Operation¶
Connect the Dock¶
- Connect the supplied 12 VDC power adapter to the barrel power input on the rear of the dock.
- If recordings will be transferred over the wired network, connect the dock's RJ45 port to the network used by the camera's video management system (VMS).
- Connect the power adapter to a mains outlet.
- Check the rear status LED. With power connected and no camera inserted, the DCK1 status LED is solid orange.
For connector locations, see Product Overview.
Insert the Camera¶
Insert the BC100 directly into the cradle with the camera lens facing you. The cradle supports one camera orientation.
The camera's battery level and docking configuration determine whether it charges or enters online mode. Orange indicates charging mode; green indicates online mode.
Status Indicators¶
The DCK1 has a rear status LED and two LEDs in its RJ45 Ethernet port.
Dock Status LED¶
| Status LED | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Solid orange | Charging mode. This is also the normal powered state when no camera is inserted. |
| Solid green | Online mode. The docked camera can communicate over Ethernet. |
| Solid red | Docking station error. The Ethernet port LEDs are off. See Troubleshooting. |
| Off | Check the power connection and adapter. See Troubleshooting. |
Note
A green status LED indicates online mode, not that a recording transfer has completed. Check transfer progress and completion in the VMS or cloud service.
Ethernet Port LEDs¶
The RJ45 LEDs indicate link speed and network activity while the camera is online.
| Link speed | Green port LED | Yellow port LED |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Gbps | Lit; flashes on activity | Lit; flashes on activity |
| 10/100 Mbps | Lit; flashes on activity | Off |
The Ethernet port LEDs are off when the dock is idle without a camera or when the camera is in charging mode.
Camera Feedback¶
While charging, the BC100 front LED flashes yellow and its OLED shows charging status and battery percentage. The charging flash alternates on for 500 ms and off for 500 ms. When the battery is fully charged, the front LED returns to its previous state.
The camera's Docking State can also be checked on its web Dashboard.
Charging and Online Modes¶
In charging mode, the dock supports QuickCharge 3.0 charging at up to 18 W using the supplied power adapter.
The BC100 alternates between charging and online operation while docked. These modes do not charge the battery and transfer data over Ethernet at the same time.
| Mode | Battery charging | Dock Ethernet | Camera Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charging | Active until the battery is full | Inactive | Available if configured |
| Online | Inactive | Active | Inactive |
Automatic Mode Changes¶
When online mode is enabled on the camera, battery thresholds and timeouts control the automatic cycle:
- A sufficient battery level allows the camera to enter online mode.
- After a charging period, the battery must reach the configured starting threshold and the charging timeout must elapse before the camera returns online automatically.
- While online, the camera returns to charging if the Ethernet link is lost, the battery falls below the configured minimum, or the inactivity timeout elapses without recorded-media retrieval activity.
Recorded-media retrieval includes VMS playback or a file download through the camera web interface. An idle Ethernet link does not by itself keep the camera online indefinitely.
Manual Override¶
While the camera is docked, press and hold F1 or F3 for more than 5 seconds to override automatic charging/online behavior. Press one button, not both together.
The button-operated override remains active until the camera is removed from the dock or returned to automatic behavior by holding F1 or F3 again for more than 5 seconds.
Force Online Mode is also available in the camera web interface under the docking settings and on the Dashboard.
Note
Online mode stops battery charging. If the camera needs to recharge, check that an override is not keeping it online.
Camera Configuration¶
The dock has no user interface. Configure battery thresholds, timeouts, online-mode controls, and permissions for docked live streaming, recording, and Wi-Fi playback on the BC100 camera.
See the PERCEPT BC100 user manual, System > Docking Station, for the docking configuration reference.
Live streaming while docked can slow charging. If recordings should transfer only over the wired connection while docked, use the camera's docking settings to disallow Wi-Fi playback and clip downloads.
Network Identity¶
The dock has no network address of its own. The wired connection uses the docked camera's MAC address and network settings. The VMS communicates with the camera, not with a separately configured docking station.
Transfer Recordings¶
Recording offload is driven by the receiving VMS or cloud service. The dock supplies the camera's wired network connection; it does not independently choose recordings or manage transfer jobs.
- Complete the camera's Initial Setup.
- Confirm that the camera's network settings allow it to communicate on the dock's wired network.
- In the camera web interface, open Configuration > System > Docking Station and enable Enable Online Mode.
- Configure the camera in the VMS or PERCEPT Cloud using the applicable Integration Guide.
- Insert the camera into the network-connected dock and allow it to enter online mode.
- Verify that the receiving system can reach the camera, then check its transfer jobs, progress, and completion.
Note
Connecting an Ethernet cable alone does not start a recording transfer. The camera must be online, and the VMS or cloud service must be configured to retrieve its recordings.
The dock's LEDs show operating mode and link activity, not the number of recordings remaining or an estimated completion time.
For system-specific setup, see the Integration Guides. PERCEPT Cloud users can also refer to the PERCEPT Cloud user guide.
Remove the Camera¶
Check the receiving system to confirm any required recording transfer has finished before removing the camera. Lift the camera out of the cradle. Removing the camera also clears a button-operated docking-mode override.