Vivotek VS3100P User manual

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Product name: Video Server (VS3100P)
Release Date: 2005/04/07
Manual Revision: 1.30
Web site: www.vivotek.com
Email: [e-mail]
[email protected]
Made in Taiwan. ©Copyright 2000-2005. All rights reserved

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Before You Use This Product
The use of surveillance devices may be prohibited by law in your country. The Video
Server is not only a high-performance web-ready camera but also can be part of a
flexible surveillance system. It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that the
operation of such devices is legal before installing this unit for its intended use.
It is important to first verify that all contents received are complete according to the
list in the "Package Contents" chapter. Take notice of the warnings in “Quick
installation guide” before the Video Server is installed, then carefully read and follow
the instructions in the “Installation” chapter to avoid damages due to faulty assembly
and installation. This also ensures the product is used properly as intended.
The Video Server is a network device and its use should be straightforward for those
who have basic network knowledge. The “Troubleshooting” chapter in the Appendix
provides remedies to the most common errors in set up and configuration. You
should consult this chapter first if you run into a system error.
The Video Server is designed for various applications including video sharing, general
security/surveillance, etc. The “How to Use” chapter suggests ways to best utilize
the Video Server and ensure proper operations. For the creative and professional
developers, the "URL Commands of The Video Server " chapter serves to be a helpful
reference to customize existing homepages or integrating with the current web
server.
For paragraphs preceded by the reader should use caution to understand
completely the warnings. Ignoring the warnings may result in serious hazards or
injuries.

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Table of Contents
Before You Use This Product......................................................................2
Package Contents....................................................................................6
Physical Description.................................................................................7
Front Panel .......................................................................................7
BNC video input ...........................................................................7
BNC video output .........................................................................8
RCA audio input ...........................................................................8
Status LED ..................................................................................8
Rear Panel ........................................................................................8
Ethernet 10/100 socket.................................................................8
General I/O terminal block.............................................................8
Restore button.............................................................................9
Power adapter..............................................................................9
Installation...........................................................................................10
Hardware installation........................................................................10
Cable connection........................................................................10
Power on...................................................................................10
Software installation.........................................................................11
Initial Access to the Video Server .......................................................12
Check Network Settings ..............................................................12
Add Password to prevent Unauthorized Access................................12
How to Use .....................................................................................13
Authentication............................................................................13
Installing plug-in..............................................................................14
Primary user’s capability ...................................................................15
Main Screen with Camera View.....................................................15
Digital Zoom..............................................................................16
Digital Output ............................................................................16
Snapshot...................................................................................16
Client settings............................................................................17
Administrator’s capability ..................................................................19

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Fine-tuning for Best Performance..................................................19
Opening accounts for new users ...................................................21
Change homepage layout ............................................................22
Build a multimedia web attraction site ...........................................29
Build a security application ..........................................................33
Software revision upgrade ...........................................................36
Definitions in Configuration.....................................................................37
System parameters..........................................................................38
Security settings..............................................................................39
Network settings..............................................................................40
General.....................................................................................40
SMTP........................................................................................40
FTP ..........................................................................................41
HTTP ........................................................................................41
Streaming .................................................................................42
DDNS and UPnP settings...................................................................43
Video codec parameters....................................................................44
Motion detection ..............................................................................46
Application settings..........................................................................47
Weekly schedule.........................................................................47
Event operation..........................................................................47
Sequential operation...................................................................48
Homepage layout settings............................................................49
Viewing system log ..........................................................................50
Viewing system parameters...............................................................50
Factory default ................................................................................50
Appendix..............................................................................................51
A. Troubleshooting ...........................................................................51
Status LED ................................................................................51
Reset and restore .......................................................................51
B. Frequently asked questions ...........................................................52
C. URL commands of the Video Server ................................................55
Capture update Snapshot of JPEG image........................................55

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Query status of the digital input ...................................................55
Drive the digital output ...............................................................55
Restore factory default settings ....................................................55
Restart system...........................................................................56
Page URL ..................................................................................57
System resource URL..................................................................57
General format of command URL ..................................................58
System configuration URL............................................................58
Security configuration URL...........................................................59
Network configuration URL...........................................................59
DDNS & UPnP configuration URL...................................................61
Video configuration URL ..............................................................62
Image quality configuration URL ...................................................63
Application configuration URL.......................................................65
Homepage layout configuration URL..............................................66
D. Technical specifications ................................................................. 67

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Package Contents
VS3100P
Power adapter
I/O terminal block connector
Software CD
Quick installation guide
Warranty card

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Physical Description
Front Panel
BNC video input
75Ohms resistance video port for connecting an external camera. To ensure video
modulation type being correctly detected, cameras should be attached and powered on
before the Video Server is powered on.

