ADAS

Advanced Driver Assistance System. Electronic systems that aid a driver while driving. Intended to reduce driver error and hence driver-caused accidents. May include the following: lighting automation, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, pedestrian crash avoidance mitigation (PCAM), lane departure warning, automatic lane centering and more. 

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AHD

Analog High Definition. It is used in video surveillance at 720p and 1080p and the camera is connected to the DVR via coaxial cable (usually RG59/RG6) and the image can run over long distances without loss.

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ACC and Power wire

ACC wire (normally Red). When you insert the key into ignition switch and turn it without starting the engine, you are turning on the ACC circuit. The radio, windows and other accessories can be used without starting the engine. The ACC provides power only when the key is inserted and turned and must be connected to the car ignition circuit.

The 12V battery(+) (normally Yellow) wire. This provides power at all times. The 12v permanent battery wire needs to be connected to the car battery.

NB: Should you have difficulty locating the right connection for the ACC wire, you can connect it to the 12V line. But note that this will use battery power when the vehicle is switched off.

 

Angle of View

This describes the angular extent of a given scene that is imaged by a camera (often called field of view, a more general term).

 

CMOS and CCD

Two different types of imaging sensors. CMOS are generally used in smaller devices and use less power and are cheaper. Both effectively perform the same task, namely capturing light and concerting it into an electrical signal for processing into an image. 

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DC Power

Direct current (as opposed to Alternating Current). Found in vehicles.

 

G Sensor

This is an electronic circuit which detects sudden movement i.e. an accident and depending on its calibration, will then enter a predetermined mode, such as recording.

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H.264

A video compression technique providing good quality with low storage capacity. 

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Infrared

This is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, and is therefore generally invisible to the human eye. Infrared can be used for night vision (IR Leds) when there is insufficient visible light to see.

 

IP Rating

Provides a measurement rating of protection against solids and liquids. The higher the number, the greater the rating. The first number refers to solids (dusts) and the second to liquids. IP69K is the highest and is protected against dust and pressure spraying.  

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LUX

Specifications for video cameras often include a minimal illuminance level in lux at which the camera will record a satisfactory image. A camera with good low-light capability will have a lower lux rating. Non-video cameras do not specify this because a longer exposure time can be used to make pictures at very low illuminance levels. With video cameras, the maximal exposure time is generally set by the frame rate (i.e. frames per second).

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PAL and NTCS

Video standards. NTSC transmits frames at 30 frames/second (FPS) and PAL at 25 FPS

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RCA

An RCA connector, sometimes called a phono connector or Cinch connector, is a type of electrical connector commonly used to carry audio and video signals. The familiar Red, Yellow and White connectors found on older TV's.

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Signal to Noise ratio

The S/N ratio indicates the level of desired signal to the background noise. 

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Trigger

This would usually refer to the act of powering the system up due to a certain action, usually putting the car in reverse (the power cord is connected to the power line of the reversing light).

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TV Lines

Television lines (TVL) is a specification of an analog camera's or monitors's horizontal resolution power. It is alternatively known as Lines of Horizontal Resolution (LoHR) or lines of resolution and is defined as the number of vertical lines over a horizontal distance equal to the vertical height i.e. 600 TVL means 300 light and 300 dark vertical lines.

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Vibration and shock

Vibration is motion about an equilibrium point and shock is a sudden acceleration from this point caused by impact. Both are measured in multiples of G (the acceleration due to gravity).

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WDR

Wide Dynamic Range. This is a technique used in surveillance cameras referring to high-dynamic range imaging and is used to give a greater range of luminosity than standard digital imaging. Basically, it means that it can handle bright and dark conditions i.e. sunny as well as dusk conditions.

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WiFi

A family of radio technologies that is used for the wireless local area networking (WLAN) of devices.

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