Test equipment

The PSIA has announced an enhanced set of test tools for the PLAI specification. The driver behind updating the tool is to make it as easy and intuitive as possible for vendors to adopt the standards. “Effective test tools are critical for a specification to achieve true interoperability,” said David Bunzel, Executive Director of the PSIA. “We recognised that as the PLAI specification has evolved we needed to advance our tools to complement it.” Ensuring specification compliance The PSIA collaborated with Cruatech, a Dublin, Ireland-based firm, which has been active in the security industry, working with a wide range of customers on software services and integrations. Cruatech not only upgraded the tools to support the current version of the PLAI specification, but also added an enhanced user interface, which provides more information and in a graphical format, which will be easier to use by developers. Cruatech will provide support for the tools to assure they effectively comply with the PLAI specification. “By creating a standard process and backing it up with code samples and documentation we hope that manufacturers will achieve compliance and begin seeing the commercial benefits sooner,” said David King, Managing Director of Cruatech.

Industrial imaging systems are frequently subject to strong accelerations, shocks, and vibrations. This is especially true for mobile systems, like robot-guided 3D scanners, but also for fixed installations. Fujifilm has investigated the impact of shocks and vibrations on industrial fixed focal lenses via a dedicated test procedure. In many cases, the procedure leads to a significant reduction of the resolution and to a shift of the optical axis. However, the intensity of the effects depends heavily on the mechanical design of a camera lens—a widely underestimated aspect at the selection of fixed focal lenses. Modern robot arms are so powerful they can move major loads with a multiple of the gravitational acceleration (unit G, 1 G = 9.81 m/s²). Robot-guided machine vision systems, as they are used with welding and assembly robots as well as with 3D scanning stations, need to withstand such accelerations. Additionally, they are exposed to the vibrations at the tip of the robot arms just like camera-lens setups at large machines with rotating elements, e.g. in large offset printing systems.Fujifilm has developed a testing procedure for such lenses to measure their robustness against shocks and vibrations. Shock testing on machine vision cameras Most industrial machine vision solutions utilise industrial cameras and c-mount lenses with fixed focal length, which need to provide constant image quality irrespective of harsh conditions. Therefore, Fujifilm has developed a testing procedure for such lenses to measure their robustness against shocks and vibrations. At first, 10 G shocks impact the lenses from 6 different directions orthogonal to the optical axis. Next, a special vibrating table exposes the lenses to various sinusoidal vibrations according to IEC 60068-2-6 (up to 500 Hz and 100 m/s²). Finally, the shock test is repeated. The results show a shift in the optical axis of a conventional lens by up to 26 µm which corresponds to approx. 7 pixels at Sony Pregius sensors of the second generation. Their resolution power, measured using a contrast chart, deteriorates dramatically (see false colour rendering). For most machine vision applications, where fast accelerations and strong vibrations may occur, these lenses are not suitable. On the other hand, all lenses of the Fujinon HF-12M series, as well as the lenses of the HF-5M series with 6 and 50 mm focal length, withstand the shocks and vibrations showing a shift of the optical axis of just between 4 and 10 µm. This is enabled by the Fujinon Anti-Shock & Vibration design, an elastic and patent pending fixation of the internal lens arrangement.The Anti-Shock & Vibration design of the Fujinon lenses minimises the dependency on adhesives and ensures a constant performance and image quality in the long run. Towards high image quality At conventional camera objectives, the lenses are fixed with adhesives, which does not withstand shocks and vibrations plus it is sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. The Anti-Shock & Vibration design of the Fujinon lenses, however, minimises the dependency on adhesives and ensures a constant performance and image quality in the long run. Beyond the optical format, resolution power, and focal length, developers of mechanically stressed imaging systems should consider the robustness of their camera objectives against shocks and vibrations. The following lenses are already equipped with the Fujinon Anti-Shock & Vibration design: HF-12M series for pixel sizes from 2.1 µm and sensors up to 1“ HF-5M series for pixel sizes from 3.45 µm and sensors up to 1.1 (focal length: 6 and 50 mm)

