CCTV Commissioning and Acceptance Checklist for an Indian Factory (IEC 62676-4, 2026)
IEC 62676-4:2025 lists user acceptance testing, commissioning and handover (clause 15.3) and final documentation (clause 16) as separate steps. A factory sign-off should therefore cover 14 checks: NTP time from NIC/NPL, retention measured in days, a 24×7 schedule, the night image, PoE headroom, changed passwords, certified firmware, ONVIF/RTSP, earthing, labels, as-built drawings and sealed credentials.
Verified against
- IEC 62676-4:2025, Video surveillance systems for use in security applications, Part 4: Application guidelines, Ed. 2.0, 9 Oct 2025 (IEC webstore). We read the scope, foreword and contents in the free preview of STN EN IEC 62676-4:2026 (preview PDF), not the clause bodies.
- CP Plus IP Camera User Manual v2.01 (PDF) and CP Plus Network Video Recorder User Manual (no model or version printed on the cover) (PDF).
- MeitY OM W-43/11/2021-IPHW, CCTV advisory, 11 Mar 2024 (AMU-hosted copy); MeitY Series Guidelines in BIS's CCTV ER implementation guideline, 22 Oct 2024 (crsbis.in).
- CERT-In Directions of 28 Apr 2022 (PDF) and FAQs, May 2022 (PDF); CSIR-NPL time and frequency page.
- Cisco, UPOE+ white paper (PoE type/class table) (cisco.com); Bosch/Keenfinity, Best practices for surge and lightning suppression (knowledge base); Hikvision, How to Enable ONVIF Protocol on IP Camera (PDF).
- Checked 13 Oct 2026.
Commissioning checklist: how to check and what passes
Menu paths are from the CP Plus manuals. Other brands use different paths for the same checks.
| # | Check | How to check | Pass criterion | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Time zone and NTP | Camera: System > General > Date & Time. NVR: Manage > System > General > Date&Time, then Manual Update | GMT+05:30, NTP on, server is samay1.nic.in/samay2.nic.in or time.nplindia.org (or a plant server synced to them). Not the NVR's offered time.windows.com/time.google.com |
CERT-In Direction (i), FAQ; NPL; CP Plus NVR §4.4.1.2 |
| 2 | Camera clocks follow NVR | NVR Manage > System > General > Basic: CAM Time Sync and Interval | On. The manual says only that it "syncs the Device time with the IP camera", so confirm the result: the time overlay on every channel matches the NVR | CP Plus NVR §4.4.1.1 |
| 3 | Retention in days | Manage > Storage > Disk Quota: Record Duration (Days) per channel. Manage > Storage > Basic: Disk Full | Days ≥ contract figure on every channel. Disk Full = Overwrite. At day N+1, the oldest clip on the timeline is N days old | MeitY OM (xv); CP Plus NVR §4.3.1, §4.3.7 |
| 4 | Auto-delete not shorter than contract | Manage > Storage > Basic: Auto Delete Old Files | Never, or Custom ≥ contract days. Deleted files "cannot be recovered" | CP Plus NVR §4.3.1 |
| 5 | Recording schedule | Manage > Storage > Schedule > Record. Use Copy to apply to all days | Continuous 24×7 on every channel unless the contract says otherwise. If cameras have SD cards, ANR is on | CP Plus NVR §4.3.2.1 |
| 6 | Night image | Visit during the night shift. Check Camera > Image > Day/Night (ICR or Electronic) and Illuminator. Hold a test chart at the agreed distance | The agreed pixel-density level is reached at night on recorded footage, not just live view | IEC 62676-4:2025 §13.3.2, Annex C; CP Plus camera §4.3.1.7, §4.3.1.9 |
| 7 | 50 Hz anti-flicker | Camera > Image > Exposure > Anti-flicker | 50Hz on indoor cameras under LED or tube lights. No rolling bands | CP Plus camera §4.3.1.4 |
| 8 | PoE budget | Add up each camera's datasheet maximum draw (IR on) per switch. Compare with the switch's PoE budget and port class | Each camera within its class: 802.3af ≤ 12.95 W at the device, 802.3at ≤ 25.5 W. Total under the switch budget. No port drops during the night test | Cisco PoE table |
| 9 | Default passwords | Try admin/admin and blank logins on the NVR and three sample cameras |
All fail. Cameras auto-initialised over the NVR's PoE ports "adopt the current password" of the NVR, so change them if the contract asks for unique passwords | MeitY OM (vii); CP Plus NVR §4.1.1 |
| 10 | Firmware | Camera: System Info > Version | The firmware version matches the one on the model's ER test report or STQC certificate. Under MeitY's series guidelines, each firmware version is a separate series | CP Plus camera §4.8.1; MeitY Series Guidelines; MeitY OM (viii) |
| 11 | ONVIF for analytics | CP Plus: Network > Platform Access > ONVIF. Hikvision: Configuration > Network > Advanced Settings > Integration Protocol | ONVIF on, with a separate ONVIF user and a password you hold. A third-party ONVIF client lists every camera | CP Plus camera §4.4.10.1; Hikvision ONVIF how-to |
