Solution overview
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.
Radar-video fusion
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.
AXIS Q1686-DLE produces the fused metadata, which needs to be processed by a video management software (VMS) or other platform. The VMS requests the metadata through the RTSP metadata stream and can use the data to trigger actions or log statistics.
The fused metadata is not available in the web interface of the device.
Installation
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
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.
Considerations
Where to install the product
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.
License plate capture software
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.
Radar coverage
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.
To change the radar profile, go to Radar > Settings > Detection.
Road 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).
To minimize the risk of missed detections of vehicles travelling in high speeds, set up a scenario in the radar that triggers on the object types Vehicle and Unknown. For more information about how to set up a radar scenario, see Add scenarios.
Area detection range
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
- Enter the mounting height in the web interface when you calibrate the radar.
- The detection range is affected by the scene and the product’s tilt angle.
- The detection range is affected by the moving object type and size.
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.
Mounting height | 15° tilt | 20° tilt | 25° tilt | 30° tilt | 35° tilt | 40° tilt | 45° tilt |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3.5 m (11 ft) | 6.0–60+ m (19–196+ ft) | 5.0–60+ m (16–196+ ft) | 4.0–60+ m (13–196+ ft) | 4.0–60 m (13–196 ft) | 4.0–55 m (13– 180 ft) | 4.0–40 m (13–131 ft) | 4.0–30 m (13–98 ft) |
4.5 m (14 ft) | 6.0–60+ m (19–196+ ft) | 6.0–60+ m (19–196+ ft) | 5.0–60+ m (16–196+ ft) | 4.0–60+ m (13–96+ ft) | 4.0–60 m (13–196 ft) | 4.0–45 m (13–147 ft) | 4.0–40 m (13–131 ft) |
6 m (19 ft) | 10–60+ m (32–196+ ft) | 9.0–60+ m (29–196+ ft) | 7.0–60+ m (22–196+ ft) | 6.0–60+ m (19–196+ ft) | 6.0–60 m (19–196 ft) | 5.0–55 m (16–180 ft) | 5.0–55 m (16–180 ft) |
8 m (26 ft) | 16–60 m (52–196 ft) | 14–60 m (45–196 ft) | 10–60 m (32–196 ft) | 8.0–60+ m (26–196+ ft) | 8.0–60+ m (26–196+ ft) | 7.0–60 m (22–196 ft) | 7.0–60 m (22–196 ft) |
10 m (32 ft) | 21–60 m (68–196 ft) | 19–60 m (62–196 ft) | 14–60 m (45–196 ft) | 12–60+ m (39–196+ ft) | 10–60+ m (32–196+ ft) | 9.0–60 m (29–196 ft) | 9.0–60 m (29–196 ft) |
12 m (39 ft) | 25–60 m (82–196 ft) | 23–60 m (75–196 ft) | 19–60 m (62–196 ft) | 16–60+ m (52–196+ ft) | 13–60+ m (42–196+ ft) | 11–60 m (36–196 ft) | 11–55 m (36–180 ft) |
- Setting the radar sensitivity to Low will decrease the detection range by 20% while setting it to High will increase the detection range by 20%.
- In installations where you expect small animals to appear outside the fusion zone, but still in the detection zone of the radar, you can minimize the false alarms by setting the radar sensitivity to Low. This will however reduce the detection range.
Installation examples and use cases
Installation examples
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.
Road monitoring use cases
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).
Mounting recommendations
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.
Mounting height | Tilt angle | Capture distance | Speed |
6 m (19.7 ft) | 13° | 25 m (82 ft) | Up to 80 km/h (50 mph) |
9° | 40 m (131 ft) | Up to 200 km/h (124 mph) | |
7° | 50 m (164 ft) | Up to 125 km/h (78 mph) | |
8 m (26.2 ft) | 18° | 25 m (82 ft) | Up to 80 km/h (50 mph) |
11° | 40 m (131 ft) | Up to 160 km/h (99 mph) | |
9° | 50 m (164 ft) | Up to 104 km/h (65 mph) |
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).
Mounting height | Tilt angle | Pan angle | Capture distance | Speed |
6 m (19.7 ft) | 13° | 16° | 25 m (82 ft) | Up to 50 km/h (31 mph) |
9° | 10° | 40 m (131 ft) | Up to 140 km/h (87 mph) | |
7° | 8° | 50 m (164 ft) | Up to 125 km/h (78 mph) | |
8 m (26.2 ft) | 18° | 16° | 25 m (82 ft) | Up to 50 km/h (31 mph) |
11° | 10° | 40 m (131 ft) | Up to 140 km/h (87 mph) | |
9° | 8° | 50 m (164 ft) | Up to 104 km/h (65 mph) |
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.
Definitions
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.
Get started
Find the device on the network
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.
Browser support
You can use the device with the following browsers:
ChromeTM | Firefox® | EdgeTM | Safari® | |
Windows® | recommended | recommended | ✓ | |
macOS® | recommended | recommended | ✓ | ✓ |
Linux® | recommended | recommended | ✓ | |
Other operating systems | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓* |
*To use AXIS OS web interface with iOS 15 or iPadOS 15, go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Experimental Features and disable NSURLSession Websocket.
Open the device's web interface
Open a browser and type the IP address or host name of the Axis device.
If you do not know the IP address, use AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager to find the device on the network.
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 the controls and options in the device’s web interface, see The web interface.
Create an administrator account
The first time you log in to your device, you must create an administrator account.
Enter a username.
Enter a password. See Secure passwords.
Re-enter the password.
Accept the license agreement.
Click Add account.
The device has no default account. If you lose the password for your administrator account, you must reset the device. See Reset to factory default settings.
Secure passwords
Axis devices send the initially set password in clear text over the network. To protect your device after the first login, set up a secure and encrypted HTTPS connection and then change the password.
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.
Verify that no one has tampered with the device software
- To make sure that the device has its original AXIS OS, or to take full control of the device after a security attack:
Reset to factory default settings. See Reset to factory default settings.
After the reset, secure boot guarantees the state of the device.
Configure and install the device.
Web interface overview
This video gives you an overview of the device’s web interface.
Configure your device
Optimize the device for speed measurement and license plate capture
This radar-video fusion camera is factory-calibrated so that the camera and radar module are perfectly aligned.
Do not move or remove the lens, optical unit or radar module since this will undo the calibration and alignment.
To set up the device for vehicle detection and speed measurement, and to optimize the image for license plate capture, follow these steps:
Set the mounting height in the radar
Set the mounting height of the device in the radar's web interface. This helps the radar to 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.
Go to Radar > Settings > General.
Set the height under Mounting height.
Aim and tilt the device
Aim and tilt the device towards the area where you intend to capture license plates.
This procedure requires physical access to the device.
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.
Loosen the screw in the wall mount.
Aim the camera at the road where you intend to capture license plates.
Tilt the device according to the recommendations.
Validate the position of the device, see Validate the mounting height and tilt for instructions.
Validate the mounting height and tilt
This procedure requires physical access to the device.
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.
Go to Video > Image.
Click in the live view to access the device’s onscreen controls.
Expand Predefined controls.
Turn on Augmented overlay (radar).
Click Toggle augmented bounding boxes.
Click Toggle augmented overlay.
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.
If necessary, re-measure the mounting height and adjust the settings, or adjust the tilt angle, and check again.
When you have validated the position of the device, tighten the screws in the wall mount.
Turn off the augmented overlay when you’re done with the validation.
Add lanes in the radar
Add lanes in the radar that correspond to the lanes on the road you are monitoring. The lanes in the radar improves the tracking and performance when detecting vehicles and the speed they’re travelling in.
Go to Radar > Settings > Object Visualization.
Set Trail lifetime to
1 hour
.This shows the trail of passing vehicles on the road, which makes it easier to position the lanes.
Go to Radar > Lanes.
Click + Add lane.
By default, the name of the first lane will be Lane 1. Expand it to edit the name.
Click on the lane in the radar view and use the mouse to move and shape it to cover the desired part of the radar view or reference map. One lane in the radar should correspond to one lane on the road you are monitoring.
Check that the trail of the passing vehicles stays within the lane, or lanes, you have added.
Click Lanes enabled to activate the lanes you have added.
- Repeat the steps to add an additional lane. We recommend that you add a maximum of two lanes.
Example
The camera view is illustrated on the left side, and the radar view with two added lanes in yellow on the right. The passing car is shown as a white track in the radar view, followed by a trail.
To change the unit of measurement in the radar grid, go to System > Regional settings.
Add exclude zones
Exclude zones are areas in which moving objects will be ignored. Add exclude zones to ignore, for example, swaying foliage on the side of a road. You could also add exclude zones to ignore ghost tracks caused by radar-reflective materials, for example a metal fence.
- Add an exclude zone:
Go to Radar > Exclude zones.
Click Add exclude zone.
Use the mouse to move and shape the zone so that it covers the desired part of the radar view or reference map.
Optimize the image for license plate capture
In the device’s web interface, go to Video > Installation > Traffic camera installation assistant.
Select the surveillance mode License plate capture.
Click Next.
Under Capture settings, add the following information:
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.
Click Next in the traffic camera installation assistant.
The assistant provides a scene profile and a max shutter value for your installation. To save these settings, click Apply settings.
In the live view, zoom in so that the view covers the lane or lanes that you want to monitor. See for more information.
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
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.
Basic settings
Set the capture mode
Go to Video > Installation > Capture mode.
Click Change.
Select a capture mode and click Save and restart.
See also .
Set the power line frequency
Go to Video > Installation > Power line frequency.
Click Change.
Select a power line frequency and click Save and restart.
Adjust the image
This section includes instructions about configuring your device. If you want to learn more about how certain features work, go to Learn more.
Level the camera
- 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.
Go to Video > Image > and click .
Click to show the level grid.
Adjust the camera mechanically until the position of the reference area or the object is aligned with the level grid.
Adjust the zoom and focus
- To adjust the zoom:
Go to Video > Installation and adjust the zoom slider.
- To adjust the focus:
Click to show the autofocus area.
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.
Click Autofocus.
To fine tune the focus, adjust the focus slider.
Select scene profile
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.
Go to Video > Image > Appearance.
Go to Scene profile and select a profile.
Reduce image processing time with low latency mode
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.
Go to System > Plain config.
Select ImageSource from the drop-down list.
Go to ImageSource/I0/Sensor > Low latency mode and select On.
Click Save.
Select exposure mode
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.
Benefit from IR light in low-light conditions by using night mode
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.
Go to Video > Image > Day-night mode, and make sure that the IR-cut filter is set to Auto.
To use the built-in IR light when the camera is in night mode, turn on Allow illumination and Synchronize illumination.
Optimize IR 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.
Go to Video > Image > Day-night mode.
Turn on Allow illumination.