CNAS, China National Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment, is one of the most authoritative laboratory accreditation agencies in China. It is a national accreditation body approved and established by the National Accreditation Certification Board (CNCA), which features long investigation period, high requirement and strict standards, having a pivotal position in the field of certification. With advanced hardware equipment, qualified management level, excellent team quality and standardised on-site operation, Dahua Reliability Laboratory is qualified to carry out the testing and calibration services according to the corresponding acceptance criteria.  Maintaining High Investment Since the establishment of Dahua Reliability Laboratory in 2010, Dahua has maintained high investment to the lab every year and equipped it with a team of highly qualified technological specialists. With years of expansion, now the laboratory has a complete baseline of product application scenarios covering the entire product life cycle from prototype to batch to mass production. It also covers fields such as environmental simulation, packaging and transportation, mechanical mechanics, shell protection, aging, accelerated stress, etc. This provides twenty reliability tests ranging from high temperature, low temperature, constant hot and humid, alternating hot and humid, vibration, drop, dust, water, salt spray, and simulated solar radiation. The accreditation of Dahua Reliability Laboratory by CNAS demonstrates Dahua's emphasis on product R&D, manufacturing, quality assurance. With a mission of ‘Enabling a safer society and smarter living’, Dahua will continue to focus on ‘Innovation, Quality, and Service’, to serve its partners and customers around the world.

Senstar has announced that FlexZone, its newest generation ranging fence-mounted intrusion detection sensor, has been certified to protect critical assets at U.S. Air Force (USAF) bases worldwide. FlexZone joins a number of other Senstar products on the USAF’s Approved Equipment List (AEL), including the OmniTrax buried intrusion detection sensor and the UltraWave microwave intrusion detection sensor. “To be added to the AEL, FlexZone underwent exhaustive qualification, testing and evaluation and proved to have all the necessary requirements,” said Kevin Bradley, President North America Sales and Service. “Senstar is very proud that FlexZone has been certified to protect critical assets of the USAF.” FlexZone provides early warning of intrusion FlexZone, along with the rest of Senstar’s portfolio of perimeter security technologies, provides early warning of intrusions along the perimeter of a site triggering deterrent devices such as security lighting or sirens, cueing up camera systems, and directing security personnel. Current Senstar products approved to protect USAF sites are FlexZone fence-mounted sensor, OmniTrax Buried Line Sensor (BLS), UltraWave Microwave Sensor, and the DTR-90 taut wire system. FlexZone, OmniTrax, and UltraWave provide a natural upgrade path to previously-approved older generation products, namely the FPS-2-2R fence-mounted sensor, Sentrax and Perimitrax Buried Line Sensors, and the Racon series of Microwave Sensors (MPS-14000-1, 14000-32, 16000-4, and 4100 respectively.

When responding to an emergency, firefighters and EMS personnel know that every second counts. That’s why more than 3,100 cities around the world rely on OpticomTM priority control to help get their emergency vehicles on scene quickly and safely. But many municipalities don’t have the time or resources to install and maintain those systems. Therefore, to meet the changing demands of today’s first responders, GTT is introducing a new way to get reliable priority control at intersections without having to worry about the details. Police, fire and EMS departments can now get worry-free Opticom Priority Control as a ServiceSM (PCaaS). Departments get the same reliable priority control, but there’s no equipment to buy and nothing to maintain. GTT is a world leader in priority control and traffic-sensing systems, with thousands of implementations of its acclaimed Opticom Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) and Transit Signal Priority (TSP) solutions installed worldwide. Opticom EVP allows emergency vehicles to move through intersections swiftly and safely. GTT discovered the need for PCaaS after meeting with dozens of departments from around the United States, said Mike Haldane, GTT’s vice president of global marketing. Departments are having a hard time staffing their stations, and public safety personnel are becoming more and more specialised. GTT provides equipments and installation services of Opticom PCaaS “Firefighters and EMS staff are trained to prevent and respond to emergencies,” Haldane said. “Departments don’t have the time or resources to worry if a vehicle’s GPS antenna is working or if there’s preemption at the next light.” That’s where PCaaS helps solve the problem. Everything from equipment to installation and maintenance is provided by GTT. “You simply sign up, show up and get the green light,” Haldane said. “With Opticom PCaaS, GTT handles all the infrastructure and services for a simple, flat fee.” The concept isn’t new for many cities. Municipalities rarely purchase computers, software and electronics anymore. Technology changes too rapidly to justify a long-term purchase for a computer or software program that will be obsolete in a couple of years. In the public safety realm, departments around the country are moving away from capital purchases for fire trucks and even turnout gear. With per-vehicle and per-intersection pricing, Opticom PCaaS is scalable as a city’s needs change. Departments can add a truck or street corridor to the service whenever they need. “The public safety industry has advanced to the point where we have to think about priority control in an entirely new way,” Haldane said. “First responders need to get on the scene of an emergency so they can do their job. Opticom PCaaS can help clear a path.”                                                                                       

