How to use Hikvision Audio and Alarm IO connections

Stu_c

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Hi all
Just been reading this thread to hopefully clear some things I want to do, I presume if you use the magnetic door sensors these can be connected straight to the hik vision unit without any relays or anyone and put to Normally closed position and when the door opens the alarm goes off?

Few other things I would like to be able to do.

If a camera picks up a motion or the door sensor is broke it turns on a flood light for instance I am guessing I would need a relay but has anyone done this?
 
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Hi,

I : Alarm Input

This allows an external device to tell the camera to start recording
How exactly may this be used?
Is it possible to configure a camera to record only when motion is detected and then use the I/O to "arm" the camera when you want it to be Active?
Meaning that the camera is on 24/7 but only records if I/O is triggered and motion is detected, and to not record when I/O is not triggered even if there is motion?

Or is the I/O only configurable so there is no option but to record continuously if the I/O is triggered?
 

Damers101

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A Poe splitter can be installed to get 12,5, Vdc out of your current Poe cable to power motion and or relay while maintaining power to camera :)
 

Damers101

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I've used a 4204 relay module from Vista alarm panel to trigger dvr alarm inputs for email notification and it worked perfectly.
I've also wired pir to dvr to trigger a preset on a ptz.
All of these are simple contact closures not meant to pass power through. If so very small amounts to activate door strike, relay etc. Camera in and out is the same.
 
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Thanks for your answer.

What I'm really interrested in doing here is to have a camera active and ready to record only when my house alarm is armed (set by connecting I/O from alarm systems output to cameras I/O), and then it should only record when there is motion (not triggered by external PIR since it's an indoor Camera, instead I'd like to configure the camera to record on motion).

Would it be possible to use the I/O this way?
 

Damers101

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What make and model alarm system.
Only when armed or only when in alarm?
 

Damers101

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In alarm to send notification's via email.
On motion to record and preferably attach photos in the alarm event seemed to work the best for me this far.
When triggered to send email it's preferable to have it also upload the image to a storage device separate from dvr like nas or an extra godaddy domain etc via ftp.
So when all your shit gets stolen the robbers face is stored in the cloud not, on the hard drive in the pawn shop.
 

Damers101

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In alarm to send notification's via email.
On motion to record and preferably attach photos in the alarm event seemed to work the best for me this far.
When triggered to send email it's preferable to have it also upload the image to a storage device separate from dvr like nas or an extra godaddy domain etc via ftp.
So when all your shit gets stolen the robbers face is stored in the cloud not, on the hard drive in the pawn shop.
Email notifications on motion are a nightmare no matter how well you set it up night vision and scheduling come into play, bugs are a big deal so on.
The best plan for your security is to have a plan sir,
Damien Clark 17 yrs in the business and starting my own.
Commercial, Industrial & Residential.
 
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What make and model alarm system.
Naaa... Wont' answer that question...;) (Nothing personal)
But there are programmable I/O:s to control external Equipment. I can program it so if I arm my system ther is contact over a dry connector.

I just bought a DS-2CD2142FWD-I to install in front of my house. And this one will be set to record on motion all the time.
I have plans for 3 more cameras (one at the back of my house and two Indoors) but i thought I'd try this one out first to see if Hikvision is the way to go.
And the plan is för the other ones to have I/O.

But befor I buy any more stuff I'd like to se If my plan to record on motion only when the alarm system is armed can be realized with Hikvision cameras or if I need aditional hardware or to look at other brands.

I know there's a possibility to control when to record by by shorting the I input on the camera to GND, and that this could be done by the alarm system. But what i need help to understand is if it's also possible, at the same time, to configure the camera to also only record when motion is detected.
Any experience of this anyone?

Main reason to why I'd like this set up is that I'm not interrested in filling a hard drive with recordings of family members walking around in the house, not to mention that it's quite a releaf for the whole family to know that the cameras aren't recording every step we take when we're home.

