FLIR PS Series modification

[thecomputerdude]

This is a mod I made about 2 years ago. I could have sworn I posted it here too, but I can't find the post. Inspired by other people adding features to their FLIR cameras, I set out to see what I could do with my (limited) resources.

For those of you fortunate enough to have a PS24 or PS32 (or the marine versions of these), I've got something you may possibly be interested in. The catch? Requires a computer, usb cable and minimal technical skills.

First off, what this mod DOES NOT DO: Convert any 9hz sensor to 30hz (or higher). If such a means existed FLIR Government Systems corporate lawyers would have rammed a NDA down my throat and I couldn't tell you about it.

What this mod DOES DO: Adds about $3000 worth of color palettes and features (some features *ahem* rifle scope *ahem* may not work on all models).

Color tables available:
White Hot
Red Hot
Sepia Hot
Black Hot
Instalert #1
Instalert #2
Instalert #3
Instalert #4
Ironbow #2

(cannot get Rainbow or Glowbow due to memory limitations. You won't miss them)

What's needed:

Programming software:
RazorEOLTool (Full package including drivers needed to access imager) Password to file is "xtremission"

Firmware:
Mod Firmware EDIT NOTE 4/2022: THIS IS NOT THE CORRECT MOD FIRMWARE- IT IS 1:1 with THERMOSIGHT .04. It reportedly installs but your mileage may vary! I don't know where the original mod file is at this point.

Now, while it's extremely unlikely that you can do any irreversible actions programming these, I am not responsible for any mishaps. Should something go wrong (or totally not work) just download the latest firmware and programming tool from FLIR for your imager. The DFU system on these devices is very, very robust. Even totally borked firmware versions in my testing were easily replaced.

If you encounter an error attempting to flash the firmware using EOLtool, try to do it with the ThermoSight EU tool.

Once you have flashed the mod firmware to your imager using EOLtool, you'll need to make a couple of minor settings modifications (else your imager will think the battery is dead if unplugged and the screen may be too dark). Make your settings look like this page (and hit "Set to Scope" for each section)



Once you have this out of the way, you can explore the configuration menu and the options. Be forewarned, incorrect settings on the right hand pane can make your imager give crazy readings. Refer to >Page 28 of this document< for what those fancy abbreviations actually mean and do. You can't break your imager with anything in this section- have fun! The scope overlay settings are hit and miss- it's very dependent on the amount of onboard memory and viewer pixels available (A PS24 is not likely to work, much guessing is needed for a PS32 to show the reticles), plus it's not super reliable on saving those settings over a power cycle.

So how do you utilize these new features on your imager? Simple, hit the Palette button (this is your new menu/select button). The Brightness button is now your "Up" key, the Zoom/Freeze key is now your "Down" key. The Power button still does it's thing when held down, but now a quick press will force a flat-field-correction pass (the clicking noise). If you happen into an environment with a sudden temperature change, clicking it repeatedly will de-grain your image.

[Fraser]

@Computerdude,

Thank you for this 

Are you able/willing to provide a little insight into your work on the firmware, such as how it may be disassembled and better understood. I ask because I get cameras that have firmware issues that need me to look into the firmware or even just force a new firmware into a non responsive camera. There are also those with HS324 cameras who may wish to learn from your work and enable additional features. Anything you can share in public or private would be greatly appreciated.

I am interested to read about the additional functionality that you have added to the scopes buttons.

I will share a little of what I know about the PS series .......

1. The original PS series uses a relatively small and low resolution Kopin 320 x 240 pixel EVF LCD. The Scout II and later versions were improved in this respect by fitting the higher resolution Kopin 640 x 480 pixel LCD panel and upscaling is applied.

2. The PS24 and PS32 use an identical TAU 320 core. That is to say, both are 320 x 240 pixels ! Best not to ask why the PS24 is described in the specs as lower resolution !

