By Patrick McLaughlin
Data from a number of sources indicate that the inclusion of Internet Protocol (IP) surveillance systems in enterprise networks is widespread. A survey we at Cabling Installation & Maintenance conducted in fall 2019 determined that 81% of cabling contracting firms design and/or install systems that support surveillance cameras. The same survey showed that 62% of contractors install cabling infrastructure for access-control systems and 39% install alarm-system infrastructure.
At the time we surveyed design and installation contractors, we also collected information via survey from end-user organizations. Of that group, we asked about their use of Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology to power certain network devices, including surveillance cameras. Seventy-nine percent of end users let us know they use PoE for this purpose. That compares to 51% using PoE on access-control systems.
IoT and PoE
These survey results complement data recently released by market-intelligence firm BSRIA. In January BSRIA detailed findings of their latest examination of convergence and the Internet of Things (IoT) in commercial buildings, as well as the use of PoE.
“While there is a great deal of interest in convergence and in the potential for IoT in commercial buildings, there is still limited understanding of just how many devices are being connected,” BSRIA said, adding that its latest study aims to add clarity to and analysis of this market.
“Connectivity, convergence and IoT are about connecting devices, collecting data and undertaking analytics and diagnostics that will enable end-users and building operators to run their buildings more efficiently,” the firm added. “It is a hot topic due to the increase in employee mobility and the increasing focus on well-being and productivity. Connectivity is also a key element in the efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency in buildings and in their interaction with smart grids and smart cities.”
BSRIA’s study used the IT/Ethernet network as the basis for estimating the number of connected devices in commercial buildings, and found that connected devices use an average of 40 to 50 meters of structured cable per device. Some architectures, however, use one connection point for several devices. “Daisy chaining is mainly used for access control products such as lock actuators, readers and keypads and thermostats, sensors and PoE lights,” BSRIA said.
BSRIA estimates there were 154 million Ethernet connections/ports worldwide in 2019. “The majority of these are supporting data and voice, but a significant number are connected to wireless access points and distributed building services [DBS],” the firm said. “The key products included under DBS are surveillance cameras, audio/video, access controls and building automation controllers.”
An average of 3.6 devices are connected to each of the 17 million Ethernet ports for DBS—equivalent to more than 60 million devices connected via cabling, BSRIA’s study found.
The use of wireless technologies in commercial buildings is increasing. The most prominent short-range, low-power technologies in commercial buildings are Bluetooth and Zigbee, followed by EnOcean, according to BSRIA. Sensors and lighting are the typical applications for short-range low-power technologies; BSRIA estimates the number of wirelessly connected devices in commercial buildings to be between 150 million and 200 million as of 2019.
“The uptake of low-power wide-area technologies such as LoRaWan, Sigfox and NB-IoT is still limited in commercial buildings,” the researcher said. “They are used mainly for smart metering, tracking the supply chain, monitoring of soil and livestock, smart parking and other applications.”
BSRIA’s senior manager, Lone Hansen, commented, “BSRIA has been tracking convergence over the last 15 years and the uptake of convergence has been slow, but we expect to see an increase in the number of connected devices over the next 5 to 10 years due to the latest developments in both wired and wireless technologies. One example is the emergence of new WiFi access points [WiFi 6/802.11ax] that can handle multiple devices using several protocols such as Bluetooth and Zigbee.
“The majority of devices today are IP and are linked in subnetworks with a common backbone or connected via VLANs, which enable centralized monitoring and control.”
The drive for power
BSRIA’s other study focused specifically on global trends concerning PoE adoption. It produced a market briefing that disclosed its findings. BSRIA anticipated worldwide PoE shipments will grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 11 to 13% until 2023. By 2023, the total annual ports sold will exceed 180 million.
“PoE growth is driven mainly by the convergence of several technology and socio-political trends, including smarter buildings, higher levels of energy efficiency, greater mobility, the upsurge of IoT, energy and building regulations, the so-called Industry 4.0 and the massive adoption of LEDs,” BSRIA said when announcing the availability of this briefing.
“PoE has the potential to address all the challenges that the above-mentioned trends pose, as it provides a common infrastructure which can power, control and converge most building systems, all within a common network,” the organization said. “PoE is a low-voltage direct-current platform, able to power each device with native power, eliminating the need for inverters and transformers for each device, while drastically reducing the risk of fire and electrical shocks.” BSRIA also pointed out several of PoE’s other advantages: being brand-agnostic, compatibility with a wide and growing number of devices, using a single universal connector interface, and the ability to simplify installations.
“The commercial building lighting control market is experiencing a period of rapid transformation,” BSRIA noted. “The shift from fluorescent to LED lights in the commercial market is triggering the replacement of analog lighting controls by more scalable and reliable digital lighting controls that can operate over a wired or wireless infrastructure. The rising efficiency levels of LEDs, together with the increasing power delivered by PoE switches at 90 watts, has broadened the spectrum of PoE applications, making it possible to power and control the entire lighting system of almost all types of premises.”