An email with pictures is also a way to store snapshots in a cloud on motion detection, as they will be stored in the email inbox. The many notification emails is something well have to live with i guess.

Right now I'm saving recordings to a NAS but with future cameras I will probably need more CPU. So a dedicated NVR with the right I/O:s may be a way to go.

Even if someone manage to break in, they'll have a hard time to find the stuff and will have to work hard to get their hands on it. But there is a backup on a remote NAS as well (got two). Further on there will be a battery based DC UPS to power all the vital electronics to keep recording posibillities and internet connection up and running during power outages, be them deliberate by a thief or accidental by mother nature.

Thats the plan so far.
 

danoj

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OP - any progress on this? I have been looking to do the same. DSC alarm system. I'm more interested in limiting the alert emails only when armed. Check out Home Assistant. There are many plugins, including Hikvision and in my case my online alarm monitoring service, as well as my home automation controller. Haven't tried it yet, but looks promising. I am unsure if there is any write-back to Hikvision to enable/disable recording however.
 

kibbul

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Seems there is no option to limit cam email alerts by alarm input status. At least not in Hikvision FW 5.4.5. What a pitty.

EDIT: Seems it can be reached by following way:
1) put a relay between cam's alarm output and input, the relay may be controlled by your home alarm system than
2)configure the motion detection on cam to set alarm output (without sending alerts)
3)configure cam's alarm input to send email

When the motion is detected, output will be set ON and if in the same time the relay is powered (it may mean your home is armed), than the output will connect to input which will be detected by the cam and it will send an email. The only disadvantage is that if you have several detection rules, you will only be notified by email that alarm inoput is ON and you will not know the cause.
 
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Ste

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Can anyone help, I am new to the CCTV Scene and need a question answering if possible, I have purchased a Hikvision NVR however it doesn't have alarm I/O on the back which was a shame as I hoped to take advantage of the Alarm output, I want to know if I purchase a dome camera with an Alarm I/O pigtail can I plug the camera directly into the POE on the NVR and still use/configure the Alarm I/O ?
 

Securame

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Can anyone help, I am new to the CCTV Scene and need a question answering if possible, I have purchased a Hikvision NVR however it doesn't have alarm I/O on the back which was a shame as I hoped to take advantage of the Alarm output, I want to know if I purchase a dome camera with an Alarm I/O pigtail can I plug the camera directly into the POE on the NVR and still use/configure the Alarm I/O ?
Yes, you can.
 

Lowvoltage

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Seems there is no option to limit cam email alerts by alarm input status. At least not in Hikvision FW 5.4.5. What a pitty.

EDIT: Seems it can be reached by following way:
1) put a relay between cam's alarm output and input, the relay may be controlled by your home alarm system than
2)configure the motion detection on cam to set alarm output (without sending alerts)
3)configure cam's alarm input to send email

When the motion is detected, output will be set ON and if in the same time the relay is powered (it may mean your home is armed), than the output will connect to input which will be detected by the cam and it will send an email. The only disadvantage is that if you have several detection rules, you will only be notified by email that alarm inoput is ON and you will not know the cause.
Brilliant!! thanks I did not think of this approach.
 

DiliMe

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Hi, here's another example of how to use the Hikvision's Cube camera Alarm I/O and the PIR sensor to trigger recording on a QNap Surveillance Station.
I have managed to make a Hikvision Cube camera with PIR and Alarm I/O to record on the Qnap SS only on the events triggered by the PIR, having disabled the soft motion detection. I was exasperated by the number of false alarms triggered by the soft motion detection on clouds and light changes as this camera was monitoring an entrance glass door.
So, I hardwired 1 wire strap from Alarm O to Alarm I and by closing the circuit it is recording following this logic: PIR ->> Alarm Out A->1 ->> wire -> Alarm In A<-1 ->> Notify Surveillance Center ->> QNap SS ->> Alarm Input1 = Closed ->> Start Recording Channels 1&2.
I hope it helps someone else also.

