Exacq Technologies is shipping a line of Linux-based hybrid video surveillance appliances with Intel Atom processors. The ExacqVision EL-S systems offer eight or 16 analog inputs and up to 24 IP inputs, allowing creation of systems with up to 40 channels overall, says the company.

The ExacqVision EL-S is the second generation of the company's "EL" servers, which were released last year, says Exacq. The hybrid video surveillance recorder run the same VMS (video management system) software used with all ExacqVision servers, says the company.

The server device is said to handle any combination of analog and IP cameras from leading vendors. These include standard-resolution cameras, as well as ten-megapixel cameras and H.264-based IP cameras, says Exacq.

ExacqVision EL-S

The eight-input version of the EL-S provides for full D1 resolution across eight analog cameras at 30 frames per second (fps) for NTSC, and 25fps for PAL. The 16-input version offers full D1 resolution across 16 channels at 15fps for NTSC, and 12.5fps for PAL. On either system, the 24 IP channels are said to be optional.

Both versions support CIF and 2CIF resolutions, says the company. The ExacqVision EL-S provides H.264, MPEG-4. and MJPEG compression, says the company.

The ExacqVision EL-S runs on an undisclosed version of the Intel Atom processor. Memory is not listed, but Exacq says that an embedded Linux operating system is stored on a solid-state drive (SSD) to ensure that "the unit will be available to users in the event of a hard drive failure."

The system is said to support hard disk drive (HDD) storage ranging from 250GB to 2TB. It also offers a built-in CD/DVD-RW drive, says the company.

ExacqVision EL-S, rear view
(Click to enlarge)

In addition to its internal HDD storage, the system offers six USB 2.0 ports (two front-facing) for additional storage, says Exacq. Other I/O includes a gigabit Ethernet port, a RS-485 PTZ port, and a standard RS-232 port. A VGA port and keyboard/mouse port are also said to be provided.

In addition to the eight or 16 BNC video inputs and 24 optional IP camera inputs, the ExacqVision EL-S provides dual BNC video outputs, says the company. There are also four audio inputs plus the IP camera audio input. Other features are said to include four TTL alarm inputs, two TTL outputs, a relay output, and a watchdog timer.

Rear view ports close-up

The 1.5U rackmount chassis is more compact and energy efficient than previous models, says Exacq. The 12-pound (4.5 kg) device measures 14.5 x 16.5 x 2.5 inches (36.8 x 41.9 x 6.3cm), says the company.

Accepting 120/240 VAC auto-sensing voltage, the ExacqVision EL-S consumes a maximum of 35 Watts, claims Exacq. This is said to be one-third to one-fifth the power consumption of of traditional IP video servers. The unit supports temperatures of 40 to 95 deg. F (4.5 to 35 deg. C), says the company.

Free client software that runs on Windows, Linux, or Macintosh computers can be used to simultaneously access multiple ExacqVision EL-S systems, as well as other ExacqVision servers, says Exacq.

In addition, web server software enables access to live and recorded video via web browsers and mobile applications. Mobile apps are currently available for the Apple iPhone and iPad, and an Android app will be available soon, says the company.

Stated Roger Shuman, marketing manager, Exacq Technologies, "We now have a low-cost eight-input hybrid system to offer our customers. More importantly, the technology that we've developed for the EL-S has allowed us to lower the cost on our 16-input systems as well."

Availability

The ExacqVision EL-S is available in eight- and 16-input versions at an undisclosed price. More information, with a link to a datasheet, may be found here.

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