you want to capture license plates and the speed of vehicles that drive away from the radar-video fusion camera, instead of driving towards it.

Side mounted

You can mount the radar-video fusion camera on a sturdy pole on the side of the road. Make sure to zoom in so that the lane, or lanes, where you intend to capture license plates cover the image.

If you intend to capture license plates in two lanes in this type of installation, the lateral distance between the camera and the centre of the farthest lane should be max 7 m (23 ft).

For information about the pan angle (a) and capture distance (b), as well as recommendations about how to mount the device when using AXIS License Plate Verifier, see Mounting recommendations.

For information about license plate capture in general, see the white paper “License plate capture” at axis.com/learning/white-papers.

Wrong-way detection

To capture the speed and license plates of vehicles driving in the wrong direction on a highway ramp, traffic control uses AXIS Q1686-DLE with AXIS License Plate Verifier installed.

They mount the camera on a pole facing the ramp according to Mounting recommendations. For reliable detections, they set up a line crossing scenario in the radar pages of the device’s web interface and configure it so that a vehicle must cross two virtual lines to trigger an alarm. In the radar scenario, they position the two lines across the ramp and specify the driving direction and speed the radar should trigger on.

With this configuration, the radar detects vehicles and their speed when driving in the wrong direction. At the same time, the camera can provide visual identification and capture the license plates of the vehicles. With this setup it’s possible to create rules for events, for example to trigger a recording when the vehicle crosses the lines, or trigger external lights that can warn the driver. Additionally, the license plate information can be processed on the server side.

The same setup is possible for capturing rear license plates. The radar measures the speed of departing vehicles while the camera captures the rear license plates.

For an example of how to create a rule that triggers a recording, see Trigger a recording if a vehicle drives in the wrong direction.

Speed violation detection

To detect speed violators on a highway, traffic control uses AXIS Q1686-DLE with AXIS License Plate Verifier. With this setup, they can capture the license plates and measure the speed of vehicles travelling in up to 200 km/h (125 mph).

They mount the camera on a gantry to capture the license plates and measure the speed of departing vehicles. They follow the recommendations in Mounting recommendations and configure the camera according to the instructions in Optimize the device for speed measurement and license plate capture. To process the speed and license plate metadata, they use a video management system (VMS).

AXIS Q1686-DLE has been thoroughly tested with the application AXIS License Plate Verifier. The mounting recommendations in the following tables are based on the combined performance of the camera, radar and application.

The optimal distance for the device to capture license plates of vehicles travelling in high speeds is 40 m (131 ft). As seen in the tables, you can capture license plates closer or further away than 40 m (131 ft), but at slower speeds.

Center mounted

This table shows the recommendations for a device that is mounted on a gantry above the road where there is no lateral distance between the camera and the road.

Side mounted

This table shows the recommendations for a device that is mounted on a pole on the side of the road where the lateral distance from the camera to the centre of the farthest lane on the road is max 7 m (23 ft).

To learn more about the table parameters, see Definitions.

For information about how to configure the device so it can measure the speed of passing vehicles and capture license plates, see Optimize the device for speed measurement and license plate capture.

• Lateral distance: The distance between the camera and the centre of the lane you monitor. If you monitor more than one lane, it’s the distance to the centre of the farthest lane.

• Mounting height: The distance from the ground up to the optics in the device. Measure and validate the mounting height during installation. For more information, see Validate the mounting height and tilt.

• Tilt angle: The downward tilt angle of the device. Use the web interface to find out the tilt angle. For more information, see Show a text overlay with the tilt angle of the radar.

• Pan angle: The horizontal angle for side mounted devices when directed at the point of the road where you expect to capture license plates.

• Capture distance: The distance from the device to the point on the road where you expect to capture license plates

• Speed: The maximum speed at which the device can capture license plates and at the same time measure the speed of passing vehicles.

For side mounted cameras, the recommended maximum lateral distance to the farthest lane on the road is 7 m (23 ft), as shown in the illustration. The illustration also shows the pan angle (a) and the capture distance (b).

The illustration shows the downward tilt angle (c) of the device, and the mounting height (h) measured from the ground up to the device.

To find Axis devices on the network and assign them IP addresses in Windows®, use AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager. Both applications are free and can be downloaded from axis.com/support.

For more information about how to find and assign IP addresses, go to How to assign an IP address and access your device.

You can use the device with the following browsers:

✓: Recommended
*: Supported with limitations

1. Open a browser and type the IP address or host name of the Axis device.

   If you don’t know the IP address, use AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager to find the device on the network.

2. Type the username and password. If you access the device for the first time, you must create an administrator account. See Create an administrator account.

For descriptions of all features and settings in the web interface of devices with AXIS OS, see AXIS OS web interface help.

The first time you log in to your device, you must create an administrator account.

1. Enter a username.

2. Enter a password. See Secure passwords.

3. Re-enter the password.

4. Accept the license agreement.

5. Click Add account.

The device password is the primary protection for your data and services. Axis devices do not impose a password policy as they may be used in various types of installations.

To protect your data we strongly recommend that you:

• Use a password with at least 8 characters, preferably created by a password generator.

• Don’t expose the password.

• Change the password at a recurring interval, at least once a year.

1. To make sure that the device has its original AXIS OS, or to take full control of the device after a security attack:

2. Reset to factory default settings. See Reset to factory default settings.

   After the reset, secure boot guarantees the state of the device.

3. Configure and install the device.

This video gives you an overview of the device’s web interface.

This radar-video fusion camera is factory-calibrated so that the camera and radar module are perfectly aligned.

