The AXIS Q87 Bispectral PTZ Network Camera is intended for mission-critical surveillance that demands 24-hour monitoring of restricted areas, such as airports.
In difficult lighting conditions, the thermal channel can detect objects (1) that the visual channel can’t. To take advantage of this, you can set up the thermal channel to automatically detect motion, and send a signal to the visual channel to zoom in and record. To find out more, go to Detect motion with the thermal channel and zoom in and record with the visual channel.
The camera (2) is often installed in inaccessible locations. With the built-in wiper and optional washer you can remove, for example, sea salt from the front window without physically accessing the camera. To find out more, go to Set up daily cleaning of the visual window.
Thanks to the wide tilt range you can, for example, detect various flying objects (3).
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.
After the reset, secure boot guarantees the state of the device.
Configure and install the device.
Set a new password for the root account
Important
The default administrator username is root. If the password for root is lost, reset the device to factory default settings. See Reset to factory default settings
Support tip: Password security confirmation check
Type a password. Follow the instructions about secure passwords. See Secure passwords.
Retype the password to confirm the spelling.
Click Create login. The password has now been configured.
Secure passwords
Important
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.
Webpage overview
Live view control bar
Live view
Product name
User information, color themes, and help
Video control bar
Settings toggle
Settings tabs
Additional settings
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.
Select exposure mode
Note
The exposure modes are only available for the visual channel.
There are different exposure mode options in the camera that adjusts aperture, shutter speed, and gain to improve image quality for specific surveillance scenes. Go to Settings > 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.
Hide parts of the image with privacy masks
You can create one or several privacy masks to hide parts of the image.
How to create a privacy mask
Go to Settings > Privacy mask.
Click New.
Adjust the size, color, and name of the privacy mask according to your needs.
How to change the appearance of the mask
Reduce noise in low-light conditions
Note
Low-light settings are only available for the visual channel.
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 Settings > 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.
Open the aperture.
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.
Image without WDR.Image with WDR.
Note
WDR can cause artifacts in the image.
WDR may not be available for all capture modes.
Go to Settings > Image > Wide dynamic range.
Turn on WDR.
If you still have problems, go to Exposure and adjust the Exposure zone to cover the area of interest.
The visual channel uses visible light to deliver color images during the day. With external illuminators, the visual channel can be used also during the night. To turn on the illuminators when it gets dark and turn them off when it gets light:
Go to Settings > System > Accessories.
Under External illuminators, select the type of light coming from each of the illuminators.
Turn on Use illuminators.
Go to Image > Day and night and make sure that the IR-cut filter is set to Auto.
To determine at what light level you want the illuminators to turn on and off, move the Threshold slider toward Bright or Dark.
Turn on Allow illumination and Synchronize illumination.
If there are parts of the scene that you don’t want the camera to reach, you can limit the pan, tilt, and zoom movements. For example, you want to protect the privacy of residents in an apartment building, which is located close to a parking lot that you intend to monitor. To limit the movements, go to Settings > PTZ > Limits.
Create a guard tour with preset positions
A guard tour displays the video stream from different preset positions either in a predetermined or random order, and for configurable periods of time.
Go to Settings > PTZ > Guard tours.
Click .
To edit the guard tour’s properties, click .
Type a name for the guard tour and specify the pause length in minutes between each tour.
If you want the guard tour to go to the preset positions in a random order, turn on Shuffle.
Click Done.
Click Add to add the preset positions that you want in your guard tour.
Click Done to exit the guard tour settings.
To schedule the guard tour, go to System > Events.
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.
Insert an SD card
You can use an SD card to store recordings locally in the device. The SD card is not included.
CAUTION
Risk of injury. Moving parts. Keep your body parts away from the device when in operation. Disconnect from power supply before installing or performing maintenance on the device.
Risk of injury. Hot surface. Do not touch the device when in operation. Disconnect from power supply and allow the surfaces to cool before performing maintenance on the device.
