How to add a microphone to an IP Camera

How to add a microphone to an IP Camera

Most security cameras that are outdoor rated do not come with built-in microphones to ensure that no water can leak in. This means that you must add an external security camera microphone to these cameras in order to record audio. CCTV Camera World carries microphones for indoor or outdoor cameras. Most IP security cameras with audio input capabilities have an RCA audio connector on their pigtail for connecting a microphone. Some dome IP cameras have a connection block on the inside of the dome. In either case, physically connecting and configuring external microphones to an IP security camera is easy as shown in this guide.

How to tell which camera you have?

In case you are unsure, here's a quick image to help you understand which type of audio connection your IP camera has.

Depending on whether your camera has a RCA or two-wire line in connection, please follow the appropriate section below.

1.   Connecting a microphone using RCA input

2.   Connecting a microphone using two-lead wire

3.   Enabling audio-input on the camera

 

 

 

Setup for IP Cameras with RCA Audio Input connectors

What's needed?

Here is what you need to connect a microphone to an IP camera that has RCA audio inputs:

1. Outdoor Microphone (sku 71891) or Indoor Microphone (sku 7100CC)
2. 12V DC 500mA Power Supply (sku 12V5MA)
   You can also use PoE Power Splitter (sku POE101D) with DC Power Splitter Cable (sku DC-PJJ)
3. RCA Male to RCA Male Adapter (sku RCA01)

How to connect a microphone to an IP camera that has RCA audio input

Below is a diagram of how to connect an external microphone to the RCA audio connector on an IP camera.

It is easy to connect a mic by following these easy to follow steps:

1. Connect the microphone to the RCA audio input on the camera's pigtail using a RCA Male to RCA Male connector
2. For longer runs between the camera and microphone you can use an RCA cable with male ends to connect the input and output.
3. Connect the power connector from the 12V DC Power Supply to the female power jack on the microphone.

Alternatively, you can also use a PoE Power Splitter with a 1-to-2 DC Power Splitter to use PoE power for the microphone and camera. Simply connect the PoE cable into the PoE splitter. Then split the power to the camera and microphone using the DC splitter. The data cable for the PoE splitter then connects to the camera for data.

After you have correctly wired the microphone to the camera you can continue to the rest of the article to find out how to enable the cameras audio input for listening and recording.

Setup for IP Cameras with Audio Line-in Input

Some IP security cameras include an internal audio line-in block or a two-wire lead that requires a two-lead connection for connecting a microphone. At first it may seem puzzling how a microphone with a RCA connection would connect to a two-wire input. As an example, in the section below we use a video balun, BNC to RCA connector, and two-lead wire to connect the microphone to the line-in block.

What's needed?

You will need the following items to connect a microphone to a camera with a line-in audio connection consisting of two-lead cabling.

1.   Outdoor Microphone - (sku 71891) or Indoor Microphone (sku 7100CC)

2.   12V DC 500mA Power Supply (sku 12V5MA)
You can also use PoE Power Splitter (sku POE101D) with DC Power Splitter Cable (sku DC-PJJ)

3.   Video Balun (sku VB2PHD)

4.   BNC Female to RCA Male Connector (sku BNCRCA02)

5.   Two-lead Wire for the balun

Best Practices for Using A Two-Way Audio Security Camera

Whether you have a security camera system for a home or business, the need for two-way audio interaction with talk-back capability may arise. CCTV Camera World offers solutions for both one-way and two-way audio. One-way audio is great for listening to sound originating from the location of a camera, but it will not allow interaction with a person at that location. To be able to interact with a person at the camera, the camera would have to have two-way talk capabilities, i.e. a speaker and microphone built-in similar to an intercom.

Two-Way Audio Setup With PoE NVR

Step 1) Connect cameras to NVR

In this guide, we will be using our security camera with two-way audio, sku IP3MPA.  It is a two-way audio IP camera that allows the user to not only listen-in, but also talk back to the person at the camera. These cameras are very easy to connect using the plug-and-play technology. In the video demonstration above we show how easy it is to connect our PoE IP cameras to our PoE NVRs. Simply connect the cables between the camera and the NVR. A single network cable transmits power and data to each camera from the NVR, and plug-and-play technology handles IP address configuration between the camera and NVR without user intervention.

Using a Web Browser for Two-Way Audio

Our camera systems allow the user to engage in two-way talk over the network by using Internet Explorer on a computer or by using our iOS and Android apps for both phones and tablets. First, we will demonstrate how to use the web portal called Web Service in our security systems. A Windows PC running Internet Explorer is required for two-way talk capability through the web browser. To be able to talk-back, you will need to make sure you have a headset or combination of microphone and speaker on your PC to listen and talk-back.