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BNC video output
Bypass the video input signal to additional terminal or surveillance equipment.
RCA audio input
The audio input is connected by RCA connector of mono-audio Line-In signal.
Status LED
The Video Server provides a LED to show its status. Please refer to the appendix
"Troubleshooting” for detail.
Rear Panel
Ethernet 10/100 socket
Connect to Ethernet network with a UTP category 5 cable that cannot exceed 100
meters.
General I/O terminal block
1 DI- INPUT (Initial state of DI is low)
2 DI+ INPUT (Max. 50mA, 12VDC)
3 SW_COMMON OUTPUT (open from SW_OPEN at initial state)
(close with SW_OPEN when set DO to ON)
4 SW_NOPEN OUTPUT (Max. 1A, 24VDC or 0.5A, 125VAC)
The Video Server provides a general I/O terminal block with one digital input and one

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relay switch for device control. Pin 1 and pin 2 can be connected to an external sensor
device and the state of voltage will be monitored from the initial state 'LOW'. The relay
switch of pin 3 and pin 4 can be used to turn on or off the external device.
Restore button
There is a button hidden in the box for restoring the system factory default settings.
Please refer to the appendix "Troubleshooting” for detail.
Power adapter
Connect the power jack of the included power adapter. Connecting the power adapter
should be the last operation while physically installing the Video Server.
Consult with the dealer of the peripherals for correct installation.

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Installation
Hardware installation
Before installing multiple Video Servers at the well-chosen locations, the Administrator
should memorize the serial numbers on the packages respectively for future use.
Cable connection
Shut down all the peripheral devices prior to connection.
Connect the supplied cables from the Video Server to
related devices according to the figure. The Ethernet cable
should meet UTP category 5 that cannot exceed 100
meters.
Power on
Make sure all cables are correctly and firmly connected before turning on the Video
Server. Turn on cameras, sensors, alarm devices, and then attach the power adaptor of
the Video Server to the electric power socket. As soon as the power adapter is plugged
into the utility socket, the front LED will switch between green and red for several times.
After passing the self-test, the LED will be green and the Video Server will standby for
getting IP address. After getting IP Address, the LED will blink green every second.
Otherwise refer to Appendix A for troubleshooting.
Connect the jack of the power adapter to Video Server prior to plugging the utility
end into the utility power socket. It will reduce accidental electric surge shock.

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Software installation
At the end of the hardware installation, users can use Installation Wizard program
included in the product CDROM to find the location of the Video Server. There may be
many Video Servers in the local network. Users can differentiate the Video Servers with
the serial number. The serial number is printed on the labels on the carton and the back
of the Video Server body. Please refer to the user’s manual of Installation Wizard for
detail.
Once installation is complete, the Administrator should proceed to the next
section "Initial access to the Video Server" for necessary checks and
configurations.

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Initial Access to the Video Server
Check Network Settings
The Video Server can be connected either before or immediately after software
installation onto the Local Area Network. The Administrator should complete the
network settings on the configuration page, including the correct subnet mask and IP
address of gateway and DNS. Ask your network administrator or Internet service
provider for the detail information. By default the Video Server requires the
Administrator to run installation every time it reboots. If the network settings are to
remain unchanged, disable the Install option. Refer to “Network settings” on the
System Configuration page for details. If any setting is entered incorrectly and cannot
proceed to setting up the Video Server, restore the factory settings following the steps
in the “Troubleshooting” chapter of the Appendix.
Add Password to prevent Unauthorized Access
The default Administrator’s password is blank and the Video Server initially will not ask
for any password. The Administrator should immediately implement a new password
as a matter of prudent security practice. Once the Administrator’s password is saved,
the Video Server will ask for the user’s name and password before each access. The
Administrator can set up a maximum of twenty (20) user accounts. Each user can
access the Video Server except to perform system configuration. Some critical
functions are exclusive for the Administrator, such as system configuration, user
administration, and software upgrades. The user name for the Administrator is
permanently assigned as “root”. Once the password is changed, the browser will
display an authentication window to ask for the new password. Once the password
is set, there is no provision to recover the Administrator’s password. The
only option is to restore to the original factory default settings.

