Poll

Has the hackabiliy of the E4 made you buy one :  

Yes, I was already looking at the competition at a similar price, but the hack swung it to E4
274 (27.9%)
Yes, I'd not considered buying a TIC before, but 320x240 resolution at this price justifies it (as either tool or toy!)
444 (45.3%)
Yes, I was going to buy an E5/6/8 class of unit but will now get the E4
49 (5%)
No, but am looking out for a cheap i3 to hack
50 (5.1%)
Not yet, but probably will if now that a closed-box hack becomes is possible
164 (16.7%)

Total Members Voted: 803

Author Topic: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown  (Read 3769241 times)

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Offline Ruckur

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8425 on: April 04, 2018, 03:47:42 pm »
I will dig out FW2.3 if I have it in my archives. I will upload it to a files site tomorrow if I find it, and comment here.

Fraser

Fraser, question for you:
Can I use FLIRInstallNet.exe to run the Z3comb_v2.3.0.fif?
Because eFLIRInstall.exe will not run on windows 7 32 bit.
or is the file you are you are digging up will take care of this issue?
 

Offline Ruckur

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8426 on: April 06, 2018, 02:43:16 pm »
Well I guess no luck in finding the FW2.3, thanks for trying.

Anyone know if I can I use FLIRInstallNet.exe to run the Z3comb_v2.3.0.fif?
Because eFLIRInstall.exe will not run on windows 7 32 bit.
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8427 on: April 06, 2018, 02:45:33 pm »
Sorry we had visitors so no time to search. I will have a look in a minute.

Fraser
If I have helped you please consider a donation : https://gofund.me/c86b0a2c
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8428 on: April 06, 2018, 03:19:09 pm »
The FLIR Firmware 2V3 update pack is now uploaded here:

http://www.filedropper.com/flirexpn639v230updatepack

Just follow the included update instructions. I use the provided .fif installer so cannot advise on using another installer. I guess try it and see  :-//

Fraser
« Last Edit: April 06, 2018, 03:21:34 pm by Fraser »
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Offline Ruckur

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8429 on: April 07, 2018, 01:54:25 pm »
Ahh great! thank you we'll give it a try and update how it goes. :D

 
The FLIR Firmware 2V3 update pack is now uploaded here:

http://www.filedropper.com/flirexpn639v230updatepack

Just follow the included update instructions. I use the provided .fif installer so cannot advise on using another installer. I guess try it and see  :-//

Fraser
 

Offline Ruckur

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8430 on: April 09, 2018, 03:56:11 am »
success! for those interested you can use the new version of flir tools to install FW if the old tool throws error codes at you. that solved my issue i was having. ;)
 

Offline benifer

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8431 on: April 10, 2018, 11:32:10 am »
Thanks for the package Fraser!
 

Offline alicudi

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8432 on: April 14, 2018, 10:33:57 am »
Hi all

I am willing to purchase a new Flir E4 if I know for sure I can perform the hack to E8.  I am located in Australia and are considering buying one from this company:

https://reductionrevolution.com.au/pages/flir-e4-e5-e6-e8-thermal-imaging-camera

Can someone confirm that all the E4's can be hacked to E8 or is that some E4's cannot be hacked to E8?

Regards,

alicudi
 

Offline elbartek

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8433 on: April 15, 2018, 10:56:02 am »
Hi guys,

First of all, great thread... so much reading!

Now, I just started hacking an old flir I7 that won't boot... So I figured the RX/TX on the port and the port configuration and success, I can talk to it... I got some interesting info from doing so.
Now, it seems my os image is corrupted... and hang on... I don't want to send it to FLIR... however I can't seem to find any firmware anywhere... you know, windows embedded CE + flir software in a firmware image kinda thing...

Would anyone be able to help me find that or be able to read the flash chip off his camera and send me that file? Or am I dreaming and this is not possible at all... 256p30bf is the flash chip on the board... 256Mb... If I'm not mistaken, it will contain the OS and the flashFS

Well, if anyone had a play with that... Please let me know, I would be grateful!

Thanks
 

Offline kentavv

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8434 on: May 08, 2018, 05:16:36 am »
In case it is of use to anyone, I have an E5 with 1.0 hardware. I updated the firmware to V2.3 and tried to follow the Fubar instructions, including the initial backup. However, my camera only had a conf.cfg, no conf.cfc, and so the apply.py script would fail. I modified the apply.py script to only apply the changes to common_dll, modified the conf.cfg by hand, and placed these files back, and all worked after restarting. I first changed the resolution, then the noise generator, and then enabled the additional menu options. The additional menu options only partially worked, and required the additional menu FIF file to be run before the icons were available, I suppose. I hope this helps someone. I couldn't find, by searching this thread, anyone who started with a conf.cfg.
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8435 on: May 08, 2018, 10:43:21 am »
If your camera began life with an earlier version of firmware, it is a good idea to revert to that firmware before doing the upgrade and to use the appropriate upgrade hack for that version, and not the later hacks. The reason is that at certain points in the Ex series camera life, different hardware and associated firmware configurations were used. My FW 1.19 camera can be upgraded to the latest firmware versions but the hack is best done on the 1.19 and then upgrade to a later firmware, if desired. My 1.19, if upgraded to 3.12 will not necessarily play nicely with the hacks intended for a camera that left the factory with 3.12. There are significant differences in the firmware that loads even though they have the same version number.