Click in the live view and select Manual.
Adjust the intensity.
Reduce noise in low-light conditions
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.
Reduce motion blur in low-light conditions
- 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.
Maximize the details in an image
If you maximize the details in an image, the bitrate will probably increase and you might get a reduced frame rate.
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.
Handle scenes with strong backlight
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.
Go to Video > Image > Wide dynamic range.
Use the Local contrast slider to adjust the amount of WDR.
Use the Tone mapping slider to adjust the amount of WDR.
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.
Stabilize a shaky image with image stabilization
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.
When you turn on image stabilization, the image is slightly cropped, which lowers the maximum resolution.
Go to Video > Installation > Image correction.
Turn on Image stabilization.
Hide parts of the image with privacy masks
You can create one or several privacy masks to hide parts of the image.
Go to Video > Privacy masks.
Click .
Click the new mask and type a name.
Adjust the size and placement of the privacy mask according to your needs.
To change the color for all privacy masks, click Privacy masks and select a color.
See also Privacy masks
Show an image overlay
You can add an image as an overlay in the video stream.
Go to Video > Overlays.
Select Image and click .
Click Images.
Drag and drop an image.
Click Upload.
Click Manage overlay.
Select the image and a position. You can also drag the overlay image in the live view to change the position.
Show a text overlay
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.
Go to Video > Overlays.
Select Text and click .
Type the text you want to display in the video stream.
Select a position. You can also drag the overlay text field in the live view to change the position.
Add street names and compass direction to the image
The street name and compass direction will be visible on all video streams and recordings.
Go to Apps.
Select axis-orientationaid.
Click Open.
To add a street name, click Add text and modify the text to fit the street.
To add a compass, click Add compass and modify the compass to fit the image.
Show license plate overlays
License plate overlays are available with the optional application AXIS License Plate Verifier.
Go to Video > Image.
Click in the live view to access the device’s onscreen controls.
Expand Predefined controls.
Turn on License plate overlay.
Click Show overlay.
To move the overlay, click Move overlay.
View and record video
This section includes instructions about configuring your device. To learn more about how streaming and storage works, go to Streaming and storage.
Reduce bandwidth and storage
Reducing the bandwidth can lead to loss of detail in the image.
Go to Video > Stream.
Click in the live view.
Select Video format H.264.
Go to Video > Stream > General and increase Compression.
Go to Video > Stream > Zipstream and do one or more of the following:
- Note
The Zipstream settings are used for both H.264 and H.265.
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.
Most web browsers don’t support H.265 decoding and because of this the device doesn’t support it in its web interface. Instead you can use a video management system or application that supports H.265 decoding.
Set up network storage
- To store recordings on the network, you need to set up your network storage.
Go to System > Storage.
Click Add network storage under Network storage.
Type the IP address of the host server.
Type the name of the shared location on the host server under Network share.
Type the username and password.
Select the SMB version or leave it on Auto.
Select Add share without testing if you experience temporary connection issues, or if the share is not yet configured.
Click Add.
Record and watch video
- Record video directly from the camera
Go to Video > Image.
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
To stop recording, click again.
- Watch video
Go to Recordings.
Click for your recording in the list.
Verify that no one has tampered with the video
With signed video, you can make sure that no one has tampered with the video recorded by the camera.
Go to Video > Stream > General and turn on Signed video.
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.
Export the recorded video.
Use AXIS File Player to play the video. Download AXIS File Player.
indicates that no one has tampered with the video.
To get more information about the video, right-click the video and select Show digital signature.
Additional radar settings
Calibrate a reference map
Upload a reference map to make it easier to see where detected objects are moving. You can use a ground plan or an aerial photo that shows the area covered by the radar. Calibrate the map so the radar coverage 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 radar coverage.
You can either use a setup assistant that takes you through the map calibration step by step, or edit each setting individually.
- Use the setup assistant:
Go to Radar > Map calibration.
Click Setup assistant and follow the instructions.
- To remove the uploaded map and the settings you have added, click Reset calibration.
- Edit each setting individually:
- The map will calibrate gradually after you adjust each setting.
Go to Radar > Map calibration > Map.
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.
Under Rotate map, use the slider to rotate the map into position.
Go to Scale and distance on a map and click on two pre-determined points on the map.
Under Distance, add the actual distance between the two points you have added to the map.
Go to Pan and zoom map and use the buttons to pan the map image, or zoom in and out on the map image.
- Note
The zoom function does not 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 Add exclude zones.
Go to Radar position and use the buttons to move or rotate the position of the radar on the map.
- To remove the uploaded map and the settings you have added, click Reset calibration.
Add scenarios
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.
- Add a scenario:
Go to Radar > Scenarios.
Click Add scenario.
Type the name of the scenario.
Select if you want to trigger on objects moving in an area or on objects crossing one, or two, lines.
- Trigger on objects moving in an area:
Select Movement in area.
Click Next.
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.
Click Next.
Add detection settings.
Add seconds until trigger after under Ignore short-lived objects.
Select which object type to trigger on under Trigger on object type.
Add a range for the speed limit under Speed limit.
Click Next.
Set the minimum duration of the alarm under Minimum trigger duration.
Click Save.
- Trigger on objects crossing a line:
Select Line crossing.
Click Next.
Position the line in the scene.
Use the mouse to move and shape the line.
To change the detection direction, turn on Change direction.
Click Next.
Add detection settings.
Add seconds until trigger after under Ignore short-lived objects.
Select which object type to trigger on under Trigger on object type.
Add a range for the speed limit under Speed limit.
Click Next.
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.
Click Save.
- Trigger on objects crossing two lines:
Select Line crossing.
Click Next.
To make the object cross two lines for the alarm to trigger, turn on Require crossing of two lines.
Position the lines in the scene.
Use the mouse to move and shape the line.
To change the detection direction, turn on Change direction.
Click Next.
Add detection settings.
Set the time limit between crossing the first and the second line under Max time between crossings.
Select which object type to trigger on under Trigger on object type.
Add a range for the speed limit under Speed limit.
Click Next.
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.
Click Save.
Show a text overlay with the tilt angle of the radar
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.
The tilt angle overlay shows “90” when the device is horizontal. If the overlay shows “75”, the tilt angle of the radar is 15° below the horizon.
Go to Radar > Overlays.
Select Text and click .
Type #op.
You can also click Modifier and select #op from the list.
Select a position. You can also drag the overlay field in the live view to change the position.
Set up rules for events
To learn more, check out our guide Get started with rules for events.
Trigger an action
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.
Enter a Name.
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.
Select which Action the device should perform when the conditions are met.
If you make changes to an active rule, the rule must be turned on again for the changes to take effect.
If you change the definition of a stream profile that is used in a rule, then you need to restart all the rules that use that stream profile.
Save power when no motion is detected
This example explains how to turn on power saving mode when no motion is detected in the scene.
When you turn on power saving mode, the IR illumination range is reduced.
- Make sure that AXIS Object Analytics is running:
Go to Apps > AXIS Object Analytics.
Start the application if it is not already running.
Make sure you have set up the application according to your needs.
- Create a rule:
Go to System > Events and add a rule.
Type a name for the rule.
In the list of conditions, under Application, select Object Analytics.
Select Invert this condition.
In the list of actions, under Power saving mode, select Use power saving mode while the rule is active.
Click Save.
Record video when the camera detects an object
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.
- Make sure that AXIS Object Analytics is running:
Go to Apps > AXIS Object Analytics.
Start the application if it is not already running.
Make sure you have set up the application according to your needs.
- Create a rule:
Go to System > Events and add a rule.
Type a name for the rule.
In the list of conditions, under Application, select Object Analytics.
In the list of actions, under Recordings, select Record video while the rule is active.
In the list of storage options, select SD_DISK.
Select a camera and a stream profile.
Set the prebuffer time to 5 seconds.
Set the postbuffer time to 1 minute.
Click Save.
Show a text overlay in the video stream when the device detects an object
This example explains how to display the text “Motion detected” when the device detects an object.
- Make sure that AXIS Object Analytics is running:
Go to Apps > AXIS Object Analytics.
Start the application if it is not already running.
Make sure you have set up the application according to your needs.
- Add the overlay text:
Go to Video > Overlays.
Under Overlays, select Text and click .
Enter
#D
in the text field.Choose text size and appearance.
To position the text overlay, click and select an option.
- Create a rule:
Go to System > Events and add a rule.
Type a name for the rule.
In the list of conditions, under Application, select Object Analytics.
In the list of actions, under Overlay text, select Use overlay text.
Select a video channel.
In Text, type “Motion detected”.
Set the duration.
Click Save.
If you update the overlay text it will be automatically updated on all video streams dynamically.
Provide visual indication of an ongoing event
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.
Go to System > Accessories > I/O ports.
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.
Go to System > Events.
Create a new rule.
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.
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.
Save the rule.
Create a second rule and select the same Condition as in the first rule.
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.
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.
Record video when the camera detects impact
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.
- Turn on shock detection:
Go to System > Detectors > Shock detection.
Turn on shock detection, and adjust the shock sensitivity.
- Create a rule:
Go to System > Events > Rules and add a rule.
Type a name for the rule.
In the list of conditions, under Device status, select Shock detected.
Click + to add a second condition.
In the list of conditions, under Scheduled and recurring, select Schedule.
In the list of schedules, select After hours .
In the list of actions, under Recordings, select Record video while the rule is active.
Select where to save the recordings.
Select a Camera.
Set the prebuffer time to 5 seconds.
Set the postbuffer time to 50 seconds.
Click Save.
Trigger an alarm if someone opens the enclosure
This example explains how to trigger an alarm if someone opens the housing or casing of the device.
- Add a recipient:
Go to System > Events > Recipients and click Add recipient.
Type a name for the recipient.
Select Email.
Type an email address to send the email to.
The camera doesn’t have it’s own email server, so it will need to log into another email server to be able to send mails. Fill in the rest of the information according to your email provider.
To send a test email, click Test.
Click Save.
- Create a rule:
Go to System > Events > Rules and add a rule.
Type a name for the rule.
In the list of conditions, select Casing open.
In the list of actions, select Send notification to email.
Select a recipient from the list.
Type a subject and a message for the email.
Click Save.
Send an email automatically if someone spray paints the lens
- Activate the tampering detection:
Go to System > Detectors > Camera tampering.
Set a value for Trigger delay. The value indicates the time that must pass before an email is sent.
Turn on Trigger on dark images to detect if the lens is sprayed, covered, or rendered severely out of focus.
- Add an email recipient:
Go to System > Events > Recipients and add a recipient.
Type a name for the recipient.
Select Email.
Type an email address to send the email to.
The camera doesn’t have it’s own email server, so it has to log into another email server to send mails. Fill in the rest of the information according to your email provider.
To send a test email, click Test.
Click Save.
