Display solutions

Operator stations, definition and use

  • The operation of a CamTrace video surveillance installation is carried out from client workstations under Windows, Mac or Linux. These stations are intended to be used by the people in charge of real-time monitoring or replay of recordings (the operators).
  • An operator station is a computer with one or more screens and on which the CamTrace client software is installed. This computer is networked to at least one CamTrace server, so an operator workstation is always a client of a CamTrace server. For small configurations, the CamTrace server can be used as an operator workstation. In this case, the operator uses the CamTrace client on Linux.
Learn more about operator stations

The operator or workstation must be powerful enough to decompress and display the flows requested by the operator.  You can use the PC type stations already installed in your company to connect to the CT server. This type of organization allows you to distribute video surveillance tasks to authorized persons on the corporate network, while benefiting from total isolation between the camera network and the corporate network. It is recommended to have Nvidia graphics cards to benefit from the CUDA-based hardware decompression implemented by the CT client. Otherwise the decompression will be software (performed by the CPU). Operator workstations are not subject to license. You can download and install as many CT client software on as many workstations as you want.

If you use CamTrace in a more intensive environment with simultaneous display of multiple flows on several screens, it may be preferable to use the operator stations proposed by Camtrace. These stations integrate Nvidia cards and are pre-equipped with the CT client software.

Passive display stations, definition and use

A passive display station is a computer with one or more screens on which the CamTrace client software is installed. This computer is networked to at least one CamTrace server. A passive display station is always a client of a CamTrace server.

The materials used to realize passive display stations are identical or very close to the operator stations. The difference lies in the way of exploiting them, which is subjected to licence on the CamTrace server.

More about passive display stations

A passive display station is used to decompress and display the feeds from one or more CamTrace servers. The control of the display is done from an operator station connected to the same servers. A passive display station can thus have neither keyboard nor mouse. No operator will directly take the hand on this type of station, except during the initial configuration.

To display and control the flows coming from the CamTrace on one or more passive displays you must have as many “passive display” licenses as there are screens connected to your passive displays. If you have a passive display station with two screens and a passive display station with three screens, you need a five passive screen license on the CamTrace server. The operator station(s) will see all five displays in their interface, and will be able to push a display by dragging and dropping to each of the five displays. Operator stations are not subject to licensing. All screens connected directly to the operator stations are supported at no additional cost.

The passive display stations must be powerful enough to decompress and display the flows requested by the operator.  You can use your own PCs to create passive display stations. It is recommended to have Nvidia graphic cards to benefit from the hardware decompression based on CUDA implemented by the CamTrace client. Otherwise the decompression will be software (performed by the CPU). You can also use a Mac or a computer under Linux.

If you use passive display stations in a more intensive framework with simultaneous display of multiple flows on several screens (screen walls), it may be preferable to use the operator stations proposed by Camtrace. These stations integrate Nvidia cards and are pre-equipped with the CamTrace client software.

Example of operation on CamTrace servers

Operator stations and passive display stations

The equipment below can be used either as operator stations or as passive display stations.


PC3007  New

VISU Station under Windows 11 Pro – HDMI and display port outputs – Intel HD graphics. Manages 2 screens. Max resolution 4096 x 2304 – Mini chassis – Intel Core I3-10100 4 x3,6 Ghz – 1 Eth. Gb port. 16 GB DDR4 RAM – SSD 256 GB – Dim W200 x D193 x H45 mm. Power supply. 120W external. VESA support – Without keyboard and mouse – Can be used as a workstation or passive display.

Decodes : 9 CamTrace H264 FHD streams at 25 fps or 4 4K streams at 15 fps or 40 640 x 360 streams at 15 fps.

Download the datasheet

PC4020  New

Mini cube format PC under Windows 11 Pro – Proc I5-11400 – 6 cores 12 thread at 2,6 Ghz – 8 GB DDR4 RAM – SSD M2 120 GB – Graph. Nvidia GTX 1660 – 6 GB GDDR5 – Resol. 7680 x 4320 – 1408 Cuda cores – Supports 3 displays – Video outputs: 1x Dual Link DVI-D, 1x HDMI 2.0b and 1x DisplayPort 1.4 – Dim W215 x D332 x H190 mm – Without keyboard and mouse – 500 W internal power supply – Delivered installed

Decodes : 20 CamTrace H264 FHD streams at 25 fps or 36 HD streams at 25 fps.

