Configuring I/O devices

iCatcher Console can make use of both sensors and automation devices as well as Access Control systems. All of these options are grouped under 'I/O devices' and can be configured through the I/O devices tab of the global settings.

You can also access this tab directly by right-clicking on 'Sensors & Automation' and selecting 'Properties'. You can also add an I/O device directly by clicking on 'Add new I/O device'.

There are a number of types of devices supported by iCatcher Console:

• RS232 sensors that provides its data through an RS232 serial port.
• IP cameras/video servers with On/Off input and output support on ACTi, ADAM, Axis and Genie video devices.
• Access Control systems with control over AxxessID door locks
• LogIT Black box recorders with support for all the sensor types.
• Home automation with CM11 USB or ActiveHome X10 controllers or Lightwave RF.
• Virtual devices for triggering actions manually or aggregating the value of other sensors.

Note that RS232 devices do not have to be connected directly to a PC serial port. iCatcher Console supports USB serial port adapters, including those used by the IO Networks sensors.

Devices can be disabled by unchecking the "Enabled" check box. This allows devices to be temporarily shut down if there is a problem with the hardware. Note that when disabling an I/O device, the existing connection details will be preserved in case the hardware or connected port are not currently available.

The name allows you to use the device value as a macro in the overlays to include it on any recorded footage.

Each device has a category that defines what kind of sensor or control it is. This is used for the Console tree and remote access (e.g. the web view) to show an effective visual description of the device.

iCatcher Console periodically requests the status/value of the device at regular intervals. To prevent unnecessary processor loading, the default interval is 15 seconds.

To create momentary switches/devices, you can set the "Automatically reset" setting to turn the output off again after a short period of time.

If you want to monitor power usage of the connected devices, you can enter a power usage value for when it is on. This is traditionally measured in watts.
The total power usage can be displayed as a macro or graphed using the normal I/O device graphs.

IP video server devices

Some video servers and network cameras (e.g. Axis 241Q) have an I/O port with individual digital lines that can be set to a specific state to control hardware. For some devices, these can also be used as input sensors. Please consult your device's documentation on port capabilities and configuration.

Output lines come under two types:

• Logic Level - The line can be set to a logic 1 (+5V) or a logic 0 (0V).
• Open Collector/Drain - The line can be set to logic 0 (0V) or logic 1 (the line is disconnected).

Open collector/drain outputs require additional components for connecting hardware for control. Details of electronic circuit requirements are beyond the scope of this help file and will be documented in the the device's documentation.

Input lines always read as a logic 1 or logic 0 at the device.

The Port/Device will need to be set to match the manufacturer of your device and the Address is the IP address or hostname of the video server or camera on which the device resides.

The Channel setting allows you to specify which input or port to use on the device. This list will be populated automatically when the IP address or hostname of the device is filled in.

Access control systems

iCatcher Console is capable of integrating with access control systems to lock and unlock door controls, detect the current door state (open or closed), etc.

You will need to install the controller application software for your access control system in order for iCatcher Console to communicate with your devices. Please see your device's documentation for more information.

Port/Device should be set to match the manufacturer and type of access control device you are using, e.g. a door control or door sensor.

Input will then list the available controls and sensors as defined in your access control system controller application software.

Some access control systems are configured outside of iCatcher Console and their devices can configured in iCatcher Console automatically. See the I/O systems section for more details.

Home automation systems

iCatcher Console has support for both CM11 and the CM15/CM15Pro X10 controllers, as well as Lightwave RF WifiLink transmitters.

When adding a new X10 device, select "Home Automation Controller" as the type, then select the appropriate port for your controller.
For the CM11, this will be the configured COM port. If it's connected via USB, it will be presented as a new COM port.

If you're using the CM15, you will need to install the ActiveHome Pro SDK and select the ActiveHome controller as the device.
For Lightwave RF WifiLink, you just select the "Lightwave RF WifiLink" device and enter the transmitter's IP address.