- Create a rule:
Go to System > Events > Rules and add a rule.
Type a name for the rule.
In the list of conditions, under Video, select Tampering.
In the list of actions, under Notifications, select Send notification to email and then select the recipient from the list.
Type a subject and a message for the email.
Click Save.
Use MQTT to send radar data
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.
- Set up the MQTT client in the web interface of the device where you have installed AXIS Speed Monitor:
Go to System > MQTT > MQTT client > Broker and enter the following information:
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
Click Save and Connect.
- Create a condition that publishes the radar data as a payload to the MQTT broker:
Go to System > MQTT > MQTT publication and click + Add condition.
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.
Trigger a recording if a vehicle drives in the wrong direction
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.
- Add a scenario in the radar:
Go to Radar > Scenarios.
Click + Add scenario.
Type the name of the scenario.
Select Line crossing.
Click Next.
To make the object cross two lines for the alarm to trigger, turn on Require crossing of two lines.
Position the lines in the scene.
Use the mouse to move and shape them.
To change the detection direction, turn on Change direction.
Click Next.
Add detection settings.
Set the time limit between crossing the first and the second line under Max time between crossings.
Select that you want to trigger on vehicles under Trigger on object type.
Add a range for the speed limit under Speed limit.
Click Next.
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.
Click Save.
- Create a rule that triggers a recording:
Go to System > Events and add a rule
Type a name for the rule.
In the list of conditions, under Radar motion, select the scenario you just created.
In the list of actions, under Recordings, select Record video while the rule is active.
In the list of storage options, select SD_DISK.
Select Camera 1.
Set the prebuffer time to
5
seconds.Set the postbuffer to
30
seconds.Click Save.
Audio
Add audio to your recording
- Turn on audio:
Go to Video > Stream > Audio and include audio.
If the device has more than one input source, select the correct one in Source.
Go to Audio > Device settings and turn on the correct input source.
If you make any changes to the input source, click Apply changes.
- Edit the stream profile that is used for the recording:
Go to System > Stream profiles and select the stream profile.
Select Include audio and turn it on.
Click Save.
Connect to a network speaker
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.
For this feature to work with a video management software (VMS), you must first pair the camera with the network speaker, then add the camera to your VMS.
- Pair camera with network speaker
Go to System > Edge-to-edge > Pairing.
Type the network speaker’s IP address, username and password.
Select Speaker pairing.
Click Connect. A confirmation message appears.
The web interface
To reach the device’s web interface, type the device’s IP address in a web browser.
Support for the features and settings described in this section varies between devices. This icon indicates that the feature or setting is only available in some devices.
Show or hide the main menu. Access the release notes. Access the product help. Change the language. Set light theme or dark theme. The user menu contains:
The context menu contains:
|
Status
Device info
Shows the device information, including AXIS OS version and serial number.
Upgrade AXIS OS: Upgrade the software on your device. Takes you to the Maintenance page where you can do the upgrade. |
Time sync status
Shows NTP synchronization information, including if the device is in sync with an NTP server and the time remaining until the next sync.
NTP settings: View and update the NTP settings. Takes you to the Time and location page where you can change the NTP settings. |
Security
Shows what kind of access to the device that is active, what encryption protocols are in use, and if unsigned apps are allowed. Recommendations to the settings are based on the AXIS OS Hardening Guide.
Hardening guide: Link to AXIS OS Hardening guide where you can learn more about cybersecurity on Axis devices and best practices. |
Connected clients
Shows the number of connections and connected clients.
View details: View and update the list of connected clients. The list shows IP address, protocol, port, state, and PID/process of each connection. |
Ongoing recordings
Shows ongoing recordings and their designated storage space.
Recordings: View ongoing and filtered recordings and their source. For more information, see Recordings Shows the storage space where the recording is saved. |
Video
Click to play the live video stream. Click to freeze the live video stream. Click to take a snapshot of the live video stream. The file is saved in the ‘Downloads’ folder on your computer. The image file name is [snapshot_YYYY_MM_DD_HH_MM_SS.jpg]. The size of the snapshot depends on the compression that the specific web-browser engine where the snapshot is received applies, therefore, the snapshot size may vary from the actual compression setting that is configured in the device. Click to show I/O output ports. Use the switch to open or close the circuit of a port, for example, to test external devices. Click to manually turn on or turn off the IR illumination. Click to manually turn on or turn off the white light. Click to access onscreen controls:
Starts the washer. When the sequence starts, the camera moves to the configured position to receive the wash spray. When the whole wash sequence is completed, the camera returns to its previous position. This icon is only visible when the washer is connected and configured. Starts the wiper. Click and select a preset position to go to that preset position in the live view. Or, click Setup to go to the preset position page. Adds or removes a focus recall area. When you add a focus recall area, the camera saves the focus settings at that specific pan/tilt range. When you have set a focus recall area and the camera enters that area in the live view, the camera recalls the previously saved focus. It’s enough to cover half of the area for the camera to recall the focus. Click to select a guard tour, then click Start to play the guard tour. Or, click Setup to go to the guard tours page. Click to manually turn on the heater for a selected period of time. Click to start a continuous recording of the live video stream. Click again to stop the recording. If a recording is ongoing, it will resume automatically after a reboot. Click to show the storage that is configured for the device. To configure the storage, you need to be logged in as an administrator. Click to access more settings:
Click to show the live view at full resolution. If the full resolution is larger than your screen size, use the smaller image to navigate in the image. Click to show the live video stream in full screen. Press Esc to exit full screen mode. |
Installation
Capture mode: A capture mode is a preset configuration that defines how the camera captures images. When you change the capture mode, it can affect many other settings, such as view areas and privacy masks. Mounting position: The orientation of the image can change depending on how you mount the camera. Power line frequency: To minimize image flicker, select the frequency your region uses. The American regions usually use 60 Hz. The rest of the world mostly uses 50 Hz. If you're not sure of your region's power line frequency, check with the local authorities. |
Zoom: Use the slider to adjust the zoom level. Focus: Use the slider to manually set the focus. AF: Click to make the camera focus on the selected area. If you don’t select an autofocus area, the camera focuses on the entire scene. Autofocus area: Click to show the autofocus area. This area should include the area of interest. Reset focus: Click to make the focus return to its original position. Note In cold environments, it can take several minutes for the zoom and focus to become available. |
Image correction
Important We recommend you not to use multiple image correction features at the same time, since it can lead to performance issues. Barrel distortion correction (BDC): Turn on to get a straighter image if it suffers from barrel distortion. Barrel distortion is a lens effect that makes the image appear curved and bent outwards. The condition is seen more clearly when the image is zoomed out. Crop: Use the slider to adjust the correction level. A lower level means that the image width is kept at the expense of image height and resolution. A higher level means that image height and resolution are kept at the expense of image width. Remove distortion: Use the slider to adjust the correction level. Pucker means that the image width is kept at the expense of image height and resolution. Bloat means that image height and resolution are kept at the expense of image width. Image stabilization: Turn on to get a smoother and steadier image with less blur. We recommend that you use image stabilization in environments where the device is mounted in an exposed location and subject to vibrations due to, for example, wind or passing traffic. Focal length: Use the slider to adjust the focal length. A higher value leads to higher magnification and a narrower angle of view, while a lower value leads to a lower magnification and a wider angle of view. Stabilizer margin: Use the slider to adjust the size of the stabilizer margin, which determines the level of vibration to stabilize. If the product is mounted in an environment with a lot of vibration, move the slider towards Max. As a result, a smaller scene is captured. If the environment has less vibration, move the slider towards Min. Straighten image: Turn on and use the slider to straighten the image horizontally by rotating and cropping it digitally. The functionality is useful when it’s not possible to mount the camera exactly level. Ideally, straighten the image during installation. : Click to show a supporting grid in the image. : Click to hide the grid. |
Traffic camera installation assistance
|
Image
Appearance
Scene profile: Select a scene profile that suits your surveillance scenario. A scene profile optimizes image settings, including color level, brightness, sharpness, contrast, and local contrast, for a specific environment or purpose.
Saturation: Use the slider to adjust the color intensity. You can, for example, get a grayscale image. Contrast: Use the slider to adjust the difference between light and dark. Brightness: Use the slider to adjust the light intensity. This can make objects easier to see. Brightness is applied after image capture, and doesn’t affect the information in the image. To get more details from a dark area, it’s usually better to increase gain or exposure time. Sharpness: Use the slider to make objects in the image appear sharper by adjusting the edge contrast. If you increase the sharpness, it may increase the bitrate and the amount of storage space needed as well. |
Wide dynamic range
WDR: Turn on to make both bright and dark areas of the image visible. Local contrast: Use the slider to adjust the contrast of the image. A higher value makes the contrast higher between dark and light areas. Tone mapping: Use the slider to adjust the amount of tone mapping that is applied to the image. If the value is set to zero, only the standard gamma correction is applied, while a higher value increases the visibility of the darkest and brightest parts in the image. |
White balance
When the camera detects the color temperature of the incoming light, it can adjust the image to make the colors look more natural. If this is not sufficient, you can select a suitable light source from the list.
The automatic white balance setting reduces the risk of color flicker by adapting to changes gradually. If the lighting changes, or when the camera is first started, it can take up to 30 seconds to adapt to the new light source. If there is more than one type of light source in a scene, that is, they differ in color temperature, the dominating light source acts as a reference for the automatic white balance algorithm. This behavior can be overridden by choosing a fixed white balance setting that matches the light source you want to use as a reference.
Light environment:
|
Day-night mode
IR-cut filter:
Threshold: Use the slider to adjust the light threshold where the camera changes from day mode to night mode.
IR light If your device doesn’t have built-in illumination, these controls are only available when you connect a supporting Axis accessory. Allow illumination: Turn on to let the camera use the built-in light in night mode. Synchronize illumination: Turn on to automatically synchronize the illumination with the surrounding light. The synchronization between day and night only works if the IR-cut filter is set to Auto or Off. Automatic illumination angle: Turn on to use the automatic illumination angle. Turn off to set the illumination angle manually. Illumination angle: Use the slider to manually set the illumination angle, for example, if the angle needs to be different from the camera’s angle of view. If the camera has a wide angle of view, you can set the illumination angle to a narrower angle, which equals a greater tele position. This will result in dark corners in the image. IR wavelength: Select the desired wavelength for the IR light. White light Allow illumination: Turn on to let the camera use white light in night mode. Synchronize illumination: Turn on to automatically synchronize the white light with the surrounding light. |
Exposure
Select an exposure mode to reduce rapidly changing irregular effects in the image, for example, flicker produced by different types of light sources. We recommend you to use the automatic exposure mode, or the same frequency as your power network.