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How to Use
Authentication
After opening the Web browser and typing in the URL of the Video Server, a dialogue
window pops up to request a username and password. Upon successful authentication,
the following figure is displayed.
The foreground is the login window and the background shows the message if
authentication fails. The user may check the option box to save the password for future
convenience. This option is not available to the Administrator for obvious reason.

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Installing plug-in
For the initial access to the Video Server in Windows, the web browser may prompt for
permission to install a new plug-in for the Video Server. Permission request depends on
the Internet security settings of the user’s PC or notebook. If the highest security level
is set, the computer may prohibit any installation and execution attempt. This plug-in
has been registered for certificate and is used to display the video in the browser. Users
may click on to proceed. If the web browser does not allow the user to
continue to install, check the Internet security option and lower the security levels or
contact your IT or networking supervisor for help.

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Primary user’s capability
Main Screen with Camera View
The main page layout has two parts:
Configuration functions: The camera can be configured using these user interfaces.
Camera View: What the camera sees.
Click on the configuration link to the left of the image window to enter the configuration
page.

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Digital Zoom
Click on the magnifier icon under the camera view then the digital zoom control panel
will be shown. Uncheck “Disable digital zoom” and use the slider control to change the
zoom factors.
Digital Output
Clicking on the “On” or “Off” button turns the digital output to either on or off status.
Snapshot
Click on , web browser will pop up a new window to show the snapshot.
Users can point at the snapshot and click the right button of mouse to save it.

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Client settings
At the initial access to the “Connection type” page in Windows, the web browser will ask
for a new plug-in installation, the plug-in being the Video Server. This plug-in has been
registered for certification and can be used to change the parameters at the client’s site.
The user may click on to install the plug-in. If the web browser does not allow
the user to complete the installation, check the Internet security to lower the security
level or contact your IT or networking supervisor.
There are two settings for the client side. One is “Media Option” for users to
determine if audio should be muted. The other is “Protocol Option” which allows
choices on connection protocol between client and server. There are three protocols
choices to optimize your usage - UDP, TCP and HTTP.
The UDP protocol allows for more real-time audio and video streams. However, some
packets may be lost due to network burst traffic and images may be obscured.
The TCP protocol allows for less packet loss and produces a more accurate video
display. The downside with this protocol is that the real-time effect is worse than that
with the UDP protocol.

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The HTTP protocol must be selected if the network is protected by a firewall and it only
allows HTTP Port (80) to be opened. In this mode, audio will not be sent and only video
is operational. If no special need is required, UDP protocol is recommended. Generally
speaking, the client’s choice will be in the order of UDP →TCP →HTTP. After the
Video Server is connected successfully, “Protocol Option” will indicate the selected
protocol. The selected protocol will be recorded in the user's PC and will be used for the
next connection. If the network environment is changed, or the user wants to let the
web browser to detect again, manually select the UDP protocol, save, and return HOME
to re-connect.
<url> http://<Video Server>/protocol.html
<Video Server> is the domain name or the original IP address of the Video Server.

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Administrator’s capability
Fine-tuning for Best Performance
Best performance generally equates to the fastest image refresh rate with the best
video quality, and at the lowest network bandwidth as possible. The three factors,
“Maximum frame rate”, “Fix bit rate”, and “Fix quality” on the Video Configuration page,
are correlative to allow for achieving the best performance possible.
For Best Real-time Video Images
To achieve good real-time visual effect, the network bandwidth should be large enough
to allow a transmission rate of greater than 20 image frames per second. If the
broadband network is over 1 Mbps, set the “Fix bit rate” to 1000Kbps or 1200Kbps, and
set “Fix quality” at the highest quality. The maximum frame rate is 25 in PAL system
and 30 in NTSC system. If your network bandwidth is more than 384Kbps, you can fix