NOTICE
When you remove the top cover you expose parts of the camera that are sensitive to impact. Make sure you don’t hit the unprotected camera with the top cover when you remove it.
To insert an SD card in the device:
Disconnect power from the device.
Loosen the four top cover screws and remove the top cover.
Insert the SD card. To find out where the SD card slot is placed, see Product overview.
Put back the top cover and tighten the screws (torque 2.0 Nm).
Reconnect power to the device.
Reduce bandwidth and storage
Important
If you reduce the bandwidth it can result in loss of details in the picture.
Go to live view and select H.264.
Go to Settings > Stream.
Do one or more of the following:
Note
The zipstream settings are used for both H.264 and H.265.
Turn on dynamic GOP and set a high GOP length value.
Increase the compression.
Turn on dynamic FPS.
Note
Web browsers do not support H.265 decoding. Use a video management system or application supporting H.265 decoding.
Set up network storage
To store recordings on the network, you need to set up your network storage.
Go to Settings > System > Storage.
Click Setup under Network storage.
Enter the IP address of the host server.
Enter the name of the shared location on the host server.
Move the switch if the share requires a login, and enter username and password.
Click Connect.
Record and watch video
To record video you must first set up network storage, see Set up network storage, or have an SD card installed.
Record video
Go to the live view.
To start a recording, click Record. Click again to stop the recording.
Watch video
Click Storage > Go to recordings.
Select your recording in the list and it will play automatically.
Set up rules for events
You can create rules to make your device perform an action when certain events occur. A rule consists of conditions and actions. The conditions can be used to trigger the actions. For example, the device can start a recording or send an email when it detects motion, or show an overlay text while the device is recording.
Go to Settings > System > Events to set up a rule. The rule defines when the device will perform certain actions. Rules can be setup as scheduled, recurring, or for example, triggered by motion detection.
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.
Note
If you make changes to an active rule, you have to restart the rule for the changes to take effect.
Detect motion with the thermal channel and zoom in and record with the visual channel
In difficult lighting conditions the thermal channel can detect objects that the visual sensor can’t. This example explains how to use the thermal channel to detect motion, and then use the visual channel to zoom in and record. In the example, the camera monitors a gate.
Create a motion detection profile:
Note
If you run AXIS Motion Guard on both channels simultaneously, it can affect the frame rate and the general performance. Therefore, we recommend you to remove all AXIS Motion Guard profiles on the visual channel.
Go to Settings > Apps and open AXIS Video Motion Detection.
Select Thermal.
Create a profile named Gate profile that covers the area of interest. Find out more in the user manual for AXIS Motion Guard at axis.com/products/online-manual/.
Create the preset positions:
Go to Settings > PTZ > Preset positions.
Both channels share the same preset configurations.
Create the home position that includes the area of interest.
Create a zoomed-in preset position, called Gate position, that covers the area in the image where you predict that the moving object will appear.
Create a rule to zoom in with the visual channel when the thermal channel detects motion:
Go to Settings > System > Events and add a rule.
Name the rule Gatekeeper.
In the list of conditions, under Applications, select Motion Guard: Gate profile (Thermal).
In the list of actions, under Preset positions, select Go to preset position.
Under Video channel, select Camera 1.
Under Preset position, select Gate position.
Select Home timeout and set the duration for the camera to stay in the gate position (wait at least 30 seconds before returning to home position).
Click Save.
Create a rule to record video to the SD card:
Create a rule and name it Record video.
In the list of conditions, under PTZ, select PTZ preset position reached: Camera 1.
Under Preset position, select Gate position.
In the list of actions, under Recordings, select Record video while the rule is active.
Under Camera, select Camera 1.
Under Storage, select SD card.
Click Save.
Cleaning recommendations
Set up daily cleaning of the visual window
The camera is often installed in inaccessible locations. This example explains how you can set up the built-in wiper and optional washer to remove for instance sea salt, from the visual window daily without physically accessing it.