All DVRs and NVRs from CCTV Camera World are network devices and have their own IP address. You first need to connect your security camera system to your network by assigning the DVR/NVR an IP address that fits your network scheme. Once that is complete, you will be able to view your system from a computer or smartphone and use the two-way audio feature over the network. If you wish to view the system over the web when away from home, you will need to set port forwarding rules on your router's firewall to allow remote viewing from the internet.

Once your system is properly connected to your network and port forwarding rules have been created on your firewall, you will be able to engage in two-way audio communication using your smartphone, tablet, or PC from anywhere in the world where Internet is available.

Step 2) How to use two-way talk on Internet Explorer

1.   Open an Internet Explorer window on your Windows PC and type in either your NVR's IP address for local viewing, or external IP address for remote viewing.

2.   Type in your system's username and password, and select Login.

3.   Make sure audio is enabled in your two-way camera by going to Setup and Encode.

4.   Click the Audio Enable check boxes for both the Main and Sub Streams (if they are not already checked).

5.   Select OK to ensure your settings have been saved.

6.   Click the Preview tab to view your camera's live feed.

7.   Select the channel by clicking the quadrant containing the video feed. A green frame will appear around the video feed to distinguish the selected channel.

8.   Select the Speaker Icon in the top-right corner of the selected camera's video feed for one-way audio. This will allow you to hear audio that's taking place at the location of your camera.

9.   To talk back and send out audio through the camera's speaker, select the Microphone Icon in the top-right corner of the selected camera's video feed. You will need either a headset with microphone, or a combination of microphone and computer speakers to listen and talk back.

Now you will be able to listen and talk back to someone at the location of your camera. Note that you will be able to listen to camera audio feeds one at a time - you will not be able to listen to multiple audio feeds simultaneously. Multiple users can listen to one-way audio from a camera, but the talk back function is done by one user at a time.

If a computer is not available to view your two-way audio camera system, then proceed to the next section where we explain how to use two-way talk with a smartphone or tablet.

Two-Way Audio Interaction Using iOS or Android Phone/Tablet

A more convenient way of viewing you security camera system and engaging in two-way audio talk is through your mobile device. The App allows the user to hear incoming audio from the camera and uses the microphone from the phone to talk back, sending out audio through the camera's speaker.

Step 3) How to use Two-Way Talk with a Smartphone or Tablet

1.   First, Open the app (iDMSS) on your iPhone or Tablet (or gDMSS for Android devices).

2.   Select the Menu Icon in the top-left corner, and choose Device Manager.

3.   From here, select the Plus Sign in the top right corner,  Wired Device and then IP/Domain.

4.   Fill out the appropriate credentials of your NVR. You will need to create two entries - one for viewing at the location of your system using Wi-Fi, and second entry for when viewing remotely over the internet away from home. We have a tutorial on how to create entries for both local and remote viewing. After all credentials have been entered, select Start Live Preview.

5.   Select the camera channel you want to engage in two-way audio with by tapping the video feed from that camera, and then press the Speaker Icon. The speaker icon allows the user to  listen to incoming audio from the camera and talk-back sending out audio through the camera's speaker.

Briefly, here is what we did:

1.   Open the dome cover of the camera using the included hex-key tool. Do not use powered screwdrivers or drills or you will damage the dome.

2.   Connect the BNC Female to RCA Male connector to the balun.

3.   Connect the RCA Male tip to the RCA input on the microphone.

4.   Use the video balun to wire in the two lead wire, tighten the screw-downs for the wires.

1. Make sure that you remember the polarity for your wires. We suggest using Red for the positive wire, and Black/Striped for the ground/negative wire.
2. Having a bad connection or the wrong polarity will not record sound or have loud interference.

5.   Locate the small rubber insert next to the Audio/Alarm block and create a small hole for the wires.

6.   Slightly unscrew the screw-down for the Audio-In connector on the block. Insert the positive wire from the video balun and screw it down.

7.   Slightly unscrew the screw-down for the ground connector (GND). Insert the ground wire from the video balun and screw it down.

8.   Run the power cable for the microphone to the 12V DC power supply that is connected to a 220V AC power outlet. Connect the power supply to the microphone.

a)   Alternatively you can use a PoE splitter with a 1-to-2 DC power splitter.

b)   Connect the PoE cable for the camera to the PoE splitter. Then connect the PoE splitter to the 1-to-2 DC power splitter.

c)   Connect the camera and microphone to the DC power splitter connectors.

d)   Connect the RJ45 jack coming from the PoE splitter into the pigtail on the camera.

