Add IPVideo Corporation Halo sensors to Alta Video

Last modified: Wednesday April 19, 2023.

By integrating Alta Video and your Halo sensors, you have all the tools and features to monitor a number of parameters from each sensor.

Prerequisites

  • Ensure you have purchased a suitable Avigilon Alta sensor integration license, and that Avigilon Alta have enabled sensor integrations on your deployment.

    Open the Alta Video Devices page and check for the presence of the Sensors tab.

  • Ensure that your Halo sensors have been installed as recommended by IPVideo Corporation. See https://ipvideocorp.com/halo-downloads/#manuals-and-guides for information on installing and setting up your Halo sensors.
  • Make sure that you can access the Halo Smart Sensor user interface for your sensors, as you will need to add information generated by Alta Video to this interface to enable communications between Alta Video and Halo. You also need to provide Alta Video with some information located in the Halo Smart Sensor user interface.
  • Make sure your Halo device is running firmware 2.3.9 or later. Firmware can be downloaded from https://ipvideocorp.com/halo-firmware-release/

Task — Update the Halo Smart Sensor user interface

Configure the following Halo settings, to enable Halo and Alta Video to have seamless communications.

  1. From your Halo Smart Sensor user interface, click Device from the bottom toolbar.
  2. In Date and Time, set the Timezone to UTC.
  3. Click Save & Reboot.
  4. Click Events from the bottom toolbar.
  5. To enable Alta Video Cloud to correctly read the values from your Halo sensor, ensure that the Event Identifier and Data Source values match those shown:
    Halo Events information

    For CO2 readings to be visible within Alta Video, ensure you have an Event Identifier labeled CO2eq. Depending on the model of Halo sensor you have, this may already exist.

    If not, create a new Event Identifier using Add Event at the top of this screen:

    • Set the Unique ID to CO2eq.
    • Map the Data Source to either CO2cal ppm or CO2eq ppm.
    • Set the Threshold to the value to cause Halo to alert .

  6. In the Heartbeat section, make a note of the value for Interval.
    You need this information when configuring Alta Video Cloud.

    You can leave the Integration tab open, as you will need to paste some information copied from your Alta Video Cloud deployment.

Task — Add a Halo sensor to Alta Video

  1. Choose Tools Open a tool > Devices Devices.
  2. Select Sensors.
  3. Click Add devices Add sensors.
  4. Select IPVideo - Halo sensor.
  5. Enter a Name. This is the name used to refer to the sensor from within Alta Video.
  6. From Device group, select the group to be associated with this sensor.
  7. Select any required Labels. Some labels might be inherited from the device group and site.
  8. Click Add cameras and select the camera (or cameras) to be associated with this sensor.
  9. In the Expect a message every field, enter the time in seconds that you expect the information from your Halo sensor to arrive.

    Locate the Heartbeat | Interval value from the Integration option in the Halo Smart Sensor user interface. Enter a value that is over twice the value shown in the Halo Smart Sensor Integrations user interface into the Alta Video Cloud Expect a message every field.

  10. Select the parameters to be reported by this Halo sensor.
  11. Click Add.
    The Add Halo sensor dialog is displayed, showing the HTTP messages that must be added into the Halo Smart Sensor user interface.

Task — Update the Halo Smart Sensor Integrations user interface

  1. From your Halo Smart Sensor user interface, click Integrations.
  2. From Alta Video Cloud Add Halo sensor, copy the Set HTTP message.
  3. Paste this information into the Halo Smart Sensor Set String field.
  4. From the Alta Video Cloud Add Halo sensor dialog, copy the Reset HTTP message.
  5. Paste this information into the Halo Smart Sensor Reset String field.
  6. Click Save on the External Messaging section of the Halo Smart Sensor user interface.
  7. From the Alta Video Cloud Add Halo sensor dialog, copy the Heartbeat HTTP message.
  8. Paste this information into the Halo Smart Sensor Heartbeat | Message field.
  9. Click Save on the Heartbeat section of the Halo Smart Sensor user interface.
  10. Click Close on the Integration dialog of the Halo Smart Sensor user interface.
  11. Click Done on the Alta Video Cloud Add Halo sensor dialog.