Focal Length (measured in mm) – The distance from the center of a lens to the focal point (sensor). The longer the focal length, the narrower is the angle of view.

To calculate the field of view or lens focal length of a CCTV camera you need to know some parameters of the installation. If you need to calculate the lens focal length you should specify following parameters:

• Distance from Camera – Maximum distance from Camera to the target.
• Camera Installation Height – CCTV camera installation height.
• Field of View: Height – Height of the target. When you select the Field of View(FOV) Height for the camera installation, the software calculates the camera Tilt.
• Field of View: Width – The other option is to specify FOV width instead of the height. Just enter the desired width of field of view (viewing area) for the specified camera distance. If you modify FOV parameters the Focal Length and the Viewing Angles will be automatically recalculated. The other option is to specify viewing angles instead of FOV Width. In this case FOV and Camera Focal Length will be calculated automatically.
• Camera Sensor Format – CCD or CMOS sensor size (sensor format). You can choose the sensor format from: 1/4″, 1/3.6″, 1/3″ , 1/2.5″, 1/2″, 2/3″, 1″ and 1.25″. Usually you can find the sensor format in the camera specification. Typical value for network camera with VGA resolution is 1/4 inch. For many cameras with CCD sensor the format is 1/3″ (Sony, Cisco). Some Panasonic BB-HCM cameras use 1/3.6″.  Megapixel cameras often use following sensor formats: 1/2″ (Mobotix), 1/3″ (AXIS, JVC), 1″ or 1.25″. Sanyo VCC-HD4000P camera uses 1/2.5-inch sensor format.

The 3D Camera View window shows results of camera view 3D modeling with 2 floating test objects – first on the specified distance and second on the bottom camera line. The user can add an additional test object (a yellow man. height=180cm) by clicking on the drawing .

In case if you have a fixed lens with known lens focal length and need to calculate the Field of View you can just enter the Lens Focal Length parameter and get the Field of View and Viewing Angles calculated.

See Video Tutorial, IP Video System Design Tool, CCTV Design Tool;

• Resolution – Camera resolution in pixels. You can select resolution from the drop-down list. The list contains most popular PAL and NTSC camera resolutions (like 352×288 CIF PAL, 704×576 4 CIF PAL) as well as some typical network cameras resolutions (like 640×480) including megapixel resolutions (1280×1024, 1600×1200), HD and full HD resolutions (1920×1080) as well as others.
• Compression – Video compression. You can choose from MPEG4, H.264, four levels of Motion JPEG (MJPG) compression (from Low to High) and “RAW Data”. If you use Motion JPEG you can use different JPEG compression levels. If you use low MJPEG compression (level 10) you get best quality of picture and about 10 times lower frame size. If you use Medium MJPEG compression (level 20) you usually obtain a good picture quality and an optimal Quality/Frame Size ratio. With a JPEG level more than 50 your picture became bad for video surveillance purpose.
• FPS – Frames Per Second. Typical FPS for video surveillance system is from 5 to 15 frames per second. In some applications (like CCTV in casino) it is required to use higher speed values (25-60 FPS). Alternative name for FPS is IPS (Images Per Second).
• Days – Required length of video archive in days (24 hours). Used for storage space calculation.
• Cameras – Number of cameras in your CCTV installation with the same parameters.
• Recording % – Estimated motion recoding activity. 100% for constant recording. This parameter is used to calculate disk storage space in case the video is recorded on a schedule or on a motion detector.
• Image Complexity – Frames from some CCTV cameras are more detailed and have a higher frame size.
• Motion % – Motion activity (100% for constant activity). This parameter is used for MPEG4 and H.264 bandwidth estimation.

As a result for each camera type you get:

• Frame Size (Kilobytes)- software can make frame size estimation based on resolution and compression. In some special cases you can measure your real frame size and specify it in this field.
• Bandwidth, (Megabits per second) – How much network traffic is required for these cameras.
• Disk Space, (Gigabytes) – Disk storage space required to store video archive.

At the bottom of the window you can find total bandwidth and disk space required for your video surveillance system.

To make proper bandwidth planning you should know practical the bandwidth values for your network type.

• 1 Gigabit Ethernet: 500 Mbit/s
• 100 Mbit Fast Ethernet: 55-60 Mbit/s
• 10 Mbit Ethernet: 6-7 Mbit/s
• WIFI 802.11g 54 Mbit:  12-25 Mbit/s

The software calculates Frame Size estimations from Resolution and Compression using our own method based on our MJPEG frame size research.