Once you finally have your camera and microphone connected you can continue to follow the rest of this guide to learn how to enable audio input on the camera.

How to enable audio recording on an IP camera

After everything is connected you must configure the camera to recognize and use the external microphone. This step is extremely important before trying to listen and record a camera. Do not assume that the camera is automatically recording audio when you plug the microphone in.

Using Internet Explorer to enable and modify audio settings

In the video below we show how to use Internet Explorer to login and modify the settings on an IP camera. This process requires knowing what the IP address of the camera is. After that it is as easy as logging in and going to the Settings page. Navigate to the Camera > Audio page. There you will find the audio settings for the camera. You can enable audio for Main-stream or Sub-stream, fine tune the volume settings, and enable the noise filter. Also if a camera has a built-in microphone you can set it to use the external microphone instead.

Apartment Intercom Works

 Apartment Intercom Works

An apartment intercom system allows entry to a visitor to a building. A visitor can come up to the entry system at the main building entrance, select an entry and call a tenant. This sends a buzzer signal to the resident inside the apartment. The resident can pick up the call using an audio phone call, or a video call using a video intercom mobile app. They can communicate with the visitor, and then release and buzz the door remotely.

The latest lobby intercoms include a large touchscreen panel, intercom, camera, and wireless connections to the tenant’s phones.  This multi-tenant intercom system connects from the lobby intercom station to an app on each person’s smartphone.

This article reviews the apartment Intercon’s state-of-the-art components making this a valuable and easy-to-install system for apartment houses and multi-tenant organizations.

The new systems have large LCD screens that allow you to see a list of the residents in the building. The intercom panel also includes a camera so the tenant can see and hear the visitor at the door. These video intercom systems are used in offices, hospitals, and other large multi-tenant organizations.

How the TFT LCD Display Works

The display has a high enough resolution (800 x 1280) to make the information clear and readable. The TFT LCD (Thin-Film-Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) consists of three layers: a sandwich-like structure with liquid crystal material filled between two glass plates.

The two polarizer filters, color filters (RGB, red/green/blue), and two alignment layers control the light allowed to pass and which colors are created.

LCD Intercom

The pixels are addressed in rows and columns, reducing the connection count from millions to thousands. The column and row wires attach to each pixel (or transistor switch). The transistor’s one-way current characteristic prevents the charge applied to each pixel from being drained between refreshes to a display’s image. Each pixel is a small capacitor with a layer of insulating liquid crystal sandwiched between transparent conductive ITO (Indium tin oxide) layers. The capacitor allows each sub-pixel to retain its charge between each cycle.

The display is bright enough to be seen in a well-lit environment. For example, many panels provide 400 Nits of brightness. The term “nit” is a unit of measurement defining luminance rather than an abbreviation. One Nit equals one candela per square meter. Imagine a candle inside a box that is one meter by one meter square. The light from the candle equals one candela, and the light hitting the sides of the cube is equivalent to one Nit.

How the Touchscreen Works

The touchscreen is a combination of an input device with a display screen. It provides a signal that indicates the position where a person touches the display screen. There are various types of touchscreens. Some of the older touchscreens use infrared beams around the edge, while others use surface acoustic waves or near-field imaging. Many current touchscreens use resistive or capacitive effect touchscreen.

Capacitive touch screens generally have a brighter, clearer appearance and are much more sensitive than resistive touch screens. The capacitive touchscreen is the most popular technology used on our smartphones, laptops, and tablet screens.

Touchpanel

Capacitive screens have multiple layers of glass and plastic coated with a conductor material like indium tin oxide or copper. This conductive material responds when contacted by another electrical conductor, like your bare finger. When you touch your screen, an electric circuit is completed at the point where your finger makes contact, changing the electrical charge at this location. Your device registers this information as a “touch event.”

Resistive touchscreens detect position by pressure applied to its surface. The pressure on the surface causes the two layers to touch, which relates to the position on the surface.

Once a touch event has been detected, the screen’s receptors notify the operating system where the screen has been touched, allowing the application to respond.

Intercom

The apartment intercom includes a built-in intercom with a speaker and microphone. The speaker requires enough sound level so it can be heard in noisy environments, while the microphone needs to be sensitive enough to hear the person near the intercom. The closeness of the microphone to the speaker can cause problems. This is solved by using echo suppression.

Intercom System Diagram

Echo suppression improves voice quality by preventing speaker sound from circulating from the speaker, creating feedback. Echo suppressors and echo cancellers have similar goals—preventing a speaking individual from hearing an echo of their own voice.

