MicroPower Technologies Helios User manual

© 2012 MicroPower Technologies, Inc. 1
4350 Executive Drive, Ste. 325
San Diego, CA 92121
[phone]
www.micropower.com
Helios™
Solar Wireless IP Surveillance System
Installation Guide
Version 5.12

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© 2012 MicroPower Technologies, Inc. 2
Table of Contents
Contacting MicroPower Customer Support................................................................................ 3
General Safety Precautions.......................................................................................................... 3
Package Contents ......................................................................................................................... 4
Installation Recommendations .................................................................................................... 6
I. Site Survey........................................................................................................................ 6
II. System Setup.................................................................................................................... 9
A. Accessing the Intelligent Video Hub....................................................................... 10
B. System Setup via the Video Hub............................................................................. 10
C. Add/Remove Cameras.............................................................................................. 15
D. Camera Settings........................................................................................................ 17
E. Align Mode.................................................................................................................. 18
F. Hub Interface .............................................................................................................. 22
G. Live View..................................................................................................................... 23
H. Battery Status............................................................................................................. 24
III. Mounting the Video Hub’s External Antenna .............................................................. 26
IV. Mounting the Camera..................................................................................................... 29
V. Mounting the Auxiliary Solar Panel.............................................................................. 30
VII. Configure the Video Management Software (VMS)..................................................... 33
REGULATORY AND LICENSING INFORMATION ..................................................................... 34

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Contacting MicroPower Customer Support
MicroPower’s customer support strategy is through best-in-class business partners
including OEMs, distributors, systems integrators and systems vendors. If your
MicroPower product was purchased directly from a MicroPower business partner, that
partner is the first point of contact for technical support. If the business partner cannot
resolve a problem, then the partner will contact MicroPower.
Web Support:
http://www.micropower.com
Email Support:
[email protected]
Phone Support Worldwide:
[phone]
Fax Support – Worldwide:
[phone]
General Safety Precautions
• Follow all cautions, instructions, and warnings as listed on the product and related
documentation, including electro-static discharge (ESD) recommendations, physical
handling advice and other recommendations or best practices.
• Ensure that the voltage and frequency of your power source match the voltage and
frequency required by the equipment. Do not use alternative power supplies without
first contacting MicroPower.
• Do not attempt to modify or change the internal batteries. The battery size and
voltage are calculated to match the size, voltage, and runtime required by the
equipment. Modifying the battery system could result in damage to the equipment and
nullification of the product warranty.
• Use only the included antennas and ancillary equipment provided with the product.
• Do not make mechanical or electrical modifications to equipment. MicroPower is not
responsible for the safety or regulatory compliance of a modified product.
• Do not omit device components that would interfere with air flow and cooling as
designed. Failure to follow these guidelines can cause overheating and affect the
reliability of your MicroPower product.
• Protect your warranty. A product which has been damaged, misused, abused or
misapplied may be determined to be out of warranty.

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Package Contents
The MicroPower Solar Wireless Surveillance System consists of two major devices; the
MPT2500 Series Solar Wireless IP Video Camera and the MPT2700 Series Intelligent
Video Hub.
Solar Wireless Video Camera (MPT2500 series)
•Solar Wireless Video Camera/ IP66 Enclosure
(Including 2 Philips screws for attaching the bracket to the camera housing)
•Camera Mounting Arm
oWall attachment screws and bracket screws utilized to adjust the camera
position and angle
•One Dual Frequency Directional Antenna (900MHz / 2.4GHz)
oU-Bracket with washers and screws
oAntenna Cable
•Antenna Arm Bracket Assembly (Installer should supply stainless steel worm
drive bands “hose clamps” in appropriate size for mounting pole).
Intelligent Video Hub (MPT2700 series)
•Intelligent Video Hub
oPower Brick, Mounting Hardware, Documentation
oAntenna Cable Splitter and SMA Adapters
oAntenna Cable
•One Dual Frequency Directional Antenna (900MHz / 2.4GHz)
oU-Bracket with washers and screws
oAntenna Cable
•Antenna Arm Bracket Assembly (Installer should supply stainless steel worm
drive bands “hose clamps” in appropriate size for mounting to the pole).