You will also need to enter the device code to transmit in the Code box. X10 devices are addressed as A2, B6, D4, etc, whereas LightwaveRF is addressed using a room and device number like R1D2, R3D7, R12D1, etc.
If you're using the CM15, then you can also suffix the device code with "-r" and "-p" to limit the communication to radio or power line only.
When reading the energy meter with a LightwaveRF WifiLink, you can use the following codes:

• meter: Current instantaneous power usage (Watts)
• meter-maximum: Maximum instantaneous power usage today (Watts)
• meter-today: Cumulative power usage today (Watt hours)
• meter-yesterday: Total power usage yesterday (Watt hours)

The CM15 also allows devices to be dimmed using suitable X10 modules.
Note that the level is only approximate and will vary between different X10 devices.

RS232/Serial port sensors

iCatcher Console can read input data from a device connected to a serial port. These are input only sensors such as the temperature and humidity sensor from Digi.

Port/Device is the serial port to use to access the device. This needs to be a serial port that is not in use by another application.

Command is the text to send to the sensor to request the current value data to be sent back. Please see your sensor's documentation for information on what commands are accepted.

The Terminator specifies how the line ends of commands and responses are represented. Serial devices usually send special characters to signify the end of the line has been reached. These are typically the CR (Carriage Return) and LF (Line Feed) characters. Most serial ports use CR/LF, however you can change this option here.

Some sensors (e.g. the Digi Temperature and Humidity sensor) have multiple functions in them. iCatcher Console has a built-in 'multiplexer' facility to request these values under separate sensor definitions without encountering a serial port conflict. You simply need to define two devices using the same serial port with different commands.

Virtual devices

Virtual devices allow iCatcher Console to expose a special type of I/O device that can be used to perform actions. These can be used like any other I/O device and be associated with feeds, triggered via the web interface, and controlled by the I/O scheduler.

Aggregate I/O devices can combine the values from several different sensors and I/O devices into a single value. It supports summing, counting, mean average, finding the minimum and maximum values or the product. These can be used for example to give the total power from an alternative energy system, or the hottest of a range of temperature sensors, etc.

Format

The format string allows you to change the data returned by the device to make it suitable for display. The two main types are as follows:

Boolean values

If the device value is a boolean (on and off) style sensor (IP devices and some AxxessID sensors), the format is two text values, separated by a '/'. The first defines the On value, the second the Off value. E.g. 'On/Off', 'Closed/Open', 'Connected/Disconnected'.

Numerical values

For numerical values, you can use a format string made up of special characters. An '0' in the format string refers to a mandatory digit, where as a '#' refers to an optional digit. The full stop '.' defines the decimal point between value components. Use of these parts together allows you to define decimal places and significant digits, as shown in these examples:

• 0.00 - At least one digit before the decimal point and exactly two after.
• 0.## - At least one digit before the decimal point and up to two after.
• 000.0# - At least three digits before the decimal point, and at least one but no more than two after.
• 0.00#° - Two decimal points followed by the degrees symbol.
• 0.0"%" - A single decimal point followed by a percentage symbol.

Please note that the '%' symbol has a special meaning in the format string and will multiply the value by 100. Some other characters also have special meanings so you should enclose them in quotes.

More information on the numeric format strings can be found in the Microsoft Developers Network library.

I/O device actions

I/O Devices can be used to trigger actions and events within iCatcher Console. The Actions list defines a set of rules and consequences to carry out when input devices reach certain values.

The actions are explained in detail in the Actions help page.

Reference images

Each device value can be assigned a reference image that identifies the device and value for example an illuminated light bulb and a dark light bulb for the on and off values. Select Load to specify which image file should be used. Any bitmap, GIF (animated), or JPEG image can be used.

Value recording

By enabling the option to "Record device values", iCatcher will log the value at regular intervals for later examination. The current device value graph can be examined by right-clicking on the sensor in the main tree view and selecting View I/O device Graph.

I/O systems

I/O systems allow you to make use of pre-configured systems like an access control system. These can be added by right clicking on I/O systems in the tree and selecting New I/O system.

Once the type and connection details have been entered, you will be asked which devices you want to configure by checking them in the list. After adding them, they can be configured as with any other I/O device.

Any events and notifications received from an I/O system will be shown as part of the Events system and can have actions performed when specific events are received.