Exposure mode:
Exposure zone: Use exposure zones to optimize the exposure in a selected part of the scene, for example, the area in front of an entrance door. Note The exposure zones are related to the original image (unrotated), and the names of the zones apply to the original image. This means, for example, that if the video stream is rotated 90°, then the Upper zone becomes the Right zone in the stream, and Left becomes Lower.
Max shutter: Select the shutter speed to provide the best image. Low shutter speeds (longer exposure) might cause motion blur when there is movement, and a too high shutter speed might affect the image quality. Max shutter works with max gain to improve the image. Max gain: Select the suitable max gain. If you increase the max gain, it improves the visible level of detail in dark images, but also increases the noise level. More noise can also result in increased use of bandwidth and storage. If you set the max gain to a high value, images can differ a lot if the light conditions are very different from day to night. Max gain works with max shutter to improve the image. Motion-adaptive exposure: Select to reduce motion blur in low-light conditions. Blur-noise trade-off: Use the slider to adjust the priority between motion blur and noise. If you want to prioritize low bandwidth and have less noise at the expense of details in moving objects, move the slider towards Low noise. If you want to prioritize the preservation of details in moving objects at the expense of noise and bandwidth, move the slider towards Low motion blur. Note You can change the exposure either by adjusting the exposure time or by adjusting the gain. If you increase the exposure time, it results in more motion blur, and if you increase the gain, it results in more noise. If you adjust the Blur-noise trade-off towards Low noise, the automatic exposure will prioritize longer exposure times over increasing gain, and the opposite if you adjust the trade-off towards Low motion blur. Both the gain and exposure time will eventually reach their maximum values in low-light conditions, regardless of the priority set. Lock aperture: Turn on to keep the aperture size set by the Aperture slider. Turn off to allow the camera to automatically adjust the aperture size. You can, for example, lock the aperture for scenes with permanent light conditions. Aperture: Use the slider to adjust the aperture size, that is, how much light passes through the lens. To allow more light to enter the sensor and thereby produce a brighter image in low-light conditions, move the slider towards Open. An open aperture also reduces the depth of field, which means that objects close to or far from the camera can appear unfocused. To allow more of the image to be in focus, move the slider towards Closed. Exposure level: Use the slider to adjust the image exposure. Defog: Turn on to detect the effects of foggy weather and automatically remove them for a clearer image. Note We recommend you not to turn on Defog in scenes with low contrast, large light level variations, or when the autofocus is slightly off. This can affect the image quality, for example, by increasing the contrast. Furthermore, too much light can negatively impact the image quality when defog is active. |
General
Name: Enter a name for the selected camera. |
Optics
Temperature compensation: Turn on if you want the focus position to be corrected based on the temperature in the optics. IR compensation: Turn on if you want the focus position to be corrected when IR-cut filter is off and when there is IR light. Calibrate zoom and focus: Click to reset the optics and the zoom and focus settings to the factory default position. You need to do this if the optics have lost calibration during transport, or if the device has been exposed to extreme vibrations. |
Stream
General
Resolution: Select the image resolution suitable for the surveillance scene. A higher resolution increases bandwidth and storage. Frame rate: To avoid bandwidth problems on the network or reduce storage size, you can limit the frame rate to a fixed amount. If you leave the frame rate at zero, the frame rate is kept at the highest possible rate under the current conditions. A higher frame rate requires more bandwidth and storage capacity. P-frames: A P-frame is a predicted image that shows only the changes in the image from the previous frame. Enter the desired number of P-frames. The higher the number, the less bandwidth is required. However, if there is network congestion, there could be a noticeable deterioration in the video quality. Compression: Use the slider to adjust the image compression. High compression results in a lower bitrate and lower image quality. Low compression improves the image quality, but uses more bandwidth and storage when you record. Signed video: Turn on to add the signed video feature to the video. Signed video protects the video from tampering by adding cryptographic signatures to the video. |
Zipstream
Zipstream is a bitrate reduction technology, optimized for video surveillance, that reduces the average bitrate in an H.264 or H.265 stream in real time. Axis Zipstream applies a high bitrate in scenes where there are multiple regions of interest, for example, in scenes with moving objects. When the scene is more static, Zipstream applies a lower bitrate, and thereby reduces the required storage. To learn more, see Reducing the bit rate with Axis Zipstream
Optimize for storage: Turn on to minimize the bitrate while maintaining quality. The optimization does not apply to the stream shown in the web client. This can only be used if your VMS supports B-frames. Turning on Optimize for storage also turns on Dynamic GOP. Dynamic FPS (frames per second): Turn on to allow the bandwidth to vary based on the level of activity in the scene. More activity requires more bandwidth. Lower limit: Enter a value to adjust the frame rate between minimal fps and the stream default fps based on scene motion. We recommend you to use lower limit in scenes with very little motion, where the fps could drop to 1 or lower. Dynamic GOP (Group of Pictures): Turn on to dynamically adjust the interval between I-frames based on the level of activity in the scene. Upper limit: Enter a maximum GOP length, that is, the maximum number of P-frames between two I-frames. An I-frame is a self-contained image frame that is independent of other frames. |
Bitrate control
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Audio
Include: Turn on to use audio in the video stream. Source: Select what audio source to use. Stereo: Turn on to include built-in audio as well as audio from an external microphone. |
Overlays
: Click to add an overlay. Select the type of overlay from the dropdown list:
Widget: Meter: Show a bar chart that displays the most recently measured data value.
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Privacy masks
: Click to create a new privacy mask. Privacy masks: Click to change the color of all privacy masks, or to delete all privacy masks permanently. Cell size: If you choose mosaic color, the privacy masks appear as pixilated patterns. Use the slider to change the size of the pixels. Mask x: Click to rename, disable, or permanently delete the mask. |
Radar
Settings
General
Radar transmission: Use this to turn off the radar module completely. Channel: If you have problems with multiple devices interfering with each other, select the same channel for up to four devices that are close to each other. For most installations, select Auto to let the devices automatically negotiate which channel to use. Mounting height: Enter the mounting height for the product. Note Be as specific as you can when you enter the mounting height. This helps the device visualize the radar detection in the correct position in the image. |
Detection
Detection sensitivity: Select how sensitive the radar should be. A higher value means that you get a longer detection range, but there is also a higher risk of false alarms. A lower sensitivity decreases the number of false alarms, but it may shorten the detection range. Radar profile: Select a profile that suits your area of interest.
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View
Information legend: Turn on to show a legend containing the object types the radar can detect and track. Drag and drop to move the information legend. Zone opacity: Select how opaque or transparent the coverage zone should be. Grid opacity: Select how opaque or transparent the grid should be. Color scheme: Select a theme for the radar visualization. Rotation: Select the preferred orientation of the radar image. |
Object visualization
Trail lifetime: Select how long the trail of a tracked object is visible in the radar view. Icon style: Select the icon style of the tracked objects in the radar view. For plain triangles, select Triangle. For representative symbols, select Symbol. The icons will point in the direction the tracked objects are moving, regardless of style.
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Stream
General
Resolution: Select the image resolution suitable for the surveillance scene. A higher resolution increases bandwidth and storage. Frame rate: To avoid bandwidth problems on the network or reduce storage size, you can limit the frame rate to a fixed amount. If you leave the frame rate at zero, the frame rate is kept at the highest possible rate under the current conditions. A higher frame rate requires more bandwidth and storage capacity. P-frames: A P-frame is a predicted image that shows only the changes in the image from the previous frame. Enter the desired number of P-frames. The higher the number, the less bandwidth is required. However, if there is network congestion, there could be a noticeable deterioration in the video quality. Compression: Use the slider to adjust the image compression. High compression results in a lower bitrate and lower image quality. Low compression improves the image quality, but uses more bandwidth and storage when you record. Signed video: Turn on to add the signed video feature to the video. Signed video protects the video from tampering by adding cryptographic signatures to the video. |
Zipstream
Zipstream is a bitrate reduction technology, optimized for video surveillance, that reduces the average bitrate in an H.264 or H.265 stream in real time. Axis Zipstream applies a high bitrate in scenes where there are multiple regions of interest, for example, in scenes with moving objects. When the scene is more static, Zipstream applies a lower bitrate, and thereby reduces the required storage. To learn more, see Reducing the bit rate with Axis Zipstream
Optimize for storage: Turn on to minimize the bitrate while maintaining quality. The optimization does not apply to the stream shown in the web client. This can only be used if your VMS supports B-frames. Turning on Optimize for storage also turns on Dynamic GOP. Dynamic FPS (frames per second): Turn on to allow the bandwidth to vary based on the level of activity in the scene. More activity requires more bandwidth. Lower limit: Enter a value to adjust the frame rate between minimal fps and the stream default fps based on scene motion. We recommend you to use lower limit in scenes with very little motion, where the fps could drop to 1 or lower. Dynamic GOP (Group of Pictures): Turn on to dynamically adjust the interval between I-frames based on the level of activity in the scene. Upper limit: Enter a maximum GOP length, that is, the maximum number of P-frames between two I-frames. An I-frame is a self-contained image frame that is independent of other frames. |
Bitrate control
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Audio
Include: Turn on to use audio in the video stream. Source: Select what audio source to use. Stereo: Turn on to include built-in audio as well as audio from an external microphone. |
Map calibration
Use map calibration to upload and calibrate a reference map. The result of the calibration is a reference map that displays the radar coverage in the appropriate scale, which makes it easier to see where objects are moving.
Setup assistant: Click to open the setup assistant that guides you through the calibration step by step. Reset calibration: Click to remove the current map image and radar position on the map. |
Map
Upload map: Select or drag and drop the map image you want to upload. Download map: Click to download the map. Rotate map: Use the slider to rotate the map image. |
Scale and distance on map
Distance: Add the distance between the two points you have added to the map. |
Pan and zoom map
Pan: Click on the buttons to pan the map image. Zoom: Click on the buttons to zoom in or out on the map image. Reset pan and zoom: Click to remove the pan and zoom settings. |
Radar position
Position: Click on the buttons to move the radar on the map. Rotation: Click on the buttons to rotate the radar on the map. |
Lanes
Lanes improve the radar’s performance and ability to track vehicles when monitoring lanes on a road. Add one lane in the radar for each actual lane you are monitoring. Add lane: Click to add a new lane. Use the mouse to modify the shape of the lane you have added. : Click to expand and edit the name of the lane. : Click to delete the lane. Lanes enabled: Turn on to activate the lanes you have added. |
Exclude zones
An exclude zone is an area in which moving objects are ignored. Use exclude zones if there are areas inside a scenario that trigger a lot of unwanted alarms. : Click to create a new exclude zone. To modify an exclude zone, select it in the list. Track passing objects: Turn on to track objects that pass through the exclude zone. The passing objects keep their track IDs and are visible throughout the zone. Objects that appear from within the exclude zone will not be tracked. Zone shape presets: Select the initial shape of the exclude zone.