To optimize the device for vehicle detection, speed measurement, and license plate capture, follow these steps:

1. Set the mounting height in the radar

2. Run the traffic assistant

3. Aim and tilt the device

4. Validate the mounting height and tilt

5. Optimize the image for license plate capture

6. Set up a license plate capture solution

Set the device’s mounting height in the radar's web interface. This helps the radar detect and measure the speed of passing objects correctly.

Measure the height from the ground up to the device as accurately as possible. For scenes with uneven surfaces, set the value that represents the average height in the scene.

1. Go to Radar > Settings > General.

2. Set the height under Mounting height.

Aim and tilt the device towards the area where you intend to capture license plates.

1. If you’re using the device with AXIS License Plate Verifier, check the tables in Mounting recommendations for tilt angle recommendations based on mounting height of the device, intended capture distance, and vehicle speed.

   If you’re using a third-party license plate capture solution, contact your supplier for recommendations.

2. Loosen the screw in the wall mount.

3. Aim the camera at the road where you intend to capture license plates.

4. Tilt the device according to the recommendations.

5. Validate the position of the device, see Validate the mounting height and tilt for instructions.

The traffic assistant guides you step-by-step to calibrate the radar for monitoring the speed of vehicles or to detect what direction vehicles are travelling.

• Go to Radar > Settings > Traffic assistant > Configure and follow the instructions.

To validate the position of the device, add two types of augmented overlays in the camera’s live view. The overlays will help you check that the radar detects vehicles correctly at the intended capture distance.

The first overlay shows a projection of the radar through a grid, including the distance from the device to the road. The second overlay is a bounding box that shows a white box projected around a passing vehicle.

1. Go to Video > Image.

2. Click in the live view to access the device’s onscreen controls.

3. Expand Predefined controls.

4. Turn on Augmented overlay (radar).

5. Click Toggle augmented bounding boxes.

6. Click Toggle augmented overlay.

7. In the camera’s live view, check that the distance to the road is correct in the projected grid. Then check that the bounding boxes are projected around the passing vehicles, and not above, below, or next to the vehicles.

8. If necessary, re-measure the mounting height and adjust the settings, or adjust the tilt angle, and check again.

9. When you have validated the position of the device, tighten the screws in the wall mount.

1. In the device’s web interface, go to Video > Installation > Traffic camera installation assistant.

2. Select the surveillance mode License plate capture.

3. Click Next.

4. Under Capture settings, add the following information:

5. • Camera height: the distance between the camera and the ground.

   • Road distance: the lateral distance between the camera and the middle of the lane that you are going to monitor.

   • Max car speed: the highest speed you expect the vehicles to reach on the road you are going to monitor.

   • Note

     Turn on Automatic distance to calculate the car distance automatically.

   • Car distance: the distance between the camera and the approaching or departing vehicles.

6. Click Next in the traffic camera installation assistant.

7. The assistant provides a scene profile and a max shutter value for your installation. To save these settings, click Apply settings.

8. In the live view, zoom in so that the view covers the lane or lanes that you want to monitor. See for more information.

9. To verify the settings, record a few vehicles passing by and look at the license plates in the recording. See Record and watch video for more information.

Set up a license plate capture solution that can process the images provided by the camera. For more information, see License plate capture software.

AXIS License Plate Verifier

If you’re going to use AXIS Q1686-DLE with AXIS License Plate Verifier, see AXIS License Plate Verifier user manual for information about how to set up the application.

If you intend to capture license plates in two lanes, we recommend that you create one area of interest for each lane in the application. For instructions, see Adjust the area of interest in AXIS License Plate Verifier user manual.

To validate that AXIS License Plate Verifier captures the license plates correctly, turn on license plate overlays in the web interface of AXIS Q1686-DLE. For more information, see Show license plate overlays.

Set the capture mode

1. Go to Video > Installation > Capture mode.

2. Click Change.

3. Select a capture mode and click Save and restart.

   See also .

Set the power line frequency

1. Go to Video > Installation > Power line frequency.

2. Select a power line frequency and click Save and restart.

This section includes instructions about configuring your device. If you want to learn more about how certain features work, go to Learn more.

1. To adjust the view in relation to a reference area or an object, use the level grid in combination with a mechanical adjustment of the camera.

2. Go to Video > Image > and click .

3. Click to show the level grid.

4. Adjust the camera mechanically until the position of the reference area or the object is aligned with the level grid.

1. To adjust the zoom:

2. Go to Video > Installation and adjust the zoom slider.

1. To adjust the focus:

2. Click to show the autofocus area.

3. Adjust the autofocus area to cover the part of the image that you want to be in focus.

   If you don’t select an autofocus area, the camera focuses on the entire scene. For traffic scenes where you intend to capture license plates, we recommend that you focus on the lines in the centre of the road.

4. Click Autofocus.

5. To fine tune the focus, adjust the focus slider.

A scene profile is a set of predefined image appearance settings including color level, brightness, sharpness, contrast and local contrast. Scene profiles are preconfigured in the product for quick setup to a specific scenario, for example Forensic which is optimized for surveillance conditions. For a description of each available setting, see The web interface.

You can select a scene profile during the initial setup of the camera. You can also select or change scene profile later.

1. Go to Video > Image > Appearance.

2. Go to Scene profile and select a profile.

You can optimize the image processing time of your live stream by turning on low latency mode. The latency in your live stream is reduced to a minimum. When you use low latency mode, the image quality is lower than usual.

1. Go to System > Plain config.

2. Select ImageSource from the drop-down list.

3. Go to ImageSource/I0/Sensor > Low latency mode and select On.

4. Click Save.

To improve image quality for specific surveillance scenes, use exposure modes. Exposure modes lets you control aperture, shutter speed, and gain. Go to Video > Image > Exposure and select between the following exposure modes:

• For most use cases, select Automatic exposure.

