help with wiring an opener with a camera

[cino72 0]

I have an Axis P1353 I would like to be able to control a driveway gate with the I/O ports. Before i try to make any connections i would like for someone to reassure or provide any info so that i do not destroy the gate control board or the camera. I wa splanning on running a wire from the camera I/O to the control board of the opener. any info or help i can get would be great. i spoke with the gate manf and this is what they gave me

 

"If the system has a normally open output that can that can provide a ground input to the control board then YES the gate could be opened.

 

It appears that the transistor output on the I/O should do the trick.

Connect the ground to pin 2 on the control board

Connect the transistor output to pin 3 on the control board.

 

operate the gate to verify that all still works.

If so figure out how to switch the transistor output ON causing a ground connection at pin 3"

 

any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[cino72 0]

surely one of you ip cam guru's have wired up a cam to do something like this. i think i can figure it out was just wanting someone with a bit more experience to chime in.

[ian_flux 0]

I have not looked at the specs for the camera you're using, but you need to work out whether the outputs on the camera are

 

1) open collector (volt free) or not i.e. do they provide a +v or 0v when closed

(you seem to indicate you have two pins for one output so this would suggest open collector)

2) normally open or closed

 

and also check the current rating of the transistor/output on the camera.

 

The safest and best way of doing this is to provide isolation between camera and gate. In other words look for a relay with a small coil/operating current (within the current rating of the camera output) and a contact/output rating that suits your needs at the gate (which by the sound of it will be small as well). When the camera output operates, the relay operates, providing a 0v to the gate controls. This way, the power supplies from gate and camera are kept separate. If the camera is providing normally closed output and you want a normally open, you can just use a relay with normally closed contacts and the switching will be reversed.

 

Ultimately, a transistor or opto-isolator are better in the long run than a relay with much lower current rating, zero heat and no inductance, but I'm using a relay for the example because it is simpler to connect and you'll probably find many relay modules/boards/boxes for similar purposes used within the security and controls industry.

 

If you do use a relay make sure the relay has a flyback diode to protect the transistor in the camera when it is de-energised.

 

Ian