Cheers!
 

QRS01

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Hello,

Here a way to connect the IO of a hikvision ds-2cd2185fwd-is. It supports max 5V.
I had only 24VDC available, so these are the following components needed
1x Relais module: Input 5v to output AC 250 V & DC 30 => US $0.96 |Een 1 kanaals relais module 5V 12V 24V hoge en lage niveau trekker relais controle met optocoupler-in Relais van Woninginrichting op Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Groep
2x Power supply converter from 12-24VDC to 5VDC => US $0.51 8% OFF|WAVGAT Mini DC DC 12 24V Naar 5V 3A Step Down Power Supply Module Voltage Buck Converter Verstelbare 97.5% 1.8V 2.5V 3.3V 5V 9V 12V-in Geintegreerde Schakelingen van Elektronische Componenten & Benodigheden op Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Groep

Output:
Please use the diagram attached, the power supply to the relay should be 5V. In my case, I only had 24VDC so I had to convert it to 5V.

Input:
1x 12V PIR. Power to pir is 12V, output of pir is converted to 5v and connected to the input of the camera
 

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happyinbhc

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With some of the Hikvision camera range there is an S option which gives Audio and Alarm I/O capabilities. Frustratingly I have been unable to find detailed information online or in the manuals on how these work so I bought one and had a play.

An example of such a camera is DS-2CD2532F-IS which comes with a pigtail cable with a green connector block. This has four screw down connections labelled from left to right as I, O, GND and A.

View attachment 582 Click to enlarge the picture

The narrative below explains what each of these are and how they can be used.


I : Alarm Input

This allows an external device to tell the camera to start recording. An example of such a device could be a PIR which might be used in preference to the camera's motion detection which is notoriously sensitive to changes in sun, clouds, heavy rain and lightning flashes.

The alarm input can be triggered by simply shorting the I input to GND (ground) as could be done by a simple on off switch - you do not need to feed any power into it.

Of course if you wish to use a PIR you will need to feed the PIR with power in order for it to function and switch the alarm input. Irritatingly there is no power output available on the DS-2CD2532F-IS which means potentially means a separate power supply and cabling.

If instead of using POE (Power Over Ethernet) you are running a power cable to the camera (it has a power connector for non-POE users) you could tap in to this for low voltage power using a CCTV power splitter cable which you can source on ebay or on specialist CCTV web sites . Just make sure you have checked the voltages and power consumption of the devices you want to power are compatible with the power supply you have bought to power the camera. Most of the HikVision IP cameras are 12V but I found one that was 24V.

Remember you will need to configure in the camera whether the alarm input is expecting Normally Open (NO) or Normally Closed (NC) connections along with a schedule of when the camera should accept such inputs or ignore them. NO connections are basically like an on-off switch where the switch is normally OFF and when something like a PIR detects movement it is switched to ON. NC connections on the other hand are basically like an on-off switch where the switch is normally ON and when something like a PIR detects movement it is switched to OFF.

If you are going to use a PIR you may want to consider a 12v one designed for an alarm system as the better ones are much more advanced (less likely to give a false alarm) than the mains powered ones used to switch outdoor lights. Also if using the PIR outdoors make sure it is rated for outdoors use. I found this article quite helpful as it gives you an idea of the outdoor PIR types available and who makes them The downside is that these don’t come cheap and they can be quite large.

If like me you use Synology Surveillance Station to control and monitor your cameras do be aware that alarm inputs alerts are tagged differently from motion detection alerts and so you have to explicitly configure Surveillance Station to trigger on these (SS> Management > IP Camera> edit camera > schedule). I lost a day and some hair before I found this out...


A : Audio Output

This allows you to feed an audio signal into an amplifier and then to a loudspeaker. You cannot attach a speaker directly to the camera. The audio will come from a microphone attached to a PC which is then routed over the IP connection to the camera. With the DS-2CD2532F-IS it has a built in microphone so this setup would allow a CCTV operator to have a conversation with someone near the camera which would be useful if it were located near to an entrance door. The camera's Live View page on its web interface is one way of using this capability.

