Devices (explained)

Hardware has a number of devices that you can manage individually, for example:

• A physical camera has devices that represent the camera part (lenses) as well as microphones, speakers, metadata, input and output either attached or built-in
• A video encoder has multiple analog cameras connected that appear in one list of devices that represent the camera part (lenses) as well as microphones, speakers, metadata, input and output either attached or built-in
• An I/O module has devices that represent the input and output channels for, for example, lights
• A dedicated audio module has devices that represent microphones and speaker inputs and outputs
• In a Milestone Interconnect setup, the remote system appears as hardware with all devices from the remote system listed in one list

The system automatically adds the hardware’s devices when you add hardware.

For information about supported hardware, see the supported hardware page on the Milestone website (https://www.milestonesys.com/support/tools-and-references/supported-devices/).

The following sections describe each of the device types that you can add.

Cameras

Camera devices deliver video streams to the system that the client users can use to view live video or that the system can record for later playback by the client users. Roles determine the users' permission to view video.

Microphones

On many devices, you can attach external microphones. Some devices have built-in microphones.

Microphone devices deliver audio streams to the system that the client users can listen to live or the system can record for later playback by the client users. You can set up the system to receive microphone-specific events that trigger relevant actions.

Roles determine the users' permission to listen to microphones. You cannot listen to microphones from the Management Client.

Speakers

On many devices you can attach external speakers. Some devices have built-in speakers.

The system sends an audio stream to the speakers when a user presses the talk button in XProtect Smart Client You can also use this feature from XProtect Web Client and XProtect® Mobile. Speaker audio is only recorded when talked to by a user. Roles determine users' permission to talk through speakers. You cannot talk through speakers from the Management Client.

If two users want to speak at the same time, the roles determine users' permission to talk through speakers. As part of the roles definition, you can specify a speaker priority from very high to very low. If two users want to speak at the same time, the user whose role has the highest priority wins the ability to speak. If two users with the same role want to speak at the same time, the first-come first-served principle applies.

Metadata

Metadata devices deliver data streams to the system that the client users can use to view data about data, for example, data that describes the video image, the content or objects in the image, or the location of where the image was recorded. Metadata can be attached to cameras, microphones, or speakers.

The device-generated metadata is automatically linked to one or more devices on the same hardware.

Roles determine the users' permission to view metadata.

Inputs

On many devices, you can attach external units to input ports on the device. Input units are typically external sensors. You can use such external sensors, for example, for detecting if doors, windows, or gates are opened. Input from such external input units is treated as events by the system.

You can use such events in rules. For example, you could create a rule specifying that a camera should begin recording when an input is activated, and stop recording 30 seconds after the input is deactivated.

Outputs

On many devices, you can attach external units to output ports on the device. This allows you to activate/deactivate lights, sirens, etc. through the system.

You can use output when creating rules. You can create rules that automatically activate or deactivate outputs, and rules that trigger actions when the state of an output is changed.