Camera Link is a feature that enables VIVOTEK PTZ cameras to automatically zoom onto pre-set locations and start tracking an object when the alarm is triggered by the “spotter” camera within the same surveillance system.

Camera Link’s connection between cameras does not require a VMS system. At points of interest, alarms and actions can be set up in the “spotter” camera, typically a fixed IP camera. When the spotter camera detects an event at the point of interest, it will notify the PTZ camera to zoom in on that event and capture more details.

Take a construction site for example. Considering the large floor space up to hundreds of thousands of square meters, deploying dozens of cameras for entry/exit surveillance and security is reasonable. Depending on the VMS system there may be some latency because all video recordings and action commands have to be processed by the VMS. On the contrary, with Camera Link’s inter-camera communication, once the spotter camera detects a suspicious person entering the premises, it directly triggers an alarm and directs the PTZ cameras nearby to track and record the intruder. Commands are sent directly to PTZ cameras for immediate and detailed results, thus lag time from spotter camera to PTZ cameras is minimized. Furthermore, if there is no VMS then Camera Link can save all recordings to the camera SD cards.

Camera Link is also great for situations where cameras are installed far away from the VMS workstation. This could be a temporary portable building on a school campus, city park, or sports field.

In a typical Camera Link setup, a spotter camera is used for wide coverage surveillance. The spotter camera delivers assigned action commands to the PTZ camera. The PTZ camera receives the assigned action commands from the spotter camera and goes to the event, capturing more details than the spotter camera alone can obtain.

Camera Link allows a spotter camera to link with up to 3 PTZ cameras. After PTZ cameras go to the assigned pre-set location, they can track the object with smart tracking advanced. With Camera Link, surveillance systems can reduce the reliance on system operators to track events and maximize the likelihood of capturing and recording a critical event, enhancing operation efficiency.

When setting up Camera Link, first, users have to enable the camera link function in the spotter camera and add the PTZ camera information. Then, set up the motion window of the spotter camera with the pre-set location of the PTZ camera. Lastly, enable Camera Link as the event trigger of the PTZ camera. Now enjoy the benefits of Camera Link – monitor an overall scene with a spotter camera and track moving objects with the detailed, high-resolution PTZ camera at the same time.