Open the Time and Date dialog to set the camera's date, time, time zone and time server settings.
In order to maintain a reliable system time, the camera can synchronize its real-time clock using an external time server. You can choose between these two protocols:
NTP (Network Time Protocol, RFC 1305): This protocol maintains permanent synchronization with one or more time servers in the Intranet or the Internet that provide the NTP service. Open pool servers of ntp.org to find a list of suitable time servers.
Time Protocol (RFC 868): This protocol is out-dated. If you use this protocol, the camera synchronizes its real-time clock with the time server once upon booting and then again every six hours.
In order to synchronize its time using NTP, the camera maintains a permanent connection to the time server; this is only recommended for cameras with a permanent network connection. Other advantages:
NTP guarantees the highest precision of the internal clock.
NTP reduces time differences to the time server to a minimum.
When configuring a network with several cameras to use NTP, you should activate the Use camera as time server checkbox on one camera. This camera can now work as an (additional) time server for the other cameras. This always ensures that these cameras have the same system time, independent of the proper functioning of the external time server.
Example: Three local cameras A, B, C are running in a local subnet. Camera A is attached to an MX-GPS-Box as a reliable source of time information; in addition, an Internet connection is available. It is highly unlikely (yet possible) that neither the Internet connection nor the GPS satellites are working properly. Hence, the following settings make sense:
Camera A: Server 0.pool.ntp.org
, 1.pool.ntp.org
, 2.pool.ntp.org
configured as time servers
Camera B: Using camera A as time server
Camera C: Using camera A as time server
In general, using one time server for the cameras is sufficient. If you would like to provide better redundancy, you can set three − or even better − four time servers. If you are using only two time servers and one of them is sending wrong time information, the camera may choose to ignore both time servers, since it cannot properly determine the correct source of time information.
Parameter |
Description |
---|---|
Time Zone |
Select the correct time zone for the camera location. NoteIf you have changed the time zone, you should store the settings of this dialog permanently by clicking on the Set button and then the Close button. Make sure that you reboot the camera before you proceed! |
Hourly Sound |
Select one of the sound files that have been stored using the Manage Audio Messages dialog in order to play back the file at every full hour for the specified number of times. |
Time Server Protocol |
This list box selects the protocol to be used. The choices are the recent NTP (Network Time Protocol) as laid out in RFC 1305 or the simpler and older Time Protocol according to RFC 868. |
Time Servers |
If Time Protocol (RFC 868) is selected, enter the address of the time server in this field. The server must support the protocol specified in RFC 868. If the NTP protocol has been selected, you can enter up to five time servers. Theses servers must support the protocol specified in RFC 1305. An LED to the right of the corresponding server shows the status of the NTP service. Hold your mouse over the LED to get more detailed information in the bubble help. |
Use Camera as Time Server |
This setting uses the camera as a time server for the rest of the network. Note that you need to enter this camera's IP address as a time server on all other cameras. This setting instruct the camera to set its own system time as Stratum 7, making it an acceptable time server, even if no external time servers are available. (This option is only available when using the NTP protocol.) |
Parameter |
Description |
---|---|
Current Camera Time |
This field shows the current time of the camera. This output may be imprecise; when in doubt, check the time stamp in the
live image. If the time differs by more than |
MX-GPS-Box |
If an MX-GPS-Box is attached to the camera, it can receive highly precise time information from the GPS satellites. In this case, the dialog contains a status line that shows information about the GPS data received by the MX-GPS-Box box. |
Local NTP Service |
This field contains information about the time services currently used by the camera. The information is displayed in different colors: If the time server can be reached, the output of the NTP client is amber, if the camera clock is synchronized, the output is green. Note: only one time server will be used. Be patient − synchronizing the clock using NTP may take some time. |
When running in NTP mode, the camera will check the configured time servers every 30 minutes. If all servers fail, the system messages will show a corresponding error.
The SECTION time
of the camera configuration allows changing the interval between checks and the error severity.
You can change the TSCHECKINTERVAL=30
parameter to 1, 10, or 15 minutes. If the TSFAILISCRITICAL=0
switch is set to 1, the failure will be logged as critical error. Note that you need to manually edit the camera configuration; all changes will only be used after rebooting the camera.
You should only change the configuration if you are an experienced MOBOTIX user. Saving an invalid configuration may render the MOBOTIX camera unreachable!
Click on the Set button to activate your settings and to save them until the next reboot of the camera.
Click on the Factory button to load the factory defaults for this dialog (this button may not be present in all dialogs).
Click on the Restore button to undo your most recent changes that have not been stored in the camera permanently.
Click on the Close button to close the dialog. While closing the dialog, the system checks the entire configuration for changes. If changes are detected, you will be asked if you would like to store the entire configuration permanently.