FLIR E4 Wifi Resolution and Menu Hack Thread

[Squawk]

I'm a bit surprised. There are 154 downloads of Bud's hack, yet there are only 10 "thank you's" in the post bar and less than 20 "thank you" posts..

Where are the other 124??

Very small effort imho.

[kaz911]

Just FYI for Flir UK Black Friday - massive discounts - E4 Wifi with car charger and pouch - £699,- incl VAT. E6 is <1000

http://www.flir.co.uk/instruments/bf2017/

[pjuk]

Hello...first post here!

I've been reading this thread as well as the huge amount of other info on the E4 hack elsewhere on the forum and obviously come away impressed with what can be done with a "cheaper" device. I'm in the market for a cheap thermal imaging camera for general lab and PCB diagnostics and the E4 (+hack) looks ideal - the question is where can you buy it? I'm based in the UK and the only place that I can find that has the E4 Wifi version is direct from FLIR (as also indicated by the above post - for a great price!). Does anyone know if this model will ship with the appropriate hardware + firmware to apply the hack?

Lastly, has anyone tried to do this on a Mac? I cannot see an issue with the wifi method since it just requires python and putty to modify and upload the files, all of which can be done in terminal and with a text editor.

[Bud]

I'm a bit surprised. There are 154 downloads of Bud's hack, yet there are only 10 "thank you's" in the post bar and less than 20 "thank you" posts..

Where are the other 124??

Thank you my friend. It's allright, the award was overcoming a technical challenge, not  getting recognition.

[Fraser]

Pjuk,

Cameras that come direct from FLIR usually come with the very latest firmware. FLIR do not seem to hold large stocks so they are often fresh from the factory with calibration dates from a few weeks before delivery to the customer. Older stock is sometimes to be found from sources such as Amazon or provincial dealerships.

My understanding is that the latest firmware 3.12 IS NOT compatible with Bud's clever upgrade. I do not know whether a downgrade to firmware 3.9 is possible. Such carries the risk of bricking the camera so needs due consideration.

Fraser

[pjuk]

Thanks for letting me know without me finding out the hard way! Maybe I'll just stick with a non-wifi version for now, although the wifi would be very useful. Shame no-one knows about downgrading from 3.12 to 3.9

[anton610]

Hi,
got my E4 no wifi with 2.0L and 3.9 FW two weeks ago from messgeraete-chemnitz.de
wrote a mail befor to check if the E4 has the right hardware 2.0L, price was 775€
Calibration was in October.

so ask for a E4 with calibration in Oktober.

hope this helps

BR a.

[unclerunkle]

Really wanted to avoid problems, and I followed Bud's steps slowly and to a T (really, the steps were easy), but now I get banding on the screen like the thermal sensor is broke or something.  I have attached a screenshot of it with the shutter closed below.

The resolution hack went well with no issues (confirmed higher res) then I proceeded to apply the menu hacks at step #16.  Rebooted E4 as suggested and then started playing with the new settings.  The issue started popping up around the time I was messing with the different pallettes and the hot/cold spots.

At this point, I'm like "whatever, these other settings are nice but I don't really need them."  I copy over my original menu files from my backup and again restart the camera.  However, the problem now persists even with the original menu.  At this point I start freaking out a little (and still am), so I decide to do a factory reset.  No go.  At this point I'm like there must be a bad config file somewhere so I decide to copy over ALL my original backup files to the E4 in hopes of resolve the issue.  Issue still persists :|

So, any suggestions?  I really don't know what's wrong.  Maybe my issue is that I tried applying all the new menu settings?

Model E4 2.0L
Software 3.9.0 (camera came with this version)
PN 63906-0604 (wifi model)

EDIT:  Decided to use the FLIRInstallNet.exe app with previously-posted E4 3.9.0 .fif file to see if I could get it as close to stock as possible.  Reimage (I think that's what it would be with this tool) completed but after reboot I see the same behavior.  Perhaps this E4 was not capable of running at 320x240 for some reason or I have a defective unit?

[Squawk]

I see the screenshot you attached has 320x240. Is this after you tried to restore from hacked state? Or before?

I had one hack try failed as well. Not with your reported problem, but I also had some strange things.
In my case, I literally reversed every step from the hack.

I deleted every file copied during the hack (all steps in reverse order) and copied back the original respective files from the backup I made.
Including putting back the original config file as the last reversed step. (I did not try to copy back the complete backup, just the files replaced in the hack steps.)
Then did a hard reset (holding the ON button for 7 seconds and removing the battery for 5 minutes).

This got my E4 (non WiFi) back to its original state, resolution and menu structure.

