ThermovisionFLIR DSeries Installation and Operation Manual

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3Advanced Configuration
On the Files page under PelcoD Map, use the Download link to open the text file that is used for 
mapping the functions to Aux commands and Presets. If it is necessary to change the mapped 
functions, edit the file and upload the new map file to the camera using the Upload button. Once a file 
has been edited and tested, it can also be uploaded to other cameras so that each camera operates 
the same way.
3.5Remote/VMS (ONVIF Interface)
Several types of third-party Video Management System (VMS) systems are supported by FLIR IP 
cameras. Because these systems tend to evolve and change over time, contact your local FLIR 
representative or FLIR Technical Support if you have any difficulties or questions about using this 
feature.
Select the Remote/VMS link on the 
left side of the page to configure the 
camera to operate with a VMS 
Interface. By default, the camera is 
configured with a Remote/VMS 
interface with ONVIF 2.0 
parameters. 
The ONVIF (Open Network Video 
Interface Forum) is an open 
industry forum for the development 
of a global standard for the interface 
of network video products. An 
ONVIF-compliant VMS can be used to control a FLIR camera, display video, and, for pan/tilt 
cameras, access up to 50 pan/tilt presets.
If the camera is to be used with a third-party VMS that is compliant with ONVIF, the parameters can 
be adjusted (if needed) to work with the VMS. Refer to the VMS documentation to determine what 
parameter values are needed. 
After the interface is configured, scroll down and click on the Save button to save the configuration, 
and then restart the server. 
						

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3.6 Video Stream Parameters
From the Maintenance menu, it is 
possible to modify the video stream 
parameters by selecting the Sensor > 
Modules > Video page. Various 
parameters that affect both image 
quality and transmission bandwidth 
are available. 
By default, two video streams are 
enabled for the thermal (IR) camera 
(Video 0 and Video 1) and two for the 
daylight (DLTV) camera (Video 3 and 
Video 4). The Video 0 and Video 2 
streams are available for viewing from 
a client program such as FSM, a stand-
alone video player, or a third-party 
VMS. The Video 1 and Video 3 
streams are used by the web browser 
Live Video display. 
To modify parameters that affect a particular IP Video stream from the camera, select the appropriate 
link at the top (for example, Video 0). For a video stream that is used by the Live Video web page, it is 
only possible to change the frame rate and image size. 
The default settings for each video stream provide high-quality, full frame-rate video. In general, for 
most installations it will not be necessary to modify the default parameters. However in some cases, 
such as when a video stream is sent over a wireless network, it may be useful to “tune” the video 
stream to try to reduce the bandwidth requirements. In particular, the RTP Settings, Network 
Options and the Settings parameters are described below.
There are some challenges with streaming video over an IP network, when compared to other 
traditional IP applications which are less time-critical, such as email and web browsing. In particular, 
there are requirements which must be fulfilled to ensure satisfactory video quality in professional 
security environments. There are many parameters and factors related to network infrastructure, 
protocols, codecs and so on that can affect the quality and bit rate of a video stream when it is 
established between the camera and a client. 
The video streaming is done using a protocol generally referred to as Real-time Transport Protocol 
(RTP), but there are actually many protocols involved, including Real-Time Transport Control Protocol 
(RTCP) and Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP). In the background, a “negotiation” takes place to 
establish a session between the client (such as FSM, or a third party VMS or video player) and the 
camera. The ports which form a session are negotiated using a protocol such as RTSP. A client 
typically requests a video stream using its preferred settings, and the camera can respond with its 
preferred settings. As a result, many of the details are established dynamically, which may run 
contrary to network security requirements. 
						