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Scenarios
A scenario is a combination of triggering conditions, as well as scene and detection settings. : Click to create a new scenario. You can create up to 20 scenarios.
For Line crossing:
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Overlays
: Click to add an overlay. Select the type of overlay from the dropdown list:
Widget: Meter: Show a bar chart that displays the most recently measured data value.
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Radar PTZ autotracking
Pair the radar with a PTZ camera to use radar autotracking. To establish the connection, go to System > Edge-to-edge.
Configure initial settings: Camera mounting height: The distance from the ground to the height of the mounted PTZ camera. Pan alignment: Pan the PTZ camera so that it points in the same direction as the radar. Click on the IP address of the PTZ camera to access it. Save pan offset: Click to save the pan alignment. Ground incline offset: Use the ground incline offset to fine tune the camera’s tilt. If the ground is sloped, or if the camera is not mounted horizontally, the camera may aim too high or too low when tracking an object. Done: Click to save your settings and continue with the configuration. |
Configure PTZ autotracking: Track: Select if you want to track humans, vehicles and/or unknown objects. Tracking: Turn on to start tracking objects with the PTZ camera. The tracking automatically zooms in on an object, or a group of objects, to keep them in the view of the camera. Object switching: If the radar detects multiple objects that won't fit in the PTZ camera's view, the PTZ camera tracks the object that the radar gives the highest priority, and ignores the others. Object hold time: Determines for how many seconds the PTZ camera should track each object. Return to home: Turn on to make the PTZ camera return to its home position when the radar no longer tracks any objects. Return to home timeout: Determines how long the PTZ camera should stay at the tracked objects last known position before returning to home. Zoom: Use the slider to fine tune the zoom of the PTZ camera. Reconfigure installation: Click to clear all settings and go back to the initial configuration. |
Analytics
AXIS Object Analytics
Start: Click to start AXIS Object Analytics. The application will run in the background, and you can create rules for events based on the application’s current settings. Open: Click to open AXIS Object Analytics. The application opens up in a new browser tab where you can configure its settings. Not installed: AXIS Object Analytics is not installed on this device. Upgrade AXIS OS to the latest version to get the latest version of the application. |
Audio
Device settings
Input: Turn on or off audio input. Shows the type of input.
Input type: Select the type of input, for instance, if it’s internal microphone or line. Power type: Select power type for your input. Apply changes: Apply your selection. Echo cancellation: Turn on to remove echoes during two-way communication. Separate gain controls: Turn on to adjust the gain separately for the different input types. Automatic gain control: Turn on to dynamically adapt the gain to changes in the sound. Gain: Use the slider to change the gain. Click the microphone icon to mute or unmute. |
Output: Shows the type of output.
Gain: Use the slider to change the gain. Click the speaker icon to mute or unmute. |
Stream
Encoding: Select the encoding to use for the input source streaming. You can only choose encoding if audio input is turned on. If audio input is turned off, click Enable audio input to turn it on. |
Echo cancellation: Turn on to remove echoes during two-way communication. |
Audio clips
Add clip: Add a new audio clip. You can use .au, .mp3, .opus, .vorbis, .wav files. Play the audio clip. Stop playing the audio clip. The context menu contains:
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Audio enhancement
Input
Ten Band Graphic Audio Equalizer: Turn on to adjust the level of different frequency bands within an audio signal. This feature is for advanced users with audio configuration experience. Talkback range: Choose the operational range to gather audio content. An increase to the operational range cause a reduction of simultaneous two-way communication capabilities. Voice enhancement: Turn on to enhance the voice content in relation to other sounds. |
Recordings
Ongoing recordings: Show all ongoing recordings on the device. Start a recording on the device. Choose which storage device to save to. Stop a recording on the device. Triggered recordings will end when manually stopped or when the device is shut down. Continuous recordings will continue until manually stopped. Even if the device is shut down, the recording will continue when the device starts up again. |
Play the recording. Stop playing the recording. Show or hide information and options about the recording. Set export range: If you only want to export part of the recording, enter a time span. Note that if you work in a different time zone than the location of the device, the time span is based on the device’s time zone. Encrypt: Select to set a password for exported recordings. It will not be possible to open the exported file without the password. Click to delete a recording. Export: Export the whole or a part of the recording. |
Click to filter the recordings. From: Show recordings done after a certain point in time. To: Show recordings up until a certain point in time. Source: Show recordings based on source. The source refers to the sensor. Event: Show recordings based on events. Storage: Show recordings based on storage type. |
Apps
Add app: Install a new app. Find more apps: Find more apps to install. You will be taken to an overview page of Axis apps. Allow unsigned apps: Turn on to allow installation of unsigned apps. Allow root-privileged apps: Turn on to allow apps with root privileges full access to the device. View the security updates in AXIS OS and ACAP apps. Note The device’s performance might be affected if you run several apps at the same time. Use the switch next to the app name to start or stop the app. Open: Access the app’s settings. The available settings depend on the application. Some applications don’t have any settings. The context menu can contain one or more of the following options:
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System
Time and location
Date and time
The time format depends on the web browser’s language settings.
We recommend you synchronize the device’s date and time with an NTP server.
Synchronization: Select an option for the device’s date and time synchronization.
Time zone: Select which time zone to use. Time will automatically adjust to daylight saving time and standard time.
Note The system uses the date and time settings in all recordings, logs, and system settings. |
Device location
Enter where the device is located. Your video management system can use this information to place the device on a map.
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Regional settings
Sets the system of measurement to use in all system settings.
Metric (m, km/h): Select for distance measurement to be in meters and speed measurement to be in kilometers per hour. U.S. customary (ft, mph): Select for distance measurement to be in feet and speed measurement to be in miles per hour. |
Network
IPv4
Assign IPv4 automatically: Select to let the network router assign an IP address to the device automatically. We recommend automatic IP (DHCP) for most networks. IP address: Enter a unique IP address for the device. Static IP addresses can be assigned at random within isolated networks, provided that each address is unique. To avoid conflicts, we recommend you contact your network administrator before you assign a static IP address. Subnet mask: Enter the subnet mask to define what addresses are inside the local area network. Any address outside the local area network goes through the router. Router: Enter the IP address of the default router (gateway) used to connect devices that are attached to different networks and network segments. Fallback to static IP address if DHCP isn’t available: Select if you want to add a static IP address to use as fallback if DHCP is unavailable and can’t assign an IP address automatically. Note If DHCP isn’t available and the device uses a static address fallback, the static address is configured with a limited scope. |
IPv6
Assign IPv6 automatically: Select to turn on IPv6 and to let the network router assign an IP address to the device automatically. |
Hostname
Assign hostname automatically: Select to let the network router assign a hostname to the device automatically. Hostname: Enter the hostname manually to use as an alternative way of accessing the device. The server report and system log use the hostname. Allowed characters are A–Z, a–z, 0–9 and -. |
DNS servers
Assign DNS automatically: Select to let the DHCP server assign search domains and DNS server addresses to the device automatically. We recommend automatic DNS (DHCP) for most networks. Search domains: When you use a hostname that is not fully qualified, click Add search domain and enter a domain in which to search for the hostname the device uses. DNS servers: Click Add DNS server and enter the IP address of the DNS server. This provides the translation of hostnames to IP addresses on your network. |
HTTP and HTTPS
HTTPS is a protocol that provides encryption for page requests from users and for the pages returned by the web server. The encrypted exchange of information is governed by the use of an HTTPS certificate, which guarantees the authenticity of the server.
To use HTTPS on the device, you must install an HTTPS certificate. Go to System > Security to create and install certificates.
Allow access through: Select if a user is allowed to connect to the device through the HTTP, HTTPS, or both HTTP and HTTPS protocols. Note If you view encrypted web pages through HTTPS, you might experience a drop in performance, especially when you request a page for the first time. HTTP port: Enter the HTTP port to use. The device allows port 80 or any port in the range 1024-65535. If you are logged in as an administrator, you can also enter any port in the range 1-1023. If you use a port in this range, you get a warning. HTTPS port: Enter the HTTPS port to use. The device allows port 443 or any port in the range 1024-65535. If you are logged in as an administrator, you can also enter any port in the range 1-1023. If you use a port in this range, you get a warning. Certificate: Select a certificate to enable HTTPS for the device. |
Network discovery protocols
Bonjour®: Turn on to allow automatic discovery on the network. Bonjour name: Enter a friendly name to be visible on the network. The default name is the device name and MAC address. UPnP®: Turn on to allow automatic discovery on the network. UPnP name: Enter a friendly name to be visible on the network. The default name is the device name and MAC address. WS-Discovery: Turn on to allow automatic discovery on the network. LLDP and CDP: Turn on to allow automatic discovery on the network. Turning LLDP and CDP off can impact the PoE power negotiation. To resolve any issues with the PoE power negotiation, configure the PoE switch for hardware PoE power negotiation only. |
Global proxies
Http proxy: Specify a global proxy host or IP address according to the allowed format. Https proxy: Specify a global proxy host or IP address according to the allowed format.
Note Restart the device to apply the global proxy settings.
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One-click cloud connection
One-click cloud connection (O3C) together with an O3C service provides easy and secure internet access to live and recorded video from any location. For more information, see axis.com/end-to-end-solutions/hosted-services.
Allow O3C:
Proxy settings: If needed, enter the proxy settings to connect to the proxy server. Host: Enter the proxy server’s address. Port: Enter the port number used for access. Login and Password: If needed, enter username and password for the proxy server. Authentication method:
Owner authentication key (OAK): Click Get key to fetch the owner authentication key. This is only possible if the device is connected to the internet without a firewall or proxy. |
SNMP
The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) allows remote management of network devices.
SNMP: Select the version of SNMP to use.
Note All Axis Video MIB traps are enabled when you turn on SNMP v1 and v2c traps. For more information, see AXIS OS Portal > SNMP.
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Power over Ethernet
Security
Certificates
Certificates are used to authenticate devices on a network. The device supports two types of certificates:
These formats are supported:
Important If you reset the device to factory default, all certificates are deleted. Any pre-installed CA certificates are reinstalled. Add certificate : Click to add a certificate.
