Foscam IPCam Alarm Trigger to FTP Upload Question

BraveSirRobbin

Moderator
I am looking at the manual for the Foscam IPCAM and am not quite clear if it will do what I want.  Since this is a popular camera here I thought I would ask the community! ;)
 
Here is what I want to do.  I want to enable the camera to upload to an FTP site when ever motion is detected via it's INTERNAL motion detectors AND when an 'armed' contact closure is sent to the unit.
 
In other words, I don't want to constantly send FTP uploads, only when some type of input has a contact closure.
 
Reason is this.  I don't want to use my home security's motion sensors and I don't want to add any external motion sensor to this device.  I just want the Foscam's internal motion sensors and FTP upload activated during an 'burglar alarm' condition that will be sent to this unit via contact closures from the security system.
 
Reading the manual, I'm not sure what they mean by 'armed' input:

 
2.5.5 Motion Detection
Enter Alarm Service Settings page to configure Motion Detection function. Motion Detect Armed When you enable motion detect armed, the camera can be triggered to send email alerts and record images.In the camera monitoring page,the green ico turn to red and an alert sound you will hear, Motion Detect Sensibility you can choose a level from 1 to 10. the most sensitive is 10. I/O PINS: 
 
Output(+5V)  Output Alarm input Input (GND) Alarm Input Armed Input Pins: The input pins can be used for 1-way external sensor input. For example, you may connect a Person Infrared Sensor (PIR) to it for motion detection. When external sensor triggered, IPCAM can be programmed to send an email with picture or control the internal relay output.
 
If you link a external alarm with Pin3 and Pin4,when enable alarm input armed,external alarm is enabled
 
If this Foscam unit can not perform my task, is there another IP camera under $90 or so that can achieve this?  I do not care about image quality, just want to know if 'a body' is present.
 
This application will be for indoor use only.
 
I was thinking about just powering the camera during a burglar condition, but reading the manual, it seems to have a 30 second warm up requirement.
 
Thanks for your help!
 
BSR
 
I never got past playing with generation II of the Foscam PT IP camera.
 
1 - JTAG'd and watched the OS go to seemly many blind loops that didn't do anything
2 - support in China was actually pretty good relating to my Foscam playing around
3 - I recently removed my Foscam Generation II IP PT camera from the garage.
 
While it worked OK if I didn't touch it.  Personally its a fun play camera and a great intro into the IP camera world and the price is right.
 
That said I could lock up the camera doing more than 2 things with it 99.9% of the time.
 
IE: if I moved it via PT and concurrently changed the ambient light while watching the stream with whatever browser; I could lock it up. This is pretty basic stuff.
 
I never ventured over to the alarm features because the basic stuff didn't work. 
 
Maybe it was just underpowered cpu wise?
 
I am seeing similar today with an underpowered 720P IP HD camera and a 960P IP HD camera doing a side by side comparison.
 
Which model of which Foscam are you playing with today BSR?
 
I have not yet made a purchase as I'm not to sure it fits my needs Pete (also many thanks for the reply).
 
I'm looking into working with an alarm monitoring company to do something a bit new and it features visual confirmation of a person inside a residence during a burglar alarm condition.  (I don't really like the VideoFied/TelGuard solutions as they bring in additional overhead and costs, but they do work with most monitoring systems Frontel software).
 
Reason is, many cities (mine included) require audio or visual confirmation of a person in the residence WITH any burglar alarm signal sent by a panel before they will dispatch a unit.
 
A lot of monitoring services here are local and dispatch their own personnel to a residence, then notify police if a condition is indeed not a false alarm, but that takes time and is costly ($35 per month).
 
I'm looking to do something a bit different and am in need of a cheap camera that can be 'armed', then send FTP uploads to a remote site.
 
I can't go into all the details now, as this methodology requires testing as well as possibly some custom software interface to be written, I'm just wanting to verify stage one is feasible with a reasonable cost.
 