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RTP Settings
According to the specification, RTP is 
originated and received on even port numbers 
and the associated RTCP communication 
uses the next higher odd port number; the 
default RTP Port is 554. The Stream Name is 
used when establishing a session from a 
client. The default value recognized by FSM 
for the first stream is ch0; the complete 
connection string is: 

rtsp://192.168.250.116/ch0. 
If necessary, this stream name can be used to 
open a video stream with a third-party video 
player.
By default the video stream uses the IP 
address of the camera. If the Use External IP 
parameter is set to “yes”, an alternate IP 
address can be entered.
Note, always use an even port number for the RTP Port parameter. 
Network Options (Unicast/Multicast)
By default, the video streams from the camera are sent using unicast packets rather than multicast. 
This means a given packet of IP Video will be sent separately to each client that has that video stream 
open (for example, FSM clients, nDVR, and so on). Therefore each additional client will cause the 
bandwidth consumption to go up and cause more overhead on the system in comparison to 
multicast. 
On the other hand, video packets sent using multicast are shared by streaming clients, so additional 
clients do not cause bandwidth consumption to go up as dramatically. If the video streams are used 
by more than one client/location, it may be wise to use multicast for more efficient bandwidth usage.
To set the camera to use Multicast, set the 
Enable Multicast parameter to “yes”, and 
set the Destination Network address and 
Destination Port to a unique combination 
that will not conflict with other IP Video 
devices on the network (the Destination 
Port must be an even number).
If more than one camera is providing 
multicast streams on the network, be sure 
to configure each stream with a unique 
multicast Destination Network IP address 
and Destination Port combination. The 
destination address on each camera will 
default to 232.0.1.1 when the Enable 
Multicast parameter is set to “yes”. 
						

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Settings
The parameters in the Settings section will have a significant impact on the quality and bandwidth 
requirements of the video stream. In general it is recommended that the default values are used 
initially, and then individual parameters can be modified and tested incrementally to determine if the 
bandwidth and quality requirements are met. The proper settings for a given installation will depend 
on many factors, including the network capabilities, the processing power in the camera as well as the 
client computer, the scene contrast, and personal preferences. When the installer is faced with 
limitations (such as restricted bandwidth due to a wireless network link), it will be necessary to 
compromise image size, frame rate, and/or image quality in order to achieve an acceptable video 
stream.
For each video stream, the Codec Type 
options are MPEG4, H.264 or MJPEG. MPEG4 
requires the least amount of processing, and 
MJPEG requires the most. See 
section  
“MJPEG Codec Type” on page 3-15 for 
additional notes on the MJPEG type, which is 
used by the Live Video stream
The Bit Rate parameter is only used when the 
Rate Control parameter is set to CBR (Constant 
Bit Rate). With the CBR setting, the system 
attempts to keep the resulting bit rate of the 
video at or near the target bit rate.
By default, the Rate Control parameter is set to 
CVBR (constrained variable bitrate) for MPEG4 
and H.264 streams. The VBR (variable bit rate) 
option attempts to maintain a specified quality at 
a constant level by varying the bit rate 
depending on the scene content. The CBR 
(constant bit rate) option uses a best effort 
attempt to adhere to the Bit Rate setting; with 
high contrast/detail scenes, the quality may be compromised due to the bit rate limitation. With the 
CVBR option, the stream may exceed the bitrate momentarily while attempting the maintain the 
quality level. 
The Quality parameter works in cooperation with the Rate Control. The quality setting (Low, Medium 
or High; default: High) provides a relative way to balance video quality, latency and bandwidth. When 
set to High, the video image will be high quality with high bandwidth and the possibility of some 
latency since the encoder may take longer to compress the video. 
The I-Frame Interval parameter controls the number of P-frames used between I-frames. I-frames 
are full frames of video and the P-frames contain the changes that occurred since the last I-frame. A 
smaller I-Frame Interval results in higher bandwidth (more full frames sent) and better video quality. A 
higher I-Frame Interval number means fewer I-frames are sent and therefore results in lower 
bandwidth and possibly lower quality.
The Image Size parameter controls the video resolution size and therefore can have a considerable 
impact on bandwidth usage. The larger the size of the frame, the better the resolution and the larger 
the network bandwidth required. The following table provides the corresponding resolution for each 
Image Size setting (note, some settings are not available on all cameras).  
						

