OptaSense External Interfaces & Integration
Alert Publishing & Connecting to 3rd Party Systems
December 2021
optasense.com
Data Integration & Access Routes
Putting the right data in the hands of those who need it
▪ Open Duplex HTTP Interface
▪ E.g. Genetec & Wavestore
▪ Camera & VMS Control Sub System
▪ Milestone & Wavestore
▪ Onvif & Pelco
▪ H.264 Video Feed Display
▪ Mobile/SMS
▪ Email
▪ Modbus
▪ OPC (UA)
▪ Dry Contacts
* Please refer to the OptaSense OS6 Architecture & Component (link) for all details
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OptaSense Deployment Example
What information can be shared and/or received?
▪ Information Flow from and to
OptaSense
▪ Transmitted to– in general over all
external interfaces Alerts and System
Messages are sent/indicated to
connected systems.
▪ Received from – in general only
acknowledgment and dismiss messages
to clear alerts and system messages are
received
▪ Exceptions – over the HTTP interface
some positional data / other data can be
received and displayed on the map or
totes and compliant video streams can be
cued to pop up on the user screen.
▪ Not Supported – is any external display
e.g. remote window from the connected
system or similar.
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Generic HTTP Interface (1)
• Client and Server functionality provided
• Allows OptaSense to provide an output mechanism to 3rd
party systems for alerts with full meta data
• Duplex communications route allows acknowledgement /
dismissal of OptaSense alerts and system messages and
also to inject alerts from 3rd party systems.
• Client software can be written in multiple languages /
accessible software platforms (must support URL
encoding)
• Clients can develop their own bespoke interface route
• Requires HTTP transport protocol with open 8008 port
• Test tool provided by OptaSense for data injection / XML
verification
• XSD schema available for end user rapid development
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Generic HTTP Interface (2)
• Specific supported 3rd Party HTTP Interfaces
• Genetec
• Genetec Security Centre – Version 5.2 and above.
• Requires provision of the OptaSense connector plugin from Genetec
• Wavestore
• Wavestore Server Version 6.17.759
• Requires provision of an add-on license from Wavestore
• Documentation
▪ OptaSense HTTP Interface Specification (link)
▪ OptaSense HTTP Developers Guide (link)
▪ OptaSense HTTP Schema XSD (link)
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VMS Integration
Integration with Milestone & Wavestore systems
• A hosted interface within the camera control subsystem allows alerts to be
ported to a connected VMS system or to provide an acknowledgement of alert
cueing on cameras, specific supported interfaces;
• Milestone
• Milestone X Protect Management Client 2018 R1
• Tested on version 12.1a, Build 7115
• Wavestore
• Wavestore Waveview 6.18.37 (Using WaveSDK 6.18.37)
• Wavestore Server 6.17.759
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Camera Control Sub System
Integration with Compliant Cameras
• A hosted interface within the camera control subsystem allows connected
compliant cameras to be directly controlled by OptaSense.
• Cameras will be cued directly to point at the location of an OptaSense
generated alert.
• Onvif
• Onvif S Version 1.1.1 March 2016
• Onvif G Version 1.0 June 2014
• Pelco
• Pelco API Version 1.0
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Camera Video Feed Display
• A hosted interface within the camera control subsystem allows the video feed
from connected compliant cameras to be viewed within the OptaSense User
Interface following the generation of an alert and subsequent cueing of the
camera.
• H.264 over RTSP
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Alert Export by SMS
• Managed within the OptaSense External Comms
Interface
• SMS by hardware modem
• User Filtering by Zone / Region / Shift / Time / Type
• Configurable Alert & System message output
• Alert location Hyperlink to compatible mapping
products/applications
• Client to provide SIM card
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Alert Export by Email
• Managed within the OptaSense External
Comms Interface
• Requires Customer Intranet / Internet
connection to Client or OptaSense SMTP
Server
• User Filtering by Zone / Region / Shift /
Time / Type
• Configurable Alert & System message
output
• Alert location Hyperlink to compatible
mapping products/applications
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MODBUS Interface – Summary Reporting
• Online interfacing with client Modbus receptive system (e.g.
DCS / SCADA / C2) over TCP/IP
• OptaSense forwards the total number of generated alerts
that are present for each detector to the connected system
• Integration with wide range of client control systems
• Industry standard interface
• Client system must to be able to receive messages
communicated from OptaSense software over network –
same subnet / router access
• No duplex communication route i.e. no acknowledgement /
dismissal of OptaSense alerts and system messages
• OptaSense Modbus Interface Specification (Link)
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MODBUS Interface – Alert Detail Reporting
• Online interfacing with client Modbus receptive system (e.g. DCS / SCADA
/ C2) over TCP/IP
• Configurable setting to transmit specific alert types via Modbus interface
• Configurable register mapping to OptaSense channel ranges for alert
location
• Integration with wide range of
client control systems
• Industry standard interface
• Client system must to be able to receive messages communicated from
OptaSense software over network – same subnet / router access
• Duplex communications route allows acknowledgement / dismissal of
OptaSense alerts and system messages
• OptaSense Modbus Interface Specification (Link)
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OPC-UA Interface
Object linking and embedding for Process Control
• Online interfacing with client OPC receptive system (e.g. DCS
/ SCADA / C2)
• OPC host Server / Client architecture – deployed on
equipment at FAT, can be tested at SAT.
• Integration with wide range of client control systems
• Industry standard interface (OPC UA – Unified Architecture)
• Client system needs to be able to communicate from OPC
receiving software over network – same subnet / router
access
• Duplex communications route allows acknowledgement /
dismissal of OptaSense alerts and system messages
• OptaSense OPC Interface Specification (link)
• Older OPC-DA interface (Matrikon) is still supported for
existing clients but can not be supplied to new clients
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Dry Contact Switch/Relay
• Hardware alert output:
• System Alerts & System Errors Notification
• Relay based interface (Moxa ioLogik E2214)
• 6 inputs and 6 outputs
• Low power unit (12-36V)
• Flexible usage
• External Alarm Relays
• Strobes, PAGA
• Hard wired input to DCS/SCADA etc
• Simplex
• Multiple units can be linked together triggering an alarm for coverage zones
• Specific single or multiple alert type levels set for specific channel ranges utilizing ‘pulse’
status on the relay for specific durations
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Examples of 3rd Party Integration
Installed Systems with external interface connection
• One of our Pipeline installations uses the OptaSense/Genetec
interface to connect to their Camera system
• A perimeter intrusion customer in the UK uses the
OptaSense/Wavestore interface to connect to their Camera
system.
• A further Pipeline installation uses Dry Contacts to interface to
their Distributed Control System (DCS)
• Another installation uses OPC to interface to a client DCS system
• A pipeline operator customer uses OPC to interface to the SCADA
system.
• One client uses HTTP to interface to their control system
• In the USA an IOC use MODBUS to interface to their DCS system
• In the USA a client uses an array of dry contacts to gather all
system alerts and group them into zones for DCS display
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