Bandwidth and storage space are calculated using following formulas:

Bandwidth (Mbits) = FrameSize (Kb) * 1024 * 8 * FPS * Cameras / 1000000
Storage Space (GB) = FrameSize (Kb) * 1024 *FPS * Cameras * Days * 24 * 60 * 60* Activity * / 1000 000 000

See also: Video Tutorial, IP Video System Design Tool, CCTV Design Tool;

Q: What are Bandwidth, Focal Length, Field of View and Sensor Size?

A: See our CCTV Glossary

Q: How to print the result?

A: Please use following way:

1. Right click on the list of cameras and select “Copy Cameras List to Clipboard”.
2. Launch Open Office, Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel.
3. Select Edit/Paste to paste the list of cameras.
4. Select File/Print.

Q: How to export the FOV image to other software, like MS Word, Excel, AutoCAD or MS Visio?

A: Please use Right-Click on the Field of View drawing and select “Copy Picture to Clipboard” from context menu. For export to Microsoft Word, MS Paint, or other windows application please switch to that application and use “Paste” (Edit/Paste) menu to insert the image into the document. In case if you need to export drawing to a file, you can save this image as .BMP or .JPEG from MS Paint.
Q:What is the unit of measurement of Distance, Camera Height or Object Height – is it measured in meters or in Ft.?

A: Please choose system from menu “Settings\System”. You can select Metric (meters) or Imperial(ft.) system.

Bandwidth and Disk Space Calculations

Q: Is there a way to include NTSC resolutions in the calculator?

A: Starting from version 5.0 all popular NTSC resolutions were added to all our products. Also starting from version 5.0 it is possible to add a custom resolution. Use “Menu/Settings/Custom Resolutions”.

Q: About Disk space calculation. We almost always use motion recording so therefore you need some estimate on how much of the specified time is triggering motion recording. Of course this is very hard to know in advance, but it would be better to at least be able to specify an percent (10-100%) and also be able to set the time interval for when that is relevant (say between 10 AM to 9 PM, or as many prefer, 9:00-21.00 á la military style).

A: Starting from version 5.0 we have introduced Motion Activity (Activity %) parameter in disk space calculation. It is even possible to calculate Activity from recording and motion activity schedule.

Purchase and Activation

Q: What is “Hardware ID” for CCTV Design Tool?.

A: If you want to purchase the “CCTV Design Tool” you should start the software and write down your PC “Hardware ID”.

hardware id

This value must be entered during the purchase.  After the purchase is complete you will receive your registration name, serial number and a password for the next activation.

JVSG Design Tool - Entering serial number

Q: I need to activate CCTV Design Tool on other PC because my previous PC crashed. My hardware ID is xxxx-xxxx, reg name: xxxxxxx, password: xxxxxxxxx.

A: You can use automated software activation system. Just visit our login page and use your email and password. After that, please select purchased product, copy new HardwareID and click Activate.

activation page

Q: The serial number doesn’t work. The software keeps telling me to restart my application to complete registration.

A: Serial numbers are generated automatically and 100% of the time serial numbers were correct. Please check if you entered your serial number in the corresponding software.  The serial number for “IP Video System Design Tool” doesn’t work for “CCTV Design Tool” and vice versa. These software packages use different serial numbers.  In this case please download the software you have purchased.

Other typical problems are a leading or trailing spaces ” ” in serial number or registration name.

The third possible scenario is using non-Latin letters (like “Ô, “Ä”) in the registration name. In this case please contact us to resolve.

Video: Lens focal length, Camera Field of View

Video: Video surveillance system network bandwidth and storage space calculation

Video: Using facility schedule to predict required storage space in recording mode based on motion detection

Video: Adding custom resolutions to bandwidth and disk space calculation

Back to help

What will happen after I place my order online?
The serial number is sent automatically by e-mail when your order is verified by Plimus.
In case if your order is verified immediately by Plimus, you will be redirected to page with your serial number.

When will I receive my product?
Usually within 2 minutes. If you haven’t received your serial number during 24 hours please contact us.

How will you deliver my product?
Usually our software products are delivered electronically.
You will receive your serial number as well as you can download the software from our web-site.
For some products it is possible to order a CD.