You can find out what firmware your camera had when it left the factory by looking at my camera firmware log in my 'E4 Useful information' thread on this forum. Your serial number can be compared to other owners details there and you will see what firmware was used on your serial number.

The E4 Useful information thread is here....

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/flir-e4-the-useful-information-thread/

For early upgrades, your E5 behaves no different to the upgrade than the E4 of the same firmware.

I just checked. If your camera is HW 1.0, it would have been supplied with firmware 1.19 or earlier. It is the easiest firmware to upgrade as no encryption or othe protection was employed. Only CRC01 to be calculated for the configuration files. This is my favourite firmware as it also contains the full service menu that was removed by FLIR in later firmware versions to prevent its use for hacking. In comparison, firmware 2.3 is heavily bastardised by FLIR in an attempt to stop the upgrade.

The bad news is that Firmware 1.19 was not released as a user installable firmware package. Only 1.18 and countermeasured 1.20 onwards. 1.18 is a stable firmware that has the service menu. You can upgrade the camera running 1.18, plus tweak its menus etc to your liking, and then install a later firmware if you want, but you will lose th Service Menu as a result.

For others reading this response.... do not be tempted to revert to a much earlier firmware than your camera arrived with. As stated, different generations of camera hardware run differing firmwares. The earlier firmwares do not always play nicely with later hardware versions of which they have no 'knowledge'. As a safe option, take a look at my camera firmware vs serial number, and hardware version, list and decide which firmwares were used with your version of hardware. Do not install a firmware that predates your hardware unless you like taking risks with your cameras functionality.

Fraser
« Last Edit: May 08, 2018, 12:34:08 pm by Fraser »
If I have helped you please consider a donation : https://gofund.me/c86b0a2c
 

Offline max-bit

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8436 on: May 16, 2018, 10:47:48 am »
I am looking for software in version 1.19.8. Has anyone?
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8437 on: May 16, 2018, 01:18:04 pm »
It was never released by FLIR as a download and cannot easily be extracted from a camera running it.

The best you can do is load 1.18 that was made available by FLIR and may be installed in a HW1.0 camera.

There is little difference between 1.18 and 1.19 and both have the full service menu functionality and no countermeasures to configuration modification. Only CRC01 and CRC32 calculators are needed.

Fraser
« Last Edit: May 16, 2018, 01:20:40 pm by Fraser »
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Offline max-bit

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8438 on: May 17, 2018, 07:40:52 am »
Does anyone have 1.18?
From what I remember, it was probably released version 1.19.
 

Offline userfriendly

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8439 on: May 29, 2018, 04:16:41 pm »
Hello everyone (and special thanks to all the wonderful people that helped get it to this point). I am a new member to the forum, but have spent many hours/days reading through it (have learned a lot from this blog, but do not want to booger it up with meaningless posts). I am kindly asking for help. I have the E4 1.22 and want to attempt to do the menu and resolution upgrade. Does anyone happen to have a copy of Marphy's TIConfig utility for the one-click upgrade? Is this the best (easiest) way for 1.22 ? Sorry, but I am not too good with computers so any help is much appreciated. Thank you.
 

Offline the_clockwork

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8440 on: June 01, 2018, 01:44:43 am »
all new E4 stock ships with 1.22
I  was expecting 1.21
It will be going back Friday/Monday as I am away till then.

The only difference between 1.21 and 1.22 is the binary file \FlashBFS\system\fpga.bin
FW 1.22 is not a countermeasure against new hack. Flir can't react so quickly.

I think, they forgot something, like reading the hardware version (=resolution) from EEPROM.
There is a real change, that this file can be changed with Version 1.21



... or Flir changed additional the hardware and fixed the resolution on motherboard
That would be my low cost solution - a solder strap under the FPGA package

Don't forget, the market knew from the upgradable FLIR TICs since 4 years and nobody saled until now Flir++ TICs.

http://chipworks.force.com/catalog/ProductDetails?sku=FLI-S0185582&viewState=DetailView
Publish Date: Nov-09

march 2010, see page 3 in  www.i-micronews.com/upload/Micronews/Micronews_90.pdf
Code: [Select]
Extech i5 by FLIR
The camera is advertized to have an 80 x 80 pixel image, and a sensitivity of 0.1oC
(Chipworks found a 240 x 240 pixel sensor in the camera that we tore down).


the flir hack is not new, but nobody published the hack yet (avoid closing the vulnerability)
I hacked my Flir E40 a year ago, after I read something about the the Flir i3/i5/i7 sensor (documents from year 2010)

