Solutioning
This guide is intended for technical users who are responsible for installation and configuration of IP camera, security, and LPR systems within your network environment.
Specifications, Requirements, and Capabilities
Technical Specifications
The Rekor Edge Pro is an integrated LPR solution that marries a 1080p camera and an infrared illuminator with an onboard Rekor Scout Agent AI processing engine. The following are the technical specifications of the Edge Pro device:
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
Resolution | 1080p (1920x1080, 16:9) |
Image Sensor | 1/2.8” / 9mm |
Focal Length (mm) | 5.1mm – 51mm |
Field of View (°) | 7.1° - 55.2° |
Minimum Illumination (day) | 0.16 lux |
Maximum IR Distance (LPR) | 75 feet |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
Video Encoding | h.264 |
Network Interface | 802.3at Type 2, Class 4 PoE+ |
Power Consumption | 15.6w - 18.24w nominal, 25.5w max |
Environmental Rating | IK10/IP67/IP66 |
Dimensions | 4.25” x 3.5” x 8.75” |
Weight | 11lbs |
Camera Requirements
Power
The Rekor Edge Pro is optimized for pre-wired environments, and will accept a standard 802.3at Type 2, Class 4 PoE+ Ethernet connection to facilitate both power and communications. Alternatively, the camera will also accept a 12V DC power source.
Cat 5E or Cat 6 Ethernet, 48V @ 0.38a | 12V DC Input, 12V @ 1.3a |
Rekor also offers several optional power solutions for environments that are not pre-wired for PoE+ or 12V DC. The Rekor Edge Pro Comms Box is powered by an existing industry-standard 120V AC circuit and can power up to four (4) Rekor Edge Pro cameras over PoE through an integrated 4-port PoE switch. It also includes an integrated LTE cellular modem for wireless backhaul to the Rekor cloud. The Rekor Edge Pro Comms Box requires a minimum of 2 amps available capacity on an existing 120V AC circuit to power a full load of four Edge Pro cameras and the integrated LTE modem. Note that the Rekor Edge Pro Comms Box must be located within a 100m (~328’) Ethernet cable run from each attached Rekor Edge Pro camera to ensure proper PoE voltage. To leave room for complexity when routing conduit and junction boxes, Rekor recommends limiting Rekor Edge Pro camera distances from the Rekor Edge Pro Comms Box to 200’ or less.
For outdoor environments that are not pre-wired and do not have available 120V AC power, Rekor also offers the optional Rekor Edge Pro Solar Kit assembly. This assembly includes a 200w solar panel, 48Ah lithium-ion battery pack, ruggedized LTE cellular modem, and PoE switch all integrated into a single side-mount or tenon-mount bracket. Care must be taken to ensure that the solar panel is installed in a location that receives sufficient direct sunlight to continually power the system and recharge the battery pack. This requires a mostly clear solar exposure throughout the solar arc, with no obstructions to the south (when installed in the Northern hemisphere) to ensure full sun during the winter months.
The solar panel should be aimed south from horizontal (in the Northern hemisphere) and tilted at an angle the sum of the GPS latitude and 15 degrees to optimize the panel orientation for reduced winter sunlight. For example, in Tampa, Florida, GPS latitude is roughly 28° N, so the panel should be facing south at 43° (28+15) from horizontal.
Communications
The Rekor Edge Pro camera has an integrated LAN port capable of either PoE Power and Data, or Data- Only transmission, and supports all common network protocols. For the Rekor Scout Agent on the Rekor Edge Pro to access the Rekor cloud, the LAN port on the Rekor Edge Pro must be connected to a switch port that is routed to an outbound internet connection. All Rekor Scout and Discover processes use client-initiated web sockets, so no inbound firewall ALLOW or FORWARD rules need to be established.
Rekor recommends connecting the Rekor Edge Pro camera to an IT work desk prior to installing on-location to ensure proper functionality and to set up the LAN port with the proper DHCP or static LAN settings.
Please note that Rekor Support may require attended remote access to a customer system that has network access to the Rekor Edge Pro camera system if assistance is needed with setup or troubleshooting tasks. Rekor Support will typically use Microsoft Teams for screen sharing and remote access to facilitate this task.