I have received a registration number. What should I do?
You should start the software and enter your Registration Name and Serial Number
in the corresponding fields and restart the software.
It is recommended to use “copy and paste” functions (Ctrl-C Ctrl-V).

What payment options do you offer?
Cards, Wire Transfer, Local Bank Transfer via Plimus.
If you prefer to pay with PayPal please contact us.

What credit cards do you accept?
Visa, MasterCard, American Express

How can I pay by wire transfer?
Plimus generates an Invoice. You pay the Invoice from your bank.

What currencies do you accept?
Plimus supports most of currencies.

How will I receive my invoice?
You can get your invoice from Plimus.
For all the purchase questions please contact Plimus by phone, fax, or email.
Phone: 1-866-312-7733,1-858-350-7473 Fax: 1-858-777-5553

Angle of View - The scene angle that a video camera lens can show on the monitor, like Diagonal Angle, Horizontal Angle and Vertical Angle, usually described in degree.

Aspect Ratio - The ratio of the vertical to the horizontal image size; 4:3 is the PAL standard.

Bandwidth – The capacity of the transmission medium stated in bits per second or as a frequency. Or, the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time. For digital devices, the bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second.

Bit - Abbreviated with small “b”. Binary Digit. The smallest unit of data in a computer.

bps - Bits Per Second is the unit used for measuring line speed, the number of information units transmitted per second.

Byte - Abbreviated with capital “B”. A unit of data that is eight bits long and is used by most computers to represent a character such as a letter, number or symbol.

Camera format (Sensor Size) - Video camera’s CCD chips format;  1/4″,  1/3″, 2/3″, 1″ etc.

Camera Sensor – Video image sensor. CCD or C-MOS chip.

CCD - Charge Coupled Device. A video image sensor chip.

CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) - Is a Television system that sends a signal to one or more monitors rather than broadcasting over a public network, hence closed-circuit. A standard CCTV system will normally include a CCTV camera (for capturing video), transmitters and receivers (to transfer the video from the source to where it is recorded), a recording system (for video playback), and a monitor (for video monitoring). CCTV systems are primarily used for security purposes inside and outside buildings.

CMOS - Complementary – Metal Oxide Semiconductor. A video image sensor chip that produces much lower quality picture than CCD chip.

DVR - Digital Video Recorder; records video pictures digitally.

Electronic Shutter - Compensates for moderate light changes in indoor applications without the use of auto iris lenses.

Field Of View (FOV) - The width, height or diameter of a scene to be monitored. Field of View usually determined by the focal length of a lens, the sensor format and the distance to the objects.

Focal Length (FL) - The distance from the center of a lens to the focal point (sensor). The longer the focal length, the narrower is the angle of view.

Frame - A whole video image; is composed of two interlaced fields. A CCD chip produces 30 frames per second at NTSC system and 25 frames at PAL.

Gigabyte (GB) – 1024 Megabyte = 1073741824 Bytes

IP - Internet Protocol. A set of rules to send and receive messages at the Internet address level.

IP CCTV (IP Video) - Internet Protocol Closed Circuit Television

Iris - An adjustable opto-mechanical aperture built into a camera that controls the amount of lights coming through the lens.

JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group. A graphic image file or a image compression algorithm.

Kilobyte ( Kb) – 1024 Bytes

Kbps - Kilobits per second. A measure of bandwidth.

LAN - Local Area Network. A group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line.

Megabyte (MB) – Megabyte = 1024 Kilobyte = 1048576 Bytes

Mbps – Megabits per second. A measure of bandwidth.

MPEG - Moving Picture Experts Group. A standard for a digital video & audio compression.

NTSC - National Television System Committee; formulates standards for American colour television system. NTSC system has 525 horizontal scan lines and 30 frames per second.

PAL - Phase Alternating Line system. A colour television system used in Europe, Australia, parts of Africa and the Middle East. It has 625 horizontal scan lines and 25 frames per second.

Pan – Rotating or scanning a camera side ways to view an area in a horizontal direction.

Pan and Tilt - A Camera mounting device that allows movement in both side ways and up or down.

Server - A computer program that provides services to other computer programs in the same or other computers. Or, the computer that a server program runs.

Switcher - A device that allows the video signals from multiple cameras to be displayed on a monitor, or recorded on a VCR one at a time in sequence.

TCP - Transmission Control Protocol. A set of rules to exchange messages with other Internet points at the information packet level.

Web Camera - A CCTV Camera with built-in web server computer.