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Affected Roles: Owner Administrator
Complexity: High
Last Edit: May 29, 2020
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C2P DWS Dispatcher and Client Setup from Digital Watchdog on Vimeo.
Website – www.c2p.com
Sales Support – [email protected] / 800.252.6840 x1
Technical Support – [email protected] / 800.252.6840 x2
Machine to Machine (M2M) Modules for the Security and Video Surveillance Market
The next technology wave for the video surveillance market is for it to become the head end for all IP enabled appliances and sensors in the customer enterprise. The migration is obvious as the video surveillance infrastructure is already in place and has the bandwidth; IP enabled connectivity and trained personnel to lead this technology consolidation. The video surveillance system is the best component in the IP enabled enterprise for analyzing and storing the massive amounts of data that will be received as these technologies consolidate to a single head end monitoring and management topology.
Convergence To Pixels (ConvergenceTP) was founded on this principle and is keenly focused on delivering this vision.
IP enabled appliances such as IP Cameras, Access Control and Point of Sale Terminals along with IP enabled sensors such as PLC Controllers and RFID tags are now critical components of a new era of IP enabled Smart Systems and Businesses. Technology users realize that in order to truly have Real-time awareness and response in their enterprise all of these IP enabled devices and appliances need to be connected. These forward thinking technology users realize that the resultant collective awareness made possible by bringing all of the information from their IP devices together is far greater than just the sum of the individual parts.
The ConvergenceTP Machine To Machine connectivity modules and rule engines compliment the already feature rich VMS Video Management System by providing users with the key components needed to enter this new era of IP Enabled Smart Systems.
ConvergenceTP M2M Remote VMS Client Module Feature Summary:
The C2P Camera Dispatcher and C2P Client are powerful and easy to use add-on components within the ConvergenceTP Machine To Machine (M2M) product line. The C2P Dispatcher software module sits between the customer IP appliance and the ConvergenceTP C2P Client (see Figure 1 below).
The role of the dispatcher is to provide a user friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) interface for programming the customer defined response to cryptic text (key) messages received from an IP Appliance such as a PLC controller, Access Control device, Touch Screen display, etc. The GUI allows the integrator or end user to define the specific response needed for each key received from the IP Appliance. Users can quickly and easily define unicast or multicast responses to specific keys received. The response can be to send a specific camera view to a specific C2P Client enabled workstation, or send a single camera view to multiple C2P Client enabled workstations.
Key Features
The C2P Dispatcher sits between the PLC controller and the C2P Client. The C2P Dispatcher most of the time is on a different machine than the C2P Client.
The event source can be a push button or call box initiating a discrete event at the physical layer. The PLC controller shown in the diagram below as Wonderware converts that event into an application layer TCP/IP data stream which is sent to the C2P Dispatcher. The C2P Dispatcher in turn calls up the user defined camera to be sent to the specified C2P Client.
The C2P Camera Dispatcher and C2P Client Installer can be installed on the same machine or on different machines.
When selecting the C2P Camera Dispatcher Installer, right-click on the installation icon and select Run as Administrator.
Follow the default settings during the install until you reach the install options page below.
The selections shown below are for two different machines – the C2P Dispatcher will be installed on one machine while the C2P Client will be installed on another. This is a typical deployment.
Right-click on C2P Camera Dispatcher and select Run as Administrator.
Scroll down to check off Install License Server and Install C2P Dispatcher Service.
To do so, use the CTP License Server from the desktop. Alternatively, open the Start menu, select ConvergenceTP, then select CTP License Server.
The resulting seed code is produced when the Machine Code Generator has been run. Click the Generate Seed Key button, then copy and email the resulting alphanumeric string to [email protected]. Do not send an image of the seed key.
Once the C2P Camera Dispatch installation has been completed, you are ready to install the C2P Client on a separate machine.
To configure the C2P Camera Dispatcher:
Open the Advanced Settings tab and enter the IP address of the license server.
Check the boxes for Enable Generic Event and Enable Logging.
For Dispatch Listen Port, use 7213.
For C2P Client Listen Port, use 7209.
Close the FormAdvancedSettings window once complete.
A successful login will display the number of cameras that you have access to through the VMS system.
If the login attempt fails, check your login and IP address for errors. If you are still unable to connect to the remote server, this may be indicative of a blocked port of a Firewall that is preventing the connection.
Additional Keys and their associated cameras can be added from this window by clicking the Add button. Repeat the previous setup steps as needed.
While in Add mode, you will be requested to provide a Key. The same Key can be used multiple times to send the same view or other camera views to the remote C2P Client by updating the IP address and camera name that is being called. Be sure to save and restart the C2PCamera Dispatcher when finished.
Key – the text sent to the Dispatcher by the IP appliance, PLC Controller, Dispatcher simulator, etc. If the key is found in the Dispatcher task list, then that entire row of the Dispatcher is in use.
Note: There may be multiple entries of the same key value listed in the Dispatcher Task List. Each entry in the Dispatcher Task list is evaluated and when an Event Key match is found the information on the row will be executed. This feature enables multiple clients to receive the same or different camera view from a single Event Key value.
C2P Client - This is IP address of the PC/server that will receive the camera view from the Dispatcher.
The C2P Client can be installed on any PC that shares the same network as the VMS Server, as long as the PC also has the VMS client installed.
From this menu you may configure settings to add multiple monitors, change the camera docking location, or change the size of the camera view.
The View Logs tab allows you to see data incoming to the module, as well as any errors being detected during its operation. Typical errors such as “No connection could be made to the remote server” may indicate a blocked port. See the Knowledge Base section below for troubleshooting tips.
The C2P Camera Dispatcher demo simulator serves as a tool to test the C2P Camera Dispatcher and C2P Client(s) independently of the customer’s application. This tool is a time saver when setting up your system as well as checking your configuration once installed.
Once the installation for the C2P Camera Dispatcher and the remote C2P Client has been completed, you can test the Key to Camera selection by using the built-in simulator as shown below. Selecting Simulator tab will open the IPC Dispatch Demo window. Using the dropdown menu, select a Key to display the camera view on the remote C2P Client.
For the Dispatcher
If the data is not there, there is a good chance the data is either not being sent by the IP appliance or the data is being firewalled, etc.
Cameras Do Not Display in the Dispatcher Dropdown
If while adding or editing rows in the Dispatcher Task List you do not have cameras in the camera dropdown pick list then verify that you had a successful VMS login. A successful login will provide access to cameras you have privileges to view. Once successfully logged in you must select the Refresh Cameras button to bring those camera names into the C2P Camera Despatcher before they will show up on the drop down list. See Step 3 of C2P Camera Dispatcher Configuration.
No Video in the C2P Client
Using the built-in simulator of the C2P Camera Dispatcher, you may test the “Key to Camera” call up without having to use the PLC controller. This allows you to confirm that the correct camera calls up the correct, matching key. If they do not match, check the settings for spelling errors or incorrect IP addressing. Make any necessary changes using the Edit button on the C2P Camera Dispatcher table.
To view logging details, make sure that Logging is enabled in the C2P Camera Dispatcher Advanced Settings setup.
The Log Panel shows activity being processed by the C2P Camera Dispatcher when a command is sent to its listening port.
The log below, for example, shows that Key 340 is being processed.
You can register your purchased license using the Register button at the bottom of the License Server Control Panel. If you register a new license using the Control Panel, make sure to save and restart the Control Panel to apply the changes.
Shown below is an example of the CTP License Server Control Panel. In this example, the validity and remaining days is indicates that a demo license has four (4) days remaining before it expires.
If a new license needs to be registered, click the Register button. Be sure to save and restart the server to apply the settings.