Axis 2400 Video Server
The Axis 2400 was best suited for "Distributed Surveillance"—scenarios where existing analog cameras were installed in remote locations, but the security team wanted to monitor them from a central control room
| Feature | Specification | | :--- | :--- | | Video Input | 1 x Composite BNC (75 Ohm) | | Video Loop-through | 1 x Composite BNC (Pass-through) | | Compression | Motion JPEG | | Max Frame Rate | 30 fps (NTSC) / 25 fps (PAL) | | Network Interface | 10/100 Mbit Ethernet (RJ-45) | | Alarm I/O | 1 Input / 1 Output (TTL level) | | Serial Port | RS-232 (for PTZ control) | | Power | External Power Supply (DC) | | OS | Embedded Linux (ETRAX) | Axis 2400 Video Server
Is the Axis 2400 useful today? Sort of... but only for hobbyists. RS-232 Serial Port: A unique feature of the
Remember the technology of 1998:
In this environment, Axis squeezed a web server onto a single chip and slapped it next to ports for standard analog cameras. The idea was simple: Plug an analog camera into the Axis 2400. Plug the Axis into your Ethernet network. Suddenly, that old, dumb camera started broadcasting a JPEG image to a web page. The Axis 2400 was best suited for "Distributed
But here is the genius part: Because the web was too slow for video, the Axis 2400 used a trick called "server-push." It sent one grainy JPEG after another, really fast. It wasn’t quite video, but if you squinted, it looked like motion.
The first ever webcam stream? That was a coffee pot at Cambridge. The first ever commercial network video solution? That was the Axis 2400.