Author: Lauren McTeague

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Downloading and Installing avcodec for Decoding h.264

There is a known issue when decompressing H.264 video from Arecont cameras that might cause the exacqVision Client or Web Service to crash. This issue appears to be specific to Arecont cameras with hardware version 65212. The H.264 hardware version can be read by browsing to the camera’s web page. Our workaround to this issue is to facilitate the use the avcodec (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libavcodec) for decompressing H.264 video instead of the Intel Performance Primitives decompressor that is normally used by exacqVision. Arecont tests with avcodec and distributes it with their AV100 software; thus, any incompatibilities with their hardware compression should be minimized.


Following are instructions for downloading and installing avcodec for each supported operating system:


Windows:

  1. Download exacqVision Client version 4.2.3.22315 or later from here: http://www.exacq.com/support/downloads.html
  2. Obtain the required avcodec DLLs. Because of license restrictions, Exacq cannot currently distribute these DLLs. If you have Arecont AV100 installed, browse to the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Arecont Vision\Video Surveillance) and copy avcodec-51.dll and avutil-49.dll. Otherwise, install AV100 from the CD that came with your Arecont camera, or download AV100 from the Arecont web site at http://arecontvision.com/index.php?section=downloads&subsection=list_files&s_fk_category_id=5 and follow the previous instructions.
  3. Save avcodec-51.dll and avutil-49.dll to the exacqVision Client directory (typically C:\Program Files\exacqVision\Client).
  4. By default, AV100 runs a service that causes conflicts with exacqVision Server. Either uninstall AV100 or disable the AV100 LMService by opening the Windows Service Control Manager (run services.msc), selecting the LMSrv service, clicking Stop, and setting the startup type to Disabled.
  5. Restart the exacqVision Client.

If you are using the exacqVision Web Service, complete these additional steps:


  1. Download the latest version of exacqVision Web Service from here: https://exacq.com/support/downloads.php
  2. Copy avcodec-51.dll and avutil-49.dll to the exacqVision WebService installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\exacqVision\WebService\Bin).
  3. Restart the Web Service from Start, Programs, exacqVision Web Service, Restart exacqVision Web Service.

Ubuntu 8.04:

  1. Download exacqVision Client version 4.2.3.22315 or later from here: http://www.exacq.com/support/downloads.html
  2. Obtain the required avcodec shared libraries by opening a terminal window and running the following:
    sudo apt-get install libavcodec1d
    sudo ln -s libavcodec.so.1d /usr/lib/libavcodec.so
    sudo ln -s libavutil.so.1d /usr/lib/libavutil.so
  3. Restart the exacqVision Client.

If you are using the exacqVision Web Service, complete these additional steps:

  1. Download the latest version of exacqVision Web Service from here: https://exacq.com/support/downloads.php
  2. Stop the Web Service: sudo /usr/local/exacq/webservice/service.sh stop
  3. Start the Web Service: sudo /usr/local/exacq/webservice/service.sh start

Ubuntu 10.04:

  1. Download exacqVision Client version 4.2.3.22315 or later from here: http://www.exacq.com/support/downloads.html
  2. Obtain the required avcodec shared libraries by opening a terminal window and running the following:
    sudo apt-get install libavcodec52
  3. Restart the exacqVision Client.

Mac OS:

  1. Download exacqVision Client version 4.2.3.22315 or later from here: http://www.exacq.com/support/downloads.html
  2. Download the ffmpeg installer from here: http://lame3.buanzo.com.ar/FFmpeg_Libraries_for_Audacity_on_OSX.dmg
  3. Extract and install the ffmpeg.pkg from the dmg.
  4. Open a Terminal window and execute the following:
    sudo mv /usr/local/lib/audacity/* /usr/local/lib
  5. Restart the exacqVision Client.

To make this fix work with an existing standalone *.exe file, complete the following steps:

  1. Install the latest version of the exacqVision Client software. This includes the latest version of the ePlayer software.
  2. Open the standalone *.exe and then save it as a *.ps file.
  3. Open the saved *.ps file with the updated ePlayer.
  4. Save the file as a standalone *.exe. This packages the updated ePlayer with the video clip.
  5. Send both avcodec-51.dll and avutil-49.dll along with the saved standalone *.exe file. The DLL files must be saved to the same directory as the standalone *.exe when it is run on the remote computer.
Downloading-and-Installing-avcodec-for-Decoding-h.264.pdf
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Knowledge Support Support exacqVision Server Categories Products

Intel Desktop Utilities for Windows 7

NOTE: It is recommended that you do NOT install this software on Windows XP Professional.

