How to Use ONVIF Device Manager to Check Analytic Trigger Transmission

How to Use ONVIF Device Manager to Check Analytic Trigger Transmission

Overview

This article explains how to use ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) to verify that a camera is correctly transmitting analytic trigger events over ONVIF. This is useful for diagnosing whether a camera's analytics are properly configured and communicating with CHEKT.

Applies To

  • ONVIF Profile S and Profile T compliant cameras
  • Any camera integrated or being tested for integration with CHEKT
  • ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) — free diagnostic tool

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure the following:

  • ONVIF Device Manager is installed on your PC
    (Free download available at 
    sourceforge.net
    )
  • The camera is ONVIF Profile S or T compliant
  • The camera supports analytics and event notifications
  • The camera and your PC are on the same network
  • You have the camera's ONVIF username and password

Steps

Step 1: Connect to the Camera

  1. Launch ONVIF Device Manager
  2. ODM will automatically discover cameras on the network and you can search directly for the camera's specific IP address or by model name
  3. Select your camera from the device list on the left panel
  4. Enter the camera's username and password and click Login

Notes
Note: If your camera doesn't show up in the initial search, you can click "Add" at the bottom of the Search and modify the URL to contain your camera's specific IP Address. You only need to edit the IP, ex. http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/onvif/device_service


Step 2: Subscribe to Analytic Events
  1. Click Subscribe or Pull Messages to begin receiving live event notifications
  2. A live feed of events will begin populating in the event log window

Step 3: Check Analytic Trigger Transmission

Monitor the event log for analytic-related events. Common ONVIF analytic event topics include:

Event Topic
Description
tns1:RuleEngine/MotionRegion/Motion
Motion detection trigger
tns1:RuleEngine/LineDetector/Crossed
Line crossing trigger
tns1:RuleEngine/FieldDetector/ObjectInside
Object in field trigger
tns1:VideoAnalytics/...
General analytics events
tns1:Device/Trigger/DigitalInput
Digital input trigger

When an analytic rule is triggered on the camera (e.g., motion is detected), a new event message should appear in real time displaying:

  • Topic — the event type
  • Source — which rule or channel fired
  • Data — the trigger value (e.g., IsMotion = true )
  • UTC Timestamp — when the event occurred

Step 4: Verify the Event Payload

  1. Expand the event entry to inspect the full XML payload
  2. Confirm that SimpleItem values are toggling correctly:
    • Value="true"
      when the analytic is triggered
    • Value="false"
      when the analytic clears
  3. This confirms the camera is successfully transmitting analytic events over ONVIF

Troubleshooting

Issue
Resolution
No events appear in the log
Verify that analytics are enabled on the camera in its web UI
Camera not discovered by ODM
Confirm the camera and PC are on the same subnet
Events appear but do not trigger CHEKT
Verify the ONVIF event topic matches what CHEKT is configured to listen for
Authentication error
Double-check the ONVIF credentials— these may differ from the camera's web UI login
Camera shows no Event Service capability
Check the Capabilities tab in ODM to confirm EventService and PullPointSubscription are supported

Additional Notes

  • Some cameras require ONVIF Event Notification to be explicitly enabled in their web interface, separate from enabling analytics
  • Use the Capabilities tab in ODM to confirm the camera supports EventService and PullPointSubscription before troubleshooting further
  • Confirming the correct event topic is transmitting is a critical step in ensuring proper alarm triggering within CHEKT