foscam

Remote control, view and config a Foscam/Tenvis IP camera.

All included methods are based on Foscam's (fragmented) API documentation. Some features may not be supported by non-pan/tilt, older cameras or old firmware. So make sure you keep a backup of your camera settings, just in case.

Requirements

• Node.js 18 or newer (uses native fetch())

Usage

All methods support both Promises and callbacks. When no callback is provided, a Promise is returned.

Promise style (async/await)

const cam = require( 'foscam' );

cam.setup( {
  host: 'mycamera.lan',
  port: 81,
  user: 'admin',
  pass: '',
} );

// Using async/await
const status = await cam.status();
console.log( status );

// Take a snapshot
await cam.control.decoder( 'left' );
await cam.control.decoder( 'stop left' );
const filepath = await cam.snapshot( '/path/to/save.jpg' );
console.log( filepath );

Callback style

const cam = require( 'foscam' );

cam.setup( {
  host: 'mycamera.lan',
  port: 81,
  user: 'admin',
  pass: '',
} );

// start rotating left
cam.control.decoder( 'left', () => {

  // stop rotation
  cam.control.decoder( 'stop left', () => {

    // take a picture and store it on your computer
    cam.snapshot( '/path/to/save.jpg', console.log );

  } );
} );

Installation

Stable: npm install foscam

Develop: npm install fvdm/nodejs-foscam#develop

Methods

Every method takes an optional callback function as last parameter. When no callback is provided, the method returns a Promise.

NOTE: Some methods require a certain access-level, i.e. admins can do everything, but a visitor can only view.

Basic

setup

( properties, [callback] )

In order to connect to the camera you first need to provide its access details. You can either do this by setting the properties below directly in cam.settings, but better is to use cam.setup(). When the callback function is provided, setup() will attempt to connect to the camera and retrieve its status, returned as object to the callback. When it fails the callback gets false.

name	type	default	description
host	string	192.168.1.239	Camera IP or hostname
port	number	81	Camera port number
user	string	admin	Username
pass	string		Password
timeout	number	5000	Request timeout in ms

// Promise style
const status = await cam.setup( {
  host: 'mycamera.lan',
  port: 81,
  user: 'admin',
  pass: '',
} );

if ( !status ) {
  console.error( 'ERROR: can\'t connect' );
}
else {
  console.log( status );
}

// Callback style
cam.setup(
  {
    host: 'mycamera.lan',
    port: 81,
    user: 'admin',
    pass: '',
  },
  ( status ) => {
    if ( !status ) {
      console.error( 'ERROR: can\'t connect' );
    }
    else {
      console.log( status );
    }
  }
);

status

( [callback] )

Permission: everyone

Get basic details from the camera.

// Promise
const result = await cam.status();
console.log( result );

// Callback
cam.status( console.log );

{ id: '001A11A00A0B',
  sys_ver: '0.37.2.36',
  app_ver: '3.2.2.18',
  alias: 'Cam1',
  now: '1343304558',
  tz: '-3600',
  alarm_status: '0',
  ddns_status: '0',
  ddns_host: '',
  oray_type: '0',
  upnp_status: '0',
  p2p_status: '0',
  p2p_local_port: '23505',
  msn_status: '0',
  alarm_status_str: 'no alarm',
  ddns_status_str: 'No Action',
  upnp_status_str: 'No Action' }

camera_params

( [callback] )

Permission: visitor

Get camera sensor settings.

// Promise
const params = await cam.camera_params();
console.log( params );

// Callback
cam.camera_params( console.log );

{ resolution: 32,
  brightness: 96,
  contrast: 4,
  mode: 1,
  flip: 0,
  fps: 0 }

Camera

snapshot

( [filename], [callback] )

Take a snapshot. Either receive the binary JPEG in the callback or specify a filename to store it on your computer.

When a filename is provided the callback will return either the filename on success or false on failure.

