Surveillance Solution

Custom Engineering Solution

Long-Range Surveillance Solution for Extreme Environments

XBlock IP67-rated Full HD Surveillance Camera-Internet Ready with Built-in Heaters

A leading defense company required a remote visual surveillance solution capable of operating in harsh outdoor environments with extreme temperature fluctuations. The solution needed to feature HD resolution, 30x optical zoom, and reliable startup in temperatures as low as -26°C—a challenge that standard outdoor cameras could not meet.

At a Glance

Challenge

Extreme Surveillance Needs
- Required HD remote surveillance with 30x optical zoom
- Must operate in -26°C to extreme heat
- Standard cameras cannot cold start at such temperatures
Development

Custom Engineering
- Selected Sony FCB-9520L for high clarity and zoom
- Designed IP67-rated housing for rugged environments
- Integrated heating system to regulate temperature
SOLUTION

High-Performance System
- Optimized heating & power system ensures cold start at -26°C
- Sony camera + Z3 encoder for low latency & high reliability
- Tested in extreme conditions for performance validation

The Challenge
A large defense company requested a remote visual solution that would be suitable for long range surveillance. The customer required outdoor IP cameras with HD resolution and 30x optical zoom that could endure harsh environments in a wide range of extreme heat and cold temperatures. The cameras needed a cold startup in as low as -26 deg C ambient temperature, an operation that a standard outdoor camera would not be able to achieve.
- Requirement: Outdoor IP cameras with HD resolution and 30x optical zoom
- Environmental Challenges: Extreme temperatures ranging from intense heat to as low as -26°C
- Technical Barrier: Standard cameras cannot cold start at such low temperatures
Development & Innovation
The InterTest team choose a Sony FCB-9520L block camera that offered outstanding clarity with 12x digital zoom and 360x with optical zoom. With over 2.13 Megapixels this camera was the optimal choice however, the minimum operating temperature for a the camera is -5 deg C.
A heating system would needed to be implemented into the IP67 housings, as well as a thermostat to accurately regulate the internal housing temperature. A reliable and adequate power source would also need to be designed to accommodate all of the components.
- Camera Selection: The Sony FCB-9520L block camera was chosen for its 2.13MP clarity, 12x digital zoom, and 360x optical zoom.
- Temperature Regulation: The camera’s minimum operating temperature was -5°C, requiring custom thermal management.
- Housing Design: An IP67-rated enclosure was selected for protection against dust, water, and extreme weather conditions.
- Power & Heating System:
The Solution
InterTest engineers selected the Sony FCB-9520L block camera and paired it with the Z3 Q603-15 encoder board for this project, due to their combination of high performance, low latency, and reliability. The enclosure consisted of an outdoor IP67 rated housing to sustain performance in a wide range of rugged environmental conditions.
To address the hurdle of ensuring camera start up and continuous operation in extremely cold temperatures, two heaters were built into each housing drawing a mere 250-280mA of additional current, thereby enabling low power consumption and by-passing the need to add a second power line. The final products were tested in a specialized freezer with a digital temperature preset, to ensure the cameras could withstand the temperature demands.
Optimized Engineering:
- Camera & Encoder Pairing: Sony FCB-9520L + Z3 Q603-15 encoder board for high performance and low latency
- Custom Heating System: Two heaters integrated into each housing, drawing only 250-280mA, ensuring:
1. Energy efficiency
2. Continuous operation at -26°C
3. No need for an additional power line
- Extreme Temperature Testing: Cameras were tested in a digital preset freezer to guarantee reliable cold startup