AVMATRIX PKC3500 PTZ Camera Controller With Preview Display

AVMATRIX PKC3500 PTZ Camera Controller with Preview Display

The AVMATRIX PKC3500 is a hardware PTZ camera controller for multi-camera productions, lecture capture, houses of worship and conference installations. A 5-inch screen shows a real-time preview of the selected camera, so the operator frames shots by looking at the picture rather than guessing. It controls cameras over both IP networks and serial connections, mixes protocols in the same system, and handles up to 255 cameras from one desk position.

Key features

• 5-inch HD display with real-time preview of the current camera picture
• Controls up to 255 cameras over IP and serial connections
• Cross-protocol control: VISCA, VISCA-IP, ONVIF and Pelco-P and Pelco-D
• RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 serial interfaces plus LAN for IP control
• Up to 255 camera presets, with quick control of focus, exposure and PTZ speed
• Camera track recording and playback, GPIO tally and PoE power support

Preview display and confident operation

Operating PTZ cameras blind is slow work. The PKC3500 decodes the camera stream and shows it on its own 5-inch screen in real time, so pan, tilt and zoom moves are judged on the actual image as they happen. That single change makes preset framing faster and reduces the missed shots that come from working off a separate monitor across the room. The screen also presents status and menus in an organised layout, keeping the active camera, its settings and the control state visible while a production is running.

IP and serial control in one system

Real installations mix old and new cameras. The PKC3500 speaks IP protocols including VISCA-IP and ONVIF over its LAN port, and serial VISCA and Pelco-P and Pelco-D over RS-232 and RS-422 and RS-485, so legacy serial cameras and modern IP cameras sit under one controller with cross-protocol mixing. It can address up to 255 cameras and store up to 255 presets, and different brands can be controlled side by side rather than each needing its own remote or web interface.

Camera control, tracks and tally

Beyond movement, the controller gives quick access to the settings operators adjust constantly: focus, exposure, white balance and pan, tilt and zoom speeds, so a shot can be corrected without opening a camera menu. The track recording function records a camera path of pan, tilt and zoom movements and plays it back, which suits repeatable opening shots and programmed moves in studios and lecture halls. A GPIO tally interface links the controller with a switcher, indicating and switching the active camera so the operator and the vision mixer stay in step.

Power, connections and workflow fit

The rear panel provides DC 12V power input, a LAN port, RS-232 and RS-422 and RS-485 serial ports, the tally GPIO interface and a USB-C port for firmware upgrades. PoE power supply is supported on the network connection, which can simplify installation where a spare power point is awkward. The PKC3500 is a control surface, not a switcher: it directs the cameras while your existing switcher or software handles the programme output. An NDI-equipped variant, the PKC3500-NDI, adds NDI protocol support for NDI-based workflows. For any venue running several PTZ cameras, it replaces a desk of remotes with one consistent control point.