Again, the quality is not important; but, the functionality is.
 
I'm looking to do something a bit different and am in need of a cheap camera that can be 'armed', then send FTP uploads to a remote site.
 
I just looked at the Gen II Foscam; it is sitting in the "scrap pile".
 
It only has a NIC and audio in/out.  Guessing the alarm trigger and FTP was via some motion event triggered by software on this generation II model.  I do recall taking it apart and noticing that the mfg date was my birthday which was kind of neato as I purchased the Foscam directly from China rather than a distributor here.
 
The newer camera boards that I have been playing with have the alarm out and in and an extra 12VDC output functions. 
 
Using this stuff you can connect to an external PIR or existing alarm output to the FTP functions of the camera for your testing relating to how fast you can FTP out an image via the internet.
 
I have not played with these piece and leaning towards the SIP stuff lately.
 
That said I did get turned off by the 2nd generation of the Foscam IP cameras such that I do not want to play anymore with them.
 
Best way is to test it out using the video image motion stuff or just put a switch / PIR on the alarm wires and see how fast the FTP works.  
 
I am thinking there are a few folks out there in Foscam-landia doing the DIY thing of what you are doing.
 
BTW many BB / Telco "providers" testing the waters of automation / security are doing similar to you / alarm company in their search for a reasonably priced IP camera as they start to move into the security realm of the automation world.
 
The advantage that the BB / Telco internet providers "own" that transport and doing whatever they want with it relating to their own needs.
 
Hey Pete:
 
Do you have any experience with D-Link?  Saw THIS one on Amazon for a decent price with FTP upload capability.
 
What I would be curious on is how much time does it take to upload on motion from a cold power start.
 
I had to look at the boxes on my shelves and initially thought that I had tested the referenced D-Link; rather I tested out the Trendnet IP SD cameras.  Bought two of these combo wireless / wired IP cameras.  Personally I liked them better than the Foscam.  I tested the wireless pieces but left them mostly wired.  I paid probably around 2X current pricing.  Today at ~$50 each its a better deal for a better built IP SD camera than the Foscam; that is my opinion only.
 
I also tested the Radio Shack "special" when they were on sale for $25.  These were even better than the aforementioned cameras.  These were marketed under Schlage and sold only with a subscription to an online combo security service.  The only way these worked though was rewriting the original "closed" firmware with an "open" firmware.  I am guessing though these were more popular in the EU than the US with a similar security to cloud type subscription a couple of years back.
 
http://board.homeseer.com/showpost.php?p=964035&postcount=11  
 
Also played with the Panasonic PT IP SD cameras.  I still have one online after many many years.  While optics stuff is a bit primitive; camera still is working fine 24/7 and never off.  These were a bit commercial style and more expensive.  More on the order of an Axis IP SD camera (which I also played with in the early 2000's).
 
In a quickie summary the now new $50-$100 cheapo IP SD cameras available from Trendnet, D-Link et al are better built than the Foscam similiarly priced cheap IP cams (this is my opinion though).
 
With all of the above mentioned cameras I always though used them with ZM or and Homeseer and never really used much of the built in functionality stuff (FTP et al) mostly cuz I wanted to proxy the cameras to one IP rather than configure the firewall for each camera.  For one IP camera though it wouldn't be so much of an issue.
 
Rather too I did utilize/test Homeseer to snapshot images and email them to cell phone stuff per event.  I could though get the flexibility of one email for multiple still shots via "gets" on the Homeseer server; fast and easy.
 
Best to test yourself the timing of the FTP upload initially base lining whatever size file similiar to whatever pixel sized picture you want to upload.  Try using telco wireless and BB wireless.  I am "guessing" based on what I see now today (well here in the midwest) that the 3G stuff is bit oversubscribed these days and "slow"; 4G is better but chaning and BB traffic is now more managed than before.  (watch the ms response times as you traverse hops router to router on the internet).
 
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