People Counting with Video Turnstile

Video Turnstile Installation Guide
People Counting Systems from Biodata Ltd

Installation Guide > Specifying the System > Choosing Communications

Choosing Communications

The Video Turnstile Loggers can communicate with the PC over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, RS232 or RS485 links.

Ethernet

Ethernet is appropriate where:

  1. There is an existing Ethernet infrastructure (cabling and patch panels)
  2. There is access to the Ethernet infrastructure close to where the VT units will be placed

WiFi

WiFi is appropriate where:

  1. There is no easily accessible Ethernet cabling
  2. Running cables is difficult
    1. It would cause damage to walls or ceilings or their decoration
    2. Difficult access from the camera position to a suitable VT unit position
    3. Installation work time must be minimised
  3. The camera must still be mounted at the entrance, but the wLVT unit can be placed nearby. The Wi-Fi communications can then provide a link either to:
    1. A PC in the back office
    2. A wireless access point linking to the existing ethernet cabling

Serial: RS232

Use RS232 when you are using a single logger and the logger will be close (i.e. within about 10 m) to the PC used to collect the data. This is appropriate where there is:

  1. An LVT with optionally some additional VT units
  2. A single rack unit with upto 16 VT modules

Serial: RS485

Use RS485 when you have multiple loggers. The RS485 cable can connect to loggers a maximum total distance of 1 km from the PC. So a cable can be run from the PC to loggers distributed around a quite sizable building.

  1. An RS232-RS485 adapter (type ML800) converts a PC COM port (serial port) from RS232 to RS485.
  2. A single cable can connect from one ML800 to up to 29 LVT (loggers) in a daisy chain.
  3. A second COM port can be used to connect to another set of logger units through another RS485 cable.

Next: Choosing the Camera Lens.