Configure the washer:
Point the camera at the nozzle. Make sure that the nozzle is located in the center of the image.
Go to Settings > System > Accessories.
Turn on Nozzle Position.
Select the washer pump pin that the washer is connected to.
Set up daily cleaning:
Go to Settings > System > Events > Schedules and add a new schedule.
Select Schedule and click Create.
Give the schedule a name, for example Wash.
Under Repeat, select Daily.
Set Start time: 12:00 and End time: 12:01.
Select all Days.
Click Save.
Click Rules and create a new rule.
Give the rule a name, for example Window wash.
In the list of conditions, under Scheduled and recurring, select Scheduled event.
In the list of schedules, select Wash
In the list of actions, under Washer, select Use washer.
Learn more
Color palettes
To help the human eye distinguish details in a thermal image, you can apply a color palette to the image. The colors in the palette are artificially created pseudocolors that emphasize temperature differences.
Privacy masks
Note
Privacy masks are only available for the visual channel.
A privacy mask is a user-defined area that prevents users from viewing a part of the monitored area. In the video stream, privacy masks appear as blocks of solid color.
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.
Important
If you use multiple privacy masks it may affect the product’s performance.
You can create several privacy masks. The maximum number of masks depends on the complexity of all the masks combined. The more anchor points in each mask, the fewer masks you can create. Each mask can have 3 to 10 anchor points.
Pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ)
Guard tours
A guard tour displays the video stream from different preset positions either in a predetermined or random order, and for configurable periods of time. Once started, a guard tour continues to run until stopped, even when there are no clients (web browsers) viewing the images.
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
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
Note
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.
Note
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.
Target bitrate
Applications
With applications you can get more out of your Axis device. AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP) is an open platform that makes it possible for third parties to develop analytics and other applications for Axis devices. Applications can be preinstalled on the device, available for download for free, or for a license fee. To find out more about available applications, downloads, trials and licenses, go to axis.com/products/acap/application-gallery.
To find the user manuals for Axis applications, go to help.axis.com.
How to download and install an application
How to activate an application licence code on a device
Troubleshooting
Reset to factory default settings
CAUTION
Risk of injury. Moving parts. Keep your body parts away from the product when in operation. Disconnect from power supply before installing or performing maintenance on the product.
Risk of injury. Hot surface. Do not touch the product when in operation. Disconnect from power supply and allow the surfaces to cool before performing maintenance on the product.
NOTICE
When you remove the top cover you expose parts of the visual camera that are sensitive to impact. Make sure you don’t hit the unprotected camera with the top cover when you remove it.
Important
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.
Note
The installation and management software tools are available from the support pages at axis.com/support/downloads
Disconnect power from the product.
Loosen the four top cover screws and remove the top cover.
Press the control button. To find out where the control button is placed, see Product overview
Put back the top cover and tighten the screws (torque 2.0 Nm).
Reconnect power to the product.
You can also reset to factory default through the product’s web page. Go to Settings > System > Maintenance and click Default.
Firmware options
Axis offers product firmware 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 firmware 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 product firmware strategy, go to axis.com/support/firmware.
Check the current firmware
Firmware is the software that determines the functionality of network devices. One of your first actions when troubleshooting a problem should be to check the current firmware version. The latest version may contain a correction that fixes your particular problem.
To check the current firmware:
Go to the product’s webpage.
Click the help menu .
Click About.
Upgrade the firmware
Important
Preconfigured and customized settings are saved when the firmware is upgraded (provided that the features are available in the new firmware) although this is not guaranteed by Axis Communications AB.
Important
Make sure the product remains connected to the power source throughout the upgrade process.
Note
When you upgrade the product with the latest firmware 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 upgrading the firmware. To find the latest firmware and the release notes, go to axis.com/support/firmware.
