Earlier this month, YourSix announced the launch of YourSixOS Peripherals, a new offering designed to enhance integration capabilities with Axis devices. Peripherals are electronic components that connect to the digital input and output (I/O) ports available on many Axis models. These I/O ports enable integrators to monitor various digital input signals and control a wide range of devices via digital outputs—facilitating greater automation, flexibility, and system customization.
The live state of connected Peripherals can be visualized in the YourSixOS Matrix. In addition to real-time viewing, state changes generate security events, which can be:
- Indexed and stored as system logs
- Forwarded as notifications
Logs are accessible for retrospective review via the timeline in Matrix or through YourSixOS Forensics for advanced search and analysis. Notifications can be delivered as push notifications to mobile clients, email messages, or webhooks to third-party systems.
Beyond Security
At YourSix, our vision for YourSixOS goes beyond traditional physical security. Since a peripheral is essentially a digital input or output signal, it can be used to monitor and control far more than just standard alarm components.
By leveraging diverse input signals, we empower building owners, branch managers, and alarm operators with deeper situational awareness, leading to more holistic operational insights.
This post outlines several use cases of YourSixOS that extend beyond security.
Power loss monitoring
A basic relay can be used to detect power loss. By connecting the relay’s primary coil to the circuit that requires monitoring and wiring the contact side to an Axis device’s input port and ground, the relay can act as a power-loss detector. Once enrolled as a peripheral in YourSixOS, a notification rule can be configured to alert the office manager or central station in the event of a power outage.
This setup is especially valuable in situations where power availability is crucial, such as HVAC equipment, network equipment, and restaurant kitchens.
Appliance monitoring & control
YourSixOS Peripherals can also be used to log appliance activity by detecting on/off signals. This audit trail is beneficial for operational oversight and supports workflows, such as virtual guard tours. For instance, a physical guard tour may not be necessary unless certain appliances have been activated and require manual shutdown.
Furthermore, by configuring appliances as output peripherals, YourSixOS can remotely control them. This enables fully virtual guard tours, eliminating the need for physical checks in many scenarios and improving operational efficiency.
Industrial automation systems
YourSixOS Peripherals provide an easy way to interface with industrial automation systems by capturing digital input and output signals from PLCs and similar controllers. Many industrial environments utilize PLCs to monitor and control machinery, production lines, and safety systems. By connecting these signals to Axis devices through YourSixOS Peripherals, facility managers and operators can extend visibility and control within a unified platform.
By creating notification rules, relevant personnel can be alerted immediately when specific events occur, such as equipment faults, emergency stops, or process deviations. By bringing up nearby cameras, personnel can verify alerts by visually peeking at tank levels, machinery, and other monitored process items. If a critical event occurs, an output peripheral can be used to initiate/control a shutdown.
Occupancy monitoring with PIR detectors
Passive Infrared (PIR) detectors can be integrated as input peripherals with Axis devices within YourSixOS, offering a cost-effective solution for presence monitoring. These sensors detect occupancy by measuring changes in infrared radiation, providing a reliable means of monitoring space usage without relying on cameras (which are considered too privacy-invasive).
The data generated by PIR detectors is logged as events, enabling historical analysis of occupancy patterns and activity trends. This insight supports more informed facility management and space optimization—particularly valuable in environments such as co-working offices, where understanding desk utilization and occupancy rates is critical for operational efficiency.
Doorbell
By installing a doorbell button and enrolling it as an input peripheral in YourSixOS, a notification rule can be configured to alert either a local or remote receptionist. Upon receiving the alert, the receptionist can immediately access the live video stream from a nearby camera and, if appropriate, grant access directly through YourSixOS; either via YourSixOS Access Control (if installed) or by activating an output peripheral connected to an electric lock.
The doorbell notification can also be integrated with third-party platforms such as Microsoft Teams using webhooks, making it especially effective for notifying groups of people in shared workspaces or office environments. This ensures a faster and more flexible response to visitors or deliveries.
Like all peripherals in YourSixOS, the doorbell input generates events that can be logged each time it is activated. These logged events make it easy to conduct retrospective video reviews, highlighting the exact timestamps on the timeline.
Traffic lights
It’s not uncommon to see cameras deployed at road intersections, allowing traffic operators to view traffic remotely. Typically, these cameras are installed at high elevations to provide the maximum field of view possible.
Their high elevation, in combination with challenging light conditions, may hinder the capture of the signal from traffic lights. By integrating the traffic light control system into YourSixOS, the operator can obtain a deterministic view of the current traffic light signals.
The integration is simple: install relays on the outputs controlling the individual lights (signals), and connect the contact side of the relay to an input on a suitable Axis device. Enroll the input port as a peripheral in YourSixOS, and add it to your view in Matrix.
By combining an Axis Object Analytics (AOA) object-in-area scenario with traffic light signals, an alarm operator can get alerted when a traffic jam is occurring and take appropriate action thereafter.
Similarly, by combining an AOA crossline trigger with the traffic signal being red, the event logs will show exactly when anyone drove against a red signal.
Conclusion
YourSixOS Peripherals empowers integrators to go beyond traditional security applications, delivering enhanced automation, operational insight, and control across a wide range of environments, from building management and industrial automation to occupancy monitoring and visitor handling.
By combining real-time visualization, event logging, and customizable notification rules, YourSixOS provides a unified platform that improves situational awareness and streamlines workflows. Whether it’s monitoring power loss, controlling appliances remotely, interfacing with PLCs, or managing presence with PIR sensors, YourSixOS Peripherals enable smarter, more efficient operations tailored to the unique needs of each end-customer situation.
As organizations continue to seek integrated solutions that enhance security while driving operational excellence, YourSixOS continues to stand out as the one truly unified platform providing a single pane of glass to both security and operations.