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You can download Intel Desktop Utilities from the following location:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18934&ProdId=3121〈=eng

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If you are not using the server and need to manually download the drivers, complete the following steps:

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  1. Select Desktop Boards under Products.
  2. Select Intel® 4 Series Chipset Boards under Product Line.
  3. Select Intel® Desktop Board DB43LD under Product Name.
  4. Select Windows 7, 32-bit under Operating System.
  5. Select Software Applications under Download Type.
  6. From the list, select Intel® Desktop Utilities from 4 & 5 Series Desktop Boards.
  7. Follow the links and download the software.

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If you are on the server itself, you can have Intel automatically search for the drivers and software needed. To do this, complete the following steps:

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  1. Click Run Now under the Automatically Identify and Find Drivers section.
  2. After the IDU_x.zip file is downloaded (x is the version of IDU software), extract the files to the Desktop (by default, they extract to an IDU_x directory).
  3. Open the directory where the ZIP file was extracted to. Right-click Setup.exe and select Run as Administrator to install the program.

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To make exceptions in Windows Firewall, complete the following steps:

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  1. Click Start, Control Panel, and Windows Firewall.
  2. Select Allow a Program or Feature Through Windows Firewall.
  3. Click Change Settings.
  4. Confirm the action if the UAC appears.
  5. Click Add Another Program.
  6. Click Browse.
  7. Browse to C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Desktop Utilities.
  8. Select intelmain.exe and click Open.
  9. Repeat steps 5-7 and select iptray.exe and click Open.
  10. Confirm that Intel(R) Desktop Utilities and Tray Application for Intel(R) Desktop Utilities have been added to the exceptions list.

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You have now installed Intel Desktop Utilities to your Windows 7 exacqVision Server.

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Intel-Desktop-Utilities-for-Windows-7.pdf
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Knowledge Support Support exacqVision Server Categories Products

Mouse and Keyboard Disabled During Windows Installation

On rare occasions, the system mouse and keyboard can become disabled during a Windows installation. The cause of this issue is unknown. However, the issue can be resolved by disconnecting the mouse and connecting the keyboard to the USB port directly below the Network port. When finished, restart the system.

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Mouse-and-Keyboard-Disabled-During-Windows-Installation.pdf
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Knowledge Support Support exacqVision Client Categories Products

RS-422 Advanced PTZ Menu Control

In version 4.1 of the ExacqVision software, advanced RS-422 PTZ controls were implemented for Pelco-D and American Dynamics domes. One of the advanced controls allows the operator to open the dome’s internal menu to display menu choices in an onscreen display (OSD) embedded in the dome’s video stream. A cursor can be moved up and down the menu using the ExacqVision Client’s PTZ up and down arrow controls.

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Pelco-D

  • To select item at cursor: Iris Open
  • To change selected value: up and down arrows
  • To exit menu: move the cursor to the Exit menu item and select

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American Dynamics

  • To select item at cursor: Focus Far
  • To increase the selected value: Zoom In
  • To decrease the selected value: Zoom Out
  • To exit menu: either move the cursor to the Exit menu item and select, or use the exacqVision Client’s Menu Off command

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Knowledge Support Documentation Support exacqVision Server Products exacqVision Integrations

Connecting an ExacqVision Hybrid System to a Pelco Coaxitron Translator for Analog PTZ Control

ExacqVision Hybrid servers have the ability to integrate with Pelco Coaxitron CXTA 9760 devices. This allows customers with existing Pelco PTZ cameras that are controlled through the coax with the Coaxitron protocol to be controlled using ExacqVision software. The CXTA accepts the Pelco 422 protocol from the ExacqVision server, and it outputs the data over the video cable.<br><br>

To use a Pelco Coaxitron Translator (CM9760-CXTA) to control up to 16 analog PTZ cameras using an exacqVision Hybrid system, complete the following steps.<br><br>

I. Connect video from the CXTA to the exacqVision Hybrid system

Connect the BNC Out from the CXTA to Video In on the ExacqVision Hybrid system. The input/output numbers do not have to match because the CXTA input position determines where the PTZ commands are sent.<br><br>

II. Configure the CXTA dipswitches

Set CXTA dipswitches 1 and 2 to OFF to enable 32-bit extended Coaxitron.

