Building PC with both ip camera and alarm I/O capability

[RalphD]

The NVR I am looking to buy lacks sufficient alarm I/O contacts for things like PIRs and water sensors. Rather than buying a more expensive NVR just to get more alarm I/O, I want to price a dedicated PC system. For camera management, I would connect a switch with built-in POE to the PC running SmartPSS (or Blue Iris).

What hardware, connectors, and software could I use to monitor the alarm signals from PIR, water sensors, etc. and also send out relay signals as needed? I will consider the extra complications when comparing to the cost of an upgraded NVR.

I probably should spend more time researching before posting, but I am suffering from research exhaustion from crash IP surveillance learning and am hoping for leniency. If too off subject for ipcamtalk, please send me some pointers to PC based alarm sites if you can.

Thanks for ideas,
Ralph D.

 

[fenderman]

The NVR I am looking to buy lacks sufficient alarm I/O contacts for things like PIRs and water sensors. Rather than buying a more expensive NVR just to get more alarm I/O, I want to price a dedicated PC system. For camera management, I would connect a switch with built-in POE to the PC running SmartPSS (or Blue Iris).

What hardware, connectors, and software could I use to monitor the alarm signals from PIR, water sensors, etc. and also send out relay signals as needed? I will consider the extra complications when comparing to the cost of an upgraded NVR.

I probably should spend more time researching before posting, but I am suffering from research exhaustion from crash IP surveillance learning and am hoping for leniency. If too off subject for ipcamtalk, please send me some pointers to PC based alarm sites if you can.

Thanks for ideas,
Ralph D.

I dont know what i/o pss interfaces with if anything other than camera io. Blue iris opens up options. Blue iris can interface with sealevel devices. Some are which are network devices so you dont need to homerun to the pc. Search the forum for sealevel. Alternatively you can use wireless zwave sensors and trigger blue iris that way. There are several threads on how to do this. You will need hub, like smartthings or vera.

 

[RalphD]

I used the keywords to quickly find needed details for a PC-based system with BI to manage video, alarm sensor input, and alarm relay signal output. Thanks.

The idea of an NVR handling video stream with limited alarm capability at a lower total cost is still appealing. On an NVR equipped with an alarm panel, wouldn't the NVR software 'see' the signal power from a tripped sensor connected to a given NVR alarm contact? Can anyone confirm if unique names (like PIR_hallway) and actions (like activate siren or send email) can be associated with DaHua NVR alarm I/O using their on-board software? I mention Dahua since I am currently toward one of their Intl models. I still have more research to do on BI vs the the onboard NVR interface - that might make my final decision easier.