• For environments with certain artificial lighting, for example fluorescent lighting, select Flicker-free.

  Select the same frequency as the power line frequency.

• For environments with certain artificial light and bright light, for example outdoors with fluorescent lighting at night and sun during daytime, select Flicker-reduced.

  Select the same frequency as the power line frequency.

• To lock the current exposure settings, select Hold current.

Your camera uses visible light to deliver color images during the day. But as the visible light diminishes, color images become less bright and clear. If you switch to night mode when this happens, the camera uses both visible and near-infrared light to deliver bright and detailed black-and-white images instead. You can set the camera to switch to night mode automatically.

1. Go to Video > Image > Day-night mode, and make sure that the IR-cut filter is set to Auto.

2. To use the built-in IR light when the camera is in night mode, turn on Allow illumination and Synchronize illumination.

Depending on the installation environment and the conditions around the camera, for example external light sources in the scene, you can sometimes improve the image quality if you manually adjust the intensity of the LEDs. If you have problems with reflections from the LEDs, you can try to reduce the intensity.

1. Go to Video > Image > Day-night mode.

2. Turn on Allow illumination.

3. Click in the live view and select Manual.

4. Adjust the intensity.

To reduce noise in low-light conditions, you can adjust one or more of the following settings:

• Adjust the trade-off between noise and motion blur. Go to Video > Image > Exposure and move the Blur-noise trade-off slider toward Low noise.

• Set the exposure mode to automatic.

• Note

  A high max shutter value can result in motion blur.

• To slow down the shutter speed, set max shutter to the highest possible value.

• Note

  When you reduce the max gain, the image can become darker.

• Set the max gain to a lower value.

• If there is an Aperture slider, move it towards Open.

• Reduce sharpness in the image, under Video > Image > Appearance.

• To reduce motion blur in low-light conditions, adjust one or more of the following settings in Video > Image > Exposure:
• Note

  When you increase the gain, image noise also increases.

• Set Max shutter to a shorter time, and Max gain to a higher value.

• If you still have problems with motion blur:

• Increase the light level in the scene.

• Mount the camera so that objects move toward it or away from it rather than sideways.

• Make sure to select the capture mode that has the highest resolution.

• Go to Video > Stream > General and set the compression as low as possible.

• Below the live view image, click and in Video format, select MJPEG.

• Go to Video > Stream > Zipstream and select Off.

Dynamic range is the difference in light levels in an image. In some cases the difference between the darkest and the brightest areas can be significant. The result is often an image where either the dark or the bright areas are visible. Wide dynamic range (WDR) makes both dark and bright areas of the image visible.

1. Go to Video > Image > Wide dynamic range.

2. Use the Local contrast slider to adjust the amount of WDR.

3. Use the Tone mapping slider to adjust the amount of WDR.

4. If you still have problems, go to Exposure and adjust the Exposure zone to cover the area of interest.

Find out more about WDR and how to use it at axis.com/web-articles/wdr.

Image stabilization is suitable in environments where the product is mounted in an exposed location where vibrations can occur, for example, due to wind or passing traffic.

The feature makes the image smoother, steadier, and less blurry. It also reduces the file size of the compressed image and lowers the bitrate of the video stream.

1. Go to Video > Installation > Image correction.

2. Turn on Image stabilization.

You can create one or several privacy masks to hide parts of the image.

1. Go to Video > Privacy masks.

2. Click .

3. Click the new mask and type a name.

4. Adjust the size and placement of the privacy mask according to your needs.

5. To change the color for all privacy masks, click Privacy masks and select a color.

See also Privacy masks

You can add an image as an overlay in the video stream.

1. Go to Video > Overlays.

2. Click Manage images.

3. Upload or drag and drop an image.

4. Click Upload.

5. Select Image from the drop-down list and click .

6. Select the image and a position. You can also drag the overlay image in the live view to change the position.

You can add a text field as an overlay in the video stream. This is useful for example when you want to display the date, time or a company name in the video stream.

1. Go to Video > Overlays.

2. Select Text and click .

3. Type the text you want to display, or select modifiers to show for example the current date.

4. Select a position. You can also click-and-drag the overlay in the live view to change the position.

1. Go to Apps.

2. Select axis-orientationaid.

3. Click Open.

4. To add a street name, click Add text and modify the text to fit the street.

5. To add a compass, click Add compass and modify the compass to fit the image.

License plate overlays are available with the application AXIS License Plate Verifier.

1. Go to Video > Image.

2. Click in the live view to access the device’s onscreen controls.

3. Expand Predefined controls.

4. Turn on License plate overlay.

5. Click Show overlay.

6. To move the overlay, click Move overlay.

This section includes instructions about configuring your device. To learn more about how streaming and storage works, go to Streaming and storage.

1. Go to Video > Stream.

2. Click in the live view.

3. Select Video format AV1 if your device supports it. Otherwise select H.264.

4. Go to Video > Stream > General and increase Compression.

5. Go to Video > Stream > Zipstream and do one or more of the following:

6. • Note

     The Zipstream settings are used for all video encodings except MJPEG.

   • Select the Zipstream Strength that you want to use.

   • Turn on Optimize for storage. This can only be used if the video management software supports B-frames.

   • Turn on Dynamic FPS.

   • Turn on Dynamic GOP and set a high Upper limit GOP length value.

1. To store recordings on the network, you need to set up your network storage.

2. Go to System > Storage.

3. Click Add network storage under Network storage.

4. Type the IP address of the host server.

5. Type the name of the shared location on the host server under Network share.

6. Type the username and password.

7. Select the SMB version or leave it on Auto.

8. Select Add share without testing if you experience temporary connection issues, or if the share is not yet configured.