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System Overview
MicroPower Technologies has developed a unique proprietary power and wireless
technology called “TrustLinx™”, which enables the long-range wireless transmission of
digital video while using only 10% of the electrical energy that most common wireless IP
cameras consume. With this patented technology, the MicroPower wireless Video
cameras can remain fully operational for up to five days in complete darkness, utilizing
only the internal rechargeable batteries. This enables the camera to reliably operate 24
hours a day through most weather conditions, without any performance loss or need for
maintenance.Additionally, the TrustLinx radio technology does not conflict with other
wireless technologies such as traditional Wi-Fi (802.11b/a/c/n), while still retaining the
ability to reliably transmit high-quality digital video up to distances of 1/2 mile.
The patented TrustLinx technology eliminates the need for trenching and/or long cable
runs to remote outdoor cameras, significantly reducing installation time, labor costs,
and allowing cost effective remote video coverage in locations where surveillance was
never before possible.
In the 2.4 GHz ISM band, referring to the OSI 7 layer networking model, we use Layer 1
for the physical layer and Layer 2 for the data link layer. We do not use Layer 3
(network layer), Layer 4 (transport layer) or Layers 5-7. Therefore, we utilize the
physical radio and the data link that organizes the bits into packets. These packets are
not Wi-Fi, TCP/IP or any other topology. The hub receives the packets from the camera
and although the packets comply with the 802.11 Layer 2 data link format, the content
is proprietary. Because we are receiving camera data it is a one way stream from the
camera to the hub. We do not enable the transmit from the hub to the camera using
this radio, therefore the normal mode of operation and the only mode that can be
activated by the user is receive mode.
The MicroPower designed card is designated the Hub Controller Board, or HCB. It is also
a mini PCIe card. The HCB is controlled by an on-board microcontroller. The
microcontroller has direct access to a 915MHz radio transceiver. The operating
frequency of the radio is derived from a 48MHz crystal, and FSK modulation is
employed. The radio is coupled with a power amplifier and LNA to boost output power
to approximately 13dBm. Matching and filtering networks are employed to minimize
spurious noise and harmonics. One of multiple channels in the 909-921MHz ISM band
can be selected for operation. This allows the system to select a channel to avoid
interference with other devices operating in the band. The channel selection is
determined by software on the host computer and communicated with the HCBs
microcontroller using an internal USB interface.
Up to six (6) wireless cameras can be associated to a single video hub. The video hub is
the only data connection point to which the Video Management System (VMS) will
communicate and obtain the remote video streams. The standard TCP/IP data from the

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video hub, may be transmitted via Ethernet through virtually any conventional
broadband network technology (LAN, T1, ADSL modem, cable modem, cellular modem,
mesh network, etc. to your chosen VMS solution)
Installation Recommendations
There are 5 major steps that are recommended for a successful installation. These are:
1. Site survey
2. System setup
3. Mounting the video hub and wireless camera(s), and solar panels
4. Adjusting the zoom/focus/iris of the camera
5. Configuring the VMS
I. Site Survey
A well-thought out plan for the location of the hub and camera(s) is an important step
to ensuring that the entire system will remain operational, and integrate with a new or
pre-existing video management system. For a more complete guide on performing a

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quality site survey, please refer to the MicroPower documentation titled “Site Survey
Guidelines”.
With unobstructed line-of-sight between the hub and camera antennas, the system can
reliably transmit video up to 1/2 mile in distance. However, obstacles such as trees,
buildings, fences, etc. will impact the wireless performance in terms of maximum
transmission distance and data rate speeds. Once a video link is established, if
obstructions are present, or the distance between the antennas is too great, then the
video streams may experience dropouts and/or reduced camera frame rates. A wall or
tree may not cause any significant performance impact at short ranges, yet can
completely block a signal at long distances. Additionally, for best extremely short range
performance, the minimum distance between the video hub antenna and the wireless
Camera antenna should be 25 feet (unless signal attenuators are installed).
For further education and guidelines on RF effects, refer to MicroPower document “A
Guide to Optimizing Your RF Setup”.
Since the wireless camera is powered by solar energy, the critical impact of sun direction
and shadows on the panels cannot be overstated. It is advisable that the camera be
positioned in such a way that two or more of the built-in solar panels receive adequate
direct sunlight during the peak charging hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
When selecting a location for the wireless camera that will be installed in the Northern
Hemisphere, the auxiliary solar panel must be mounted on the SOUTH side of a pole or
structure, facing SOUTH.With the camera’s built-in solar panels, it is also preferable to
mount the camera on the South side of the pole, to minimize shadows created by the
pole, and to ensure good light coverage across all of the panels as the sun moves across
the sky. For East or West facing cameras, try to mount the camera on the South side of
the pole, and point the camera in the desired direction. For optimum solar
performance, always try to avoid the North side of the pole.
(In the Southern Hemisphere below the equator, the directional considerations are
reversed)
Areas with insufficient direct sunlight will eventually produce camera outages, such
areas include, but are not limited to:
•Solar panels shaded under a roof eave
•Underneath a tree canopy or foliage which does not receive adequate sunlight
•Next to a tall building that casts a shadow over the camera during peak charge
times. (Particularly during the important mid-day charging period)
•A camera mounted such that the pole that it is attached to, or other area objects
(wires, cables, etc.) cast shadows across multiple solar panels during peak charge
times.

