Skip to main content

Alarm Codes

Our platform acts as a universal translator for your security hardware. While devices from different manufacturers (like Hikvision, Dahua, or Axis) speak their own "raw" languages, Genesis translates those signals into standardized alarm codes that your monitoring center can understand instantly.

Here is an in-depth guide to the common codes you will see in your logs and what they signify for your site's security:

1. Connectivity and "Heartbeat" Codes​

These codes monitor whether your hardware is still "alive" and communicating with our cloud servers.

  • ping.primary: This is known as a heartbeat. The device continuously sends this signal to verify it can reach Genesis.
  • ping.timeout: If a device is configured to send a heartbeat every 5 minutes and Genesis does not receive it, the system raises this alarm.
  • ping.notreachable: A critical technical alarm indicating the device is completely offline and has been for a persistent period (typically 30 minutes).
  • network.alert: This indicates a network abort or instability between the camera and the recorder, or between your local network and the Genesis cloud.

2. Intelligent Video Analytics (Smart Events)​

We prioritize these "Smart Events" (IVS) because they are far more accurate than standard motion detection, which can trigger too many irrelevant alerts.

  • analytics.linecross: Triggered when a person or vehicle crosses a specific virtual line you have drawn in the camera's view.
  • analytics.zonecross (or analytics.intrusion): Triggered when an object enters and stays in a pre-defined virtual area for a set threshold of time.
  • motion.event: Represents general motion detection. While supported, we often advise using this cautiously to avoid "alarm floods" from things like moving trees or shadows.
  • motion.perimeter: A specific code used to trigger video clip recordings (usually 5 seconds before and after an event) for certain gateway devices.

3. Health Monitoring and Diagnostic Codes​

These codes are generated by our automated health check system to ensure your cameras are providing usable footage.

  • camera.health.fail: Triggered when a scheduled health check determines a camera is unresponsive or malfunctioning.
  • camera.health.normal: A "restore" code indicating the camera has passed its health check and is functioning correctly again.
  • analytics.novideo: Specifically indicates that the camera is online, but the video stream itself is missing (e.g., a black screen).
  • analytics.healthcheck: A predictive code that detects image degradation, such as lens blur, spider webs, or low light conditions.

4. System Stability and Management​

  • event.overflow: This is a protective code. If a malfunctioning sensor "thumps" Genesis with too many signals (typically more than 25 alarms in 5 minutes), we temporarily block that source and raise this alarm to notify you of the overload.
  • BA and BR: These are industry-standard SIA/DC09 codes. BA stands for Burglary Alarm (the initial trigger), and BR stands for Burglary Restoration (the signal that the zone is now clear).
  • YS: A generic DC09 code often used to report technical errors like "no video" or "health fail" to older monitoring stations.

5. Specialized and IoT Codes​

  • battery.fall and ACC.FA: Technical events specifically used for Victron IoT devices to monitor battery voltage drops or charger failures.
  • 100-Medical, 110-Fire, 120-Panic: Standardized numeric codes used to identify life-safety emergencies.

Understanding Alarm Codes: An Analogy​

Think of these codes like a pilot's checklist. Instead of a long radio conversation saying, "The engine on the left side is getting a little bit too hot," the pilot simply says, "Code Blue-Four." The air traffic controller (Genesis) immediately knows exactly what is wrong and exactly which manual (Workflow) to open to fix it. This shorthand is what allows us to process your security events in seconds rather than minutes.