Download the datasheet

PC4022  New

Mini cube format PC under Windows 11 Pro – Proc I5-11400 – 6 cores 12 thread at 2,6 Ghz – 16 GB DDR4 RAM – SSD M2 250 GB – Graph. Nvidia RTX 3060 – 12 GB GDDR6 – Resol. 7680 x 4320 – 3584 Cuda cores – Supports 3 displays – Video outputs: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a. Dim W215 x D332 x H190 mm – Without keyboard and mouse – 500 W internal power supply – Delivered installed

Decodes : 30 CamTrace H264 FHD streams at 25 fps or 45 HD streams at 25 fps.

Download the datasheet

Visu station C – PC2006

VISU Station under Linux – HDMI and display port outputs – Intel HD graphics. Manages 2 screens – Max resolution 4096 x 2304 – Mini chassis – Intel Core I3-10100 4 x3,6 Ghz – 2 Eth. Gb. – 8 GB DDR4 RAM – SSD 120 GB – Dim W165 x D190 x H43 mm. External 90W power supply. – Decodes 4 streams 4K – at 15 fps or 8 FHD streams at 25 fps. or 40 640×360 streams at 15 fps – VESA support – Without keyboard and mouse – Very quiet – Usable as a workstation or passive display.

Decodes : 8 CamTrace H264 FHD streams at 25 fps or 12 HD streams at 25 fps.


Visu station C – PC2007  New

VISU Station under Linux – HDMI and display port outputs – Intel HD graphics. Manages 2 screens. Max resolution 4096 x 2304 – Mini chassis – Intel Core I3-10100 4 x3,6 Ghz – 1 Eth. Gb port. 16 GB DDR4 RAM – SSD 256 GB – Dim W200 x D193 x H45 mm. Power supply. 120W external. Decodes 4 4K streams at 15 fps or 8 FHD streams at 25 fps. or 40 640×360 streams at 15 fps – VESA support – Without keyboard and mouse – Can be used as a workstation or passive display.

Decodes : 9 CamTrace H264 FHD streams at 25 fps or 4 4K streams at 15 fps or 40 640 x 360 streams at 15 fps.

Download the datasheet

Stand-alone display stations – definition and use

A stand-alone display station is a computer with one or more screens on which the CamTrace Viewer software is installed. This computer is directly networked to IP cameras.
CamTrace Viewer is a version of the CamTrace software without the recording function. CT Viewer manages the organization of views and groups, triggering of the display according to alarms, etc.

More about standalone display stations

The display can be done on screens directly connected to the CamTrace or the flows can be relayed to client stations or passive display stations (Windows, Mac or Linux), or mobile clients (Android or iOS). For installations of a certain size, it may be necessary to provide a central CT Viewer that will acquire the flows of the cameras in multicast and relay these flows to passive display stations to constitute walls of screens at a particularly attractive cost. This type of organization can be grafted onto existing video surveillance installations without jeopardizing the investments made with other VMSs.

Stand-alone display stations must be powerful enough to decompress and display the flows requested by the operator.  To create stand-alone display stations you can use your own PCs and equip them with the CT Viewer software. It is recommended to have Nvidia graphic cards to benefit from the hardware decompression based on CUDA implemented by the CamTrace client. Otherwise the decompression will be software (performed by the CPU). You can also use a Mac or a computer under Linux.

To benefit from an integrated solution, you can use the stand-alone display stations (OnVif camera display decoders) proposed by Camtrace. These stations are equipped with the CT Viewer software for 4, 8 or 16 cameras.

Example of operation for a stand-alone display or driven by a third party application

OnVif camera display decoders

VISU Standalone Station under Linux – VESA support – HDMI and display port outputs – Intel HD graphics.
Manages 2 Full HD displays – Mini ITX chassis, Intel Pentium dual Core Processor G4560 2x 3,5 Ghz – 2 Gb ports.
4 Gb RAM – SSD 120 Gb – Keyboard, mouse not included – Dim W165 x D190 x H43 mm. External 90W power supply.
ONVIF camera display. Cycles, mosaics, display scenarios on alarm or events.
Unicast or multicast acquisition – video relay to mobiles, PC windows or Mac. Screen not included. Decompression rate: 25Mbit/sec. (i.e. 25 H264 4CIF 15 fps streams)

Visu Station 4 – CS1104 Mini ITX Visualization Station – 4 cameras

Visu Station 8 – CS1108 Mini ITX Visualization Station – 8 cameras

Visu Station 16 – CS1116 Mini ITX Visualization Station – 16 cameras

Obsolete products

See here