During the recent GCF CAG#52 October meeting in Venice, the new work item 249 was activated. This was possible because 100% of the contained test cases were validated on COMPRION test systems. “The work item covers several technologies such as card emulation, Bearer Independent Protocol (BIP), general device support, and Android-specific device support,” says Hajo Sandschneider, Marketing Director at COMPRION. “The referenced test cases are defined in the GSMA TS.27 NFC Handset Test Book. We are proud that 100% of the conformance test cases were validated by GCF so that work item 249 UICC based NFC Services (Rel-9) could be activated.” The new work item extends the test coverage for NFC-related conformance certification criteria in accordance with the conformance test cases defined in various chapters of the GSMA TS.27 document. The newly added test cases reached 100% validation on the COMPRION UT³ Platform listed as TP 118. UT³ Platform is COMPRION’s universal conformance platform for contact-based and contactless terminal testing.

To grasp the current manufacturing trends and seize the Zeitgeist of Industry 4.0, a new smart IoT industrial park in Hangzhou has been put to use by Dahua Technology, a video surveillance solution provider. Dahua Smart (IoT) Industrial Park occupies in total 512 acres in Fuyang district of Hangzhou, about 20 minutes’ drive from Dahua headquarters, designed to host 6000 staff (by 2017, 4500 people have been working/living in the 262 acres of phase one area). With topnotch technologies, personnel, materials and other benefits, Dahua’s smart industrial park will bring productivity and quality to a brand new level. Efficient information integration The automatic production solution based on integrated information system not only grants a higher productivity that significantly shortens the delivery cycle time for Dahua customers, but also a greater flexibility to specialised requests and ever-changing reality.The employment of software such as ERP, PLM, PDM, MES, APS and WMS helps to achieve information integration The employment of software such as ERP, PLM, PDM, MES, APS and WMS helps to achieve information integration, which, combined with industrial cameras, RFID sensory technologies and automation technologies, can integrate personnel, logistics, works, engineering projects and finance from respective sections of production(preparation, assembly, testing, packaging, inspection, shipment), rendering the whole process visible, traceable and digital. The mounter serves as a good synecdoche to illustrate the incredible efficiency of the whole production system. The concerning high-end devices (including mounter, printer, automated optical inspection equipment, Ersa reflow soldering tools, etc.) provided by ASM (originally Siemens) achieve a speed among the fastest in the world. Fast processing According to IPC standard, X4iS, the latest high-speed mounter can process 125,000 components per hour, or 35 per second. X35 multifunctional mounter can do 54000 components per hour, or 15 per second. A production line in X series can enhance the productivity by 2.7 times while reducing the consumption of energy by 52%, comparing to the original production line in D series under the same conditions. Dahua Smart Industrial Park provides the great benefit of internal synergy The faster speed also applies to the development of new molding, since Dahua Smart Industrial Park provides the great benefit of internal synergy, allowing the end-to-end vertical supply chain with marketing, R&D and manufacturing efficiently integrated. The advanced organising system is supported by topnotch equipment, such as MAKINO high-speed graphite processing machine, GF CNC, GF WEDM-LS machine, Hexagon 3D Nikon projectors and electronic displays. With a processing accuracy of +/-0.002 to +/-0.005MM, while also supporting CAD / CAM / CAE collaborative development and simultaneous manufacturing, these machines enable Dahua to develop new mechanical molding in as short as 7 days.Higher quality results in less likelihood for products to malfunction especially when they are used in critical situations Time- and cost-saving solution By far, this developing system has already produced high precision molding for Lechange Robots, monitoring cameras in TP1-TC6 series, G20 intelligent head-gears, smoke alarm for fire detectors, etc., all of which proving the effectiveness of the system in shortening the development cycle and keeping the competitive edge with new products in the business. Higher quality saves lots of time and economic costs for clients. Even more importantly, higher quality results in less likelihood for products to malfunction especially when they are used in critical, not-allowed-to-go-wrong situations. Dahua’s products are guaranteed with a higher quality for two reasons: first, Dahua has set a high standard of accuracy in production; second, with a reliability lab at the production end, Dahua has put together an effectively closed loop for quality control in the manufacturing process. Accuracy has always been one vital index defining the manufacturing ability because it directly sets the limit to quality and range of products to be produced. Again, take the mounter mentioned above for example: it can process components, in metric size, as small as 03015(0.3x0.15mm), with a +-0.025mm SMD precision (within the 3-stigma range), boasting world leading performance and capable of covering basically all types of components used in the industry.Dahua industrial camera plays an important role in IoT, providing a closed loop for quality control in the manufacturing process Enhanced vision and intelligent analytics Dahua industrial camera plays an important role in IoT, providing a closed loop for quality control in the manufacturing process, in which all materials, personnel and devices are connected and products are traceable to the specific production line and precise time it got made. Boasting a variety of functions, Dahua industrial cameras are used in different sections of production, enabling automatic assembly, high-precision graphic inspection and product flaw inspection. Through high-definition machine vision, Dahua industrial cameras automatically and precisely locate the components, limiting the assembly error to micron level. Equipped with enhanced vision and intelligent analytics algorithm, the industrial camera can spontaneously detect and recognise flaws in the performance and outlook of products, thus promising not only the volume of cameras production but also the steady quality of each and every one of them.In the future phase, this industrial park is expected to be more intelligent to enable a safer society and smarter living Safe society and smart living Reliability must be put to test, in R&D as well as in manufacturing process. The reliability lab at the production end serves to assure quality by randomly taking products from production lines and put them into reliability tests simulating falling, high/low temperature, worn-out conditions, which are conducted by industry leading testing equipment in the lab. Thus what’s conceived in R&D is confirmed from the production line, the synergy of both ends promising better products (for common use or specialised needs). This lab is also responsible for testing all the raw materials. Thanks to the aforementioned information integration, all tests are automatically conducted, recorded and traceable. In conclusion, Dahua Smart (IoT) Industrial Park is endowed with the latest and world leading manufacturing equipment/system boasting high level automation and intelligence, which is essential to satisfy the ever higher demands from clients in terms of delivery time, specialised use and quality. There is still great potential to this new smart industrial park. It is literally only in its phase one. And in the future phase, it is expected to be more intelligent, to realise client-centred flexible production and to enable a safer society and smarter living.