Awareness of, and interest in, IP-based lighting systems are on the rise, the firm said. “Adoption rates are expected to double on an annual basis over the coming years—although from a very low base—due to the wide range of advantages that PoE-based systems bring for new built and large-scale refurbishment projects.”
Martin Chiesa, BSRIA senior consultant, stated, “PoE is at the core of the concept of smart buildings and digital ceilings, where a number of current and future IoT devices—wireless access points, CCTV cameras, sensors of all sorts, lighting, fans, heat recovery units—are powered, controlled, and converged based on a common infrastructure, using low-voltage DC native power, increasing energy efficiency, reducing fire and health hazards, and generating valuable data about energy consumption, building and assets utilization.”
In line with BSRIA’s commentary about growth in deployment, our own survey from last fall found that 88% of end-user organizations had installed new cabling circuits within the previous 12 months. Of that group, more than one in four—27%—told us that more than half of the new cabling circuits they installed support wireless access points and DBS—services other than desktop data and voice. Among the user organizations that installed new cabling links within the previous year, Category 6 was the most popular cable type installed. Sixty percent installed at least some Category 6 in their recent projects. Next was Category 6A at 49%. Category 5e came in at 21%. (The percentages exceed 100 because we asked respondents to tell us all the cable types they had installed.)
In-the-field testing
Last fall, test and measurement technology developer Ideal Networks reported it has seen an increasing number of surveillance-system installation firms using a new breed of tester that aims to eliminate guesswork during the installation process. “The testers help to maximize video quality, provide proof of installation, and generate detailed reports for the end user,” the company said.
“With the goals of deterring crime, preventing fraud and capturing valuable evidence when a security event occurs, high-quality CCTV footage from dependable installations should not be taken for granted,” commented Dan Barrera, global product manager with Ideal Networks. The company pointed out that a number of factors impact the networks that support CCTV, including the number of cameras, resolution, frame rate, and the compression CODEC used. Designers of CCTV networks must balance video quality with network performance, the company stressed, and they rely on system installers and integrators to configure the cameras according to specifications.
“All too often the end-user of a CCTV system is dissatisfied with the video performance or quality,” Barrera said. “Designers and installers can often disagree over the root cause.”
That’s why the company’s SecuriTest IP, which it launched in 2018, has seen demand worldwide, Ideal Networks explained. The tester enables technicians to install, test, troubleshoot, and document camera systems whether they are analog or digital/IP-based. The tester has built-in RJ45, BNC, and WiFi connections. A user can access camera settings and adjust parameters while monitoring the video stream bandwidth in real time to see the effects of their changes.
Barrera added, “The higher the resolution, the more data that needs to be transported by the network, which may cause problems. Similarly, one of the most common complaints from users of IP CCTV is stuttering video, especially if they are accustomed to analog video with a range of 25 to 30 frames per second [FPS]. A higher FPS results in smoother, natural-looking video. In contrast, the default frame rate for most IP cameras is 10 or 15 FPS to reduce the network load.”
To achieve the smooth real-time video that end users expect, a network video recorder (NVR) or network attached storage (NAS) system with a 1-Gbit/sec interface could support approximately 30, 4K UHD 30-FPS cameras, at most, to keep the combined bandwidth under 70% of the link rate, Ideal Networks explains. Compression is another factor, the company adds, noting that all IP CCTV cameras support motion JPEG and H.264, with some camera manufacturers now shipping models that also support H.265 compression.
“With MJPEG video, each frame is a full resolution image, which provides the best video quality, but it has a huge impact on network bandwidth,” Barrera says. An installer not using Ideal Networks’ SecuriTest IP would, or still will, use an assortment of tools to troubleshoot and provide proof of installation, including PoE injectors to power the camera, battery for the injector, a laptop with software that connects the camera and sees the video for aiming, as well as wiremap checkers for troubleshooting wiring problems.
“With the various tools previously used, there was no way to document the installation with professional-looking reports. The main reasons to document camera setup at installation are to show that the camera is aimed and focused at the prescribed location, it is the correct resolution, has the desired frame rate and CODEC set, and has the correct network configuration,” Barrera concluded.
BSRIA uses the term DBS—distributed building services—to categorize applications that include surveillance, access control, intruder alarms, building-automation controls, audio-video, and lighting.
As Ideal Networks pointed out when discussing the use of its SecuriTest IP product, the transition of surveillance systems from analog to digital technology can present challenges and requires planning.
The importance of knowing how to specify, design, install, test, and manage this application is growing and changing along with the technology..
Patrick McLaughlin is our chief editor.