by Germán Alexis Cortés
In the last edition that corresponded to the months of May and June, integration was discussed, its importance in the security industry and how it influenced the protection processes of an organization. This time the types of integration that can be obtained and their characteristics will be discussed.
Imagine that many security solution providers tell you that the system is integrated, but that in real life they cannot do even 20% of the actions listed. Then let's know a little about the various levels of integration that can offer us:
The simplest and most illogical is when we are told that the systems are integrated into the same control console. That is, we see them all in the same place, in the same room and even in the same furniture, however each one acts on his side; this is obviously not integration. (It happens in 80% of cases).
The next level tells us about communication between equipment through hardware interfaces that use dry contacts and replication of alarm or control signals. In this case, many companies that call themselves "integrators" repeat alarm or control signals through the use of expansion cards. The number of cables and signals makes the control room immensely complex. Sometimes nothing recommended, because finding a problem is very difficult, without counting the very high possibilities of accidental disconnection. Additionally, the cost of expanders is high and the number of them can reach a limit very quickly. This is used a lot when we want to simply connect two and only two systems.
An additional drawback is the delay (sometimes desperate) that systems present in manipulating information. That is, the fire alarm system is activated, but only the presets and the deployment in the matrix are stimulated five seconds later, that is, the latency time of the system is very slow and inconvenient for last minute adjustments immediately. I've been in control centers where only after 30 or 40 seconds did information start to be seen from other systems... this involves overloaded controllers, homemade computing platform, absurdly small video memory, and systems interconnected through dry contacts.
A slightly more efficient level of integration is through serial data transmission. It is applied, for example, between the alarm system and the integration system or between the access system and the CCTV system. In this case, RS232 or RS485 ports and their different USB couplings are used a lot today. They are a simpler way to interconnect, however as at the previous level, they are used to communicate two and only two subsystems. The latency problem is still important and sometimes longer than using simple dry contacts, because of the lack of hierarchy, DMA (Direct Memory Access) handling, processor interrupt handling (IRQ) and in general because we are trying to do wonders with systems that are not designed for this. Electronics engineers are very given to fail at this point and we only understand it when it is too late and the systems are purchased and programmed.
An improved level of integration, widely used in brands that have a wide portfolio of subsystems, is a serial communication, using again the known ports, but in this case talking about a proprietary protocol that makes the communication complete and fast.
The latency times are low and there is the great advantage of allowing that through the integration system a signal can be used to generate actions in any other subsystem, that is, here not only two systems are communicated, but they are "integrated" in the same platform known by the common brand. The only drawback is the lack of an open platform that allows easy integration with third parties. Which means that if your protocol is closed almost always the end user must "marry" this brand.
The next level, sometimes obvious, is very similar to the previous one, but using communication protocols widely known at the automation level, such as BacNet, LonWorks, ModBus, OPC, OneWire, among others, which gradually become industry standards. In this way, you do not depend on a single brand with a closed language, but you can "integrate" many brands, which speak the same protocol. Here the issue of integration begins to be interesting and efficient. At this point, many manufacturers talk about convergence on the same network.
Some factories in the market have protocol translators and special communications controllers, which allow you to talk to any standardized equipment in the industry and even make developments based on the libraries of a product that allow it to be incorporated into the base protocol of the system.
Finally, there are the brands – perhaps the best and most advanced – that easily migrate to a well-known and widely used computing platform, such as the traditional data network (LAN/WAN) with TCP/IP protocols. Sending the traditional control and mapping characters of each industrial type protocol, but on a stable and known data network interface. Here some manufacturers again decide to use the term convergence, by treating the data network as a whole where all kinds of information are handled.
To remember
Special care should be taken to forget the mystique of security and start talking about communications. Remember that sharing information in an open access, fragile and unstable medium such as current communications networks is not the best thing for security data. That is, it is not feasible to design an insecure security system. My suggestion is to build a communications network exclusively for security (not just for video) and share existing channels and bandwidths with the rest of the company, if and only if, we find no other possible option.
With the rise of wireless networks, some brands communicate using 802.11x or even some more specialized using wireless control protocols such as Zigbee or similar. Be careful with the issue of security again, remember that nowadays it is difficult to intercept wireless information, but it is still relatively easy to interfere with it. Please remember that intercepting is getting access to the information and copying or modifying it, this is difficult because of the levels of encryption used; but to interfere is simply to make the transmitted waves not reach their destination and this is relatively easy, because the means of transmission is air and it is within everyone's reach, think about it and reconsider it.
In all of these high-level integrations, delays are minimal and latency time is very small. Still, don't expect miracles.
It is important to clarify that these high-level integrations almost always depend on a suitable integration software, which is the administrator of a solid and flexible common database. It operates as an administrator of the data network and allows each device to store the information in its own media and control in a distributed manner, but centralizing the information in the same place. It is the safest, the most efficient and the fastest.
I must also say that some brands in the market, are only dedicated to security integration (access and CCTV, or access and receive fire data), but never have the option of communicating with a control and automation system or vice versa. Others can only integrate one or two subsystems but the rest cannot, others do but if they are of the same brand or holding company, others integrate with proprietary protocols that claim to be open, but in reality no one uses it, in short, the market is so full of options that only by carefully analyzing each project can a wise decision be made.
The future at the Latin American level, which was born in Europe and the USA a long time ago, is called BMS or BAS, for its acronym in English of Management Systems or Building Automation. It is these fully integrated systems that we must have as a guiding point on the horizon, to avoid making purchases or erroneous sales, that tomorrow are declared obsolete and we must invest large sums of money again.
Finally I must warn that this is not only for large projects, at a small level there are very complete solutions of moderate costs and above all modular, which allow you to start with the basics and grow as the needs arise.
From now on whenever you see the word integrated, convergence or similar investigate a little more so as not to take the wrong choice.
In future editions, we will deal with the subject of the Control Room, a point where the capacity of an integrated system is most appreciated.
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