TagMaster CT45

Pre-Installation Considerations:

This section is intended to provide installation guidelines for the TagMaster North America CT family of LPR cameras to ensure optimum results are achieved.

Waterproofing:

The Camera is shipped with waterproofing grommet hardware that must be installed with the camera.

Infra-Red-Light Detection:

When using infrared cameras, the imaging relies on the light being reflected from the plate back to the camera. The maximum recommended angle of the camera for a reliable reflection is up to 20 degrees, as for every degree deviation from zero, the accuracy rate will be lowered.

At 24° deviation, there is a 1.66% reduction from the base rate

At 32° deviation, there is a 72% reduction from the base rate

Above 40° deviation there is no reflection back to the camera

Understanding Skew:

The mounting location must be considered when determining accuracy. Vertical and horizontal skews distort the characters. For every degree deviation from zero, the accuracy rate will be lowered. We recommend no more than 20 degrees.

Lens Selection:

The license plate image must be within the appropriate size for the proper OCR operation.

Use the correct lens type (Short, Medium, Long) to meet the proper size image of the license plate based on the distance from the camera to the target object.

Short Range:

• Short-range cameras have a smaller capture area – therefore only good for lower speeds

• Can only be mounted close to the ground otherwise the skew is too great.

Medium Range:

• Generally used for ‘stop and go’ applications (e.g. gated systems)

Long Range:

• Longer-range cameras have larger capture areas so better for faster speeds

• Can only be mounted further from the ground – otherwise line-of-sight issues may occur

Alignment:

The camera should provide a horizontal image of the License Plate

For correct performance, a horizontal line should cross all characters

Keep in Mind:

For Free Flow Operation: the general recommendation for the camera’s placement is between 4’ to 6’ high and about 1’ off the curb, with plate distance (target) at 14’-18’ when using the Medium range lens.

1:3 Rule When different geometry is required, we recommend the 1:3 rule (aka 3-9 ratio - for every 3 feet higher the camera is mounted, the target distance from the base of the pole is increased by 9 feet).

The minimum capture distance should be 3 times the mounting height – This is to prevent over-skew for the plate image as too much angle will also cause the IR light projected from the camera to not be reflected back from the plate.

Installation:

LPR Camera Configuration

To access the camera and do any configuration, you must initially connect to it as a Wi-Fi access point.

Typically, the Wi-Fi access point has the following information by default:

• Wi-Fi SSID/Connection Name: 192.168.1.130

• Wi-Fi Password: TagMaster

Web Utility Settings Access

Once you have connected to the Wi-Fi access point for the camera, you'll need to enter it's IP/Network Address into a web browser to access the Web Utility.

• Web Utility Username: Administrator

• Web Utility Password: citysync

Once you connect to the web utility and log-in with the default credentials, you'll want to select the Settings option.

Web Utility: Setting IP/Network Address

Once here, you'll be greeting with the Quick Setup page selected by default from the utility menu.

At this point, you can configure the Network settings to a specific available IP/Network Address on the appropriate network. You will have the option to use a DHCP/Dynamic IP Address, but it's typically recommended to set it to a Static, unchanging address to help with troubleshooting and to make sure it stays attached to that address since it will be used in the Fast-Weigh configuration.

After setting the network address, the Deploy button will finalize and save the configured settings.

Important Note: Keep in mind, once you set and Deploy these settings, you'll need to disconnect from the Wi-Fi access point and reconnect to your normal network and reload the web utility using the new IP/Network Address entered into the web browser.

Web Utility: Network Interface

Next, we will go to the Network Interface section of the web utility's menu.

Here's we need to enable the following settings:

• TCP/IP Host: Checked On / Enabled

• Protocol: Generic

• Output Format: JSON, readable Unicode

• Port: 4222

• Max. Clients: 10

• Check On "Do not backlog events on this channel"

After you have entered these settings into the web utility, use the Deploy button to finalize and push them to the device.

Web Utility: Regions

Next, we will go to the Regions sections in the web utility menu.

Here, you will need to set the geographic information for the camera based on where it is used.

• Regions: Select the appropriate Region (such as North America).

• Excluded and Included Countries: Here you can use the Left and Right arrows to move the appropriate states from the Excluded section into the Included section. The Up and Down arrows will allow you to move through the lists easier.

  • These states will typically be where the camera is used, along with any specific states that you commonly receive trucks with License Plates from.

Just like with every other screen before this, once you are ready to finalize and push the settings to the camera, use the Deploy button.