Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown

[pomonabill221]

Also, I have found that I need to disconnect my network cable when connecting my TIC.

  Seems kinda strange that the flir won't connect and I cannot browse (no network connectivity) but when I disconnect the flir BINGO network is back, and when I disconnect the lan cable, BINGO flir is back!

My OS is win7 64 bit, static ip on the network nic.

Why does the combination NOT work?

You might try disconnecting the cable as I have tried just disabling the NIC from windows and the tic still doesn't connect....

[mrflibble]

Also, I have found that I need to disconnect my network cable when connecting my TIC.

  Seems kinda strange that the flir won't connect and I cannot browse (no network connectivity) but when I disconnect the flir BINGO network is back, and when I disconnect the lan cable, BINGO flir is back!

My OS is win7 64 bit, static ip on the network nic.

Why does the combination NOT work?

You might try disconnecting the cable as I have tried just disabling the NIC from windows and the tic still doesn't connect....

Probably because the flir network driver decides to be a bit uppity and messes up your routing table. You can change this behaviour by setting the metric on the flir .

Do you know where that button lives? If not I can google for an explanation. If you know, no need and I can get me some coffee. 

Edit: would this explanation work for you? http://superuser.com/questions/198544/how-does-windows-7-decide-which-route-to-take-if-2-connections-to-an-internet-so

That's not the pointey-clickey path I used to fix it in win7, but hey, if it works it works.

[pomonabill221]

Under network adaptor settings/properties/tcpiv4/general/advanced/automatic metric (checked)?
Change this to 3 for the tic? and 1 for the nic and 2 for the wireless.  Does numerical order make a difference?
Thank you Mrflibble!

[mrflibble]

Under network adaptor settings/properties/tcpiv4/general/advanced/automatic metric (checked)?
Change this to 3 for the tic? and 1 for the nic and 2 for the wireless.  Does numerical order make a difference?
Thank you Mrflibble!

Numerical order of metric does matter. Lowest metric gets routed first for a given path. So in the above case the nic gets treated preferentially, then the wireless and last the tic.

[sosdd]

Ok, I have the advanced menu installed, and I've tried several times to install the mod for my E4. Im still getting 80x60 resolution according to the info when I view a photo.


I'm quite computer literate and have no problem connecting to the camera and think I am doing everything right.

Ive seen posts of the e8.cfg file folks have punt together, but most of them are because they are having issues. Can somebody post a completely done e8 file that has worked so I can compare?

[pomonabill221]

Under network adaptor settings/properties/tcpiv4/general/advanced/automatic metric (checked)?
Change this to 3 for the tic? and 1 for the nic and 2 for the wireless.  Does numerical order make a difference?
Thank you Mrflibble!

Numerical order of metric does matter. Lowest metric gets routed first for a given path. So in the above case the nic gets treated preferentially, then the wireless and last the tic.

Thank you Mr Flibble!  I'll give that a try!

[Petrolero]

Thanks for the post.  I have an order in to Grainger supposedly arriving tomorrow (ordered Jan. 22) and I read a post on some other site about the existence of a 2.0 firmware and I got worried.  I've scanned the latest pages of this thread and didn't see any 2.0.  I will, of course, post mine when it arrives.

Hoping someone may have a little more information on what appears to be a recall of sorts for the e series cameras.  I placed an order the other day for a flir e4.  I called midstate instruments today to check the status and was I informed they had to send all of the e4, e5, and e6 cameras back to the manufacturer. Cited problems with the devices. They had to be retrofitted, whatever that means. Seemed like a recent development so I thought someone here might know what exactly the issue was. And if it might be related to the hackability of the current units. Hoping not. Great blog here,  thanks in advance.

I just ordered one from Granger about 4 hours ago and was promised next day delivery. ( Thanks Nazar404 )

E4 just arrived from Grainger ( within 22 hours of  ordering it)

November 19 2013
Firmware  1.19.8

[Taucher]

Ok, I have the advanced menu installed, and I've tried several times to install the mod for my E4. Im still getting 80x60 resolution according to the info when I view a photo.

I'm quite computer literate and have no problem connecting to the camera and think I am doing everything right.
Ive seen posts of the e8.cfg file folks have punt together, but most of them are because they are having issues. Can somebody post a completely done e8 file that has worked so I can compare?

Let me guess, you installed the menu hack and assumed it's standalone (yeah, advanced user... ic)
Your personal to-do list:
a) install mike's hack (e8.cfg included there, see post #1), compute CRC01, take care e8.cfg is written lowercase on the camera (sorting order)
b) enjoy already installed menu mod

[Fraser]

Those wishing to understand more about how their E4 works, and thermal imagers in general, may wish to download and read the following excellent document from FLIR:

http://www.flir.com/uploadedFiles/Thermography/MMC/Brochures/T559243/T559243_APAC.pdf

Nice and easy to digest and a good read.

[tomas123]

FLIR appear generous on the reward for feedback front (they have also gifted soft cases for hardware feedback) so I am not keen to slap them in the face by hacking their software. As I am sure you are aware...hacking the registry to overcome a demo time limit is effectively theft, but I am not your conscience and it matters not to me what you do.

What's the juridical difference between hacking a Flir E4 and a Flir trial software?

[mikeselectricstuff]

FLIR appear generous on the reward for feedback front (they have also gifted soft cases for hardware feedback) so I am not keen to slap them in the face by hacking their software. As I am sure you are aware...hacking the registry to overcome a demo time limit is effectively theft, but I am not your conscience and it matters not to me what you do.

What's the juridical difference between hacking a Flir E4 and a Flir trial software?

E4 is hardware I own.
Software is used under terms of a license.

