Knowledgebase
| Word | Description |
| Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) | PTZ cameras allow you to adjust the position ('pan' is side-to-side, 'tilt' is up-and-down) and focus ('zoom') of the camera using a remote controller. Due to this added functionality, these cameras tend to cost much more than non-PTZ cameras. |
| Partition | A means of splitting an alarm system into two or more “virtual” alarm systems. For example, one system could serve two offices, with certain zones assigned to one office, certain zones assigned to the other, and some zones (like a common foyer) assigned to both. Each partition would have its own keypad for independent control. |
| Pentaplex or Pentaplex DVR | A pentaplex DVR is a DVR that can perform all the DVR functions at the same time: record, view/playback, network (view remotely), administrate and backup. For example, a machine that is not pentaplex would stop recording while the administration functions were being performed. |
| Pepper Gel | Pepper Gel® is a patent pending formula, in which the OC pepper is suspended in a sticky gel. The gel formula offers several advantages: it sprays farther and will stick to a person’s face on contact. It is also less contaminating to the surrounding area than other sprays, making it ideal for indoor use or for use in windy conditions. A MK-III unit sprays a distance up to 18 feet. |
| Pepper Spray | Pepper Spray is a careful blend of oleoresin capsicum (OC Pepper) in a non-flammable vehicle. Some formulations may contain tear gas and/or an invisible UV dye. Mace brand pepper sprays are formulated to be an effective, less-than-lethal means of self defense. |
| Pin-hole Camera | Pin-hole cameras have a very small lens that can see through a small hole. These types of cameras are used in covert applications. A disadvantage of pin-hole cameras is that they require more lighting than normal cameras to capture a good clear picture. |
| PIR | “Passive InfraRed”, the most common type of motion detector. It is passive because it does not emit any type of energy, but rather senses the relative movement of body heat through the zones “sees” the coverage area in. |
| Plug and Play Cable | A cable that makes wiring cameras easy. Each camera needs to have a power wire and video wire (and sometimes an audio wire too), plus the connectors at the end of the wire to plug it in. The plug and play cables have all three wires built into one cable with the connectors already attached. The only disadvantage of plug and play cable is that the signal tends to degrade if run distances. For DVRs - plug and play cables can be run reliably up to 100 ft. For analog systems - plug and play cable can be run up to 400 ft. If you need to run longer distances then you need to use the RG59 siames cable. |
| Programming | Setting the options that determine the operation and behavior of the alarm system. |
| Pwer Supply | Also called an AC adaptor. All cctv devices needs power of some sort. Each device has its own power requirements (usually 12 volts with a minimum amperage). The power coming out of the wall (in the US) is 110 to 120 AC. The power supply converts the AC power to DC power and will adjust it to a specified amperage. |