9. Click Add.

1. Record video directly from the camera

2. Go to Video > Stream.

3. To start a recording, click .

   If you haven’t set up any storage, click and . For instructions on how to set up network storage, see Set up network storage

4. To stop recording, click again.

1. Watch video

2. Go to Recordings.

3. Click for your recording in the list.

With signed video, you can make sure that no one has tampered with the video recorded by the camera.

1. Go to Video > Stream > General and turn on Signed video.

2. Use AXIS Camera Station (5.46 or later) or another compatible video management software to record video. For instructions, see the AXIS Camera Station user manual.

3. Export the recorded video.

4. Use AXIS File Player to play the video. Download AXIS File Player.

   indicates that no one has tampered with the video.

To make it easier to see where detected objects are moving, you can upload a map for reference. You can use a ground plan or an aerial photo that shows the area covered by the radar. Calibrate the map so the radar view fits the position, direction, and scale of the map, and zoom in on the map if you're interested in a specific part of the scene.

You can either use a setup assistant that takes you through the map calibration step by step, or edit each setting individually.

1. Use the setup assistant:

2. Go to Radar > Map calibration.

3. Click Setup assistant and follow the instructions.

4. To remove the uploaded map and the settings you have added, click Reset calibration.

1. Edit each setting individually:
2. The map will calibrate gradually after you adjust each setting.

3. Go to Radar > Map calibration > Map.

4. Select the image you want to upload, or drag and drop it in the designated area.

   To reuse a map image with its current pan and zoom settings, click Download map.

5. Under Rotate map, use the slider to rotate the map into position.

6. Go to Scale and distance on a map and click on two pre-determined points on the map.

7. Under Distance, add the actual distance between the two points you have added to the map.

8. Go to Pan and zoom map and use the buttons to pan the map image, or zoom in and out on the map image.

9. Note

   The zoom function doesn’t alter the radar’s area of coverage. Even if parts of the coverage is out of view after zooming, the radar will still detect moving objects in the entire area of coverage. The only way to exclude detected movement is to add exclude zones. For more information, see .

10. Go to Radar position and use the buttons to move or rotate the position of the radar on the map.

11. To remove the uploaded map and the settings you have added, click Reset calibration.

A scenario is a combination of triggering conditions and detection settings, which you can use to create rules in the event system. Add scenarios if you want to create different rules for different parts of the scene.

1. Add a scenario:

2. Go to Radar > Scenarios.

3. Click Add scenario.

4. Type the name of the scenario.

5. Select if you want to trigger on objects moving in an area or on objects crossing one, or two, lines.

1. Trigger on objects moving in an area:

2. Select Movement in area.

3. Click Next.

4. Select the type of zone that should be included in the scenario.

   Use the mouse to move and shape the zone so that it covers the desired part of the radar image or reference map.

5. Click Next.

6. Add detection settings.

7. 1. Add seconds until trigger after under Ignore short-lived objects.

   2. Select which object type to trigger on under Trigger on object type.

   3. Add a range for the speed limit under Speed limit.

8. Click Next.

9. Set the minimum duration of the alarm under Minimum trigger duration.

10. Click Save.

1. Trigger on objects crossing a line:

2. Select Line crossing.

3. Click Next.

4. Position the line in the scene.

   Use the mouse to move and shape the line.

5. To change the detection direction, turn on Change direction.

6. Click Next.

7. Add detection settings.

8. 1. Add seconds until trigger after under Ignore short-lived objects.

   2. Select which object type to trigger on under Trigger on object type.

   3. Add a range for the speed limit under Speed limit.

9. Click Next.

10. Set the minimum duration of the alarm under Minimum trigger duration.

    The default value is set to 2 seconds. If you want the scenario to trigger every time an object crosses the line, lower the duration to 0 seconds.

11. Click Save.

1. Trigger on objects crossing two lines:

2. Select Line crossing.

3. Click Next.

4. To make the object cross two lines for the alarm to trigger, turn on Require crossing of two lines.

5. Position the lines in the scene.

   Use the mouse to move and shape the line.

6. To change the detection direction, turn on Change direction.

7. Click Next.

8. Add detection settings.

9. 1. Set the time limit between crossing the first and the second line under Max time between crossings.

   2. Select which object type to trigger on under Trigger on object type.

   3. Add a range for the speed limit under Speed limit.

10. Click Next.

11. Set the minimum duration of the alarm under Minimum trigger duration.

    The default value is set to 2 seconds. If you want the scenario to trigger every time an object has crossed the two lines, lower the duration to 0 seconds.

12. Click Save.

You can add an overlay in the radar’s live view that shows the tilt angle of the radar. This is helpful during installation, or whenever you need to know the tilt angle of the device.

1. Go to Radar > Overlays.

2. Select Text and click .

3. Type #op.

   You can also click Modifier and select #op from the list.

4. Select a position. You can also drag the overlay field in the live view to change the position.

To learn more, see Get started with rules for events.

1. Go to System > Events and add a rule. The rule defines when the device will perform certain actions. You can set up rules as scheduled, recurring, or manually triggered.

2. Enter a Name.

3. Select the Condition that must be met to trigger the action. If you specify more than one condition for the rule, all of the conditions must be met to trigger the action.

4. Select which Action to perform when the conditions are met.

This example explains how to turn on power saving mode when no motion is detected in the scene.