[tomas123]

Software is used under terms of a license.

you are right 

[Fraser]

E4 Hacked ? Nah, some very clever people enabled latent functionality using public domain information and tools released by FLIR. Such activity would be considered 'tinkering' with ones own property. My industry insiders have advised me that it is NOT an illegal act and FLIR should have protected their latent features to prevent such activation. That is why I am now able to comment in this thread rearding the engancement ( I cannot assist in any 'hacking' though). Changing software to disable a DEMO time limitation and circumvent FLIR's anti piracy on-line registration process is true black hat activity and is considered theft. Such would be considered an illegal act and would potentially cause Dave issues on this forum if it were published here 

I have to agree that activation of latent functionality is a grey area but I understand that it is the manufacturers responsibility to adequately take precautions against such. FLIR failed on the hardware front, but they certainly do so with their software using on-line activation 

The proof of the sitaution is that no one on this forum who has enhanced their E4 is subject to legal action. The same would deinitely not be true of someone publishing or enacting a CRACK on FLIR anti-piracy protected software. Its a strange world and can be very confusing when it comes to enahancements & unlocking Vs hacking. Just look at the jailbreaking of Apple products !

[Petrlib]

Thank you.. I will try and let you know...  Thank you for help..

Reinstalled drivers and everything is working! Thank you for help!!

[mago]

hi all.

This is my first message here, i'm a quite noob in the area of pro testing equipment.
I need some information which i couldn't get easily from flir website, neither i had some recent flir products so i'm asking you.
I would need a Thermal imager for a "budget" embedded project, and the E4 price would be perfect for that.
I would need to record video or images with thermal info included, can E4/hacked E4 do that?
I could attach a "single board" PC to the E4 and use flir tools to record video/pics directly on the PC memory rather than E4. Could it be done? Can i remotely control the E4 with the flir tools? (eg live view, shoot, menu navigation, etc..)

[Lu]

Bad news, just called two different distributors in Canada.  They do not have any E4 in stock and they told me from what they currently in stocked E5 and E6 they could tell the E4 will be upgraded to the newest firmware which is not hackable. I placed an order with one of the distributor, should I canceled it ? ...........

[mikeselectricstuff]

hi all.

This is my first message here, i'm a quite noob in the area of pro testing equipment.
I need some information which i couldn't get easily from flir website, neither i had some recent flir products so i'm asking you.
I would need a Thermal imager for a "budget" embedded project, and the E4 price would be perfect for that.
I would need to record video or images with thermal info included, can E4/hacked E4 do that?
I could attach a "single board" PC to the E4 and use flir tools to record video/pics directly on the PC memory rather than E4. Could it be done? Can i remotely control the E4 with the flir tools? (eg live view, shoot, menu navigation, etc..)

E4 enumerates as a UVC device so can record video with any app that can talk to a webcam. Someone has a recorder running on a Raspberry Pi -earlier in this thread I think (I will find & add link in frst post)

[mikeselectricstuff]

Bad news, just called two different distributors in Canada.  They do not have any E4 in stock and they told me from what they currently in stocked E5 and E6 they could tell the E4 will be upgraded to the newest firmware which is not hackable. I placed an order with one of the distributor, should I canceled it ? ...........

We've heard this several times before. Until anyone confirms it, assume it's just a dealer trying to sell what they have in stock.

[mrflibble]

Bad news, just called two different distributors in Canada.  They do not have any E4 in stock and they told me from what they currently in stocked E5 and E6 they could tell the E4 will be upgraded to the newest firmware which is not hackable. I placed an order with one of the distributor, should I canceled it ? ...........

We've heard this several times before. Until anyone confirms it, assume it's just a dealer trying to sell what they have in stock.

Ignore dealer. Neeext. So far all similar reports have turned out to be rather unsubstantiated.

[Lu]

Thanks Mike,
If I get a E5, is that the same instruction to "upgrade" it to E8 ?

[tomas123]

I would need to record video or images with thermal info included, can E4/hacked E4 do that?

Do you mean a 16 bit radiometric video (16 bit un-compressed IR image linear in signal with ancillary calibration data as a *.seq file) or a colored normal video (colored with a color lookup table)?

I explained here, how to decode a 16 bit raw video without flirtools
http://u88.n24.queensu.ca/exiftool/forum/index.php/topic,5279.0.html

[tomas123]

E4 is hardware I own.
Software is used under terms of a license.

Question: If I make a mistake and set my system date to 2017 before installing the software then the software also make a mistake and give >1000 days trial time after setting the correct time.
Is this a bug or a violation of "terms of a license"?

[Lu]

Bad news, just called two different distributors in Canada.  They do not have any E4 in stock and they told me from what they currently in stocked E5 and E6 they could tell the E4 will be upgraded to the newest firmware which is not hackable. I placed an order with one of the distributor, should I canceled it ? ...........

I was not planning to have a TIC. But after following this thread for a while, I cannot throw the idea out my head. I placed an order last week. After a week of no any follow up from the dealer, I called them today. I also called other dealer just hoping to have a different answer.  Now, I am thinking to get a E5 just in case if it not hackable, I still have a better imager. It is a really hard decision, but is that make sense ? or I should wait ?

Thanks for any suggestion.

[ixfd64]

Until there is concrete evidence, I'd take any report of a firmware fix with a grain of salt. FLIR would be shooting themselves by patching the hack because professional TIC users generally won't hack them.

If worst comes to worst, you could always return the device.

[mrflibble]

Do you mean a 16 bit radiometric video (16 bit un-compressed IR image linear in signal with ancillary calibration data as a *.seq file) or a colored normal video (colored with a color lookup table)?

You mean 16-bit radiometric video on the Ex series? Or the Exx series? If Exx, yeah, I did read about that in the past. But if Ex whowhatwherehow and why did I miss the memo?