product news Raytec takes initiative with first ever surveillance lighting standard Northumberland (UK) Raytec is presenting the industry’s first ever lighting standard for video surveillance applications called Powers. It is designed to enable consultants, installers and end-users to more easily specify and compare the performance of different illuminators and the company is hosting a webinar on the history, theory and practice of the new standard. Historically, there has been no standard way to specify and compare different lighting products designed for video surveillance and their performance claims – particularly infrared lighting. This ultimately causes confusion and potential disappointment for customers. Poor information Lighting manufacturers currently publish very limited information – in the majority of cases they merely quote a maximum lighting performance distance. With the absence of standardisation, one manufacturer could claim a significantly different performance distance when compared to another manufacturer for a product that delivers exactly the same output. Security professionals are therefore unable to safely rely on the lighting performance claims of the manufacturer. definitions of levels Raytec maintains that calculating accurate lighting distances should be based around achieving a standardised level of light power on scene at your required distance – which in turn helps to ensure a standardised quality of image every time. But what is classed as acceptable light power on scene and what technique has been used to measure and calculate this? First ever lightning standard Distance is only one area of lighting performance to consider. Determining angle output is another vitally important area which is currently left open to wildly different interpretation by manufacturers. In addition, there are other criteria to consider which all affect the true performance and overall ‘cost’ of your illuminator. These include: flexibility and adaptability, integration capability, consumption, environmental impact, reliability, lifetime, warranty, customer support and lighting partner credentials. After facing this challenge almost daily for the last 25 years, the Directors at Raytec have taken the initiative to launch the first ever lighting standard for video surveillance applications called Powers which addresses all of the above issues and more. will help customers make the right choice Tony Whiting, Raytec’s Managing Director (joint) and one of the pioneers of the Powers standard shares his thoughts on its launch: “We are delighted to be the first manufacturer to tackle this head on by publishing an easy to use guide which outlines key criteria for you to consider when choosing and comparing any lighting product and partner. The standard provides security professionals with an understanding as to how their chosen lighting product will perform and sets a lighting quality benchmark to help customers make an informed choice”. Existing lighting standards Industries such as the traditional white light industry (street lighting/urban/commercial lighting etc) have long established standard testing methods which all manufacturers adhere to, meaning that all illuminators can be accurately compared. All major lighting manufacturers invited Raytec say that they have invited all the major lighting manufacturers to play an active role in Tony Whiting, Raytec’s Managing Director. helping to formulate this new standard and are delighted to advise that they have generally agreed with the proposed Powers standard. Hopefully, in time, all reputable manufacturers will commit to measuring their lighting performance in accordance with the standard and publish the proposed information so that customers can have consistent and reliable information on which to base their choices. Tony goes on to say “We can also guarantee that at Raytec we are working hard to ensure that the standard becomes widely adopted and used for the benefit of everyone across the industry”. Testing of third party products In addition, Raytec will offer testing of third party products in accordance with the standard, so where there is no published information available, Raytec will measure the product and provide the relevant information. Suprema DM-20 secures multiple doors Seoul, Korea Suprema has released the dM-20, a secure door control module designed to provide secure connection to multiple peripherals from Suprema devices. The dM-20 provides Biostar 2 with versatility and expandability for system designers to design and deploy centralised access control systems. The module, combined with any Suprema access control terminal, can function as a secure central controller. It allows a simple and easy upgrade to a smart access control system and utilises existing RS485 or Wiegand networks without the need of establishing a new IP-based network. Additional DM-20 units can be connected via a daisy chain configuration to support up to 32 doors in combination with wiegand readers or Suprema devices. Each module features a RS485 connection, 2 wiegand in/out ports and up to 4 relay ports for a wide array of installation applications. The 2 wiegand ports can be used to connect 3rd party readers that can be set up as doors within Biostar 2. The module supports 4 TTL inputs and an additional 4 supervised inputs that detect the voltage flow on the circuit and allow the system to monitor input devices. “DM-20 delivers ultimate flexibility to system designers and installers,” said Young S Moon, VP of Suprema. “Its functions expand the ability of Suprema terminals to accommodate mid to enterprise level access control needs, and enhance security by replacing the conventional systems with biometrics or smart reader controllers.” DM-20 is a Biostar 2 exclusive accessory and will support all Biostar 2 compatible devices and accessories; it is now available worldwide. Security News Every Day – www. securityworldhotel.com 24 • d etektor internati onal