In the video below, we look inside the housing and test the capabilities of the device. The camera has seals that allow you to work outdoors, a converter that allows you to record material in 1080p resolution. The PIR sensor detects movement and saves energy. Visibility at night is possible thanks to IR illumination - the lens has a mechanically sliding infrared filter. Video material can be saved on a microSD card (up to 64GB) inserted in the camera slot.
Easy installation and operation of the camera is possible in the smartphone application Piri StreamView , which allows you to view live, as well as review the material stored on the SD card. The installation is accelerated by camera voice prompts, scanning QR codes from the camera housing with the smartphone camera and the QR code displayed on the smartphone screen with the camera lens.
The built-in miniature loudspeaker is surprisingly effective. As a curiosity - we can play an alarm sound from the camera's loudspeaker, and we can replace the default siren sound with any recording. In addition, thanks to the built-in microphone and speaker, we can start two-way voice communication.
The voice information of the camera and the application interface are prepared in Polish. The application interface is easy to use, requires minimal translation corrections.
The device has a wide-angle lens, The converter works well even in very strong sunlight . In the footage you will see the challenge of compression used in the camera, where the camera movement was made instead of a stationary frame. Despite such a strongly variable content of the image, the quality is sufficient. You can also see the improvement in video quality with stabilization of the frame. Video with a small amount of changes in the camera frame will be the standard operating mode of the device mounted on the handle. However, even when the frame shows, for example, tree leaves moved by the wind, the video quality will not be a problem.
The default high quality settings is 1080p 15FPS, low resolution is 640x360 5FPS. With no WiFi connection, the camera still saves material on the SD card. Recordings in low and high resolution are sent to the SD card in separate mp4 files. In the application, we can change the resolution settings. The maximum frame rate is 15FPS, low quality transmission takes a bandwidth of ~ 150-200kb / s, high quality is ~ 1200-1500kb / s.
The application during live view allows you to take a photo or record video and audio. The mounting of the camera is facilitated by a magnetic holder or a version with a mounting screw. The magnetic holder allows you to quickly change the mounting location of the camera. The set also includes a strap for mounting on a tree or a post.
We can easily provide access to the camera to other application users using the QR code and access data. After 20 minutes of live view, the application informs about the camera going into sleep mode, which extends the battery life. Live view can be resumed at any time, and the motion sensor watches over the activation of the camera when PIR detects activity around the device. There is an option to send an alert about motion detection by e-mail.
CAMERA OPERATION AND CONSTRUCTION
The camera is powered by two Li-Ion batteries in the 18650 format, the proper operation of which is supervised by the BMS. The manufacturer declares standby operation on the battery for up to 3 months or continuous viewing / recording for 16 hours.
Inside the battery casing, the pins of the I2C bus and the signal from the NTC temperature sensor are visible.
Opening the battery pack is a good time to check the power consumption in various camera modes. When making such measurements, remember not to cause a short circuit on the battery, and to use a current meter with minimum resistance, e.g. a current-voltage converter.
The measurement results are as follows:
- no WiFi, recording to the card, IR off: current 345mA at a voltage of 3.902V
- no WiFi, recording to the card, IR on: current 625mA at a voltage of 3.864V
- WiFi connection, recording on the card, IR off: current 343mA at a voltage of 3.900V
- WiFi connection, recording on the card, IR on: current 623mA at voltage 3.862V
As you can see, the state of the set-up connection does not have a large impact on the power consumption,
it is important to turn on the IR backlight, then the camera consumes ~ 625mA (power ~ 2.4W) and in such conditions we can estimate the battery operation time for 7-8 hours.
In the absence of IR lighting, the current consumption is 345mA (~ 1.34W), the estimated working time of continuous recording ~ 14-15 hours.
In standby mode (when the PIR sensor does not detect movement) and the WiFi connection is established, the camera consumes ~ 427uA (voltage 3.941V), which gives the power of 1-2mW. When observing changes in power consumption over time, you can see cyclic current pins, it is probably WiFi communication in energy saving mode.
Preview in the application, low resolution is:
-IR off: ~ 374mA at 3.880V -> ~ 1.45W
-IR on: ~ 662mA at 3.847V -> ~ 2.55W
Preview in the application, high resolution is:
-IR off: ~ 375mA at 3.881V -> ~ 1.45W
-IR enabled: ~ 641mA at 3.848V -> ~ 2.47W
Live view slightly increases the power consumption by ~ 100-150mW.
After opening the housing, you can see a gasket, a WiFi antenna stuck to the housing, a WiFi module, a memory backup battery or RTC.
The housing features a PIR motion sensor lens and a camera lens, as well as a miniature speaker.
On the other side of the PCB there is a PIR sensor and a matrix. On the left side of the casing there is a mechanical infrared filter shifted with an electromagnet.
It is definitely not a typical IP camera known from CCTV monitoring. The device focuses on energy efficiency, easy installation and operation. Besides, this compact camera is definitely multifunctional. The application allows you to view from several cameras at the same time. When the camera detects motion, we can receive a PUSH notification on the smartphone.
What applications do you see for this compact wireless WiFi camera?
Personally, I am not convinced by the use of a camera at the entrance door, especially when using a magnetic holder, such a camera could quickly change its owner. A solution may be to install the camera at an appropriate height to prevent access to the camera.
I like the quick and easy assembly that virtually anyone can do. A camera left at home may allow you to check the reason for the alarm, to check the activity of pets, as well as to verify information about a sudden storm, flooding, etc.
This functionality can be especially useful on vacation, giving you the opportunity to check what is happening in the apartment.
The camera can be left in the room when we share the apartment with the renovation team, maybe not everyone likes to work under the watchful eye of the camera, but after all, it's our home. Another idea for using the device, especially the two-way voice communication function, is to quickly install the camera in technical rooms, server rooms, etc. We can supervise the work of the installation team and, if necessary, quickly communicate with employees or colleagues in the technical room. The motion sensor will inform us about the start of work.
It is worth seeing the presentations on the channel YT Piri :
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