1. Make sure that AXIS Object Analytics is running:

2. Go to Apps > AXIS Object Analytics.

3. Start the application if it is not already running.

4. Make sure you have set up the application according to your needs.

1. Create a rule:

2. Go to System > Events and add a rule.

3. Type a name for the rule.

4. In the list of conditions, under Application, select Object Analytics.

5. Select Invert this condition.

6. In the list of actions, under Power saving mode, select Use power saving mode while the rule is active.

7. Click Save.

This example explains how to set up the camera to start recording to the SD card when the camera detects an object. The recording will include five seconds before detection and one minute after detection ends.

Before you start:

• Make sure you have an SD card installed.

1. Make sure that AXIS Object Analytics is running:

2. Go to Apps > AXIS Object Analytics.

3. Start the application if it is not already running.

4. Make sure you have set up the application according to your needs.

1. Create a rule:

2. Go to System > Events and add a rule.

3. Type a name for the rule.

4. In the list of conditions, under Application, select Object Analytics.

5. In the list of actions, under Recordings, select Record video while the rule is active.

6. In the list of storage options, select SD_DISK.

7. Select a camera and a stream profile.

8. Set the prebuffer time to 5 seconds.

9. Set the postbuffer time to 1 minute.

10. Click Save.

This example explains how to display the text “Motion detected” when the device detects an object.

1. Make sure that AXIS Object Analytics is running:

2. Go to Apps > AXIS Object Analytics.

3. Start the application if it is not already running.

4. Make sure you have set up the application according to your needs.

1. Add the overlay text:

2. Go to Video > Overlays.

3. Under Overlays, select Text and click .

4. Enter #D in the text field.

5. Choose text size and appearance.

6. To position the text overlay, click and select an option.

1. Create a rule:

2. Go to System > Events and add a rule.

3. Type a name for the rule.

4. In the list of conditions, under Application, select Object Analytics.

5. In the list of actions, under Overlay text, select Use overlay text.

6. Select a video channel.

7. In Text, type “Motion detected”.

8. Set the duration.

9. Click Save.

You have the option to connect the AXIS I/O Indication LED to your network camera. This LED can be configured to turn on whenever certain events occur in the camera. For example, to let people know that video recording is in progress.

Required hardware

• AXIS I/O Indication LED

• An Axis network video camera

• Note

  For instructions on how to connect the AXIS I/O Indication LED, see the installation guide provided with the product.

The following example shows how to configure a rule that turns on the AXIS I/O Indication LED to indicate that camera is recording.

1. Go to System > Accessories > I/O ports.

2. For the port that you connected the AXIS I/O Indication LED to, click to set the direction to Output, and click to set the normal state to Circuit open.

3. Go to System > Events.

4. Create a new rule.

5. Select the Condition that must be met to trigger the camera to start recording. It can, for example, be a time schedule or motion detection.

6. In the list of actions, select Record video. Select a storage space. Select a stream profile or create a new. Also set the Prebuffer and Postbuffer as required.

7. Save the rule.

8. Create a second rule and select the same Condition as in the first rule.

9. In the list of actions, select Toggle I/O while the rule is active, and then select the port the AXIS I/O Indication LED is connected to. Set the state to Active.

10. Save the rule.

• Other scenarios where AXIS I/O Indication LED can be used are for example:

• Configure the LED to turn on when the camera starts, to indicate the presence of the camera. Select System ready as a condition.

• Configure the LED to turn on when live stream is active to indicate that a person or a program is accessing a stream from the camera. Select Live stream accessed as a condition.

Shock detection allows the camera to detect tampering caused by vibrations or shock. Vibrations due to the environment or to an object can trigger an action depending on the shock sensitivity range, which can be set from 0 to 100. In this scenario, someone is throwing rocks at the camera after hours and you would like to get a video clip of the event.

1. Turn on shock detection:

2. Go to System > Detectors > Shock detection.

3. Turn on shock detection, and adjust the shock sensitivity.

4. Create a rule:

5. Go to System > Events > Rules and add a rule.

6. Type a name for the rule.

7. In the list of conditions, under Device status, select Shock detected.

8. Click + to add a second condition.

9. In the list of conditions, under Scheduled and recurring, select Schedule.

10. In the list of schedules, select After hours .

11. In the list of actions, under Recordings, select Record video while the rule is active.

12. Select where to save the recordings.

13. Select a Camera.

14. Set the prebuffer time to 5 seconds.

15. Set the postbuffer time to 50 seconds.

16. Click Save.

This example explains how to set up an email notification when the housing or casing of the device is opened.

1. Add an email recipient:

2. Go to System > Events > Recipients and click Add recipient.

3. Type a name for the recipient.

4. Select Email as the notification type.

5. Type the recipient’s email address.

6. Type the email address that you want the camera to send notifications from.

7. Provide the login details for the sending email account, along with the SMTP hostname and port number.

8. To test your email setup, click Test.

9. Click Save.

10. Create a rule:

11. Go to System > Events > Rules and click Add a rule.

12. Type a name for the rule.

13. In the list of conditions, select Casing open.

14. In the list of actions, select Send notification to email.

15. Select a recipient from the list.

16. Type a subject line and message for the email.

17. Click Save.

This example explains how to set up an email notification when the camera lens gets either spray painted, covered, or blurred.

1. Activate the tampering detection:

2. Go to System > Detectors > Camera tampering.

3. Set a value for Trigger delay. The value indicates the time that must pass before an email is sent.

4. Turn on Trigger on dark images to detect if the lens is sprayed, covered, or rendered severely out of focus.

5. Add an email recipient:

6. Go to System > Events > Recipients and add a recipient.

7. Type a name for the recipient.

8. Select Email as the notification type.

9. Type the recipient’s email address.

10. Type the email address that you want the camera to send notifications from.

11. Provide the login details for the sending email account, along with the SMTP hostname and port number.

12. To test your email setup, click Test.

13. Click Save.

14. Create a rule:

15. Go to System > Events > Rules and add a rule.

16. Type a name for the rule.

17. In the list of conditions, under Video, select Tampering.

18. In the list of actions, under Notifications, select Send notification to email and then select the recipient from the list.

