After 3 years in the cold, my old ES-IP611W started giving signs of giving-up-soon, reminding me that it was never meant to be an outdoor camera anyway.At the time, it was a good compromise as I needed something compact and real outdoor bullet cameras had prohibitive dimensions for my set up.
Now there are some low-cost IPC bundling significant advantages over this old dome camera: IP66 rating (dust-tight and strong water jet-proof), HD 720P with H264 compression, IR-Cut, WDR (Wide Dymamic Range), Wifi-n and ONVIF compliance.
The AM-Q6320-WIFI comes with the bracket, the fixing screws, wall plugs, and Allen key for adjusting the position, a brief "starting guide" leaflet, and a mini-CDR that should not be overlooked: beside the usual camera finder utility, it contains important information in a mess of documents, like he ONVIF ports and RTSP urls.
The camera came with the firmware V2.0.6.10-M20-
Specs:
Image Sensor:1/4" Progressive Scan CMOS OV9712
Effective Pixels: 1280(H)x720(V)Min. Illumination:Color: 0. 1Lux, B/W: 0.01Lux ; 0Lux(IR on)
Max. IR LEDs Length:Φ5 36pcs IR Led , IR Range 15m
Day/Night:Auto(ICR) / Color / B/W
White Balance:Auto
Gain Control:Auto/Manual
Focal Length:6mm
Max Aperture:F1.6
Angle of View:39.8
Mount Type:MTV mount (Interchangeable Lens)
Compression:H.264
Main Stream:HD 720P (1280*720) 25fps Sub Stream:VGA 640*360 25FPS
Video streaming options:
Camera's own CMS:
The most straightforward way to watch the video from the camera is through its own CMS.
Under IE, the AX controls can be downloaded from the camera
Under Chrome/Mozilla/..., VLC will be used if available.
The interface is basic and clear with a good repartition of the features.
As for many IPC in that range, the Audio and PTZ options are present even though not available on this model.
RTSP stream:
Tracing the network stream is a quick way to reveal the right rtsp syntax to use. But some documents under the "Third-party compatible" folder in the Mini-CD also contain that information.With RTSP compatible viewers, such as VLC, there are 3 modes possible:
rtsp://<ip address>:554/11 -> 720P resolution or "MainFlow"
rtsp://<ip address>:554/12 -> VGA or "MinorFlow"
rtsp://<ip address>:554/13 -> the lowest "mobile phone" QVGA resolution
ONVIF:
Unlike many IPC using port 80 for Onvif, the default port is 1018.
This information is missing from the printed leaflet and you need to look at the "Third-party compatible" folder on the mini-CD. The ONVIF port is fixed in the early version of the firmware, but eventually can be changed in the LAN settings with the April 2014 firmware (that can be downloaded below).
SDK
Since it is based on the widespread HiSilicon Hi3510, the technical documentation can be found in Foscam and Dericam web sites and forums, like this precious SDK!It contains all the commands that can be used to set/get configuration data and control the camera.
An example of its use is given later on.
There is also a telnet service but the login is kept secret by the manufacturer so far.
However, visiting some .js scripts in the page sources reveals some file locations like:
http://<ip address>/tmpfs/accesslog.txt, or /tmpfs/syslog.txt
Upgrading the firmware:I received the latest firmware from Amovision.
That firmware image is valid for several models but the upgrade routine makes the distinction between single-board and double-board models and by default rejects the file.
The trick is to log in using this particular URL:
http://<ip address>/web/index.html?&-nochkupg
...and then load the following file from the Update section:
UPG_ipc3309a-w7-M20-hi3518-20140426_152644.ov (*)
When the IPC is done with updating, submitting the following URL:
http://<ip address>/cgi-bin/hi3510/param.cgi?cmd=getserverinfo...should returns the following software version:
var softVersion="V2.1.8.22-M20-Build:20140425T"
(*) The firmware provided here has been tested only with the AM-Q6320. While I suspect it will work on other similar models such as Sinocam IPC-7004A, IPCC-B10, Vanxse V-B811/Sinocam IPC-6409 , I do not recommend to try it before a confirmation from the manufacturer.
In conclusion, this is a honest device for the price. It is easy to install and of compact dimensions.
Only grief I have is about the short power cord: once plugged to the camera cable, it gives no more than 1.6 meters in length, which is a bit short for going through the outside wall to the nearest power socket.
Special thanks to the reseller Smart918 on Amazon.co.uk marketplace who quickly replied to my technical queries and also to Amovision technical support for their reactivity in providing me so quickly with the latest firmware and a solution to apply it.