With the growing requirements for safety and uptime in today’s utility, industrial, military and ITS (Intelligent Traffic Solutions) sites and solutions, remote monitoring and recording of events has become critical. It’s one thing to see a SCADA screen showing that a motor has started, however it is much safer and practical to be able to view an actual live feed of the motor being started up. For this reason a cost effective yet reliable monitoring solution is needed. (In this example the live camera feed could be monitoring a conveyer belt starting up).
The industry has seen an increasing move to Ethernet as the transport mechanism for most networks and communication requirements. The move to Ethernet even caters for remote control of devices far out in the field, with only satellite or GSM communication. This does however mean that having visual confirmation of processes and automation is a huge must for all sites in terms of safety!
Industrial Video and Control was incorporated in November 2001 with the goal to provide an effective Ethernet based scalable camera solution aimed at use on mission critical networks. IV&C now provide a software management solution that can easily and effectively manage camera bandwidth utilization on the network for isolated instances such as recording, local viewing and remote viewing/recording.
The first part of the IV&C package is the Relay Server Software (RSS), with which cameras frame-rates can be individually controlled for both viewing and recording separately, and each of these can also be done separately for both WAN or LAN connections. This means that bandwidth utilisation can be throttled according to the client’s and network’s requirements. Users on the network can then navigate to the RSS Server via a web browser such as Internet Explorer and without any additional software needing to be installed can view and control the cameras. The Relay Server can be configured to record and manage up to 24 cameras per server (the limit would be to the Servers processing power), each camera feed can be tailor configured for recording frame rate, viewing frame rate, even notification and throttling remote viewers accordingly. Typically for a larger camera roll out, it is recommended to have a Relay Server per site. Each camera feed on the Relay Server can be configured to accept a range of compatible IP Camera’s and Encoders. With the use of an encoder, a legacy analogue camera can easily be connected to the system.
The IV&C solution also comes with a very mature ActiveX component, allowing it to be easily integrated into a SCADA system. This means that live camera feeds can be set to pop up on any SCADA events. For instance when a process is started a live camera feed can appear showing the actual machine/process and whether it started correctly. Or in the case of an alarm a PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera can be set to move to the location of the event and show the operator the exact conditions at the location of the alarm. As it uses the standard ActiveX component this feature can be easily implemented and thus IV&C can be easily integrated into almost any system by someone with basic knowledge of ActiveX.
Figure 1 – Live Camera View Integrated into the SCADA
The second part of the package is the View Station Software (VSS). This is the software typically used in a central control room requiring access to all relevant remote sites. The View Station adds the ability to concurrently view multiple remote sites – Up to 100 Camera’s per View Station Server! Although users can view cameras using a web browser, the view station adds a lot more advantages and features, which includes:
- Alarming
- Receiving inbound alarms and create a predefined action for that alarm
- Send PTZ Camera to a predefined location
- Detect a changed state of a digital Input/Output on the Camera or Encoder
- Send email with the relevant picture attached
- Sending out Alarm messages to 3rd party systems
- Receiving inbound alarms and create a predefined action for that alarm
- Recording
- Constant recording at a controlled frame rate
- Frame rate can be increased for recording based upon an event
- Start recording based on various events (Motion, external sensor etc.)
- Constant recording at a controlled frame rate
- Tour manager
- Allows users to set up pre-defined preset tours for the cameras to follow
- Predefined network messages to be sent out to 3rd party applications
- Predefined time event based schedules
- Customized viewing screens with configurable buttons
The camera solution offers different forms of security. With the embedded method of security, level of access can be managed, allowing users to view only; view and control; or view, control and configure the cameras. This is configured from within the Relay Servers web interface. The second option of security is to integrate the security options into an Active Directory environment using global security groups and policies.
IV&C is now the leading Industrial Solution Provider with the acquisition of Longwatch!
Longwatch was founded by a team of industry veterans with the goal of providing video over existing SCADA communication networks with in depth integration into SCADA and Historian Servers. The result was the development of the Longwatch Video Surveillance System. Advanced technology incorporated in the system allows SCADA system operators the ability to utilize video to monitor and verify alarms at remote sites utilizing existing communication infrastructures. The system gives operators the ability to manage both video alarms and system alarms on the same system. Longwatch typically offers three basic different packages:
Console Recorder:
Finally…a “black box recorder” for the cockpit of your plant: the control room!