19. Type a subject line and message for the email.

20. Click Save.

Use the radar-video fusion camera with the application AXIS Speed Monitor to collect radar data for detected objects and send it over MQTT.

This example explains how to set up an MQTT client in the device where you have installed AXIS Speed Monitor, and how to create a condition that will publish the radar data collected in AXIS Speed Monitor as a payload to an MQTT broker.

• Before you start:

• Install AXIS Speed Monitor in your radar-video fusion camera, or install it in a camera that you connect to the radar in the radar-video fusion camera.

  For more information, see AXIS Speed Monitor user manual.

• Set up an MQTT broker and get the broker’s IP address, username and password.

  Learn more about MQTT and MQTT brokers in AXIS OS Knowledge Base.

1. Set up the MQTT client in the web interface of the device where you have installed AXIS Speed Monitor:

2. Go to System > MQTT > MQTT client > Broker and enter the following information:

3. • Host: The broker IP address

   • Client ID: The ID of the device

   • Protocol: The protocol the broker is set to

   • Port: The port number used by the broker

   • The broker Username and Password

4. Click Save and Connect.

5. Create a condition that publishes the radar data as a payload to the MQTT broker:

6. Go to System > MQTT > MQTT publication and click + Add condition.

7. In the list of conditions, under Application, select Speed Monitor: Track exited zone.

The device will now be able to send information about the radar tracks for every moving object that exits a scenario. Every object will have its own radar track parameters, for example rmd_zone_name, tracking_id, and trigger_count. You can find the full list of parameters in AXIS Speed Monitor user manual.

Use AXIS Q1686-DLE Radar-Video Fusion Camera with the application AXIS License Plate Verifier and the radar data to send the fused radar and license plate information to an MQTT broker.

• Before you start:

• Install AXIS License Plate Verifier in your Q1686-DLE.

• Set up an MQTT broker and get the broker’s IP address, username and password.

  Learn more about MQTT and MQTT brokers in AXIS OS Knowledge Base.

1. Set up the MQTT client in the web interface of the device where you have installed AXIS License Plate Verifier

2. Go to System > MQTT > MQTT client > Broker and enter the following information:

3. • Host: The broker IP address

   • Client ID: The ID of the device

   • Protocol: The protocol the broker is set to

   • Port: The port number used by the broker

   • The broker Username and Password

4. Click Save and Connect.

5. Create a condition that publishes the ALPV and radar data as a payload to the MQTT broker:

6. Go to System > MQTT > MQTT publication and click + Add condition.

7. In the list of conditions, under Radar motion, select License plate and radar.

8. Click Add.

This example explains how to trigger a recording and record video to an SD card if the radar detects that a vehicle drives in the wrong direction.

• Before you start:

• Make sure you have installed an SD card.

1. Add a scenario in the radar:

2. Go to Radar > Scenarios.

3. Click + Add scenario.

4. Type the name of the scenario.

5. Select Line crossing.

6. Click Next.

7. To make the object cross two lines for the alarm to trigger, turn on Require crossing of two lines.

8. Position the lines in the scene.

   Use the mouse to move and shape them.

9. To change the detection direction, turn on Change direction.

10. Click Next.

11. Add detection settings.

12. 1. Set the time limit between crossing the first and the second line under Max time between crossings.

    2. Select that you want to trigger on vehicles under Trigger on object type.

    3. Add a range for the speed limit under Speed limit.

13. Click Next.

14. Set the minimum duration of the alarm under Minimum trigger duration.

    The default value is set to 2 seconds. If you want the scenario to trigger every time an object has crossed the two lines, lower the duration to 0 seconds.

15. Click Save.

1. Create a rule that triggers a recording:

2. Go to System > Events and add a rule

3. Type a name for the rule.

4. In the list of conditions, under Radar motion, select the scenario you just created.

5. In the list of actions, under Recordings, select Record video while the rule is active.

6. In the list of storage options, select SD_DISK.

7. Select Camera 1.

8. Set the prebuffer time to 5 seconds.

9. Set the postbuffer to 30 seconds.

10. Click Save.

• Before you start:

• The camera must be positioned in a proper way according to the mounting recommendations.

  See Mounting recommendations

1. Add a rule:

2. Go to System > Events and add a rule

3. Type a name for the rule.

4. Under Condition, select License plate and radar.

5. Select direction.

6. Under Action, select Use overlay text.

7. Select video channels.

8. Under Text, enter the message to show in the overlay.

9. Under Duration, enter how long time the text overlay will be shown.

10. Click Save.

1. Turn on audio:

2. Go to Video > Stream > Audio and include audio.

3. If the device has more than one input source, select the correct one in Source.

4. Go to Audio > Device settings and turn on the correct input source.

5. If you make any changes to the input source, click Apply changes.

6. Edit the stream profile that is used for the recording:

7. Go to System > Stream profiles and select the stream profile.

8. Select Include audio and turn it on.

9. Click Save.

Network speaker pairing allows you to use a compatible Axis network speaker as if it is connected directly to the camera. Once paired, the speaker acts as an audio out device where you can play audio clips and transmit sound through the camera.

1. Pair camera with network speaker

2. Go to System > Edge-to-edge > Pairing.

3. Click Add and select the pairing type Audio from the drop-down list.

4. Select Speaker pairing.

5. Type the network speaker’s IP address, username and password.

6. Click Connect. A confirmation message appears.

To read about all the features and settings available in the web interface of devices with AXIS OS, go to AXIS OS web interface help.

