Camera and Communication Systems for hazardous Areas SAMCON Topical Booklet No. 0001

...what cannot be seen. Why use a camera when practically nothing can be seen through an inspection window with the naked eye? How much light does your eye need in order to reliably identify information? How well can you still identify an object if it is illuminated by a candle burning at a distance of two meters? How well can you see by the light of a full moon? The illumination strength of a candle at a distance of two meters is roughly 0.20 lx (Lux). The illumination strength of a full moon is measured as roughly 0.25 lx. Modern high-performance day/night cameras, like our special model ExCam...

...what cannot be measured. Physical values can be measured. The fill level of a container, the speed of a rotating machine or the rate of liquids flowing through pipes can all be measured. The physical values are measured in order make use of them in subsequent automation-related processes. For example, the fill level of a container can be depicted in the form of a rising bar on the monitor of a process control system. The most fundamental human measurement device is the eye with which we see. It is possible to look through an inspection window in a container to see how full it is. However,...

See ...what has gone unseen. Working in hazardous areas is dangerous. Protective gear and gas warning devices are required. Many areas may only be entered in pairs and in full protective gear. Communication with the control room, if even possible, takes place via explosion-safe mobile telephones or handheld radios. How quickly is it possible to respond if something actually happens? How would it be to constantly have an eye on-site? How would it be if you could speak to the people in the hazardous area in telephone quality regardless of where you are? How would it be if you could save all this...

ExCam miniZoom Stainless steel design ExCam miniZoom Aluminium design In 2004, we planned our first IP-based camera system, which at the time was something exceptional. Eventually, IP-based video networks will replace analogue network structures. Today, one frequently finds hybrid networks in which analogue video sources are digitised after the signal transmission. What are analogue systems? Analogue camera systems refer to systems in which the image signal is transmitted as analogue. This image signal has many names: FBAS, CVBS, television signal, composite, etc. The most important format standards...

ExCam miniZoom Stainless steel design Video servers are used for conversion of analogue image signals into digital network video streams. These are available in a wide range of physical dimensions from various manufacturers. They are also available as small circuit boards that are installed directly into the camera or as modularly expandable 19” solutions. ExCam miniZoom Aluminium design Which video server solution is best for you depends on many planning factors: ExCam 360° Are analogue cameras already in use and, if so, where? ExConnection Rail How far are the installation distances in the...

Radio audio connection ExCam 360° with DECT unit ExConnection Rail ExCam miniZoom Stainless steel design The terms IP-based camera systems or CCTV (closed circuit television) systems are used when the image information or any voice information is transmitted with the help of the TCP/IP protocol (Video over IP, Voice over IP). Eventually, IP-based camera networks will replace analogue camera networks with the exception of only a few special applications. The most important reasons for this are: 1. Standard network components (cables, switches, media converters, etc.) of various manufacturers can...

Photo: Hubert Link, Bundesarchiv, Mai 1982 Viewing and controlling. How should the camera images be displayed and processed? Who should be able to control the cameras? Should all camera images be displayed at the same time? Do priorities exist with regard to important or less important camera images? Various software products are offered by various manufacturers. The functionality and performance of these solutions differ greatly. Many options are available, from inexpensive variants to video management systems with a large number of interfaces. The functions of off-the-shelf software products...

SAMCONnect What does one need in order to display and control digital camera images? One or more networkable computers with monitors and input devices are required. These are generally already present in most control centres in the industry. Control systems from manufacturers such as Siemens, ABB, Emerson and Yokogawa depict complex processes of plants and plant components on multiple monitors. Computers with high-performance graphics cards depict the processes in a way that gives the plant manager or operator all important information at a glance. Both these hardware structures and the ergonomic...

Recording and archiving. One important function of CCTV systems is the recording and archiving of video and sometimes audio files. Recordings can be used to reconstruct past events. Fault analysis is simplified when it is possible to retrace events. When did the surface in container 2 start to foam up? Recording solutions are often integrated into camera software products. But what if neither a PC nor camera software are present in the CCTV network? The SAMCON Recording tools are Ethernet-based programs that intelligently utilise the functions of digital cameras. The principle is as follows:...

Planning means asking questions. The more questions are asked prior to technical implementation of a project, the fewer problems arise during installation and commissioning. This is true in general as well as for video monitoring systems in explosion risk zones in particular. Is the existing lighting sufficient? Where should the camera be mounted? What camera angle is required? How is the signal transmitted? Where does digitalisation take place? Where does the explosion risk area begin and what zones are declared? What are the transmission paths, how large are the distances? What is the optimal...