The context menu contains:
Secure keystore:
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Network access control and encryption
IEEE 802.1x IEEE 802.1x is an IEEE standard for port-based network admission control providing secure authentication of wired and wireless network devices. IEEE 802.1x is based on EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol). To access a network protected by IEEE 802.1x, network devices must authenticate themselves. The authentication is performed by an authentication server, typically a RADIUS server (for example, FreeRADIUS and Microsoft Internet Authentication Server). IEEE 802.1AE MACsec IEEE 802.1AE MACsec is an IEEE standard for media access control (MAC) security that defines connectionless data confidentiality and integrity for media access independent protocols. Certificates When configured without a CA certificate, server certificate validation is disabled and the device tries to authenticate itself regardless of what network it is connected to. When using a certificate, in Axis' implementation, the device and the authentication server authenticate themselves with digital certificates using EAP-TLS (Extensible Authentication Protocol - Transport Layer Security). To allow the device to access a network protected through certificates, you must install a signed client certificate on the device. Authentication method: Select an EAP type used for authentication. Client certificate: Select a client certificate to use IEEE 802.1x. The authentication server uses the certificate to validate the client’s identity. CA certificates: Select CA certificates to validate the authentication server’s identity. When no certificate is selected, the device tries to authenticate itself regardless of what network it is connected to. EAP identity: Enter the user identity associated with the client certificate. EAPOL version: Select the EAPOL version that is used in the network switch. Use IEEE 802.1x: Select to use the IEEE 802.1x protocol. These settings are only available if you use IEEE 802.1x PEAP-MSCHAPv2 as the authentication method:
These settings are only available if you use IEEE 802.1ae MACsec (Static CAK/Pre-Shared Key) as the authentication method:
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Prevent brute-force attacks
Blocking: Turn on to block brute-force attacks. A brute-force attack uses trial-and-error to guess login info or encryption keys. Blocking period: Enter the number of seconds to block a brute-force attack. Blocking conditions: Enter the number of authentication failures allowed per second before the block starts. You can set the number of failures allowed both on page level and device level. |
Firewall
Activate: Turn on the firewall.
To make exceptions to the default policy, you can create rules that allows or denies connections to the device from specific addresses, protocols, and ports.
: Click to create another rule.
Pending rules: An overview of the latest tested rules that you are yet to confirm. Note The rules that have a time limit appear under Active rules until the displayed timer runs out, or until you confirm them. If you don't confirm them, they will appear under Pending rules once the timer runs out, and the firewall will revert to the previously defined settings. If you confirm them, they will replace the current active rules. Confirm rules: Click to activate the pending rules. Active rules: An overview of the rules you are currently running on the device. : Click to delete an active rule. : Click to delete all rules, both pending and active. |
Custom signed AXIS OS certificate
To install test software or other custom software from Axis on the device, you need a custom signed AXIS OS certificate. The certificate verifies that the software is approved by both the device owner and Axis. The software can only run on a specific device which is identified by its unique serial number and chip ID. Only Axis can create custom signed AXIS OS certificates, since Axis holds the key to sign them. Install: Click to install the certificate. You need to install the certificate before you install the software. The context menu contains:
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Accounts
Accounts
Add account: Click to add a new account. You can add up to 100 accounts. Account: Enter a unique account name. New password: Enter a password for the account. Passwords must be 1 to 64 characters long. Only ASCII printable characters (code 32 to 126) are allowed in the password, for example, letters, numbers, punctuation, and some symbols. Repeat password: Enter the same password again. Privileges:
The context menu contains: Update account: Edit the account properties. Delete account: Delete the account. You can’t delete the root account. |
Anonymous access
Allow anonymous viewing: Turn on to allow anyone access the device as a viewer without logging in with an account. Allow anonymous PTZ operating: Turn on to allow anonymous users to pan, tilt, and zoom the image. |
SSH accounts
Add SSH account: Click to add a new SSH account.
Account: Enter a unique account name. New password: Enter a password for the account. Passwords must be 1 to 64 characters long. Only ASCII printable characters (code 32 to 126) are allowed in the password, for example, letters, numbers, punctuation, and some symbols. Repeat password: Enter the same password again. Comment: Enter a comment (optional). The context menu contains: Update SSH account: Edit the account properties. Delete SSH account: Delete the account. You can’t delete the root account. |
OpenID Configuration
If you can't use OpenID to sign in, use the Digest or Basic credentials you used when you configured OpenID to sign in.
Client ID: Enter the OpenID username. Outgoing Proxy: Enter the proxy address for the OpenID connection to use a proxy server. Admin claim: Enter a value for the admin role. Provider URL: Enter the web link for the API endpoint authentication. Format should be https://[insert URL]/.well-known/openid-configuration Operator claim: Enter a value for the operator role. Require claim: Enter the data that should be in the token. Viewer claim: Enter the value for the viewer role. Remote user: Enter a value to identify remote users. This assists to display the current user in the device’s web interface. Scopes: Optional scopes that could be part of the token. Client secret: Enter the OpenID password Save: Click to save the OpenID values. Enable OpenID: Turn on to close current connection and allow device authentication from the provider URL. |
Events
Rules
A rule defines the conditions that triggers the product to perform an action. The list shows all the currently configured rules in the product.
You can create up to 256 action rules.
Add a rule: Create a rule. Name: Enter a name for the rule. Wait between actions: Enter the minimum time (hh:mm:ss) that must pass between rule activations. It is useful if the rule is activated by, for example, day-night mode conditions, to avoid that small light changes during sunrise and sunset activate the rule repeatedly. Condition: Select a condition from the list. A condition must be met for the device to perform an action. If multiple conditions are defined, all of them must be met to trigger the action. For information about specific conditions, see Get started with rules for events. Use this condition as a trigger: Select to make this first condition function only as a starting trigger. It means that once the rule is activated, it remains active for as long as all the other conditions are met, no matter the state of the first condition. If you don’t select this option, the rule will simply be active whenever all the conditions are met. Invert this condition: Select if you want the condition to be the opposite of your selection. Add a condition: Click to add an additional condition. Action: Select an action from the list and enter its required information. For information about specific actions, see Get started with rules for events. |
Recipients
You can set up your device to notify recipients about events or send files.
If you set up your device to use FTP or SFTP, don’t change or remove the unique sequence number that’s added to the file names. If you do that, only one image per event can be sent.
The list shows all the recipients currently configured in the product, along with information about their configuration.
You can create up to 20 recipients.
Add a recipient: Click to add a recipient. Name: Enter a name for the recipient. Type: Select from the list:
Test: Click to test the setup. The context menu contains: View recipient: Click to view all the recipient details. Copy recipient: Click to copy a recipient. When you copy, you can make changes to the new recipient. Delete recipient: Click to delete the recipient permanently. |
Schedules
Schedules and pulses can be used as conditions in rules. The list shows all the schedules and pulses currently configured in the product, along with information about their configuration. Add schedule: Click to create a schedule or pulse. |
Manual triggers
You can use the manual trigger to manually trigger a rule. The manual trigger can, for example, be used to validate actions during product installation and configuration. |
MQTT
MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a standard messaging protocol for the Internet of Things (IoT). It was designed for simplified IoT integration and is used in a wide variety of industries to connect remote devices with a small code footprint and minimal network bandwidth. The MQTT client in Axis device software can simplify integration of data and events produced in the device to systems which are not video management software (VMS). Set up the device as an MQTT client. MQTT communication is based on two entities, the clients and the broker. The clients can send and receive messages. The broker is responsible for routing messages between clients. You can learn more about MQTT in AXIS OS Portal. |
ALPN
ALPN is a TLS/SSL extension that allows for the selection of an application protocol during the handshake phase of the connection between the client and server. This is used to enable MQTT traffic over the same port that is used for other protocols, such as HTTP. In some cases, there might not be a dedicated port open for MQTT communication. A solution in such cases is to use ALPN to negotiate the use of MQTT as the application protocol on a standard port, allowed by the firewalls. |
MQTT client
Connect: Turn on or off the MQTT client. Status: Shows the current status of the MQTT client. Broker Host: Enter the hostname or IP address of the MQTT server. Protocol: Select which protocol to use. Port: Enter the port number.
ALPN protocol: Enter the ALPN protocol name provided by your MQTT broker provider. This is only applicable with MQTT over SSL and MQTT over WebSocket Secure. Username: Enter the username that the client will use to access the server. Password: Enter a password for the username. Client ID: Enter a client ID. The client identifier is sent to the server when the client connects to it. Clean session: Controls the behavior at connection and disconnection time. When selected, the state information is discarded at connect and disconnect. HTTP proxy: A URL with a maximum length of 255 bytes. You can leave the field empty if you don't want to use an HTTP proxy. HTTPS proxy: A URL with a maximum length of 255 bytes. You can leave the field empty if you don't want to use an HTTPS proxy. Keep alive interval: Enables the client to detect when the server is no longer available without having to wait for the long TCP/IP timeout. Timeout: The time interval in seconds to allow a connect to complete. Default value: 60 Device topic prefix: Used in the default values for the topic in the connect message and LWT message on the MQTT client tab, and in the publication conditions on the MQTT publication tab. Reconnect automatically: Specifies whether the client should reconnect automatically after a disconnect. Connect message Specifies if a message should be sent out when a connection is established. Send message: Turn on to send messages. Use default: Turn off to enter your own default message. Topic: Enter the topic for the default message. Payload: Enter the content for the default message. Retain: Select to keep the state of client on this Topic QoS: Change the QoS layer for the packet flow. Last Will and Testament message The Last Will Testament (LWT) lets a client provide a testament along with its credentials when connecting to the broker. If the client disconnects ungracefully at some point later (maybe because his power source died), it can let the broker deliver a message to other clients. This LWT message has the same form as an ordinary message and gets routed via the same mechanics. Send message: Turn on to send messages. Use default: Turn off to enter your own default message. Topic: Enter the topic for the default message. Payload: Enter the content for the default message. Retain: Select to keep the state of client on this Topic QoS: Change the QoS layer for the packet flow. |
MQTT publication
Use default topic prefix: Select to use the default topic prefix, that is defined in the device topic prefix in the MQTT client tab. Include topic name: Select to include the topic that describes the condition in the MQTT topic. Include topic namespaces: Select to include ONVIF topic namespaces in the MQTT topic. Include serial number: Select to include the device’s serial number in the MQTT payload. Add condition: Click to add a condition. Retain: Defines which MQTT messages are sent as retained.
QoS: Select the desired level for the MQTT publication. |
MQTT subscriptions
Add subscription: Click to add a new MQTT subscription. Subscription filter: Enter the MQTT topic that you want to subscribe to. Use device topic prefix: Add the subscription filter as prefix to the MQTT topic. Subscription type:
QoS: Select the desired level for the MQTT subscription. |
MQTT overlays
Note Connect to an MQTT broker before you add MQTT overlay modifiers. Add overlay modifier: Click to add a new overlay modifier. Topic filter: Add the MQTT topic that contains the data you want to show in the overlay. Data field: Specify the key for the message payload that you want to show in the overlay, assuming the message is in JSON format.
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Storage
Network storage
Ignore: Turn on to ignore network storage. Add network storage: Click to add a network share where you can save recordings.