Set dipswitch 3 ON to enable Pelco D protocol.

Set dipswitch 8 to ON to enable Spectra equipment type.

III. Connect RS-485 TX+/- on the ExacqVision Hybrid system to the OUT RJ-485 connector on the CXTA

NOTE: For this process, you need a CAT5 cable with one RJ-45 end, a wire stripper, and a small screwdriver.

  1. On the end of the cable without the RJ-45 connector, strip wires 7 and 8 to expose the copper. If the cable is TIA standard, the wires are white/brown and brown.<br><br>
  2. Locate the RS-485 terminal block on the back of the ExacqVision Hybrid system.<br><br>
  3. Use a small screwdriver to loosen (not remove) the TX+ and TX- screws on the RS-485 terminal. You can remove the terminal connector to see the labels.<br><br>
  4. Insert the brown wire into the TX+ position on the RS-485 terminal and tighten the screws.<br><br>
  5. Insert the white/brown wire into the TX- position on the 485 terminal and tighten the screws.<br><br>
  6. Plug the other end of the CAT5 cable into the OUT RJ-485 connector on the CXTA.<br><br>

IV. Enable the serial port in the ExacqVision Client software

  1. In ExacqVision Client, open the Configuration page.<br><br>
  2. Select Serial Port Setup.<br><br>
  3. Locate the RS-485 connection. In Windows, the highest numbered COM port is typically where the RS-485 connection communicates.<br><br>
  4. In the Use column, select PTZ from the drop-down list.<br><br>
  5. Give the connection a name (Pelco CXTA, for example).<br><br>
  6. In the Profile/Protocol section, select Pelco-D from the drop-down list.<br><br>
  7. In the Baud Rate column, select 2400 from the drop-down list.<br><br>
  8. In the Data Bits column, select 8 from the drop-down list.<br><br>
  9. In the Stop Bits column, select 1 from the drop-down list.<br><br>
  10. In the Parity column, select None from the drop-down list.<br><br>
  11. Leave Flow Control at None and Max Line Length at 80.<br><br>
  12. Click Apply.<br><br>

V. Enable PTZ control on the camera and test it in the exacqVision Client software

  1. In ExacqVision Client, open the Configuration page.<br><br>
  2. Select the first input that you want to configure as a PTZ camera to open the Camera Setup page. The inputs are listed below the Camera Recording Setup icon in the configuration tree.<br><br>
  3. In the Serial Port drop-down list, select the COM port enabled in the previous steps.<br><br>
  4. In the Address drop-down list, select the address that matches the camera’s input on the CXTA. For example, if the camera is connected to Input 6 on the CXTA, select 6 as the address.<br><br>
  5. Click the Presets button on the left (not the digital Presets button).<br><br>
  6. Click the Pan/Tilt buttons to move the camera around.<br><br>
  7. Click the Zoom buttons to zoom in and out.<br><br>
  8. Repeat steps 1-7 for each of the cameras connected to the CXTA that you want to configure as PTZ cameras.<br><br>

Attached are the Pelco documents on the CXTA model.

Pelco_CM9760_CXTA_Coaxitron_Translator_manual.pdf Pelco_CM9760_CXTA_Coaxitron_Translator_spec.pdf
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Knowledge Support Documentation Support exacqVision Client Products

Does the ExacqVision Client Support Multiple Monitors?

Yes, ExacqVision Client supports multiple monitors. We have tested up to four VGA monitors from a single workstation.

Typically, a user will run one instance of the ExacqVision Client per monitor. Because decompressing video is CPU-intensive, we recommend one core per Client for the best user experience. To drive up to four VGA monitors, we recommend an Nvidia T1000 graphics card. For always-on, higher end multi-monitor displays consider the Nvidia RTX A-2000 up to the Quadro GV100 discrete graphics cards.

