Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown

[ixfd64]

It's interesting that firmware version 1.22.0 is still online: http://cdn.cloud.flir.se/swdownload/assets/cameradownload/flir_ex_pn639_v1.22.0_update_pack.zip

[PCSnoop]

I was just chatting with Tequipment and they were confirming me twice that all their E4 have the newest firmware which cannot be hacked :
" Yes, the models we offer are firmware 1.22 which CANNOT be hacked."
I'm very confused! Anyone have an idea if Flir changed something ?
PCSnoop, did you get yours already?

Received mine on Friday the 16th,  the sales person told me the same thing, version 1.22.0 and non hackable.  It was hacked within 30 minutes of hitting my front door.

serial#: 63924***
Software 1.22.0

[PCSnoop]

Hi everyone, I have everything i need and am computer literate but my command prompt will not let me conf_plain.txt to receive my suid and I am going nuts. Any help would be much appreciated.

command prompt tells me: cannot open output file conf_plain.txt

Thanks in advance. I have 1.22.0

I don't know what instructions you are following but I had no problem doing both the resolution and menu hack in about 1/2 hour. Go to youtube and search "flir e4 hack 1.22" find video by pspgamr and follow it. Also on that youtube video just above comments is "show more", chick on that and he has links to everything you need to download to make the hack work (filezilla, menu beta3 and tools1) EASY !!!

I did exactly the same thing.  Works great and was easy.  30 min.

[mvh]

I was wondering how this new firmware upgrade (had trouble writing that with a straight face) might reflect on the Exx-series? Are they, um, improving those as well? If not, that might juuust be enough of an incentive for me to upgrade to a better lens and better framerate.

(I'd have to offload this nice, slightly tampered with (software-wise), E4 with an extra battery and an external charger if that were to happen. And a few extras. I couldn't possibly sell it off cheaply, seeing how very very nice the camera is

[emptech]

I was wondering how this new firmware upgrade (had trouble writing that with a straight face) might reflect on the Exx-series? Are they, um, improving those as well? If not, that might juuust be enough of an incentive for me to upgrade to a better lens and better framerate.

The mod works on the Exx series too.  I did the zoom mod, resolution mod and a few others.  I don't know if
the menu mods work or not, haven't tried them.  Last I checked a few weeks ago, the version of the firmware
is the same as it was when I bought the unit a couple years ago.

Do some digging on this site and you will discover the files you need to edit.

The E40, 50, 60 is nice, you can do live streaming video to an android device.  I just put FLIR tools mobile on my 8"
tablet.

Jim

[Pinkus]

The mod works on the Exx series too.  I did the zoom mod, resolution mod and a few others.  I don't know if
the menu mods work or not, haven't tried them.  Last I checked a few weeks ago, the version of the firmware
is the same as it was when I bought the unit a couple years ago.

But on older (pre 2013) Exx there is no MSX, am I right? Or does anybody has an idea how to enable MSX on those?

[OrBy]

The mod works on the Exx series too.  I did the zoom mod, resolution mod and a few others.  I don't know if
the menu mods work or not, haven't tried them.  Last I checked a few weeks ago, the version of the firmware
is the same as it was when I bought the unit a couple years ago.

But on older (pre 2013) Exx there is no MSX, am I right? Or does anybody has an idea how to enable MSX on those?

From what I understand they lack the hardware required to support it. You would need to hack in your own second camera and write your own custom firmware witch I find some one every even attempting unlikely given what these modded E4's cost.

[Pinkus]

The mod works on the Exx series too.  I did the zoom mod, resolution mod and a few others.  I don't know if
the menu mods work or not, haven't tried them.  Last I checked a few weeks ago, the version of the firmware
is the same as it was when I bought the unit a couple years ago.

But on older (pre 2013) Exx there is no MSX, am I right? Or does anybody has an idea how to enable MSX on those?

From what I understand they lack the hardware required to support it. You would need to hack in your own second camera and write your own custom firmware witch I find some one every even attempting unlikely given what these modded E4's cost.

There IS a 2nd camera build in. The digital cam is quite similar to the Ex, just with a higher resolution. There is even a digicam/thermal cam blend mode; just MSX -where just the enhances edges of the digicam are shown- is missing.
As newer Exx do have MSX it is probably just some software thing. The whole software set is different to the Ex series on the older Exx where on the newer Exx it is similar. I am having the hope that somebody was able to bring an older Exx to the software set of a newer Exx.

[mucek]

As smart guys told me (some pages back), when I hacked my E40 (also older mode, no MSX), MSX function is made inside FPGA and therefore it is not possible to get it on older camera ...

I also asked Flir (and Flir official distributor) about it, but they answered pretty arrogant in a way "you get what you paid for at the moment of purchase - if you want MSX, buy new camera".

Well, ironically, this answer leaded me to more digging and founding EEV way to hack E40 to E60 ... (where price difference actually is around the price of new E40 ) Therefore I got a "new" camera, just not exact in a way that FLIR wanted to ...