Remove network storage: Click to unmount, unbind, and remove the connection to the network share. This removes all settings for the network share. Unbind: Click to unbind and disconnect the network share. Unmount: Click to unmount the network share. Write protect: Turn on to stop writing to the network share and protect recordings from being removed. You can’t format a write-protected network share. Retention time: Select how long to keep recordings, to limit the amount of old recordings, or to comply with regulations regarding data storage. If the network storage becomes full, old recordings are removed before the selected time period passes. Tools
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Onboard storage
Important Risk of data loss and corrupted recordings. Do not remove the SD card while the device is running. Unmount the SD card before you remove it. Unmount: Click to safely remove the SD card. Write protect: Turn on to stop writing to the SD card and protect recordings from being removed. You can’t format a write-protected SD card. Autoformat: Turn on to automatically format a newly inserted SD card. It formats the file system into ext4. Ignore: Turn on to stop storing recordings on the SD card. When you ignore the SD card, the device no longer recognizes that the card exists. The setting is only available to administrators. Retention time: Select how long to keep recordings to limit the amount of old recordings or comply with data storage regulations. When the SD card is full, it deletes old recordings before their retention time has passed. Tools
Wear trigger: Set a value for the SD card wear level at which you want to trigger an action. The wear level ranges from 0–200%. A new SD card that has never been used has a wear level of 0%. A wear level of 100% indicates that the SD card is close to its expected lifetime. When the wear-level reaches 200%, there is a high risk of the SD card malfunctioning. We recommend setting the wear trigger between 80–90%. This gives you time to download any recordings as well as replace the SD card in time before it potentially wears out. The wear trigger allows you to set up an event and get a notification when the wear level reaches your set value. |
Stream profiles
A stream profile is a group of settings that affect the video stream. You can use stream profiles in different situations, for example, when you create events and use rules to record.
Add stream profile: Click to create a new stream profile. Preview: A preview of the video stream with the stream profile settings you select. The preview updates when you change the settings on the page. If your device has different view areas, you can change the view area in the drop-down in the bottom left corner of the image. Name: Add a name for your profile. Description: Add a description of your profile. Video codec: Select the video codec that should apply for the profile. Resolution: See Stream for a description of this setting. Frame rate: See Stream for a description of this setting. Compression: See Stream for a description of this setting. Zipstream: See Stream for a description of this setting. Optimize for storage: See Stream for a description of this setting. Dynamic FPS: See Stream for a description of this setting. Dynamic GOP: See Stream for a description of this setting. Mirror: See Stream for a description of this setting. GOP length: See Stream for a description of this setting. Bitrate control: See Stream for a description of this setting. Include overlays: Select what type of overlays to include. See Overlays for information about how to add overlays. Include audio: See Stream for a description of this setting. |
ONVIF
ONVIF accounts
ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) is a global interface standard that makes it easier for end-users, integrators, consultants, and manufacturers to take advantage of the possibilities offered by network video technology. ONVIF enables interoperability between different vendor products, increased flexibility, reduced cost and future-proof systems.
When you create an ONVIF account, you automatically enable ONVIF communication. Use the account name and password for all ONVIF communication with the device. For more information see the Axis Developer Community at axis.com.
Add accounts: Click to add a new ONVIF account. Account: Enter a unique account name. New password: Enter a password for the account. Passwords must be 1 to 64 characters long. Only ASCII printable characters (code 32 to 126) are allowed in the password, for example, letters, numbers, punctuation, and some symbols. Repeat password: Enter the same password again. Role:
The context menu contains: Update account: Edit the account properties. Delete account: Delete the account. You can’t delete the root account. |
ONVIF media profiles
An ONVIF media profile consists of a set of configurations that you can use to change media stream settings. You can create new profiles with your own set of configurations or use preconfigured profiles for a quick setup.
Add media profile: Click to add a new ONVIF media profile. Profile name: Add a name for the media profile. Video source: Select the video source for your configuration.
Video encoder: Select the video encoding format for your configuration.
Note Enable audio in the device to get the option to select an audio source and audio encoder configuration. Audio source: Select the audio input source for your configuration.
Audio encoder: Select the audio encoding format for your configuration.
Audio decoder: Select the audio decoding format for your configuration.
Audio output: Select the audio output format for your configuration.
Metadata: Select the metadata to include in your configuration.
PTZ: Select the PTZ settings for your configuration.
Create: Click to save your settings and create the profile. Cancel: Click to cancel the configuration and clear all settings. profile_x: Click on the profile name to open and edit the preconfigured profile. |
Analytics metadata
Metadata producers
Lists the apps that stream metadata and the channels they use.
Producer: The app that produces the metadata. Below the app is a list of the types of metadata the app streams from the device. Channel: The channel that the app uses. Select to enable the metadata stream. Deselect for compatibility or resource management reasons. |
Detectors
Camera tampering
The camera tampering detector generates an alarm when the scene changes, for example, when the lens is covered, sprayed or severely put out of focus, and the time in Trigger delay has passed. The tampering detector only activates when the camera has not moved for at least 10 seconds. During this period, the detector sets up a scene model to use as a comparison to detect tampering in current images. For the scene model to be set up properly, make sure that the camera is in focus, the lighting conditions are correct, and the camera doesn’t point at a scene that lacks contours, for example, a blank wall. Camera tampering can be used as a condition to trigger actions.
Trigger delay: Enter the minimum time that the tampering conditions must be active before the alarm triggers. This can help prevent false alarms for known conditions that affect the image. Trigger on dark images: It is very difficult to generate alarms when the camera lens is sprayed, since it is impossible to distinguish that event from other situations where the image turns dark in a similar way, for example, when the lighting conditions change. Turn on this parameter to generate alarms for all cases where the image turns dark. When it’s turned off, the device doesn’t generate any alarm when the image turns dark. Note For detection of tampering attempts in static and non-crowded scenes. |
Audio detection
These settings are available for each audio input. Sound level: Adjust the sound level to a value from 0–100, where 0 is the most sensitive and 100 the least sensitive. Use the activity indicator as a guide when you set the sound level. When you create events, you can use the sound level as a condition. You can choose to trigger an action if the sound level rises above, falls below or passes the set value. |
Shock detection
Shock detector: Turn on to generate an alarm if the device is hit by an object or if it is tampered with. Sensitivity level: Move the slider to adjust the sensitivity level at which the device should generate an alarm. A low value means that the device only generates an alarm if the hit is powerful. A high value means that the device generates an alarm even with mild tampering. |
Accessories
I/O ports
Use digital input to connect external devices that can toggle between an open and closed circuit, for example, PIR sensors, door or window contacts, and glass break detectors.
Use digital output to connect external devices such as relays and LEDs. You can activate connected devices through the VAPIX® Application Programming Interface or the web interface.
Port Name: Edit the text to rename the port. Direction: indicates that the port is an input port. indicates that it’s an output port. If the port is configurable, you can click the icons to change between input and output. Normal state: Click for open circuit, and for closed circuit. Current state: Shows the current state of the port. The input or output is activated when the current state is different from the normal state. An input on the device has an open circuit when it’s disconnected or when there is a voltage above 1 V DC. Note During restart, the output circuit is open. When the restart is complete, the circuit goes back to the normal position. If you change any settings on this page, the output circuits go back to their normal positions regardless of any active triggers. Supervised: Turn on to make it possible to detect and trigger actions if someone tampers with the connection to digital I/O devices. In addition to detecting if an input is open or closed, you can also detect if someone has tampered with it (that is, cut or shorted). To supervise the connection requires additional hardware (end-of-line resistors) in the external I/O loop. |
Edge-to-edge
Audio pairing allows you to use a compatible Axis network speaker as if it’s part of the main device. Once paired, the network speaker acts as an audio out device where you can play audio clips and transmit sound.
For this feature to work with a video management software (VMS), you must first pair the device with the speaker, then add the device to your VMS.
Set a 'Wait between actions (hh:mm:ss)' limit in the event rule when you use a network paired audio device in an event rule with 'Audio detection' as condition and 'Play audio clip' as action. This will help you avoid a looping detection if the capturing microphone picks up audio from the speaker.
Audio pairing Address: Enter the host name or IP address of the network speaker. Username: Enter username. Password: Enter password for the user. Speaker pairing: Select to pair a network speaker. Clear fields: Click to clear all fields. Connect: Click to establish connection to the speaker. |
PTZ pairing allows you to pair a radar with a PTZ camera to use autotracking. Radar PTZ autotracking makes the PTZ camera track objects based on information from the radar about the objects’ positions.
PTZ pairing Address: Enter host name or IP address of the PTZ camera. Username: Enter the username of the PTZ camera. Password: Enter the password for the PTZ camera. Clear fields: Click to clear all fields. Connect: Click to establish connection to the PTZ camera. Configure radar autotracking: Click to open and configure autotracking. You can also go to Radar > Radar PTZ autotracking to configure. |
Logs
Reports and logs
Reports
Logs
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Network trace
Important A network trace file might contain sensitive information, for example certificates or passwords. A network trace file can help you troubleshoot problems by recording activity on the network. Trace time: Select the duration of the trace in seconds or minutes, and click Download. |
Remote system log
Syslog is a standard for message logging. It allows separation of the software that generates messages, the system that stores them, and the software that reports and analyzes them. Each message is labeled with a facility code, which indicates the software type generating the message, and assigned a severity level.
Server: Click to add a new server. Host: Enter the hostname or IP address of the server. Format: Select which syslog message format to use.
Protocol: Select the protocol to use:
Port: Edit the port number to use a different port. Severity: Select which messages to send when triggered. CA certificate set: See the current settings or add a certificate. |
Plain config
Plain config is for advanced users with experience of Axis device configuration. Most parameters can be set and edited from this page. |
Maintenance
Restart: Restart the device. This does not affect any of the current settings. Running applications restart automatically. Restore: Return most settings to the factory default values. Afterwards you must reconfigure the device and apps, reinstall any apps that didn’t come preinstalled, and recreate any events and presets. Important The only settings saved after restore are:
Factory default: Return all settings to the factory default values. Afterwards you must reset the IP address to make the device accessible. Note All Axis device software is digitally signed to ensure that you only install verified software on your device. This further increases the overall minimum cybersecurity level of Axis devices. For more information, see the white paper “Axis Edge Vault” at axis.com. AXIS OS upgrade: Upgrade to a new AXIS OS version. New releases can contain improved functionality, bug fixes, and completely new features. We recommend you to always use the latest AXIS OS release. To download the latest release, go to axis.com/support.
AXIS OS rollback: Revert to the previously installed AXIS OS version. |
Learn more
Long-distance connections
- 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.
Remote focus and zoom
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.
Privacy masks
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.
If you use multiple privacy masks it may affect the product’s performance.
You can create several privacy masks. Each mask can have 3 to 10 anchor points.
Overlays
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.
Streaming and storage
Video compression formats
Decide which compression method to use based on your viewing requirements, and on the properties of your network. The available options are:
Motion JPEG
To ensure support for the Opus audio codec, the Motion JPEG stream is always sent over RTP.