When using the optional Rekor Edge Pro Comms Box or the Rekor Edge Pro Solar Kit, the Rekor Edge Pro will be connected to the Rekor cloud through the integrated LTE cellular modem. Rekor provides optional cellular communications as a service through our partner providers (T-Mobile or Verizon). The Customer can also provide an activated standard-format SIM card for use in these modems in lieu of Rekor’s communications as a service. The modems used in the Comms Box and Solar Kit are compatible with activated SIM cards from all major US domestic LTE carriers, including FirstNet.
Note that if you are providing a SIM card for cellular communications and are using a custom or private APN for your LTE plan, routing Rekor Edge Pro data to the Rekor cloud may require coordination between your LTE vendor and your IT staff to ensure the LTE service has a valid internet path to the AWS Cloud or AWS GovCloud environments for the device(s) serviced by those SIM cards. If needed, the Rekor Solutions Engineering or Global Customer Operations teams can advise which AWS environment your Rekor tenant is hosted on.
Infrastructure
The Rekor Edge Pro camera is IK10, IP67, and IP66 rated, and can be installed either outdoors or under cover. It can be used in environments serviced by ambient illumination, or in environments without any ambient illumination. The camera includes a standard flat base plate to be bolted, anchored, or screwed into any flat surface capable of holding the weight of the equipment and providing a stable platform for the camera field of view. If installation on a curved surface is required (e.g. a pole-mount), Rekor can provide an optional pole-mount bracket.
Please ensure that the fasteners and fastening methods being used are properly rated for the installation environment, are designed to hold the weight of the Rekor equipment, and do not interfere with the weatherproofing features of the Rekor Edge Pro camera that provide its IP67/IP66 rating. This includes ensuring that the included camera hood is oriented facing up and is attached securely to the camera body.
Note that prior to finalizing a site location and installing the camera, Rekor recommends connecting each Rekor Edge Pro to a network connection in a controlled environment to validate camera functionality and to configure basic camera settings such as network interface and user values.
Capabilities and Ideal Use Case
The Rekor Edge Pro is optimized for pre-wired environments and for use in residential, commercial, government, and educational vehicular access areas for vehicle identification and ingress/egress auditing. While the Rekor Edge Pro camera, when properly located, installed, and calibrated, is capable of exceeding these figures, the ideal coverage environment will meet the following characteristics:
A single lane of coverage per Rekor Edge Pro camera
Clearly defined lane boundaries or vehicle pathway markings
Expected vehicle speed not to exceed 45 mph
Distance from the camera to the point of aim is no more than 75 feet
Long-term video forensics through the Rekor Scout application is not a primary mission
The lighting environment is mostly uniform
Capturing rear license plates
Proper or improper location selection or use case, and the associated environmental factors, can significantly impact the terminal performance potential of any LPR system. The Rekor Edge Pro should be positioned to have a mostly uniform lighting environment. This means there should be no dynamic shadows, areas of harsh light/dark contrast, or significant differences in lighting environment between daylight hours.
Examples of this are areas, where both covered and uncovered roadway surfaces, are in the field of view at the same time, such as near the entry/exit points of a parking garage, and areas where vehicles in the field of view are subject to harsh sunlight backlighting or silhouetting during early morning and evening hours. The field of view should be carefully selected in these locations.
The Rekor Edge Pro is also ideally suited for areas where only a single lane of slow-to-medium speed traffic needs to be monitored. Higher speeds or wider areas of coverage will limit the read rate and accuracy of the system. It is recommended that the Edge Pro be located in areas with clearly defined lane boundaries or vehicle pathway markings so that the variance of vehicle positioning on the roadway through the point of aim is reduced. This will allow for a narrower field of view and a higher pixel density.
Additionally, while all Rekor Edge devices are capable of video recording on the Edge and forensic review from the Scout and Discover cloud platforms, the Rekor Edge Pro is designed for missions where long-term video forensics on the Edge is not a requirement. Video retention duration on the Rekor Edge Pro will vary based on available storage and scene complexity but can be expected to range between two (2) and five (5) days. Video is automatically purged as available space is needed, from the oldest recordings onward.
Accuracy
When properly solutioned, positioned, aimed, and calibrated, the Rekor Edge Pro has been measured at a combined day/night read rate greater than 99%, with greater than 98% plate read accuracy. License plate state of origin is tested at 95% accuracy, with the ability to discard or ignore lettering on non-plate features such as license plate frames and vehicle decals at ~99%. The Rekor Edge Pro also provides industry-leading accuracy when determining vehicle type, make, model, and color. Note that any deviations to the recommended use case or positioning and coverage best practices, or an improper calibration, will reduce these figures.
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