While I have not used the audio output it would be my expectation that you would feed the amplifier's input with the A and GND outputs. Remember you will need to use screened audio cable to prevent noise. Given the size of the screw down connectors make sure you use a small diameter cable.

Again you would have to feed power to the amplifier.

For testing purposes you may want to play with the camera indoors and try and feed the audio into an external audio input on a TV or portable radio or a music player dock. For a more permanent solution you should be able to find suitable low powered amplifiers and loudspeakers at the likes of ebay, or Maplin in the UK, or Radio Shack in the US. Search for “Mono audio amplifier” or “amplified speaker mp3”. Make sure you get something which allows you to adjust the volume (gain). If you are going to use the speaker outside (even if under cover) then you need to make sure it is rated for outdoor use otherwise you will end up with some very soggy cardboard that will fall apart.

O : Alarm Output

This allows you to signal an alarm condition to an external device if say the camera's motion detection has spotted a movement.

With regard to the alarm output (O and GND) be very careful. I have not played with it and don't know for sure how it works let alone what the voltages are and what the maximum output current is. I suspect you can directly hook this output to alarm panels and to CCTV recording devices, but whether you can connect it directly to things like Raspberry Pis I do not know. You certainly will not be able to connect anything like a light bulb or a buzzer without using a relay. How you wire relays up so they do not damage the circuitry in the camera is outside my area of expertise although the words Back EMF and Diodes ring distant bells in my head.

If anyone has expertise on the above please do comment as I would be interested.


GND : ground
This is used in conjunction with the above connections to complete the circuit.


Hope this information helps a little and that I haven’t made too many mistakes. Do keep in mind you use this information at your own risk. I am not an electronics expert so I don’t warrant its accuracy.
With some of the Hikvision camera range there is an S option which gives Audio and Alarm I/O capabilities. Frustratingly I have been unable to find detailed information online or in the manuals on how these work so I bought one and had a play.

An example of such a camera is DS-2CD2532F-IS which comes with a pigtail cable with a green connector block. This has four screw down connections labelled from left to right as I, O, GND and A.

View attachment 582 Click to enlarge the picture

The narrative below explains what each of these are and how they can be used.


I : Alarm Input

This allows an external device to tell the camera to start recording. An example of such a device could be a PIR which might be used in preference to the camera's motion detection which is notoriously sensitive to changes in sun, clouds, heavy rain and lightning flashes.

The alarm input can be triggered by simply shorting the I input to GND (ground) as could be done by a simple on off switch - you do not need to feed any power into it.

Of course if you wish to use a PIR you will need to feed the PIR with power in order for it to function and switch the alarm input. Irritatingly there is no power output available on the DS-2CD2532F-IS which means potentially means a separate power supply and cabling.

If instead of using POE (Power Over Ethernet) you are running a power cable to the camera (it has a power connector for non-POE users) you could tap in to this for low voltage power using a CCTV power splitter cable which you can source on ebay or on specialist CCTV web sites . Just make sure you have checked the voltages and power consumption of the devices you want to power are compatible with the power supply you have bought to power the camera. Most of the HikVision IP cameras are 12V but I found one that was 24V.

Remember you will need to configure in the camera whether the alarm input is expecting Normally Open (NO) or Normally Closed (NC) connections along with a schedule of when the camera should accept such inputs or ignore them. NO connections are basically like an on-off switch where the switch is normally OFF and when something like a PIR detects movement it is switched to ON. NC connections on the other hand are basically like an on-off switch where the switch is normally ON and when something like a PIR detects movement it is switched to OFF.

If you are going to use a PIR you may want to consider a 12v one designed for an alarm system as the better ones are much more advanced (less likely to give a false alarm) than the mains powered ones used to switch outdoor lights. Also if using the PIR outdoors make sure it is rated for outdoors use. I found this article quite helpful as it gives you an idea of the outdoor PIR types available and who makes them The downside is that these don’t come cheap and they can be quite large.