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 is a licensed technology. The Axis product includes one H.264 viewing client license. To install additional unlicensed copies of the client is prohibited. To purchase additional licenses, contact your Axis reseller.
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.
- H.265 is licensed technology. The Axis product includes one H.265 viewing client license. Installing additional unlicensed copies of the client is prohibited. To purchase additional licenses, contact your Axis reseller.
- Most web browsers don’t support H.265 decoding and because of this the camera doesn’t support it in its web interface. Instead you can use a video management system or application supporting H.265 decoding.
How do Image, Stream, and Stream profile settings relate to each other?
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
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.
- Target bitrate
- Actual average bitrate
- You can also turn on maximum bitrate and specify a target bitrate within the average bitrate option.
- Target bitrate
- Actual average bitrate
Cybersecurity
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 Edge Vault
Axis Edge Vault provides a hardware-based cybersecurity platform that safeguards the Axis device. It offers features to guarantee the device’s identity and integrity and to protect your sensitive information from unauthorized access. It builds on a strong foundation of cryptographic computing modules (secure element and TPM) and SoC security (TEE and secure boot), combined with expertise in edge device security.
Signed OS
Signed OS is implemented by the software vendor signing the AXIS OS image with a private key. When the signature is attached to the operating system, the device will validate the software before installing it. If the device detects that the integrity of the software is compromised, the AXIS OS upgrade will be rejected.
Secure boot
Secure boot is a boot process that consists of an unbroken chain of cryptographically validated software, starting in immutable memory (boot ROM). Being based on the use of signed OS, secure boot ensures that a device can boot only with authorized software.
Secure keystore
A tamper-protected environment for the protection of private keys and secure execution of cryptographic operations. It prevents unauthorized access and malicious extraction in the event of a security breach. Depending on security requirements, an Axis device can have either one or multiple hardware-based cryptographic computing modules, which provide a hardware-protected secure keystore. Depending on security requirements, an Axis device can have either one or multiple hardware-based cryptographic computing modules, like a TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) or a secure element, and/or a TEE (Trusted Execution Environment), which provide a hardware-protected secure keystore. Furthermore, selected Axis products feature a FIPS 140-2 Level 2-certified secure keystore.
Axis device ID
Being able to verify the origin of the device is key to establishing trust in the device identity. During production, devices with Axis Edge Vault are assigned a unique, factory-provisioned, and IEEE 802.1AR-compliant Axis device ID certificate. This works like a passport to prove the origin of the device. The device ID is securely and permanently stored in the secure keystore as a certificate signed by Axis root certificate. The device ID can be leveraged by the customer’s IT infrastructure for automated secure device onboarding and secure device identification
Signed video
Signed video ensures that video evidence can be verified as untampered without proving the chain of custody of the video file. Each camera uses its unique video signing key, which is securely stored in the secure keystore, to add a signature into the video stream. When the video is played, the file player shows whether the video is intact. Signed video makes it possible to trace the video back to the camera origin and verifies that the video has not been tampered with after it left the camera.
Encrypted file system
The secure keystore prevents the malicious exfiltration of information and prevents configuration tampering by enforcing strong encryption upon the file system. This ensures no data stored in the file system can be extracted or tampered with when the device is not in use, unauthenticated access to the device is achieved and/or the Axis device is stolen. During the secure boot process, the read-write filesystem is decrypted and can be mounted and used by the Axis device.
To learn more about the cybersecurity features in Axis devices, go to axis.com/learning/white-papers and search for cybersecurity.
Axis security notification service
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.
Vulnerability management
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.
Secure operation of Axis devices
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 find out more about Axis hardening guides and other cyber security related documentation, go to axis.com/support/cybersecurity/resources.
Specifications
Product overview
LED indicators
- The Status LED can be configured to flash while an event is active.
- The LEDs turn off when you close the casing.
Status LED | Indication |
Unlit | Connection and normal operation. |
Green | Shows steady green for 10 seconds for normal operation after startup completed. |
Amber | Steady during startup. Flashes during device software upgrade or reset to factory default. |
Amber/Red | Flashes amber/red if network connection is unavailable or lost. |
Red | Device software upgrade failure. |
SD card slot
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.
Buttons
Control button
- 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 hold the button for about 3 seconds until the status LED flashes green.
Intrusion alarm switch
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 an alarm if someone opens the enclosure.
Connectors
Network connector
RJ45 Ethernet connector with Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+).
Audio connector
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
1 Tip | 2 Ring | 3 Sleeve |
Unbalanced microphone (with or without electret power) or line-in | Electret power if selected | Ground |
Balanced microphone (with or without phantom power) or line-in, “hot” signal | Balanced microphone (with or without phantom power) or line-in, “cold” signal | Ground |
Digital signal | Ring power if selected | Ground |
Audio output
1 Tip | 2 Ring | 3 Sleeve |
Channel 1, unbalanced line, mono | Channel 1, unbalanced line, mono | Ground |
I/O connector
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 V DC 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
Function | Pin | Notes | Specifications |
DC ground | 1 | 0 V DC | |
DC output | 2 | Can be used to power auxiliary equipment. Note: This pin can only be used as power out. | 12 V DC Max load = 50 mA |
Configurable (Input or Output) | 3–6 | Digital input or Supervised input – Connect to pin 1 to activate, or leave floating (unconnected) to deactivate. To use supervised input, install end-of-line resistors. See connection diagram for information about how to connect the resistors. | 0 to max 30 V DC |
Digital output – Internally connected to pin 1 (DC ground) when active, and floating (unconnected) when inactive. If used with an inductive load, e.g., a relay, connect a diode in parallel with the load, to protect against voltage transients. | 0 to max 30 V DC, open drain, 100 mA |
Example
Power connector
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.
RS485/RS422 connector
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
Function | Notes |
RS485/RS422 TX(A) | TX pair for RS422 and 4-wire RS485 |
RS485/RS422 TX(B) | |
RS485A alt RS485/422 RX(A) | RX pair for all modes (combined RX/TX for 2-wire RS485) |
RS485B alt RS485/422 RX(B) |
Clean your device
You can clean your device with lukewarm water.
- Harsh chemicals can damage the device. Don’t use chemicals such as window cleaner or acetone to clean your device.
- Avoid cleaning in direct sunlight or elevated temperatures, since this can cause stains.
Use a can of compressed air to remove dust and loose dirt from the device.
If necessary, clean the device with a soft microfiber cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
To avoid stains, dry the device with a clean, nonabrasive cloth.
Troubleshooting
Reset to factory default settings
Possibly hazardous optical radiation is emitted from this product. It can be harmful to the eyes. Don’t stare at the operating lamp.
Reset to factory default should be used with caution. A reset to factory default resets all settings, including the IP address, to the factory default values.
To reset the product to the factory default settings:
Disconnect power from the product.
Press and hold the control button while reconnecting power. See Product overview.
Keep the control button pressed for 15–30 seconds until the status LED indicator flashes amber.
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:
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
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 OS options
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.
Check the current AXIS OS version
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:
Go to the device’s web interface > Status.
Under Device info, see the AXIS OS version.
Upgrade AXIS OS
- Preconfigured and customized settings are saved when you upgrade the device software (provided that the features are available in the new AXIS OS) although this is not guaranteed by Axis Communications AB.
- Make sure the device remains connected to the power source throughout the upgrade process.
When you upgrade the device with the latest AXIS OS version in the active track, the product receives the latest functionality available. Always read the upgrade instructions and release notes available with each new release before you upgrade. To find the latest AXIS OS version and the release notes, go to axis.com/support/device-software.
Download the AXIS OS file to your computer, available free of charge at axis.com/support/device-software.
Log in to the device as an administrator.
Go to Maintenance > AXIS OS upgrade and click Upgrade.
- When the upgrade has finished, the product restarts automatically.
Technical issues, clues, and solutions
If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, try the troubleshooting section at axis.com/support.
Problems upgrading AXIS OS | |
AXIS OS upgrade failure | If the upgrade fails, the device reloads the previous version. The most common reason is that the wrong AXIS OS file has been uploaded. Check that the name of the AXIS OS file corresponds to your device and try again. |
Problems after AXIS OS upgrade | If you experience problems after the upgrade, roll back to the previously installed version from the Maintenance page. |
Problems setting the IP address | |||||
The device is located on a different subnet | If the IP address intended for the device and the IP address of the computer used to access the device are located on different subnets, you cannot set the IP address. Contact your network administrator to obtain an IP address. | ||||
The IP address is being used by another device | Disconnect the Axis device from the network. Run the ping command (in a Command/DOS window, type
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Possible IP address conflict with another device on the same subnet | The static IP address in the Axis device is used before the DHCP server sets a dynamic address. This means that if the same default static IP address is also used by another device, there may be problems accessing the device. |
The device can’t be accessed from a browser | ||||||||||||
Can’t log in | When HTTPS is enabled, ensure that the correct protocol (HTTP or HTTPS) is used when attempting to log in. You may need to manually type If the password for the root account is lost, the device must be reset to the factory default settings. See Reset to factory default settings. | |||||||||||
The IP address has been changed by DHCP | IP addresses obtained from a DHCP server are dynamic and may change. If the IP address has been changed, use AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager to locate the device on the network. Identify the device using its model or serial number, or by the DNS name (if the name has been configured). If required, a static IP address can be assigned manually. For instructions, go to axis.com/support. | |||||||||||
Certificate error when using IEEE 802.1X | For authentication to work properly, the date and time settings in the Axis device must be synchronized with an NTP server. Go to System > Date and time. |
The device is accessible locally but not externally | |||||||||||||||||||
To access the device externally, we recommend you to use one of the following applications for Windows®:
For instructions and download, go to axis.com/vms. |
Can’t connect over port 8883 with MQTT over SSL | |||||||||||||||||||||
The firewall blocks traffic using port 8883 as it’s deemed insecure. | In some cases the server/broker might not provide a specific port for MQTT communication. It may still be possible to use MQTT over a port normally used for HTTP/HTTPS traffic.
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Problems with overlays when using AXIS License Plate Verifier | |
The license plate overlay is not available in the device’s onscreen controls | If the license plate overlay isn’t available in the device’s onscreen controls after you have installed AXIS License Plate Verifier, try to restart the device. Go to the Maintenance page and click Restart. |
Speed is missing in the license plate overlay in the device’s onscreen controls | If the speed is missing in the license plate overlay after you have installed AXIS License Plate Verifier, make sure the mounting height of the device is set correctly in the device’s web interface. To set the installation height in the device, go to Radar > Settings > General > Mounting height. |
Performance considerations
The following factors are the most important to consider:
Heavy network utilization due to poor infrastructure affects the bandwidth.
Contact support
If you need more help, go to axis.com/support.