Go to Settings > System > Maintenance. Follow the instructions on the page. 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 the firmware
Firmware upgrade failure
If the firmware upgrade fails, the device reloads the previous firmware. The most common reason is that the wrong firmware file has been uploaded. Check that the name of the firmware file corresponds to your device and try again.
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 ping and the IP address of the device):
If you receive: Reply from <IP address>: bytes=32; time=10... this means that the IP address may already be in use by another device on the network. Obtain a new IP address from the network administrator and reinstall the device.
If you receive: Request timed out, this means that the IP address is available for use with the Axis device. Check all cabling and reinstall the device.
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 cannot be accessed from a browser
Cannot 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 http or https in the browser’s address field.
If the password for the user root is lost, the device must be reset to the factory default settings. See .
The IP address has been changed by DHCP
The device is accessible locally but not externally
To access the device externally, we recommend using one of the following applications for Windows®:
AXIS Companion: free of charge, ideal for small systems with basic surveillance needs.
AXIS Camera Station: 30-day trial version free of charge, ideal for small to mid-size systems.
For instructions and download, go to axis.com/vms.
Performance considerations
When setting up your system, it is important to consider how various settings and situations affect the performance. Some factors affect the amount of bandwidth (the bitrate) required, others can affect the frame rate, and some affect both. If the load on the CPU reaches its maximum, this also affects the frame rate.
The following factors are the most important to consider:
High image resolution or lower compression levels result in images containing more data which in turn affects the bandwidth.
Rotating the image in the GUI can increase the product's CPU load.
Access by large numbers of Motion JPEG or unicast H.264 clients affects the bandwidth.
Access by large numbers of Motion JPEG or unicast H.265 clients affects the bandwidth.
Simultaneous viewing of different streams (resolution, compression) by different clients affects both frame rate and bandwidth.
Use identical streams wherever possible to maintain a high frame rate. Stream profiles can be used to ensure that streams are identical.
Accessing Motion JPEG and H.264 video streams simultaneously affects both frame rate and bandwidth.
Accessing Motion JPEG and H.265 video streams simultaneously affects both frame rate and bandwidth.
Heavy usage of event settings affects the product’s CPU load which in turn affects the frame rate.
Using HTTPS may reduce frame rate, in particular if streaming Motion JPEG.
Heavy network utilization due to poor infrastructure affects the bandwidth.
Viewing on poorly performing client computers lowers perceived performance and affects frame rate.
Running multiple AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP) applications simultaneously may affect the frame rate and the general performance.
Running multiple AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP) applications on the Visual and Thermal channels simultaneously may affect the frame rate and the general performance.
Steady during startup. Flashes during firmware upgrade or reset to factory default.
Amber/Red
Flashes amber/red if network connection is unavailable or lost.
Red
Firmware upgrade failure.
SD card slot
CAUTION
Moving parts. Risk of injury. Keep your body parts away from the product when it’s in operation. Disconnect from power supply before installing or performing maintenance on the product.
CAUTION
Hot surface. Risk of injury. Don’t touch the product when it’s in operation. Disconnect from power supply and allow the surfaces to cool before performing maintenance on the product.
NOTICE
Risk of damage to SD card. Don’t use sharp tools, metal objects, or excessive force when inserting or removing the SD card. Use your fingers to insert and remove the card.
Risk of data loss and corrupted recordings. Unmount the SD card from the device’s web interface before removing it. Don’t remove the SD card while the product is running.
This device supports microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC cards.
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.
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 input
1 Tip
2 Ring
3 Sleeve
Digital signal
Ring power if selected
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.
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.
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 – Connect to pin 1 to activate, or leave floating (unconnected) to deactivate.
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
DC ground
DC output 12 V, max 50 mA
I/O configured as input
I/O configured as output
Configurable I/O
Configurable I/O
Power connector
4-pin terminal block for power input.
24 V AC/DC power connector
NOTICE
This section is valid for products powered by 24 V AC and 24 V DC only.
This table is only valid for the 24 V AC and the 24 V DC power connectors.