-
your Windows® embedded community
Windows For Devices
your Windows® embedded community
March's previous 4000 series NVRs used embedded Linux, but the company has switched to Windows Embedded Standard for a new NVR it says is aimed at larger enterprise and commercial installations. Like the earlier models, the 7532 Hybrid NVR (right) employs a "docking station" architecture (seen in the video at the end of this story) that allows it to be snapped in or out of a rack quickly, making hard disk replacement and other maintenance easier, according to the company.According to March, the 7532 may be used as a standalone device, or it may be controlled in a fully distributed environment managed by the company's Command software (below). The latter allows managing multiple NVRs from a single browser-based interface, supporting ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) compliant video surveillance devices and open SQL database standards, the company says.
March says its separately available cameras and IP video encoders include internal microSD cards, allowing them to store video locally in case of a hard drive failure or network outage. When the issue is resolved, "Shadow Archiving" functionality automatically copies video to the NVR, making it seem as though the problem never occurred, the company adds.
The 7532 device appears to be operated more like an appliance than a personal computer. March doesn't say what processor (or processors) the device employs, nor how much RAM it has, and there's apparently no port for a locally connected monitor.
However, March does allow that the 7532 has three USB 2.0 ports (one on front, two on back), an RS232 port for ATM/POS transaction data integration, an RS485 port (for PTZ camera support), and two gigabit Ethernet ports (one of them dedicated to IP camera integration). The device accepts up to four SATA hard disk drives, with optional mirroring, for up to 8TB of storage, the company says.
According to March, the 7532 supports up to 16 analog cameras with 4CIF (704 x 576 pixel) resolution. It's said individual frame rates may be as high as 30 per second, while the overall total possible is 480fps for NTSC or 400fps for PAL.
When analog cameras are not being used, the 7532 supports as many as 32 IP video cameras (hence the "hybrid" in its name), says March. Frame rates and resolutions in this case were not specified, perhaps because they become dependent on encoders resident in the cameras; however, the NVR supports H.264, MPEG-4, and M-JPEG, the company notes.
March says the 7532 also includes five line-level audio channels as well as two line-level outputs, synced with video and capable of two-way half-duplex communication. A combination of 16 current loop inputs and four relay switch outputs supports any alarms and relays that may be built into IP cameras/encoders, adds the company.
According to March, the 7532 is capable of continuous, scheduled, or on-event video recording. It is capable of motion detection and can ensure that video captured prior to when movement was first noticed is archived along with the motion itself, the company says.
March says the 7532 weighs 27 pounds and has a 2U form factor, measuring 20 x 17.5 x 3.5 inches. The device operates in temperatures from 50 to 105 deg. F (10 to 40 deg. C) and uses a maximum of 75 Watts, the company adds.
Further information
According to March Networks, the 7532 Hybrid NVR will be available during the first quarter of 2011, but pricing was not specified. A datasheet may be found here [PDF link].