For many students, the best part of their education comes outside of the classroom, often in parts of the world far from home. While they embrace the lure of worldwide travel, with its exotic cultures and unfamiliar lifestyles, students also long for the familiar and the affordable as they travel. Now standardized International Student Exchange (ISE) Cards can provide them with both. Helping students navigate today’s global marketplace economically and safely has been one of the goals of ISE Cards, Inc. since its creation in 1958. ISE Cards are internationally recognized ID cards that save students money when they travel. In addition to worldwide discounts on hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions, the cards provide medical benefits, 24-hour worldwide assistance in more than 20 languages, special international phone rates and even airline bankruptcy protection. Single point of contact “Giving students an opportunity to experience different cultures and people is more important today than ever before,” said Franz Jost, ISE Cards president. “We are excited to help students learn about the world around them.” Popular discounts used by students carrying ISE cards include the Eurostar Rail Pass under the English Channel, the Arc de Triomphe and the Sydney Aquarium. Today, ISE Cards issues ID cards to students in more than 50 countries around the world. ID card printers are usually installed in the office of a travel agency or a university study abroad office Making sure those cards uphold the company’s high standards and provide a common look is important to Jost. That’s why he sought a global supplier to standardise the purchase of ID card printers and supplies on a worldwide basis, offering his agents a single point of contact for ordering a printer and supplemental equipment. ID card printers are usually installed in the office of a travel agency or a university study abroad office. Improved issuance technology In the past, agents were ordering printers and supplies on an individual basis from whichever vendor they chose. Not only was the result an inconsistent mixture of ID cards that didn’t represent ISE Cards very well, but it also left Jost without standard pricing or turnkey installation processes. In 2005, he purchased 15 Fargo C30 printers from Impuls ID Systems in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to replace a variety of units. In some cases, the printers actually replaced manual processes. “Before we switched to Fargo printers, many agents provided hand-written cards,” said Jost. “The difference is like night and day, especially in terms of look and presentation. The change and the new look were very welcome.” “Worldwide availability and service capability were the most important features in selecting a printer,” he said. As an added benefit, Jost thinks the improved issuance technology may enhance his sales to agents. Easy and user-friendly “We are now ahead of the competition, which uses a clear label stick-on technology,” he said. “We are pleased with having moved to newer technology.” “We never had ID cards printed by us in the office before, so this is our first experience,” said Customer case study Paris travel agent Patti Brown, Parenthèse. “It is very easy and user friendly.” “For now, a magnetic stripe on the back of the card is all the technology we need, but we may consider adding holograms for greater security at some point in the future,” Jost said. Jost estimated that 100,000 cards were printed using Fargo equipment in 2006 “Mostly we need a printer to ensure worldwide coverage, guaranteed output and a consistent look of the final product.” No technical upgrades are needed in agency offices to implement the Fargo equipment. The printers are simply connected to existing computer systems. Jost estimated that 100,000 cards were printed using Fargo equipment in 2006. “Most are single-sided with a colour photo of the student,” he said. Internationally recognisable ID card The important factor is that the ISE Card has an internationally recognized logo, and thus is accepted from Nicaragua to Thailand as proof of student status. “International travel is essential today,” said Brown. “Students and professionals traveling abroad can only be bettered by their experiences while enriching the lives of those they meet along the way.” “International travel is important to students and society,” added Jost, “because it brings about understanding and compassion, and it fosters friendships.” But global travel can be unpredictable, especially in today’s unsettled world. Having an internationally recognizable ID card provides students with a little piece of home to take with them.

