Capitalize on Smart-Link™

Seon is getting rid of long messy cables and cumbersome connections in the hopes of streamlining your installation and maintenance while adding more features to make your surveillance system even better.

Seon Mobile Surveillance has created the Smart-Link™ wiring consolidator to enhance its Explorer™ digital system, turning it into the Explorer Plus™ and making it easier than ever before to take advantage of all its features.

While the little black box may be tiny, it packs a powerful punch, transforming the basic Explorer into a full monitoring system featuring GPS, signals, and many other indicators. It monitors how the DVR is functioning and gives constant feedback to the driver.

More DVR Capabilities. Like the Trooper® Digital Video Recorder (DVR), the Explorer DVR comes in two configurations – Basic and Plus. Building on the efficient MPEG-4 compression system, the Explorer Plus adds vehicle signal inputs, GPS location tags and Smart-Speed vehicle speed recording to the DVR. When reviewing a recorded incident, it is easy to learn exactly where the bus was, how fast it was moving, and whether its turn or brake lights were on.

More inputs – simpler installation. As a separate module, Smart-Link can be located away from the DVR, allowing for shorter signaling cables. Smart-Link offers inputs for analog and CANbus signals, GPS, alarms, speed, CANbus, and Seon’s specially developed Driver Indicator (more on that a bit later).

While Smart-Link can receive up to eleven inputs, it connects to the DVR with only one cable, reducing the chance for disconnects. The cable linking the Explorer DVR and Smart-Link cable can be up to ten feet away. This allows the DVR to be placed where it is easily accessible, but the important indicator inputs are safely out of reach.

Helping Drivers. Perhaps the most driver-friendly aspect of Smart-Link is its optional Explorer Plus Driver Indicator Panel. It takes up very little space on the vehicle’s dashboard, but gives the driver and supervisor a very clear indication of whether the DVR is recording properly.

This panel takes alarm buttons to a whole new level. The heavy-duty, vandal-resistant indicator and switch button allows the driver to mark an incident – and, if programmed, it will adjust the recording mode of the DVR. There is a green indicator ring lamp surrounding the alarm button, which offers the driver constant feedback about the DVR’s functionality. It monitors how the DVR is functioning, and it gives constant feedback to the driver through the Driver Indicator Panel. If the ring shows a solid green light, the DVR is powered up and recording; if the light is flashing, the DVR is powered up but not recording; if there is no light, the ignition is not on or the DVR is without power.

Smart-Link also features an input for a speed monitor and an auxiliary power output for better integration with other bus systems.

Taking smart recording to a new level. A variety of signals can be connected to Smart-Link, including the door, turn lights and break lights. Smart-Link allows you to change how the DVR functions based on the signals.

Smart-Link can trigger special record modes when it detects an alarm. It will automatically redistribute resources to optimize frame rate and resolution on other cameras. This alarm can be configured to change to a higher sampling rate and video quality for several minutes after the alarm button has been pressed. This is an excellent way to extend the total recording capacity while maximizing the image quality of incident clips.

Using the same principle as alarm recording, Smart-Link can help you take DVR operation to a new level. A variety of signals can be connected to Smart-Link, such as the door, turn lights and break lights. Just like with the alarm input, Smart-Link allows you to change how the DVR functions based on any of these signals. For example, Smart-Link can signal to the DVR that the front door is open, and the DVR can increase the frame rate for the camera monitoring the door to ensure each passenger is captured upon entering or exiting. If you have an external camera pointing at the passenger loading and unloading area of the curb, you may want to set the DVR to record on this camera only when the bus is stopped with the door open.

Ready for the Future. Smart-Link has a number of inputs designed to extend its longevity. For buses that are not GPS-ready, the speed signal from the transmission can be connected to Smart-Link. With Smart-Link, there is the choice of using analog speed inputs or GPS. The GPS input is a reliable method of obtaining vehicle speed without the hassle of wiring up and calibrating the speed signal. The GPS Speed option is available by simply installing a Seon GPS receiver, either during installation or at a later date.

For newer buses, Smart-Link has a CANbus (SAE-J1939) input. This will seamlessly integrate the Seon Explorer Plus into your system, taking full advantage of everything CANbus has to offer. As buses are upgraded, the DVR system and Smart-Link can be transferred into the new fleet.

Designed For You. Smart-Link is one of the many features Seon has developed to marry innovative technology with practicality. By streamlining your installation, by reducing cables, by keeping your connections close to the source, and by offering greater monitoring capabilities, Smart-Link is designed for you.