Panansonic WV-CS854 Camera Analysis

Panasonic WV-CS854 "Super Dynamic II" cameras

This is my first blog, so bear with me if I need to "tweak" it as time goes on and I become familiar with "blogging".

Dissassembled CAM3

Blog Purpose:  This is the start of my attempt to use a Panasonic Security Camera for a security system.  I bought three Panasonic VW-CS854 (models A and/or B) camera's.  None of which worked (Plug and play).  One does pan and tilt, and has great video.  But I have not been able to control it via my security software.  So I am unsure if it is working 100% ( I will refer to this as "CAM3" in this blog, the others will be "CAM2" & "CAM1".  The others also pan/tilt but I get no video from them.  This blog is my excersize in attempting to get at least on of these working, and perhaps more than one.

Background:  These camera's have a serial communication interface RS-485 which can be used in either a 2 wire or a 4 wire (plus ground) configuration.  And allows you to run them long distances, and "daisy chain" multiple items together.
This blog may get technical as I try to gather information, and report/show details of the components, signals, and Oscilloscope traces I find while trying to work on this project.  I'd like to control this with a "Night Own Posiedon (sic) DVR security system with web access.  See more info on the Night OWL system here.
CAM3:   This is the most working camera with pan/tilt/video working.  It is a WV-CS854B version of the camera.
CAM1 & 2:  These pan & tilt but I get no video.  it is a WV-CS854A.  I will discuss the differences in more detail as I become familiar with them.
I will have a lot of images in the blog, everything from close ups of Printed Circuit Boards, to Oscilloscope Images of signals captured off the boards.




Night Owl Security System:

• This has a single RS485 Port, and supports either the "Pelco-D" or the "Pelco-P" protocols (i.e. how the signals are sent to the PTZ camera from the controller.  The controller is the NightOwl DVR system.  The CS854's come in several "flavors", and the later "A" and "B" model can be controlled with the Pelco-P commands (I think its P not D).  All the versions of CS854 will work with the "Panasonic Protocol".  I will post an image of the Night Owl control Panel later, but it basically supports Pan, Tilt, Zoom, Focus, IRIS, speed change, and a few other controls.
• I attempted conntection to the camera with a 25' wires (3).  I was not able to control the camera yet, and captured a lot of images of the signal at the CAM3 point with the Oscilloscope.  I will show those images in the RS485 communication port section below (and will be adding more as I go on).

RS485 Communication Port:
(info to be added)
I will be using the "two wire" system (Transmit A, Transmit B, and a reference ground).  It is important to connect the + and - correctly or communication will not work.
Connection to CAM3 port, from NightOWl Port is done with 3 wires about 25' long.  Connection to CAM3 temporarily with Clips to a circuit board, but on the night owl side is a standard connector...

I/O board from CAM3

I/O board from CAM3

NightOwl Connections

Base CAM3 connections:  Alligator are 24VAC

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