If you get to this point and the screen is still messed up, I can't think but the problem lies in your hardware having a failure somewhere.
Also, I think if you get to this point, there should be no trace in the E4 that would alert a FLIR repair service person you tried to temper with it by installing a hack.
And you could choose to return it (we have a 14 day money back guarantee in Europe, not sure if you have such a thing in the US), or send it back in for repair.
Be aware though, there is a new firmware out (3.12) that the hack does not seem compatible with. Chances are, that if you send it back for repair and get it returned, they put firmware version 3.12 on it.

I hope this is of any help for you..

[unclerunkle]

Thanks for the reply.  Every little bit helps.

Good catch on the 320x240 in the screenshot.  I can confirm though that the camera says that pic is 80x60 thermal resolution and 320x240 digital.  Looks like the camera just upscales the thermal image to the digital resolution.

Also, really interesting is that today, after leaving the camera battery unplugged overnight, I no longer get the banding.   

/Very confused.  Perhaps the sensor was overheating or overvolted somehow?

[unclerunkle]

I redid just the basic hack (no menu's from step 16) and everything starts off well.  After about 5-10 minutes, the banding re-appears.  Attached are pics of thermal 80x60, 320x240 initial, 320x240 after 5 minutes, and 320x240 after 10 minutes for comparison.  I'm going to venture the sensor is bad?  Next testing I do will be reverting to 80x60 for a long term test.

[Squawk]

Thanks for sharing your findings.

Reversion back to pre-hack and doing a long term test may indeed point to a hardware failure somewhere.

Good luck!

[tomas123]

  I'm going to venture the sensor is bad?

I think, your sensor is good but you have serious trouble with your flat-field correction (FFC).
Does your shutter work?
The row and column noise is not compensated by uniformity correction.

PS: I love the distortion correction by FLIR in RAW images   

Code: [Select]

$ exiftool FLIR0010.jpg -b -RawThermalImage > FLIR0010.png
$ convert -define png:swap-bytes=on FLIR0010.png -auto-level FLIR0010a.png
 
 

[Den_teh]

how do i reset a photo counter?

[Xavier64]

Just connect the camera as USB stick and delete ALL files/folders on it.

After a reboot, factory reset and delete all images through the menu, the counter starts at 1.

Of course, make a backup before you delete anything.

regards

[Fraser]

Regarding deleting images to reset the image counter. From other posts in this forum you will see that it is a very bad idea to format the cameras image memory area. Never be tempted to do so as a short cut to deleting all images.

Fraser

[Den_teh]

Is it possible to make a resolution of 160x120? I think for my e4 it will be better.

[Fraser]

Den-teh,

Why would you want 160 x 120 pixels when the E4 is calibrated and capable of 320 x 240 ?

The natural resolution of the cameras LCD display is also 320 x 240, a perfect match for the full microbolometer resolution.

Fraser

[Den_teh]

still a problem. on the street -3, and he shows -10 ((

[apelly]

From other posts in this forum you will see that it is a very bad idea to format the cameras image memory area. Never be tempted to do so as a short cut to deleting all images.

I haven't seen that information before, or I've forgotten. And there's no way I'm going to work out where I left off the other thread and resume reading.

Is this just a simple thing of Winblows not being able to format to the same type of filesystem that's on the camera?

[Fraser]

Hi Apelly,

It is a new thread that is currently discussing the issue.......

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/flir-e4-'there-is-no-memory-card'-error/

Another thread also details the same problem after doing a format of the cameras picture memory.

I have no information on what causes this situation, but suspect that the PC instigated format overwrites something unique and important in the flash memory area. The cameras firmware then effectively loses sight of the Flash memory so no pictures can be stored.

This has happened to other users in the past and has required 'repair' by FLIR as no one knew exactly what was wrong or missing from the Flash memory area.

In the above referenced thread I have made some basic comments in an effort to help diagnose the cause of the problem, but sadly I am no expert on the Ex series firmware inner workings.

Formatting a flash drive should not cause serious harm to the operation of the camera, the fact that it does is unacceptable as users can, and do, format flash drives in everyday life. FLIR have messed up here.

Fraser

Fraser

[Xavier64]

Hello together,

I got a Flir E4 with Firmware 3.1.2 so I used the 3.9.0 upgrade package and downgraded the firmware with NO issues.

Now I will try Buds method for upgrading...

[Xavier64]

worked 75%, but some of the small pics in the menu are missing, but the menu is FULL functional.

Just the pics are missing...

[Qwiq]

Do you know if this could possibly work for the WiFi version?

[RepairLab]

Bud,

Thank you very much for your efforts and the time you spent on this project.
You did a great job.

I just performed the upgrade on my brand new E4 non wifi 2.0L. To be honest I had some difficulties but I was finally able to figure it all out by reading several of your posts here and there.
So Yeap, just posting to say thanks and would like to buy you a beer or something in return so let me know if you accept donations.

Cheers