Exacq cloud hosted relay service eliminates the need for most firewall configuration and prevents exposing the NVR directly to inbound internet traffic via port forwarding by creating a unique relay URL as a proxy to access the NVR.
Product
exacqVision Web Service
exacqVision Relay Service
Prerequisites
exacqVision Server 19.06 or higher
NVRs with expired SSA “Software Subscription Agreement” will have image size and resolution restrictions.
The OpenSSL Certificate from Ubuntu that the relay service utilizes is expired
Description
Error failed to get public URL from relay manager rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = connection error: desc = “transport: authentication handshake failed: x509: certificate has expired or is not yet valid: current time 2022-02-24T10:19:29-08:00 is after 2021-09-30T14:01:15Z” wfe 32563
Product
ExacqVision Web Service
Solution:
You should only see this on Ubuntu systems.
NOTE: It is assumed that the NVR has internet access.
Open Terminal on the NVR, by pressing CTRL+ALT+T
Enter the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
This will update the system repositories then update software packages to the latest versions. This may take 10-20 minutes depending on the system.
How to diagnose if the Fast Reverse Proxy Client (FRPC) is the source of issues with the ExacqVision Web Server relay service.
Product
ExacqVision Web Server
Troubleshooting FRPC
FRPC provides a proxy service for Relay Connections used by ExacqVision Web Server. This eliminates the need for firewall configuration and prevents exposing the NVR directly to inbound internet traffic via port forwarding by creating a unique public relay URL.
Some antivirus software may identify this client as a threat and will block, remove, or prevent the installation of FRPC.
This usually manifests itself with issues either in initial setup of the relay service or when existing relay services stop working.
To confirm, check the ExacqVision Web Server logs for entries similar to the following:<br><br>
2021-06-15T10:02:51.215-0400 error failed to launch relay proxy client: file: frpc.exe not found
<br><br>Next confirm that FRPC is present in the appropriate install folder.
The default install locations are:
Windows C:\Program Files\exacqVision\WebService\bin\frpc.exe
Linux /usr/local/exacq/webservice/bin/frpc
Note: In some cases users may need to add relay.exacq.net to the allow list in their firewall.
TTL stands for Transistor-to-Transistor Logic, where the “logic” determines which values are high and low.
Standardized common TTL circuits operate with a 5-volt power supply. A TTL signal is defined as low when the voltage is measured between 0.0 V and 0.8 V with respect to the ground terminal, and high when measured between 2.2 V and 5 V (precise logic levels vary slightly between sub-types).
Exacq Hybrid NVR systems and the exacqVision USB I/O Module provide TTL inputs to activate input triggers and create output alarms. This allows exacqVision to interact with external devices/controls which may not provide means to be activated via software integration. The controllers in these systems follow the voltages listed above closely, as shown in the graphic below.
TTL uses a high/low indicator instead of the standard open/closed indicator of a contact closure. Many devices will accept this kind of information; if you have a device that works only with contact closures, you can find devices that convert TTL to contact closure.
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Controlling External Devices with TTL Output
Using Event Linking, exacqVision can activate external devices based on configured events, such as motion detection, analytic object detection, system health, input triggers, and more. See our User Training Videos on Event Linking and Event Monitoring, or refer to the User Manual, for information on configuration.
AC Devices
If you want your exacqVision Server to activate a 120VAC device during an event, it is recommended that you use the Xantech AC-1 switched AC outlet and a 120VAC power source/outlet. Event Linking must also be programmed in the exacqVision Client software.
Figure 1
DC Devices
If you want your exacqVision Server to activate a low-voltage device during an event, it is recommended that you use the Altronix RBSN-TTL relay and a 12-24VDC power supply. Event Linking must also be programmed in the exacqVision Client software.
Figure 2
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Wet and Dry Contacts
Automation and control devices come in countless forms, from different manufacturers, models, and types of devices. But, the general purpose is to turn a circuit on or off to drive a load of some type. In electrical terms a “load” is the end output device. This could be a light bulb or a motor.
When electricity is applied to actuators or relays there is typically some sort of switching involved, whether a physical switch used by a person, a sensor, or a relay. The contacts switch between an open and closed position to either complete the circuit or break the circuit. Additionally, we tend to think of a completed circuit as being “on”, however when using relays our voltage could be applied to the normally open (NO) or the normally closed (NC) contact, which will determine the behavior of the circuit.
DRY CONTACTS require electricity to be sent to the load from some sort of external source. This is the case when using relays, including those found on Exacq Hybrid NVRs or the exacqVision USB I/O Module. Voltage is usually supplied through a “common wire”. In addition, the I/O terminals on many IP Cameras are relays as well.
WET CONTACTS provide power directly, where the current driving the load flows through the switch itself. Consider the circuit breaker panel for your home. The switch on the circuit breaker allows the current to flow through it to power the devices on that circuit.
Exacq Hybrid NVRs and the exacqVision USB I/O module provide both TTL and relay outputs. While TTLs provide electricity directly through solid-state switching, they usually provide too little current to do anything more useful than power a tiny LED, which is why the relay devices mentioned above are used to introduce external current. Whether you use AC or DC will depend on the device you are attempting to control.
Note, that in Figure 1 and Figure 2 above, both modules provide power to the load from an external source. This is required because the output terminals from Exacq do not provide enough voltage or amperage to drive most devices, only enough to signal another device of a change.