Airbus Defence and Space supplies core systems and contributes decisively to the successful test To test the interaction between secure radio networks during international visits, the European Research & Development project ISITEP successfully simulated a summit in Brussels with six European countries in late September. As a result of the two-day demonstration, different mission-critical communication systems operated on common technical platforms to facilitate the exchange of information between various organisations. Airbus Defence and Space played a major role in supplying the necessary technology. Enhancing cross-border communication  The technical set-up enabled communication between Tetra and Tetrapol systems from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Luxembourg. For instance, police actors protected fictitious foreign delegations as they moved through the city and attended conferences. The realistic scenario echoed the complex security coordination required during high-level missions abroad. ISITEP, the Federal Police of Belgium and the governmental network operator ASTRID initiated the operation. “Airbus Defence and Space technology was decisive in conducting this interoperability test,” said Olivier Koczan, Head of Secure Land Communications at Airbus Defence and Space. “We supported the event together with our partners and our commitment shows that we are developing solutions to improve cross-border communications,” he added. Two independent radio network platforms  To manage the roaming processes, the project set up two technically independent radio network platforms. One was composed of the three operative networks from Belgium, France and the Netherlands, the other consisted of four laboratory networks from Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg and Belgium. On each platform, the participants’ terminals were able to migrate from one network to another. Pivotal to the success of the demonstration was the nationwide mission-critical network of Belgium and its corresponding test network located in Brussels. Both were provided by Airbus Defence and Space and are run by ASTRID. Rising need for secure common communications infrastructure International cooperation between the police and emergency services in Europe has increased in recent years. Consequently, the need for a secure common communications infrastructure has become more pressing. Even though different standards from different vendors exist throughout Europe, the demonstration in Brussels showed how to bridge the gap between various radio technologies. ISITEP aims to find a comprehensive solution for interoperability between mission-critical communications systems with different standards. The project team comprises a consortium of 15 leading companies, including Airbus Defence and Space, and academic institutions from ten countries. This three-year undertaking to strengthen the cooperation between national emergency services started in 2013 and received EU funding of around 10 million euros. The international Tetra Association as well as first response organisations from nine countries are also supporting the project’s activities. Save