Foscam FI8910W Camera Motion Detecion

[MikeDalton]

I've been using the EnvisaLink 3 for about a month now and I am really happy with it. I'm also using a Foscam FI8910W with the Synology Surveillance Station. I can enable the camera using a schedule... however... I'd really like to enable/disbale the motion detection of the Foscam FI8910W when the DSC is enabled or disabled. Is ther any chance of getting this feature added?

[pounder]

why don't you just schedule it yourself in either cron or windows "AT". Use the wget command and just send the right command string to the camera url each time.



Personally what I have is zoneminder recording the cameras and unifying all the different types I have (ntsc, foscam clone, airlink etc), since it handles the motion detection and recording its easy to just do updates by having a scheduled mysql query run to change some operational parameter. Then for any external access to the video the cameras are simply their camera number in zoneminder, and all the ptz, resolution, streaming etc is abstracted so they seem like the same type of camera (and they share a port on the wan ip)

[MikeDalton]

Thanks pounder,

Actually that's my point.. we're in and out of the house a lot and I can't schedule basesd on time. For that reason, I'd really like to be able to enable the Foscam's Motion detection when we Arm my DSC Security System and then disable the Foscam's Motion Detect when we Disarm the system. It would be great if this could be done through Eyez-On.

I have a NAS Server running Linux. Does anyone know if either a process or software availble to run on my server that might do this? If not... I might be able to write it myself using the TPI... if I can find the command set to enable the Foscam's Motion Detect.

[pounder]

idea 1) setup a cron job that hits the eyezon servers ever couple of minutes using wget.
Use parsing of some sort (grep etc) on the response to check if the system is armed or disarmed and adjust the motion detection accordingly

Idea 2) build a simple tcp socket listener that connects to the module and listens for armed/disarmed command packets and takes action accordingly, something this simple could be done with an expect script.

Idea 3) setup an email account, add it to the notifications list.
Have cron pop mail every couple of minutes and parse the messages looking for arm and disarm and act accordingly.


Tons of options since linux is a real operating system, and abounds with small programs you chain together to do specific tasks. Windows on the other hand - yuck.

[MikeDalton]

Thanks... Great suggestions!

Sounds like I'll end up doing it myself. Suprised however this has not been asked for before. Seems like this would be a pretty common request.

Thanks again.

[pounder]

I'm actually surprised the camera stuff is there at all, I'm all for having another level that can manage stuff for home automation in general, but I don't think the eyezon portal is ever going to get there since there are way too many different devices that could be integrated.

[mikep]

Interesting idea, I hope you don't mind - I added that to my android DscServer app (the one that runs on a dedicated tablet/phone and can email/text you if something happens). You can watch for events and if something of interest is detected it'll get/post/put to an URL, which sounded like what would work. It can also send an android intent to any other app on the phone, and it has integration to my CT-30 (a wifi thermostat) app to set away or home temperatures based on the alarm arming.

Mike

[MikeDalton]

Well....Pounder you're right.... Just an update. ... I ended up going with Micasaverde. I got a Vera Lite that will let me geek out all I want. I've got it so that the camera motion detection is enabled when the DSC is enabled and positions the camera towards the living-room etc. Makes great use of my EnvisaLink 3. I've even got it to where if there's a break-in the DSC motion detectors are triggered through my EVL-3 and moves the camera towards that detector.

[pounder]

I'd be interested to hear more about that stuff, features, reliability, api, etc.

[PurdueGuy]

I'd be interested to hear more about that stuff, features, reliability, api, etc.

@pounder, are you referring to the Vera/Micasaverde features?

If so, I've got 2 friends hooked on Z-Wave and Vera so far....always room for more!