Camera

The camera allows the person answering the door to see the visitor. The camera usually has a reasonable resolution (usually 2-MegaPixels) and can view a wide angle. There is an IR illuminator so the camera can see when there isn’t any ambient lighting. The camera is also able to see a person in bright sunlight. Many of these cameras include a wide dynamic range that provides a clear image of the person, even with a bright background. The camera connects through the computer unit, and the video is sent to the tenant’s smartphone.

Processing Unit

The computer system includes the Central Processing Unit (CPU) that can run an Android, Linux, or Unix operating system. The computer and software control the intercom panel’s functions, including the display, IO (the relay), audio, WiFi, and Ethernet interface.

Cloud-Based Management

Apartment intercoms use cloud-based servers that maintain the record of all the users.

IP Apartment Intercom Diagram

The management software provides an easy method for updating and editing the user list. The message passes through the local intercom server and the network switch and router to the cloud server. The message is sent from the cloud server to the smartphone (or standard phone). Once the connection is established, the tenant can talk to the person at the door. They can then remotely unlock the door. The IP intercom system provides increased security because it allows the tenant, with a smartphone, to see the person at the door.

Apartment intercom systems actually come in several forms, and each has their own set of unique capabilities to meet the needs of different multifamily buildings.

Wired Apartment Intercoms

Wired intercoms require running a cable from the main entry panel to each apartment unit receiver. There were very popular for smaller condo and apartment buildings. They could have audio or video capabilities.

·        Much higher upfront cost of install due to all the wiring needed

·        No recurring cost once installed, which is beneficial

·        May come with video or audio

·        You have to be home, and constantly walk over the receiving unit in order to receive the intercom

·        No ability to give our remote access when you are not home

·        Cannot generate and give delivery PINs

·        Very difficult and technically complicated to program. Often requires paying a security company to makes change every time someone moves in

Wireless Intercom Systems

Wireless intercom systems have been the real game changer in the world of modern access.

Instead of requiring a wall mount station inside the apartment unit and outside the front door, wireless intercom systems offer the ability for tenants to receive a visitor call to their mobile phone or other device that is compatible with the system’s software. Tenants are no longer tied to a wired intercom station inside their apartment – they are able to receive visitor calls and grant access from anywhere. There are two different ways in which to do this: telephone entry system and video intercom systems.

Telephone Entry System

Telephone entry systems like Doorking and Linear are very popular over the last decade. Most of you might be familiar with these door entry callboxes. You can program a list of phone numbers in the callbox and connect it to a traditional phone line or cellular VOIP system (those cost extra per month).

·        Reliable and popular technology over the last 20 years

·        Audio calls can be received to smart phone and regular phones

·        Ability to release the door lock pressing a number – often 9

·        Major known security issues – e.g. you can buy a key on amazon to open the box and release doors

·        Lack of video allows package thieves to now pretend to be delivery drivers and get buzzed in

·        Very difficult to program by condo management and property management – requires a ton of technical training

Video Intercom Systems for Apartments

Video intercoms make video calls between visitors and residents. Smart intercom systems support option for telephone calls using VOIP, to support older or non tech savvy residents. Most buildings are upgrading to modern video intercom systems. Video intercoms used to be very expensive.

Benefits of Apartment Intercom Systems

Apartment intercoms are convenient for multifamily tenants and their guests, but they go far beyond just convenience. A building intercom system offers a layer of security to access management for the best protection of your biggest investment.

·        Secure delivery management is becoming more than just a building amenity. With the increasing rate of e-commerce, and the ability to have more and more essentials and necessities delivered right to your door, securing packages and deliveries is a must. With a building intercom system, couriers can easily be granted building access from either a call to the front desk staff or directly to the tenant.

·        Securely granting access to guests and visitors is not only convenient to the tenant, but also the other occupants in the building. Tenants have peace of mind knowing any other occupant in the building has been authorized.

·        Convenience for tenants enhances a building’s reputation and boost tenant retention and acquisition.

·        Reducing operational overhead is made easy with building intercom systems because it seamlessly supports front desk staff and enables frictionless access to other operational or maintenance staff.

·        Business continuity is another unassuming benefit of building intercom. But, should an apartment need to be seen or toured in order to fill a vacancy, self-guided, contactless apartment tours can be facilitated with remote unlock features. 

Summary of Apartment Intercom

The apartment intercom is a device that allows visitors to contact people inside a multi-tenant building. It consists of a TFT LCD with a touch panel, audio intercom section, IP camera, and processing unit. The new wireless intercom allows you to contact the resident’s smartphone or standard phone to request entry into the building. The lobby intercom display provides a list of all the tenants in the building.