Regards,
Gregor

[emptech]

Right, the camera itself doesn't support the MSX, but I was told by somebody it can be done after
you download the images and do the work in FLIR tools, I haven't had the time to try it yet.

Jim

The mod works on the Exx series too.  I did the zoom mod, resolution mod and a few others.  I don't know if
the menu mods work or not, haven't tried them.  Last I checked a few weeks ago, the version of the firmware
is the same as it was when I bought the unit a couple years ago.

But on older (pre 2013) Exx there is no MSX, am I right? Or does anybody has an idea how to enable MSX on those?

[tomas123]

if required: as workaround for MSX I zoom the PiP to fullscreen, then takes the PiP images and convert the image with flir tools to a MSX image

see details for old E40 and MSX:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/flir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown/msg427039/#msg427039
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/flir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown/msg406831/#msg406831

or use imagemagick
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/flir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown/msg342072/#msg342072

[ixfd64]

FLIR just won a design award for the E8: http://www.test-meter.co.uk/blog/flir-e8-thermal-imaging-camera-wins-prestigious-red-dot-design-award

This suggests they haven't really lost any E8 sales due to the E4 hack.

[mikeselectricstuff]

FLIR just won a design award for the E8: http://www.test-meter.co.uk/blog/flir-e8-thermal-imaging-camera-wins-prestigious-red-dot-design-award

This suggests they haven't really lost any E8 sales due to the E4 hack.

Can't see how an award has any correlation with sales...

However it does give me an evil idea - how about getting hackaday to give the E4 an award for best value-adding hackable hardware.  Sort of like an IgNobel prize..

[tom66]

I thought MSX was done in the FPGA, hence why the VGA camera connects to the FPGA directly.

[ixfd64]

If you think that's bad, someone just created a new website for selling hacked E4's: http://flir-upgraded.com

It now says the shop is no longer available. I have a feeling lawyers were involved.

[Iphone_hack]

If you think that's bad, someone just created a new website for selling hacked E4's: http://flir-upgraded.com

It now says the shop is no longer available. I have a feeling lawyers were involved.

I don't think it has anything to do with lawyers. It is more likely the supplier can't get it any more or the product is harder to hack.
Why can't someone sell hacked or modified Products?
Of course the company that makes the product won't be happy, specially if you are making money but I am sure you should be allowed to do anything you want after buying the product.
Same thing with hacked PS3, Wii, iPhone or iPads.
Or even unlocked cell phones.
All those products were either hacked or modified, and sold later
I understand that companies don't like their products being changed or hacked,
But in my opinion, you should be able to do whatever you like after you bought it.
Or it would be saying, you can't upgrade your car, by getting better intake, or lower the suspensions,
Of course lawyer will try to prevent you to make money because they are paid to do that

[ixfd64]

If you think that's bad, someone just created a new website for selling hacked E4's: http://flir-upgraded.com

It now says the shop is no longer available. I have a feeling lawyers were involved.

I don't think it has anything to do with lawyers. It is more likely the supplier can't get it any more or the product is harder to hack.

The latest firmware (2.1.0) has only just come out. We don't know if it has any new countermeasures against the resolution hack, and it has not been seen on production units yet.

[ixfd64]

Sorry for the double post, but FLIR just removed the 1.22.0 download and put up the 2.1.0 one: http://cdn.cloud.flir.se/swdownload/assets/cameradownload/flir_ex_pn639_v2.1.0_update_pack.zip

[mvh]

I have a weird feeling that I won't be installing that 2.1 "upgrade" anytime soon, happy with my 1.19...

[Iphone_hack]

Has anyone tried to downgrade the firmware?
Just wondering!

[ixfd64]

Has anyone tried to downgrade the firmware?
Just wondering!

I think someone bricked their camera after trying to downgrade from 1.22.0 to 1.18.7.

[Taucher]

Has anyone tried to downgrade the firmware?
Just wondering!

I think someone bricked their camera after trying to downgrade from 1.22.0 to 1.18.7.

With an ongoing update routine, it is possible, but should not.
You should analyze the camera.cmd of different update versions, then you can see which commands are executed during the update. Now you change the camera.cmd so that the update goes through without stopping because the actual firmware is "newer".
After analysing the last 4 updates I am sure that a downgrade is possible as long as the hardware is identical (which should be yes).
A new sensor could be in the devices with the new version 2.x.x installed.

One should not forget that a new binary might change configuration files in one direction - without having a method to revert them back.

[olsenn]

Other than (trying to) prevent hacking, what is new in version 2.x.x from 1.8.x?

[mikeselectricstuff]

And a 2nd fpga.bin (fpga_lepton.bin) is added, for whatever. 

For products using the lepton core of course.
 My bet is the E4 will be replaced with a Lepton based unit.
Once Lepton is in production, why continue using a 320x240 sensor in the low-end product when they have a doubtless cheaper sensor available.

[ixfd64]

I also have a feeling that FLIR will switch the E4 to a Lepton core soon. On the other hand, they just might also drop the price of the E4 - and hopefully that of the other cameras too!