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Note, the image size for FC-Series cameras with 320 resolution is expanded to be equivalent to the 
image size for 640 cameras.
As a rule of thumb, if the video will be viewed on its own and on a reasonably large screen, a large 
image size setting may look better. On the other hand, if the video is shown as a tile in a video wall, a 
smaller image size may look as good and consume less bandwidth. 
MJPEG Codec Type
The video stream for the Live Video web page uses the MJPEG codec type. With this codec type, it 
possible to change the qFactor, Image Size and Frame Rate parameters. The qFactor parameter 
provides a relative balance of quality and bandwidth, similar to a percentage (25=low quality/
bandwidth - 75=high quality/bandwidth).
Ta b l e 3-3: Image Size Settings
Image SizeNTSCPA L
D1720x480720x576
4SIF/4CIF704x480704x576
VGA/Native640x480640x512
SIF/CIF352x240352x288
QVGA/QNative320x240320x256 
						

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3.7 Configuration File 
The Configuration File web page allows the Nexus Server configuration to be displayed or backed up 
locally (on the camera). The configuration file can also be downloaded to another computer for 
backup, or a new configuration file can be uploaded from a computer to the camera. 
Shown at the top of the screen is the configuration script file in a scrollable window. This can be useful 
if you ever need help from a support engineer.
In the Custom Backup & Recovery section, click the Restore link associated with the factory.defaults 
configuration to restore the camera to its factory settings. This file can not be modified or deleted, so it 
is always available.
Use the Backup button to make a backup of your final settings. This will make a backup copy of the 
configuration file and store it locally on the camera.
In the Upload & Download section, the Download Configuration File link can be used to save a copy 
to a PC for safe keeping. A pop-up window will ask for a file name and destination folder.
The Upload button is used to transfer a configuration file from a PC to the camera. 
						

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3.8 Restoring the Factory Settings
The camera comes configured from the factory with default settings for the IP address 
(192.168.250.116), the login password (fliradmin), and all of the other configuration parameters 
(stored in a file called server.ini). In some cases, it may be necessary to restore the settings of the 
camera to the original factory settings. If necessary, this can be accomplished by temporarily 
connecting a loopback device to the Ethernet port during initial power-up. Approximately 30 seconds 
after power is turned on, the loopback should be removed to allow the camera to finish booting up.
Note
At each power-up, the system transmits a packet and then checks to determine if that same packet 
has been received. Detection of the received packet indicates the camera has a custom loopback 
connector installed on its Ethernet interface. The detection of the loopback packet cues the camera to 
restore Factory Defaults (including the IP settings, user passwords, and configuration file), reverting to 
the same configuration and behavior as when the camera left the factory. 
The custom loopback connector is described below.
The RJ45 loopback termination ties pin 1 to pin 3, and pin 2 to pin 6. The other pins are not 
connected. This type of device is available commercially (the Smartronix Superlooper Ethernet 
Loopback Jack and Plug is one example), or it can be easily made with an RJ45 plug, a couple wires, 
and a crimp tool.
The camera will not finish booting up while the loopback device is connected to the camera. The 
camera will display analog video, but the Nexus Server will not start until the loopback is removed 
from the camera.
Pin #SignalTied to pin #
1Tr a n s m i t  +3
2Transmit - 6
3Receive +1
4UnusedN/A
5UnusedN/A
6Receive -2
7UnusedN/A
8UnusedN/A 
						

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After the camera boots up, confirm the startup information is displayed on the analog monitor after 
approximately 90 seconds. For example:
S/N: 1234567
IP Addr: 192.168.250.116
PelcoD (Addr:1): 9600 SW 
						

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427-9030-01-12, version 130 Mar 2014 3-19 
						

							Document: 
427-9030-01-12
Version: 130
Date: Mar 2014 FLIR Systems, Inc.
70 Castilian Drive
Goleta, CA 93117
USA
PH: + 1 805.964.9797
PH: + 1 877.773.3547 
(Sales)
PH: + 1 888.747.3547 
(Support)
FX: + 1 805.685.2711
www.flir.com
Corporate Headquarters
FLIR Systems, Inc.
27700 SW Parkway Ave.
Wilsonville, OR 97070
USA
PH: +1 503.498.3547
FX: +1 503.498.3153
[email protected]