The Nvidia P2000 has been tested running the ExacqVision Client with VGA and DVI monitors up to 1920×1200 resolution.

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Knowledge Support Documentation Support exacqVision Client Products

What is the VGA Acceleration Mode feature on the Client page?

The process of decompressing and displaying hundreds of video images per second is processor-intensive. It is possible to use the capabilities of modern display adapters to offload the main workstation processor from some of this work.<br>

The ExacqVision Desktop Client tries to automatically determine the best operational mode and colorspace for the available display hardware. Because various display adapter vendors have different levels of support or tests for the various modes and colorspaces, occasionally situations arise where the automatically detected mode does not work properly. The Client settings page allows the user to control the selection of the mode and colorspace of the display acceleration.<br>

The following modes are available:

  • In Auto mode, the Client will attempt to detect the correct GPU decoded path for your operating system. The Client will revert to None automatically if it detects that the display adapter does not support that mode.
  • In Direct3D mode, additional options are available for selecting specific colorspaces. Direct3D is a decoding method developed by Microsoft for Windows only GPU decoding. Direct3D enables applications to interact with display hardware from any vendor that provides a Direct3D driver and provides a method for applications to determine the modes of hardware acceleration that are available in the display hardware.
  • In OpenGL mode, additional options are available for selecting specific colorspaces. OpenGL is a cross-platform GPU decoding method, meaning it can be used on non-Windows operating systems as well. When selecting OpenGL, the processor decompresses the frame and provides it to the display adapter in a supported colorspace. The display hardware scales the image and copies it to the overlay buffer. Each time the monitor retraces, the display adapter combines the frame buffer with the overlay buffer to produce an output. This mode offers the best performance because the workstation processor does not have to scale images or convert colorspace. It also reduces flicker because any onscreen graphics are in the frame buffer, which is independent of the images that are updated in the overlay buffer.
  • In None mode, the workstation processor does all the work and makes no use of display adapter acceleration. The None setting for VGA acceleration is the most conservative setting in terms of minimizing potential issues with VGA drivers. However, selecting None requires more CPU horsepower to decompress and display images in the Client.

NOTE: While the None mode is reliable, because it does not depend on a driver from the display adapter manufacturer, this mode could result in a reduced displayable frame rate if the workstation processor is 100% in use. You can assess this setting in a Windows Client by running Task Manager and monitoring CPU usage while running in Live Mode. Remember that a single instance of the Client cannot run on multiple cores, so if you have a two-core processor, it might display 50% CPU usage when fully loaded by a single Client.

The following article may also help in determining the cause of any frame rate discrepancies.
Lower Frame Rates Displayed Than Expected

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Knowledge Support Support exacqVision Client Categories Products exacqVision Hardware

Can I use a Joystick with exacqVision Client software instead of a mouse?

Yes. Exacq offers the exacqVision Surveillance Keyboard for this purpose.

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Knowledge Support Support exacqVision Server Categories Products

Why can’t I play back video from my 5 Megapixel cameras after export?

Some media players, such as Windows Media Player, have problems when playing back full 5 Megapixel MJPEG video images in the AVI format. This is a limitation of the default codecs in the media players, and it applies to both exports from the server and already exported EXE files.

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One solution is to download the latest version of ffdshow from http://www.free-codecs.com/ffdshow_download.htm. Rev2676 from Feb. 11, 2009 specifically has been tested to resolve this issue (older versions might work, but this version is confirmed). When finished, restart the system.

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Why-cant-I-play-back-video-from-my-5-Megapixel-cameras-after-export.pdf
Categories
Knowledge Support Documentation Support exacqVision Server Products

Does the exacqVision Server support automatic burning of video files to CD/DVD or USB?

Yes, exacqVision’s Auto Export profiles allow you to automatically burn a specified video event to a writable CD, DVD, or USB thumb drive. This function can easily be associated with a soft trigger button in the exacqVision Desktop Client using Event Linking.

CD/DVD writing is a one-time operation for each export. If using a USB thumb drive, Auto Export may be performed multiple times up to the drive capacity.

Auto Export is performed on the server, so the media you choose must be inserted into the NVR, not your Client workstation.

View our User Training Videos on Auto Export and Event Linking, or refer to the exacqVision User Manual for more information

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