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Keep in mind that the cameras include a powerful battery backup capable of operating
the camera over (5) days in complete darkness. If the system is receiving light, but at
levels that are below the “break even” point, operation time can potentially be
extended for weeks before a camera is finally no longer be able to remain operational
24/7. Thus, it is important to be aware that a camera may appear to operate fine in
poor lighting conditions, when in fact it is slowly discharging.
Sufficient daytime lighting is absolutely critical to the long-term successful operation of
the system. Additionally, making sure there are no shadows cast on the panel during
the day also plays a critical role to success. Solar panels, by their nature, are sensitive to
and greatly affected by shadows (even very small ones) on the panel. The most
common difficulties we help troubleshoot in the field can usually be attributed directly
to solar panel shadowing.
(Note: In the next section, we will detail how to log into the hub and view the charging
status of each camera to help determine if lighting levels are sufficient.)

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II. System Setup
The following steps are required when performing system setup and installation.
1. Connect the antennae to the video hub
2. Configure video hub to the desired IP address/network settings.
3. Reboot the hub system.
4. Add the camera(s) MAC address through the hub’s web interface.
5. Connect the camera antenna and camera power to test the each camera prior to
mounting and installation.
6. View the camera connection through the web interface and Live Connection
(Perform basic adjustments to camera zoom/focus settings if necessary).
7. Mount the video hub in a secured, climate controlled location, run the hub
antenna cable, mount and adjust hub antenna.
8. Begin camera, antenna, and solar panel mounting, and adjust antenna alignment
at the final remote installation locations.

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A. Accessing the Intelligent Video Hub
Accessing the video hub is similar to setting up a wireless router in your home, in that a
web-based display is used to control the device.There are two basic methods for
connecting to the video hub, with or without an Ethernet network switch. The most
common method for systems which already have a pre-existing network in place is by
addressing the video hub through a network switch. It is also possible to communicate
with the video hub from a server directly, by using a crossover cable. Below are
illustrations of both topologies.
Configuration 1 Configuration 2
B. System Setup via the Video Hub
It is important to configure the video hub first, prior to pairing the video hub to the
wireless cameras. System setup is performed via a standard web browsing application
such as Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome, similar to how a wireless router is configured
in a home environment. (Internet Explorer is not recommended for system setup).
Note: Though the video hub is a fully operational Linux server, for support and performance purposes, MicroPower
requires that hub software installations remain consistent. As such, the installation of additional software to, or
modification of the core video hub software will nullify the MicroPower Technologies warranty.
Display
Server Network
Switch Hub
Camera
Display
Server Crossover
Cable Hub
Camera
Antenna
Connector
Antenna
Connector
Ethernet
Network
Port
DC Power

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To configure the video hub, you will need to:
1. Connect video hub Antenna
2. Connect the AC power cable to the video hub and plug into a power source.
3. Power on the video hub by briefly pressing the power button on the rear of the unit. If
the camera is powered on, make sure the wireless camera and video hub antennas are
at least 25 feet away from each other.
4. Connect your computer to the hub via the Ethernet port, and configure your computer
network settings so that it can directly address the video hub.
Below is an example screen of modifying the IPv4 IP address properties in Windows to make
this change.
Press OK.