// Promise - custom processing
const jpeg = await cam.snapshot();
// add binary processing here

// Promise - store locally
const filepath = await cam.snapshot( './my_view.jpg' );
console.log( filepath );

// Callback - custom processing
cam.snapshot( ( jpeg ) => {
  // add binary processing here
} );

// Callback - store locally
cam.snapshot( './my_view.jpg', console.log );

preset.set

( id, [cb] )

Save current camera position in preset #id. You can set presets 1 to 16.

// Promise
await cam.preset.set( 3 );

// Callback
cam.preset.set( 3, console.log );

preset.go

( id, [cb] )

Move camera to the position as stored in preset #id. You can use presets 1 to 16.

// Promise
await cam.preset.go( 3 );

// Callback
cam.preset.go( 3, console.log );

control.decoder

( command, [callback] )

Control camera movement, like pan and tilt.

The command to execute can be a string or number.

command	description
up	start moving up
stop up	stop moving up
down	start moving down
stop down	stop moving down
left	start moving left
stop left	stop moving left
right	start moving right
stop right	stop moving right
center	move to center
vertical patrol	start moving y-axis
stop vertical patrol	stop moving y-axis
horizontal patrol	start moving x-axis
stop horizontal patrol	stop moving x-axis
io output high	iR on (some cameras)
io output low	iR off (some camera)

// Promise
await cam.control.decoder( 'horizontal patrol' );
console.log( 'Camera moving left-right' );

// Callback
cam.control.decoder( 'horizontal patrol', () => {
  console.log( 'Camera moving left-right' );
} );

control.camera

( name, value, [callback] )

Change a camera (sensor) setting.

name	value
resolution	240 (320x240) or 480 (640x480)
brightness	0 to 255
contrast	0 to 6
mode	50 Hz, 60 Hz or outdoor
flipmirror	default, flip, mirror or flipmirror

// Promise
await cam.control.camera( 'resolution', 640 );
console.log( 'Resolution changed to 640x480' );

// Callback
cam.control.camera( 'resolution', 640, () => {
  console.log( 'Resolution changed to 640x480' );
} );

System

reboot

( [callback] )

Reboot the device

// Promise
await cam.reboot();
console.log( 'Rebooting camera' );

// Callback
cam.reboot( () => {
  console.log( 'Rebooting camera' );
} );

restore_factory

( [callback] )

Reset all settings back to their factory values.

// Promise
await cam.restore_factory();
console.log( 'Resetting camera settings to factory defaults' );

// Callback
cam.restore_factory( () => {
  console.log( 'Resetting camera settings to factory defaults' );
} );

talk

( propsObject )

Directly communicate with the device.

property	type	required	value
path	string	yes	i.e. get_params.cgi
fields	object	no	i.e. { ntp_enable: 1, ntp_svr: 'ntp.xs4all.nl' }
encoding	string	no	binary or utf8 (default)
callback	function	no	i.e. ( response ) => {}
timeout	number	no	Request timeout in ms (default: 5000)

// Promise
const response = await cam.talk( {
  path: 'set_datetime.cgi',
  fields: {
    ntp_enable: 1,
    ntp_svr: 'ntp.xs4all.nl',
    tz: -3600,
  },
} );
console.log( response );

// Callback
cam.talk( {
  path: 'set_datetime.cgi',
  fields: {
    ntp_enable: 1,
    ntp_svr: 'ntp.xs4all.nl',
    tz: -3600,
  },
  callback: ( response ) => {
    console.log( response );
  },
} );

Unlicense

This is free and unencumbered software released into the public domain.

Anyone is free to copy, modify, publish, use, compile, sell, or distribute this software, either in source code form or as a compiled binary, for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial, and by any means.

In jurisdictions that recognize copyright laws, the author or authors of this software dedicate any and all copyright interest in the software to the public domain. We make this dedication for the benefit of the public at large and to the detriment of our heirs and successors. We intend this dedication to be an overt act of relinquishment in perpetuity of all present and future rights to this software under copyright law.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

For more information, please refer to http://unlicense.org/

Author

Franklin van de Meent | Website | Github