• This product supports fiber-optic cable installations through a media converter. Fiber-optic cable installations offer a number of benefits such as:

• Long-distance connection

• High speed

• Long lifetime

• Large capacity of data transmission

• Electromagnetic interference immunity

Find out more about fiber-optic cable installations in the white paper “Long distance surveillance - Fiber-optic communication in network video” at axis.com/learning/white-papers.

For information about how to install the media converter see the Installation Guide for this product.

The remote focus and zoom functionality allows you to make focus and zoom adjustments to your camera from a computer. It is a convenient way to ensure that the scene’s focus, viewing angle and resolution are optimized without having to visit the camera’s installation location.

A privacy mask is a user-defined area that covers a part of the monitored area. In the video stream, privacy masks appear either as blocks of solid color or with a mosaic pattern.

You’ll see the privacy mask on all snapshots, recorded video, and live streams.

You can use the VAPIX® application programming interface (API) to hide the privacy masks.

You can create several privacy masks. Each mask can have 3 to 10 anchor points.

Overlays are superimposed over the video stream. They are used to provide extra information during recordings, such as a timestamp, or during product installation and configuration. You can add either text or an image.

The video streaming indicator is another type of overlay. It shows you that the live view video stream is live.

Decide which compression method to use based on your viewing requirements, and on the properties of your network. The available options are:

Motion JPEG

Motion JPEG, or MJPEG, is a digital video sequence that is made up of a series of individual JPEG images. These images are then displayed and updated at a rate sufficient to create a stream that shows constantly updated motion. For the viewer to perceive motion video the rate must be at least 16 image frames per second. Full motion video is perceived at 30 (NTSC) or 25 (PAL) frames per second.

The Motion JPEG stream uses considerable amounts of bandwidth, but provides excellent image quality and access to every image contained in the stream.

H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10/AVC

H.264 can, without compromising image quality, reduce the size of a digital video file by more than 80% compared to the Motion JPEG format and by as much as 50% compared to older MPEG formats. This means that less network bandwidth and storage space are required for a video file. Or seen another way, higher video quality can be achieved for a given bitrate.

H.265 or MPEG-H Part 2/HEVC

H.265 can, without compromising image quality, reduce the size of a digital video file by more than 25% compared to H.264.

The Image tab contains camera settings that affect all video streams from the product. If you change something in this tab, it immediately affects all video streams and recordings.

The Stream tab contains settings for video streams. You get these settings if you request a video stream from the product and don’t specify for example resolution, or frame rate. When you change the settings in the Stream tab, it doesn’t affect ongoing streams, but it will take effect when you start a new stream.

The Stream profiles settings override the settings from the Stream tab. If you request a stream with a specific stream profile, the stream contains the settings of that profile. If you request a stream without specifying a stream profile, or request a stream profile that doesn't exist in the product, the stream contains the settings from the Stream tab.

Bitrate control helps you to manage the bandwidth consumption of your video stream.

Variable bitrate (VBR)
Variable bitrate allows the bandwidth consumption to vary depending on the level of activity in the scene. The more activity, the more bandwidth you need. With variable bitrate you are guaranteed constant image quality, but you need to make sure you have storage margins.

Maximum bitrate (MBR)
Maximum bitrate lets you set a target bitrate to handle bitrate limitations in your system. You might see a decline in image quality or frame rate as the instantaneous bitrate is kept below the specified target bitrate. You can choose to prioritize either image quality or frame rate. We recommend that you configure the target bitrate to a higher value than the expected bitrate. This gives you a margin in case there is a high level of activity in the scene.

Average bitrate (ABR)
With average bitrate, the bitrate is automatically adjusted over a longer period of time. This is so you can meet the specified target and provide the best video quality based on your available storage. Bitrate is higher in scenes with a lot of activity, compared to static scenes. You are more likely to get better image quality when in scenes with a lot of activity if you use the average bitrate option. You can define the total storage required to store the video stream for a specified amount of time (retention time) when image quality is adjusted to meet the specified target bitrate. Specify the average bitrate settings in one of the following ways:

• To calculate the estimated storage need, set the target bitrate and the retention time.

• To calculate the average bitrate, based on available storage and required retention time, use the target bitrate calculator.

• 1. Target bitrate
  2. Actual average bitrate
• You can also turn on maximum bitrate and specify a target bitrate within the average bitrate option.
• 1. Target bitrate
  2. Actual average bitrate

With analytics and apps you can get more out of your Axis device. AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP) is an open platform that makes it possible for third parties to develop analytics and other apps for Axis devices. Apps can be preinstalled on the device, available for download for free, or for a license fee.

To find the user manuals for Axis analytics and apps, go to help.axis.com.

AXIS Object Analytics is an analytic application that comes preinstalled on the camera. It detects objects that move in the scene and classifies them as, for example, humans or vehicles. You can set up the application to send alarms for different types of objects. To find out more about how the application works, see AXIS Object Analytics user manual.

AXIS Image Health Analytics is an AI-based application that can be used to detect image degradations or tampering attempts. The application analyzes and learns the behavior of the scene to detect blurriness or underexposure in the image, or to detect an obstructed or redirected view. You can set up the application to send events for any of these detections, and trigger actions through the camera’s event system or third-party software.

To find out more about how the application works, see AXIS Image Health Analytics user manual.

Analytics metadata is available for moving objects in the scene. Supported object classes are visualized in the video stream through a bounding box surrounding the object, along with information about the object type and confidence level of the classification. To learn more about how to configure and consume analytics metadata, see AXIS Scene Metadata integration guide.