3. The Scout II main PCB and EVF works perfectly with the original MS224/PS24/PS32 TAU core and you gain all the enhancements except those provided by the TAU 2 core that the SCOUT II uses (slightly better image processing algorithms and dynamic contrast enhancement). I have a SCOUT II main board running in my MS224

4. The SCOUT II main board provides composite video output via the USB port.

5. The TAU core used in the PS and MS series cameras is a standard production product that may be directly controlled and configured via its I/O port. RS232 is used as the communications protocol but the levels are 3V3 UART polarity and not true RS232C. The TAU core configuration software is available for free from FLIR is used to configure the core. Frame rate CANNOT be changed with this software. FLIR provide a ICD programming guide for the TAU cores in their "Cores" area. This contains information that may be different to the Photon core document you referenced. The TAU is the 'offspring' of the Photon core so they do share common commands. The simple style reticule commands are detailed for the TAU cores. Pretty crude graphics overlay though and better applied to the video output stream by a composite video feed reticule overlay board commonly found on eBay. That board has many reticule options and styles.

I think that is enough for now.

Fraser

[thecomputerdude]

@Fraser

My methods aren't pretty- I basically took the stock PS24/32 firmware and compared it against a development version of the Razor (now ThermoSight) firmware and looked at the changes in hex. I also used RealTerm with USB Spy drivers to log the instructions passed during flash and configuration. The premise was that FLIR probably didn't write entirely new firmware for the upper tier product. However, the Razor firmware won't actually run in a non-Thermosight product, so I basically started guessing at the sections and did a crude copy/paste to get features from one to the other (I don't have my "hex map" I was building anymore). Several modifications had to be made, because the display scaling (for the UI, not the thermal) between the PS and TS is different, so initially the output was larger than the screen. If you notice even in this version the battery meter is missing, it's actually to the upper right off screen but I couldn't alter its position without causing a UI glitch.

The PS24 and 32 both have less memory available to write than the Thermosight which limits the feature set that could be grafted. The user interface that manages most of the upper functions requires about 60% (I think, I don't have the exact size of it any more) of the available write space. The palette code and functional programming take up the rest. The reticles are written on the end of the flash, where the lower-memory PS units basically write into nowhere. If you manipulate the UI relative to the reticles, you may get lucky and have one available. However, the config flag doesn't have anywhere to write so it goes away on a power off.

I'm not certain if the video out via USB still works on this firmware, I don't have the adapter cable to test it. I know the video out on the pads still works though.

If you disassemble either a PS or TS, take notice of the battery and whether it has specs. I think the TS and PS use different measuring points because a 1:1 value on PS hardware reports a low battery condition. That's why the battery numbers I show to program look so low (but when the physical voltage reaches a low point, low alarm is still triggered correctly).

[Fraser]

Thanks 🙂

Very interesting and I like the novel approach. It is not without risk but you achieved a good result.

Thanks also for the comment on Realterm Spy mode. This is exactly what I need to monitor communications between a PC and an RS232 controlled thermal camera for which I have the control software, but not the documented command set. Once I grab the various RS232 commands I can build an Arduino based physical remote control keypad 🙂

Thanks again for sharing your methodology 

Fraser

[thecomputerdude]

Since this topic is generating traffic both via PM and people tracking me down off-site, I figured I should fix the links in the original post. They're working again. EDIT NOTE 4/2022: The posted firmware is stock Thermosight firmware. My mod file is missing, but according to one user his PS32 loaded it without issue besides missing the reticles.

I have received reports of people running this on Scout Gen 2 and Gen 3 hardware as well with decreasing levels of success (and that one guy that put it on a Thermosight Gen 1...why?). I must note that I only developed and tested on Scout Gen 1 hardware so treat with extreme caution. I'm not sure if the newer generation hardware is as recoverable from programming errors as the first gen stuff was, especially with FLIR making strides to lock down their ecosystem against frankenfirmware such as mine. This would be most notably apparent on the Gen 3 stuff as I don't think they even have base or update firmware available for download. As this seems to quite literally be the only (and ugliest) mod firmware for the Scout line ever released... keep in mind that it's not been maintained nor improved since the first edition was publicized. I don't even have my Gen 1 Scout available to test on any more.