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1. To communicate with the video hub, type the default IP address of the video hub into
your web browser as though you were trying to visit a website. (For best results, use
Firefox or Chrome).
http://192.168.0.100
This is a temporary IP address which you will likely need to change via the system setup
application.
At this point, a login screen will appear.
Type in admin for the username. The password is left blank.

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2. Begin configuration of the video hub by selecting the System Setup tab.
This is the menu used to specify the final IP address, hostname, wideband channel,
wideband bandwidth, narrowband channel number, narrowband channel power and time
out period.
The other variables (Wideband Channel, Demod Level, Narrowband Chan, Narrowband Pwr)
are selectable, but generally should not need to be changed.
Typically, you will only need to modify the IP address to be compatible with your current
network configuration. To configure the IP address, single click the IP address button in the
window, you will then be directed to the Configure Hub IP Address menu. (shown below)
This menu allows a user to modify a static IP address, gateway address, and subnet address
or, to choose “Use Dynamic” otherwise known as DHCP.
Note: Do not forget your IP address, and use caution if you choose “Use Dynamic”. Your
VMS system will need to be able to locate the video hub, and if a DHCP server is dynamically
assigning different IP addresses to the hub, it can cause the hub to be difficult to find on the
network. Only use this setting if your network administrator has told you to, AND, can
determine and/or control the appropriate IP address issued to the video hub. In most
installations, static (non-changing) IP addresses are most common, and the preferred choice
for the Hub.

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Typically, the new hub IP address should correspond to the IP address within the subnet of
your VMS network (the first three sets of numbers match). For example, should some of
your network devices be assigned an IP address similar to: 192.168.100.2, 192.168.100.5 or
192.168.100.10, then a viable Hub IP address could be 192.168.100.150 or perhaps
192.168.100.8. This allows other devices within your local network, including the NVR, to
communicate with each other.
Input the desired IP address and click Update. (if a dialog box warns that you will need to
restart the hub, just click ok and continue)
After updating the “Configure Hub IP Address menu”, you will be directed to the previous
menu, System Setup.
You will then need to click Apply here as well to apply the IP address change you previously
made. You should then see a dialog alert informing you that a system reboot is required,
since the video hub will not be configured for the new IP address until a reboot is complete.
To perform the required reboot, navigate to the Hub Status tab, scroll down, and click to
restart the hub. (You may need to verify/confirm that setting a second time) Close the
HTML browser window, wait approximately 1-2 minutes for the restart process to complete.
3. You can now attempt to access the hub on the newly configured IP address. Note that
you will need to change back the IP settings of your computer to match the IP range of
the new video hub IP address, before you will be able to access the hub.
The administration login screen should again appear. If there is a problem, and you are
unable to connect to the video hub, then double check that you have changed the IP
address settings of your computer to match the range of the video hub’s “new” IP address.
If you are still unable to access the hub, it is possible that both the “apply” or the “update”
button may not have been clicked during IP address change procedure on the video hub. If
this is the case, the IP change process will need to be repeated.

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C. Add/Remove Cameras
This is the menu used to add or remove cameras that are associated with the specific
hub that is being configured.
1. Select Tab labeled Add/Remove Camera.
2. Select option to “Add New”. A pop-up window for the MAC address of the camera is
displayed.
Add the MAC Address that is printed on the sticker of the wireless camera. The sticker is
located both on the inside and the outside of the camera enclosure.
Press OK when the MAC address is entered.
1. Follow Step 3 again to add additional cameras (maximum of 6)
2. Connect the antenna(s) to the camera(s)
3. Inside the camera enclosure, connect the battery cable to the camera circuit board
connector. The camera ships with a fully charged battery pack, however, when the

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wireless camera is shipped from the factory, the battery is disconnected from the
battery camera to ensure it remains fully charged.
When the battery is connected to the camera, an LED indicator light (on the left side
while peering inside the camera) should glow red when the battery is connected.
4. If you wish to do an initial camera focus / zoom adjustment, you can leave the camera
open. Otherwise, close the camera housing then lock the safety latch.
NOTE: When closing the housing, be careful not to crush any cables in the housing
hinges or edge seals, and make sure the various water-tight seals remain in place on the
edges of the housing. (particularly at the front of the camera near the hinges)
Helpful Tip: Make a note of the MAC address in your records. (If you ever need to re-set
up the hub, it is helpful to have these numbers written down, instead of having to visit
each camera after it has been installed)