The Flir i3/i5/i7 sensor size is 320x240 pixel
see http://www.i-micronews.com/reports/FLIR-ISC0601B-Micro-bolometer/1/297/

and page 3 in  www.i-micronews.com/upload/Micronews/Micronews_90.pdf

nice blog http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=sgyee&logNo=10082558135


http://www.systemplus.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/MEMSTrends_2012_10_N12_systemplus.pdf
Quote
The sensor used in the i3 has 20 times more pixels than necessary, and four times more pixels than the i7. Incidentally, the same sensor can be used in more expensive cameras.
...
Each pixel is composed of a thin resistance in vanadium oxide (VOx) covered with an absorber in silicon oxide which absorbs the infrared ray. The temperature of the SiO2 layer is proportional to the temperature of the IR radiation, and the value of the resistance VOx is proportional to the temperature of the absorber. A measurement of the resistance provides the temperature.


Ok so according to this, the Extech I5 from 2010 is a higher sensor and can be hacked like the E4,  I have the opportunity to get a  Extech i5 Thermal Imaging Camera - Part# IRC40, green and orange model for under 200.   I am very much thinking about doing it, but also am intrested in the Seek Pro, or the Flir one second Gen. 

If this unit can be hacked I would gladly go with it, as its a hell of a lot better than either cell phone model. Can anyone confirm there is a hack out their for the Extech i5 Thermal Imaging Camera - Part# IRC40? 

Just trying to decide what to get.
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8441 on: June 01, 2018, 02:03:35 am »
The i Series do contain a 320 x 240 pixel microbolometer and most of them can be hacked. There are some very early models that cannot be hacked due to the way they were calibrated at the factory. The very early models are limited to the resolution with which they departed the factory because that is the limited area of the sensor array calibrated, plus the entries for resolution are not present in the configuration files. Some hacking plus recalibration of the camera might release 120 x 120 pixel resolution, but it is not worth the effort.

None of the i series can provide more than 140 x 140 pixels resolution, no matter what changes are made to the configuration files. Earlier models can only provide 120 x 120 pixels maximum. I believe your Extech version of the camera falls into that category.

To be clear ..... an I series camera Cannot be hacked to 320 x 240 pixels despite that being the physical resolution of the sensor array. The LCD display on the i5 is also a physical resolution limiter.

The E4 remains the best route to a 320 x 240 pixel self contained thermal camera.

Fraser
« Last Edit: June 01, 2018, 09:32:21 am by Fraser »
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Offline the_clockwork

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8442 on: June 01, 2018, 03:42:07 am »
First of all, thank you for answering so fast.

So Even at 120 x120 this is going to be a better quality device than the Flir One, gen one, or gen 3.  But not better than the Flur one gen 2 or Gen 3 pro, or the Seek or seek pro. 

Its a pretty good value at 125-75 bucks however (the deal I stumbled on),  I am trying to just decide if its worth getting as a first unit.  I really like the option of making Thermal films but I don't like the fact the Flir one will not work well or at all in the dark.  This is my first move in to the realm of thermal cameras and I just want to get something that has the most bang for the buck.  It will get light use, looking for leaks, and some electrical and electronics work.  Also seeing what animals are out in the country where my dad lives.


« Last Edit: June 01, 2018, 04:32:25 am by the_clockwork »
 

Offline userfriendly

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8443 on: June 05, 2018, 03:02:21 am »
Does anyone happen to have a copy of Marphy's TIConfig utility for the one-click upgrade? E4 1.22 Please help.
 

Offline Echo88

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8444 on: June 09, 2018, 05:14:15 pm »
Does anyone still have a list of the commands which can be used to control the E4 via serial/telnet? Either my google-fu is weak or Flir deleted the relevant pdfs.
 

Offline Spirit532

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8445 on: June 09, 2018, 10:43:20 pm »
Does anyone still have a list of the commands which can be used to control the E4 via serial/telnet? Either my google-fu is weak or Flir deleted the relevant pdfs.

Run "rls". Then "rset" to change what you find in "rls".
Have fun :)
 

Offline eKretz

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8446 on: June 10, 2018, 12:34:46 am »
Anybody know where the setting for width (in pixels or what have you) of the spot crosshair might be on Exx? Been doing some digging but haven't spotted it yet.
 

Offline Spirit532

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8447 on: June 10, 2018, 12:40:46 am »
I believe that's an overlay graphic in the qml files, not a registry-configurable thing.
 

Online Bud

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8448 on: June 10, 2018, 02:56:23 am »
My recollection is it is an object provided by a dll, so unlikely that it can be edited.
Facebook-free life and Rigol-free shack.
 

Offline atlgator

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #8449 on: June 10, 2018, 03:15:51 am »
Hi all - Amazon has the E4 and E5 for the same price, $949. Is it still preferred to buy the E4 over the E5?
 


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