| 12 | RTSP stream | Network Settings > Port: RTSP port (CP Plus default 554). Open rtsp://<user>:<pass>@<ip>:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0 (and subtype=1) in VLC |
Main and sub stream open on sample cameras with a non-admin account | CP Plus camera §4.4.2 |
| 13 | Earthing and surge | Have your electrician inspect the NVR socket. On outdoor or roof runs, trace the cable to the surge protector | NVR (a Class I appliance) on a socket with protective earth. Outdoor runs: surge suppressor "as close to the camera as possible", shielded cable and RJ45, all bonded to one bus bar | CP Plus NVR safety section; Bosch/Keenfinity |
| 14 | Labels, drawings, logs, credentials | Walk five random cameras from the drawing to the switch port. Export INFO > Log (.csv) | Each label matches the as-built drawing (camera ID, IP, switch port). The handover file has the drawings, a per-camera commissioning record and an operating logbook. Admin credentials are handed over sealed; the integrator keeps a named, role-based account | IEC 62676-4:2025 §15.3, §16.2, §16.3, §16.5; MeitY OM (xiv); CP Plus NVR §4.13.1 |
No document we read sets a clock tolerance in seconds, so write your own figure into the contract. This page is the how-to-verify side: the contract wording, plus codec/bitrate and internet-exposure checks (UPnP, P2P, outside port scan) not repeated here, are in our tender specification template.
Where brands and documents differ
- ONVIF default. CP Plus's camera manual (v2.01) says ONVIF "is enabled by default". Hikvision's how-to says ONVIF is on by default only on firmware below V5.5.0; from V5.5.0 you tick Enable ONVIF and add a separate ONVIF user. CP Plus's NVR manual also calls ONVIF a "safety risk" and advises disabling it when it is not needed. If analytics will read the cameras, record in the handover file that ONVIF is needed.
- NTP transport. CP Plus's NVR manual says NTP "supports TCP protocol only" on port 123. NTP is defined over UDP port 123 (RFC 5905). Allow UDP 123 to the time server in firewall and VLAN rules.
- Pixel-density levels changed in 2025. The 2025 edition replaced the 2014 tiers (12.5, 25, 62.5, 125, 250 and 1,000 px/m) with seven new ones: 20, 40, 80, 125, 250, 500 and 1,500 px/m. Check which edition your contract names.
- Retention is a contract choice. MeitY asks for storage "in terms of storage duration (number of Days)". It does not set a number.
What breaks in a factory
- Power cuts. IEC 62676-4 has a clause on backup power (12.8). Pull the mains during commissioning. The NVR and the PoE switch should ride through, and the clocks should still be correct after power returns.
- Night IR load. A PoE budget sized from daytime draw falls short when IR switches on (PoE sizing).
- LED high-bays. Without the 50 Hz setting, bands roll across the image and spoil both the footage and any analytics (flicker fix).
- Monsoon and roof runs. Outdoor cables on tin roofs and poles are exposed to lightning surges. Check the earthing and surge protectors (row 13) before the rains.
- Retention shrinks quietly. Retention falls when bitrate settings change after handover. Re-check the oldest clip at the 30-day mark (storage calculator).
When to call the installer / what to ask the vendor
Withhold the final payment until rows 1–14 are signed. Ask the installer for the as-built drawing as an editable file, a per-camera sheet (ID, IP, MAC, switch port, firmware) and the ER/STQC evidence for each model. Brand-specific NTP and reset steps are on the CP Plus setup page.
Where Mama fits
Rows 11 and 12 decide whether your cameras can feed analytics later. Mama reads existing cameras over RTSP/ONVIF and tells the owner where machines sat idle yesterday. Leave an email or phone in the form below.
FAQ
What is checked during CCTV commissioning? Time sync, the recording schedule, retention in days, image quality by day and night, power, security settings and the documents: drawings, a per-camera record and credentials. IEC 62676-4:2025 treats acceptance testing, commissioning and handover (15.3) and final documentation (16) as separate steps.
Which NTP server should CCTV in India use?
CERT-In's directions require body corporates to sync ICT clocks to NIC or NPL NTP servers, or to servers traceable to them. Its FAQ lists samay1.nic.in, samay2.nic.in and time.nplindia.org.
How do I check how many days my NVR actually stores? Look at the date of the oldest recording on the playback timeline. On CP Plus NVRs, also check Record Duration (Days) under Manage > Storage > Disk Quota.
Should ONVIF be left on after handover? Leave it on only if an NVR, VMS or analytics tool uses it, behind a separate ONVIF password. CP Plus's NVR manual advises disabling unneeded services.