The Longwatch Console Recorder automatically captures HMI, SCADA and DCS displays and provides you with live and recorded images of exactly what was on the operator displays at any point in time (including the mouse tracks).
The Console Recorder is a great tool for:
- Reduced Downtime: No need to dig through alarm logs, operator logs, trends and reports – just play back what the system was showing the operator and you’ll know what happened and how to fix it.
- Simplified Troubleshooting: it aggregates and associates the information in various databases – by showing you that data the way the operator saw it!
- Training: Just like the pros: use console recording as “game films” to show best practices for procedures, start-ups and shutdowns.
Enterprise Console Recorder – A screen recorder that is scalable to many consoles and display stations, and includes our patent-pending technology that links video with various databases in your automation systems. This saves troubleshooting time, reduces downtime and helps train operators for higher quality and productivity.
The Console Recorder can record multiple consoles and it supports Windows, non-Windows and terminal server-based displays.
Video Historian:
Data historians are the backbone of applications that drive productivity improvements in today’s competitive and challenging manufacturing environment.
Video transfers more information in an understandable context: faster than any other method.
The Longwatch Video Historian is a breakthrough in data management: automatically linking and integrating real plant video to help improve plant efficiency, documentation regulatory compliance and operations management. 
In short, the Video Historian is THE platform for Video Manufacturing Execution Systems: Video MES.
The Longwatch Video Historian can integrate with any existing Historian Server and supply its own GUI synchronising Trends for the Historian with recorded Console, Screens and relevant Camera feeds.
The goals for industrial productivity improvements can be put into three categories. The projects in each of these categories have led to the growth of data historian and manufacturing execution system (MES) applications:
| Asset IntensityGetting the most sales per unit of factory | Asset LeverageGetting the most assets per unit of investment | ProfitabilityGetting the most profit per unit of sales |
| Less DowntimeMore UptimeHigher UtilizationBetter MaintenanceBetter SchedulingFaster SwitchoverLess Inventory | Use existing infrastructureOff-the-shelf componentsIncremental DeploymentLower Cost Systems | Higher QualityLess Wasted MaterialLess Lost TimeLess Loss/DamageLower Labour CostsFewer Fines & DistractionsLower Engineering or Support Costs |
Until now, we could only use sensed data to support decision-making, analysis and process improvement.
Longwatch brings MES applications into the 21st century by adding the efficiency and speed of integrated video. By actually seeing what’s happening, and what happened, the information in your automation system is given a new and enhanced context. The results are faster and better decisions, which yield higher productivity.
The Longwatch Video Historian represents a breakthrough in automatically linking plant video with your productivity software databases.
The Longwatch Video Historian links video with your key applications to help you:
- save time
- save money
- improve quality
- reduce downtime
- reduce errors and accidents
Video can help deliver more productivity, faster.
The multi-tabbed data display includes:
| Trend Chart | Automatically links graphical trends from the data historian with recorded video |
| Longwatch Events | Shows the chronological list of events and alarms in the Longwatch system, along with automatically-linked video “clips” |
| Process Messages | Automatically links messages from your process control databases (alarms, workflow, batch tracking, etc.) to cameras and video in the Longwatch system |
| Portal | Connects to any HTML page or URL. An easy way to integrate other information and applications to the system |
When you configure your Longwatch system, you can add information that tells the Video Historian what to look for when linking video with external data. The system also links video and data by aligning the data based on time.
IP CCTV can be extremely beneficial when integrating it into your SCADA/HMI for safety and security purposes. It is important to select the correct solution for SCADA as bandwidth requirements, and more, need to be looked at for a smooth integration and running.
Contact H3iSquared for more information:
Tel: +27 11 454 6025
URL: www.H3iSquared.com
Email : info@h3isquared.com
Written by: Doron Kowensky, MD H3iSquared
Acronyms
- ITS – Intelligent Traffic Solutions
- LAN – Local Area Network
- RSS – Relay Server Software
- SCADA – Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition
- VSS – View Station Software
- WAN – Wide Area Network
- IV&C – Industrial Video and Control
- GSM – Global System for Mobile Communications
- IP – Internet Protocol
- PTZ – Pan-Tilt-Zoom
- HMI – Human-Machine Interface
- DCS – Distributed Control System
- MES – Manufacturing Execution Systems
- GUI – Graphical User Interface