If like me you use Synology Surveillance Station to control and monitor your cameras do be aware that alarm inputs alerts are tagged differently from motion detection alerts and so you have to explicitly configure Surveillance Station to trigger on these (SS> Management > IP Camera> edit camera > schedule). I lost a day and some hair before I found this out...


A : Audio Output

This allows you to feed an audio signal into an amplifier and then to a loudspeaker. You cannot attach a speaker directly to the camera. The audio will come from a microphone attached to a PC which is then routed over the IP connection to the camera. With the DS-2CD2532F-IS it has a built in microphone so this setup would allow a CCTV operator to have a conversation with someone near the camera which would be useful if it were located near to an entrance door. The camera's Live View page on its web interface is one way of using this capability.

While I have not used the audio output it would be my expectation that you would feed the amplifier's input with the A and GND outputs. Remember you will need to use screened audio cable to prevent noise. Given the size of the screw down connectors make sure you use a small diameter cable.

Again you would have to feed power to the amplifier.

For testing purposes you may want to play with the camera indoors and try and feed the audio into an external audio input on a TV or portable radio or a music player dock. For a more permanent solution you should be able to find suitable low powered amplifiers and loudspeakers at the likes of ebay, or Maplin in the UK, or Radio Shack in the US. Search for “Mono audio amplifier” or “amplified speaker mp3”. Make sure you get something which allows you to adjust the volume (gain). If you are going to use the speaker outside (even if under cover) then you need to make sure it is rated for outdoor use otherwise you will end up with some very soggy cardboard that will fall apart.

O : Alarm Output

This allows you to signal an alarm condition to an external device if say the camera's motion detection has spotted a movement.

With regard to the alarm output (O and GND) be very careful. I have not played with it and don't know for sure how it works let alone what the voltages are and what the maximum output current is. I suspect you can directly hook this output to alarm panels and to CCTV recording devices, but whether you can connect it directly to things like Raspberry Pis I do not know. You certainly will not be able to connect anything like a light bulb or a buzzer without using a relay. How you wire relays up so they do not damage the circuitry in the camera is outside my area of expertise although the words Back EMF and Diodes ring distant bells in my head.

If anyone has expertise on the above please do comment as I would be interested.


GND : ground
This is used in conjunction with the above connections to complete the circuit.


Hope this information helps a little and that I haven’t made too many mistakes. Do keep in mind you use this information at your own risk. I am not an electronics expert so I don’t warrant its accuracy.
Hello Mike from Reading, I was wondering if you ever put the audio out together?? I just bought the Hikvision 2 cd2525fwd-IS (2 way audio). the audio in works perfectly. When I hookup up the speaker I got some major buzzing from the speaker but was able to get audio out but there was alot of echoing. I did find a Mono Audio Amplifier at a reasonable price but I wanted to see if you had any success. This camera will be where there is no 110v so I will run a new cable & hook it up to my 12v power supply & probably another cable for the line in on the amplifier * keep the amp in my equipment closet so I can access the volume control. Anyway I hope you get this & can shed some light, thanks.
Mike from BHC
 
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Hello BHC,

Sorry but I never used the audio out capability.

However thinking back forty five years to when I used to play with audio amplifiers these are the possibilities that come to mind for the buzzing issue :
  • your power supply may be the cause. Try a different one.
  • you are using a fairly sensitive amplifier with unscreened/unshielded wires from your camera. Try screened/shielded audio cable. Ebay or an electronics shop will sell this
  • an earth/ground loop. Google for some articles on how to fix this.

The echoing sounds like a feedback loop. This is caused when the microphone you are speaking into picks up your amplified voice from the speaker and amplifies it again. This process repeats and results in an unholy cacophony of screeching noise. The solution is to place the speaker well away from the microphone.

Good luck.
 
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