Generic VISCA PTZ Compatible Device

Driver Maturity

Production

Recommended for normal production use.

Caution

Compatibility Note: This information is a general guide and may be incomplete, may not match a specific project implementation, and is subject to change as supported products and versions evolve. Confirm the exact implementation and requirements for each project with Riedel and the relevant equipment vendor, then validate the required functions end to end in the target environment before deployment.

Minimum hi Version: v2.7.7

Overview

This generic integration controls supported PTZ functions using VISCA over IP. Camera support depends on the commands that each model implements.

Network Requirements

Connection Model: hi sends unicast UDP datagrams to the camera.
Bandwidth: Control data only.
Firewall: Allow UDP between the hi server and the camera on Port 52381 by default.

Standards Conformance

Standard	Conformance	Notes
Sony VISCA over IP	VISCA command inquiry reply and IP-header framing	UDP Port `52381`; serial VISCA is outside this integration.

Operator Workflow

Supported power, PTZ, lens, exposure, and Preset controls appear under the device Node in Inventory.
Assign these Parameters to a Control Panel or use them in Rules and Snapshots.
Configure calibration, mechanical limits, and network settings using the camera's own tools.

Connection Methods

Connection: Static Camera Topology

This surface represents the camera's Ports and wiring in hi. It does not send camera commands or confirm a camera's network status. Use the Network VISCA surface below for PTZ control.

Property	Value
Protocol	Static camera topology
Connection Model	No direct device connection
Required License	hiBase

Connection: Network VISCA

Property	Value
Protocol	VISCA over IP
Transport	UDP
Default Port	52381
Authentication	None
Encryption in Transit	None; VISCA datagrams are plaintext.
Connection Model	Stateless command inquiry and reply datagrams
Required License	hiBase
Traffic Flow	Bidirectional command and reply datagrams

Required Configuration

Parameter	Description	Default
Host / IP Address	IP address of the VISCA-compatible camera. Select the VISCA PTZ Protocol template, manufacturer Sony, in Inventory.	-
Port	UDP Port for VISCA control	52381

Device-Side Setup

Follow Generic VISCA PTZ Compatible Device Integration Configuration for the device-side and hi-side configuration steps.

Supported Features

Feature	Access	Exposed Operation and Scope
Camera Power	Read/write	Query the current power state and send camera power on/off commands.
Optical Zoom	Mixed: read/write and write-only	Query and set zoom position; zoom-speed commands are write-only.
Focus	Mixed: read/write and write-only	Query and set auto-focus mode and focus position; focus-speed commands are write-only.
White Balance	Read/write	Query and set white-balance mode, red gain, and blue gain. White-balance modes are Auto 1, Indoor, Outdoor, One Push, Auto 2, and Manual.
Iris and Exposure Modes	Mixed: read/write and write-only	Query and set iris mode and position; iris-speed commands are write-only. The mode command also covers the implemented VISCA exposure modes. Exposure modes are Full Auto, Manual, Shutter Priority, Iris Priority, and Gain Priority.
Pan and Tilt	Mixed: read/write and write-only	Send speed, absolute-position, and relative-position commands. hi does not query the camera position; the position Parameters show the last value that hi sent. Movement commands do not confirm the resulting physical position.
Presets	Mixed: read-only state and write-only actions	Actual preset shows the last preset number that hi recalled, saved, or deleted, because hi does not query the camera. Send preset recall, save, and delete commands. Preset speed and mode are set commands; named-preset inventory is not exposed. Preset numbers are `0` to `9`. Preset modes are Mode 1, Mode 2, and Trace.
PTZ Camera Widget	Read/write	The Node can be selected as a camera in a PTZ Camera Widget .

Device Coverage

Tested With identifies devices that have been tested with hi. Potentially Compatible (Not Yet Verified) identifies devices that use the same protocol or connection method but have not been tested with hi. Device-specific configuration, firmware, and feature support can affect results.

For the Panasonic PTZ Series, use its device-specific integration and follow the Panasonic AW Protocol scope documented there.

Tested With

BirdDog P200

Potentially Compatible (Not Yet Verified)

Other VISCA-over-IP PTZ camera models without a device-specific integration page that implement the commands listed under Supported Features.

Known Limitations

A camera can omit commands that are available on other VISCA models.
If a command receives no reply, confirm bidirectional UDP reachability and verify that the camera implements that VISCA command.
hi polls the camera every 5 seconds and waits up to 500 ms for each reply. While the camera is in standby, hi polls only the power state. A failed power query marks the Node as disconnected.
Parameter ranges are fixed and do not adapt to the camera model: pan from -170 to 170 and tilt from -30 to 90 degrees, zoom position 1 to 12, iris position 0 to 21, and red and blue gain from -128 to 128.

What's Not Supported

Vendor-specific VISCA extensions.
Deep paint and shading functions outside the implemented VISCA command set.
Named Preset discovery; the integration exposes numeric preset commands rather than a camera's named Preset list.
Lens calibration, mechanical limits, and camera network setup.
Firmware updates and device-configuration backup.
Camera Tally lamp control.
Shutter, gain, brightness, exposure-compensation, and backlight-compensation settings, and the Bright exposure mode.
Preset numbers above 9. Many VISCA cameras accept higher preset numbers.
VISCA-over-IP sequence numbering and the sequence-number reset packet. hi sends every datagram with sequence number 0.

Trademarks

Note

VISCA is a trademark of Sony Corporation.

All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Copyright in third-party software and materials remains with the respective owners. Use of these names does not imply endorsement.

RIEDEL Communications is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially partnered with Sony unless explicitly stated.