For product-specific information about cybersecurity, see the product's datasheet at axis.com.

For in-depth information about cybersecurity in AXIS OS, read the AXIS OS Hardening guide.

Axis provides a notification service with information about vulnerability and other security related matters for Axis devices. To receive notifications, you can subscribe at axis.com/security-notification-service.

To minimize customers' risk of exposure, Axis, as a Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVE) numbering authority (CNA), follows industry standards to manage and respond to discovered vulnerabilities in our devices, software, and services. For more information about Axis vulnerability management policy, how to report vulnerabilities, already disclosed vulnerabilities, and corresponding security advisories, see axis.com/vulnerability-management.

Axis devices with factory default settings are pre-configured with secure default protection mechanisms. We recommend using more security configuration when installing the device. To learn more about Axis' approach to cybersecurity, including best practices, resources, and guidelines for securing your devices, go to axis.com/about-axis/cybersecurity.

This device supports microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC cards.

For SD card recommendations, see axis.com.

microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC Logos are trademarks of SD-3C LLC. microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC are trademarks or registered trademarks of SD-3C, LLC in the United States, other countries or both.

• The control button is used for:

• Resetting the product to factory default settings. See Reset to factory default settings.

• Connecting to a one-click cloud connection (O3C) service over the internet. To connect, press and release the button, then wait for the status LED to flash green three times.

Use the intrusion alarm switch to get a notification when someone opens the device’s housing. Create a rule to make the device perform an action when the switch is activated. See Trigger a notification when the enclosure is opened.

RJ45 Ethernet connector with Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+).

• Audio in – 3.5 mm input for a mono microphone, or a line-in mono signal (left channel is used from a stereo signal).

• Audio in – 3.5 mm input for a digital microphone, an analog mono microphone, or a line-in mono signal (left channel is used from a stereo signal).

• Audio out – 3.5 mm output for audio (line level) that can be connected to a public address (PA) system or an active speaker with a built-in amplifier. A stereo connector must be used for audio out.

Audio input

Audio output

Use the I/O connector with external devices in combination with, for example, motion detection, event triggering, and alarm notifications. In addition to the 0 VDC reference point and power (12 V DC output), the I/O connector provides the interface to:

Digital input

For connecting devices that can toggle between an open and closed circuit, for example PIR sensors, door/window contacts, and glass break detectors.

Supervised input

Enables possibility to detect tampering on a digital input.

Digital output

For connecting external devices such as relays and LEDs. Connected devices can be activated by the VAPIX® Application Programming Interface, through an event or from the device’s web interface.

6-pin terminal block

Example

1. DC ground
2. DC output 12 V, max 50 mA
3. I/O configured as supervised input
4. I/O configured as output
5. Configurable I/O
6. Configurable I/O

2-pin terminal block for DC power input. Use a Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) compliant limited power source (LPS) with either a rated output power limited to ≤100 W or a rated output current limited to ≤5 A.

Two 2-pin terminal blocks for RS485/RS422 serial interface.

The serial port can be configured to support:

• Two-wire RS485 half duplex

• Four-wire RS485 full duplex

• Two-wire RS422 simplex

• Four-wire RS422 full duplex point to point communication

You can clean your device with lukewarm water.

1. Use a can of compressed air to remove dust and loose dirt from the device.

2. If necessary, clean the device with a soft microfiber cloth dampened with lukewarm water.

3. To avoid stains, dry the device with a clean, nonabrasive cloth.

To reset the product to the factory default settings:

1. Disconnect power from the product.

2. Press and hold the control button while reconnecting power. See Product overview.

3. Keep the control button pressed for 15–30 seconds until the status LED indicator flashes amber.

4. Release the control button. The process is complete when the status LED indicator turns green. If no DHCP server is available on the network, the device IP address will default to one of the following:

5. • Devices with AXIS OS 12.0 and later: Obtained from the link-local address subnet (169.254.0.0/16)

   • Devices with AXIS OS 11.11 and earlier: 192.168.0.90/24

6. Use the installation and management software tools to assign an IP address, set the password, and access the device.

   The installation and management software tools are available from the support pages on axis.com/support.

You can also reset parameters to factory default through the device’s web interface. Go to Maintenance > Factory default and click Default.

Axis offers device software management according to either the active track or the long-term support (LTS) tracks. Being on the active track means continuously getting access to all the latest product features, while the LTS tracks provide a fixed platform with periodic releases focused mainly on bug fixes and security updates.

Using AXIS OS from the active track is recommended if you want to access the newest features, or if you use Axis end-to-end system offerings. The LTS tracks are recommended if you use third-party integrations, which are not continuously validated against the latest active track. With LTS, the products can maintain cybersecurity without introducing any significant functional changes or affecting any existing integrations. For more detailed information about Axis device software strategy, go to axis.com/support/device-software.

AXIS OS determines the functionality of our devices. When you troubleshoot a problem, we recommend that you to start by checking the current AXIS OS version. The latest version might contain a correction that fixes your particular problem.

To check the current AXIS OS version:

1. Go to the device’s web interface > Status.

2. Under Device info, see the AXIS OS version.

1. Download the AXIS OS file to your computer, available free of charge at axis.com/support/device-software.

2. Log in to the device as an administrator.

3. Go to Maintenance > AXIS OS upgrade and click Upgrade.

4. When the upgrade has finished, the product restarts automatically.

Problems upgrading AXIS OS

Problems setting the IP address

Problems accessing the device

Problems with MQTT

Problems with operating the device

If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, try the troubleshooting section at axis.com/support.

The most important factors to consider:

• Heavy network utilization due to poor infrastructure affects the bandwidth.

If you need more help, go to axis.com/support.