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D. Camera Settings
The tab, “Camera Settings” is used to customize each wireless camera associated with
the paired video hub.
1. Select tab labeled Camera Settings.
Variables for the Camera Settings beyond the MAC address are:
Variable Description
Valid value for
wireless cameras
MAC
Camera MAC Address
Six Hex values
WB Power
Power settings for the Wideband signal
Hi, Med, Lo
Demod
Data bandwidth of the individual
cameras
54, 48, 36, 24 Mbps
Fr. Rate
Frame rate desired.
(Fixed at 5fps)
Invert State
Specifies whether the video is an
inverted image or not.
Off
Encrypt State
Will allow the encryption of data sent
between the wireless and video hub .
(Inactive: Future Development Feature)
Off
Stream
Displays the stream # of the camera.
(This information is needed to set up
most VMS configurations)
StreamX where X can
be 0 to 5
Use the “Apply” button at the end to apply new settings for that specific camera.
Helpful Tip: Make a note of the stream numbers associated with each of your cameras,
it is helpful to have when setting up the VMS software.
The “Align” button is used for aligning antennas, and is covered in the next section.

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E. Align Mode
The last button, “Align”, is a special function for determining the best antenna
alignment and signal quality between the video hub and wireless camera. The web
interface allows the user to see the narrowband and wideband wireless performance for
each individual camera.
This mode is especially useful while performing the installation, optimizing the camera,
video hub, and determining antenna location and adjustment for the best performance
for each camera.
By selecting “Align”, the user will be directed into a new menu set that provides gauges,
showing radio measurements for the signal power, quality and noise of the 900MHz
narrowband (NB Signal) and wideband 2.4GHz (WB Signal) link.
The opening menu will look like the example below.

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The meters are defined as you move left to right; top to bottom:
•NB Signal (cam) = (915 MHz) signal strength received by the camera
•NB Signal (hub) = (915 MHz) signal strength received by the video hub
•NB Quality (cam) = (915 MHz) signal quality received by the camera
•NB Quality (hub) (915 MHz) signal quality received by the video hub
•WB Signal = (2.4 GHz) signal strength
•WB Noise = (2.4 GHz) noise level
•WB Quality = (2.4 GHz) signal quality
Note: Most cameras are configured with a single “Dual band” antenna that handles
both frequencies that the camera utilizes.
The steps for optimizing the alignment of the camera and video hub are:
1. Click “Start” to begin monitoring the wireless performance for a specific camera
2. Make sure the antenna position maximizes the signal strength (note there is a 4
second delay from an adjustment being made, until the result may be seen on
screen)
3. Click “Stop”, followed by “back” when finished making adjustments.
4. Wait for the button to change from “resetting” back to “align”
IMPORTANT: BEFORE LEAVING THE ANTENNA ALIGNMENT SCREEN, YOU MUST
SELECT STOP.IF STOP IS NOT PERFORMED, THE CAMERA AND VIDEO HUB MAY
REMAIN IN “ALIGNMENT MODE” AND NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. (Video may not be
sent to the VMS system, and/or hub performance will be greatly reduced)

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Signal Strength Expectations
Overall Goal: Adjust the antenna such that the narrowband and wideband signal
strength and quality levels are as high as possible.
Narrowband strength acceptable ranges are -15 to -70. -15 is better, higher strength
signal than -70 (closer to zero). The values of the NB signal strength received by the
camera and video hub are typically expected to be approximately the same value.
Narrowband quality values above 35 should yield an acceptable operation. But this
can vary depending on the RF environment.
A Wideband signal strength within the range of -40 to -65 will typically yield very solid
performance.Wide Band signal strength should also be as high (closer to zero) as
possible. Acceptable ranges vary by environment.
DEMOD Value: A lower Demod value will help permit operation at greater distances, or
at weaker signal levels. The trade-off with a lower Demod rate however, is the length of
time required to send data packets will be longer, allowing for a greater chance of
interference. Depending on the RF environment, this can ultimately result in a lower
average frame rate. (dropped frames)