Purpose and Goals of Creating the VCS

VCS Purpose

The VCS is designed to provide the ability to organize multipoint video conferencing sessions for company group departments, with the capability for participants to connect via audio and for shared presentation viewing.

Goals of Creating the VCS

The goal of creating the VCS is to ensure stable video and audio communication between the departments of the company group.

Technical Solutions Adopted in the Project

Basic Design Principles

Reliability and Availability: The VCS operates in accordance with the facility's standard schedule and allows for 24/7 operation in normal mode.

Scalability: The VCS allows for development and scaling without replacing existing equipment, but rather by adding necessary components. The equipment is selected with a reserve, both in terms of performance and the ability to install additional modules and expand functionality.

Efficiency: The design process involved optimization for more efficient use of VCS resources. VCS resources include equipment resources and data channel resources. Efficient use of VCS resources reduces the total cost of ownership of the system.

Security: Equipment using network protocols provides protection against unauthorized access; access to user (terminal) equipment settings is password-protected.

Unification and Standardization: All equipment is manufactured by well-known global manufacturers and belongs to the class of professional devices.

Ergonomics: The VCS architecture ensures ease of repair and recovery, as well as simplicity of system maintenance and administration.

Durability: Guaranteed manufacturer support for VCS components for at least 5 years is ensured.

Versatility: The VCS has a unified environment for transmitting video and audio signals over channels, compatible with the technological capabilities of equipment from various manufacturers.

Aesthetics: The VCS meets modern aesthetic requirements.

Selection of VCS Technology

The choice of technology, architecture, and equipment for the VCS was determined by the requirements of the technical specifications and the following factors:

• Configuration of the equipped premises;
• Compliance with international standards.

After studying these factors, a solution for building the VCS was chosen.

Selection of VCS Equipment Manufacturer

The equipment chosen for the VCS is from a leading manufacturer. The choice was based on the following factors:

• High quality and reliability of manufactured devices;
• Support for modern management and data transfer protocols;
• Availability of a wide range of devices;
• High quality of technical support;
• Presence of training and certification centers for specialists;
• Availability of certificates for the equipment used.

VCS Architecture

The building is proposed to be equipped with VCS user terminals. The connection of equipment to the building's local network is shown in the VCS document "VCS Equipment Connection Diagram".

Definitions and Terminology:

1. Video Source – a source of analog or digital low-frequency or high-frequency signal.
2. Audio Source – a source of analog low-frequency linear stereo or monophonic audio signal.
3. Switch – a device that switches its own external inputs to outputs with varying degrees of connectivity, either directly or through a signal splitter. The inputs of switches can receive similar information signals, for example, low-frequency video signals, low-frequency audio signals, RGBHV, HDMI signals.
4. Video Conference – a video conferencing system that provides acquisition, processing, and transmission of audio and video signals to a remote participant, as well as reception and processing of corresponding signals from a remote participant in real time.

VCS User Terminals

Group VCS terminals are based on ITU-T H.323 and SIP standards, support existing audio and video compression protocols, and provide video transmission with a quality of at least HD1080p and a frame rate of at least 30 fps.

The VCS terminals have the following technical characteristics:

• Conducting VCS sessions at speeds up to 1920 kbit/s with 1080p quality, if other system nodes support the standard profile encoding method, and at speeds up to 1100 kbit/s with 1080p quality, if other system nodes support the high profile standard;
• Ability to receive and view graphical information transmitted by a remote participant simultaneously with the VCS session over a single communication channel;
• Support for dual monitor emulation mode (outputting two video images to one monitor);
• Support for "Picture-in-Picture" function;
• Support for the ability to choose an individual screen layout during a multipoint VCS session;
• Support for a call control and management server (function of registration on a gatekeeper);
• Ability to initiate multipoint VCS sessions on the server upon request from the VCS terminal;
• Ability to use the built-in video codec server to organize multipoint VCS with up to 4 remote participants, with support for "Voice Activation" and "Continuous Presence" modes;
• Support for audio codecs: G.711, G.722, G.722.1, G.728;
• Support for wideband and narrowband echo cancellation function;
• Support for Automatic Gain Control (AGC) function;
• Support for noise suppression function;
• Interfaces: microphone and two line audio inputs and two line audio outputs;
• Mixing of signals from microphone and line audio inputs with independent level indicators;
• Support for separate prioritization for video, audio, and control streams using IP Precedence and DiffServ methods;
• Algorithm for dynamic error correction during video and audio packet transmission;
• Dynamic bandwidth allocation;
• Packet repeat and loss control;
• Automatic synchronization of video and audio streams;
• Ability to operate on asymmetric channels;
• Support for Network Address Translation (NAT) technology;
• Support for a firewall with fixed TCP/IP ports.

These video codecs are connected to cameras that allow for image capture with resolution up to 1080p. Digital microphones with a circular polar pattern are also connected to the video codecs. The connection is made using the manufacturer's digital bus, which protects against external interference, including from mobile phones.

Video Equipment

Video codecs are equipped with an automatic active echo cancellation system, which helps minimize or eliminate the acoustic echo effect. The received video and audio are encoded according to the H.264 codec method and transmitted to the remote device via the H.323 protocol, while audio and video data are simultaneously received and a reverse decoding process is performed. The received data is transmitted to the audio and video playback systems.

The cameras are fully compatible with the video codecs and possess the following technical characteristics: camera resolution 1920x1080, component YPBPR output signal, ability to integrate with the control system using the Sony PTZ control protocol, a robotic rotating platform allowing full room coverage, presence of a 12x optical zoom. The camera is located in the center of the video panel, allowing it to cover all VCS participants.

The choice of video codec is due to the following technical features:

• Ability to organize VCS sessions with 1080p video resolution and video content transmission;
• Support for the High Profile compression method, allowing 1080p resolution transmission over an IP channel with lower bandwidth from 1.1 Mbit/s;
• Input for content supporting DVI, VGA signals; output of digital audio and video signal via HDMI;
• Direct control of the connected camera using the Sony PTZ control protocol;
• Ability to integrate with an external control system via Ethernet network;

Task for Related Systems

Requirements for organizing the necessary number of LAN ports and power supply network are provided in the document "Task for Related Systems".

Technical Composition of the VCS

The article then lists detailed specifications for various models of conference phones, video codecs, and cameras. These sections primarily contain vendor-specific model numbers and technical data which have been excluded as per the request.

Environmental Safety

The VCS does not have a negative impact on the environment. Upon completion of all installation and adjustment work, workers are obliged to clean the work site from construction waste and debris generated during the work.

All equipment used is certified and is environmentally friendly, without direct or indirect impact on the environment.