Mobotix just released a new firmware update for all 15 and 25 series models with many new features including:

·         Support of the Cameras M15D-Thermal and S15 with Thermal Image Modules

·         Extended Options for Image Control of Thermal Image Sensors

·         OpenVPN Client for Secure Camera Access

·         Improved Audio Quality Thanks to HD Wideband Audio

·         MxFFS Archive Storage (BETA Version)

·         Controlling Camera Arming Based on Changes in Illumination

·         Extended Day/Night Switching

·         Numerous other improvements

My favorite is the storage failover achieved with the new MxFFS file system.  With this you can now record to both SD card and NAS.  How it works is that the camera writes all of its data to the SD card and if a NAS is available it also copies that data from the SD card to NAS and saves it in a new format.  Previously, the file structure consisted of a new file every few seconds.  Now when it copies this data to the NAS it stores it in 1 GB files.  The main advantage of this is much faster searching and retrieval of video.  Copying to NAS can occur on as needed basis or on a time schedule.  If the camera loses connectivity to the NAS temporarily you no longer need to worry, the data is still on the SD.  This can be especially advantageous in Mobile applications where the camera automatically copies data to the NAS once the vehicle pulls into the depot.

There are a few things about this that you need to know.  The new 1 GB file structure can’t currently be read from MxControl Center or MxEasy so until they are updated you need to set them to retrieve video from the camera and not directly to the NAS.  Stay tuned for updates to these apps to allow for direct retrieval.