Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown

[Bud]

My outdoor images are razor sharp now compared to what they used to be.

Why don't you post a couple of them, thanks.

[Taucher]

Btw - I'm still lacking time, but this might be worth an investigation:
http://hackaday.com/2013/11/17/getting-a-shell-on-any-android-device/

-> changing the sense-resistor and checking out if the Ex starts showing something else... a serial console (despite it's winCE and not android) would be awesome, but as there are internal pins I somehow doubt they did that... but heh - who knows!

Edit: link to whitepaper:
http://greatscottgadgets.com/infiltrate2013/ossmann-osborn-bhusa2013-whitepaper.txt

[Taucher]

If you don't have 1.x firmware running then just don't bother with the older files unless you're trying to understand about some historic inner workings of the camera - but be aware of internal structural changes between the FW releases.

Taucher! Good to see you again! Let me put it in a easy way. Did you upgraded your HW1.0 E4 to the 2.3.x FW? If not do you believe it is possible without getting stuck with the low resolution for the rest of my days?

The new janekivi menu looks attractive... and my mouth is watering...

Thx - I kept my camera at the unencrypted firmware (never touch a running system).
I'm happy to see there's additional functionality coming with janekivi's menu (editing) ... will take a look at backporting that if the older firmware provides that functionality and just needs it enabled... my top target would still be video recording but that seems to rely on the (crashing) media-server...

[Emoticon]

@Emoticon,

Have you read my E4 Useful information thread ?It includes some comment on the E4 focus point. Fixed focus simple lenses as used in the E4 are a compromise between sharp focus in the near and far field. You may well have had a poorly set lens but have you checked the focus at the specified minimum focus distance ? It is possible to set a sharp focus at infinity and totally mess up the lens focus at closer distances.

I hope you have achieved an improvement in your cameras focus but it is worth checking for negative effects of such a 'tweek'.

Aurora

I use my camera at more that 4 feet and further about 99.9% of the time, so this woks much better for me. I used an awl to make a dent in the outside of the adjustment ring at the factory setting so it doesn't effect the baffling and influence the image in any way. Anyway all I have to do is line that mark up with the top of the ring and I'm right back to the original setting whenever I want. I have also not noticed a significant difference in temp readings.

[Fraser]

A good result for you then  ..... I will have to play with mine.

[lwi004]

@Emoticon

I have also not noticed a significant difference in temp readings.

Could you elaborate on "significant"? Is it just the spot values which are out because the refocussing has focussed the heat spots better onto the camera or something else? Similar to the fact that improved resolution gives more accurate results?

[Emoticon]

@Emoticon

I have also not noticed a significant difference in temp readings.

Could you elaborate on "significant"? Is it just the spot values which are out because the refocussing has focussed the heat spots better onto the camera or something else? Similar to the fact that improved resolution gives more accurate results?

I don't have the known calibration heat source to be able to say the exact difference it made, but the focus tool that I had made allows the camera to see through it while you focus. In adjusting the focus with the camera in a rubber jaw vise I did not see a temperature fluctuation of more than 1 degree F on the center spot in either direction while finding the sweet spot on my particular camera.

[Co6aka]

instead of loading/unloading any temp or permanent RNDIS FIF file, try holding the right button while powering up your camera from a cold state, this will take you straight into RNDIS mode

I could not get it to work though on my 2.3.0, but may be I am doing it wrong. I can see the black screen and the camera seems to go to RNDIS but does not activate a proper IP.

I haven't even been able to get the black screen on my 2.3.0; the camera just comes up as normal.

[Co6aka]

When I connect it I give couple of DIR and then test this:
rls .caps.config.image.targetNoise
rls .caps.config.image.zoom
rls .caps.config.ui.fusion.PIP

Three times now I've rolled back to factory and installed resolution hack, then latest menu hack, but the above returns no results.

[janekivi]

You must connect to camera with telnet, PuTTY,
192.168.0.2 port 23 no login no password
I type then "dir" because first answer I get is always "Bad command..."
and if I press up arrow to reuse typed commands, the first command is not reusable,
I must retype it... always.
If you get answer like "Bad command or filename" to rls command or other
you must turn camera on, retype the command and don't forget restart
sometimes... this is windows.

Something like this is successful hacks:

Code: [Select]

Welcome to the Windows CE Telnet Service on IRCAM9646

FLIR Command Line Interpreter
Version 0.4.3 running on WinCE 6.0

\>dir
Bad command or filename

\>rls .caps.config.image.targetNoise
enabled                     true
targetNoiseMk                  0

\>rls .caps.config.image.zoom
enabled                     true
maxFactor                      8

\>rls .caps.config.ui.fusion.PIP
enabled                     true
locked                      true

\>


[Zucca]

Thx - I kept my camera at the unencrypted firmware (never touch a running system).

Alles Klar, I will do the same then. If someone will upgrade an HW 1 to FW 2.3.0 please post the result.

[Bud]

and if I press up arrow to reuse typed commands, the first command is not reusable,
I must retype it... always.

Weird.... Up key works for me fine in Putty

[Zucca]

On the side, if you need good gloves for very very cold temperature there is an amazing deal right now:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-%28uk%29-cryogenic-gauntlets-%28size-9%29/msg583537/#msg583537

[janekivi]

Now I digging and mining in menu files and found cool stuff for adding but some strings are confusing:
ID_SETUP_SAVE_IMAGE_RESOLUTION_SUPER_BRIEF IMAGE_RESOLUTION_SUPER
ID_SETUP_SAVE_IMAGE_RESOLUTION_NORMAL_BRIEF IMAGE_RESOLUTION_NORMAL
but .ui.userSettings.saveImageResolution is integer and default it is 0
What is this?

And some finds. Preview is allowing to edit image before saving and second trigger press saves it.

[Bud]

Now I digging and mining in menu files and found cool stuff for adding but some strings are confusing:
ID_SETUP_SAVE_IMAGE_RESOLUTION_SUPER_BRIEF IMAGE_RESOLUTION_SUPER
ID_SETUP_SAVE_IMAGE_RESOLUTION_NORMAL_BRIEF IMAGE_RESOLUTION_NORMAL
but .ui.userSettings.saveImageResolution is integer and default it is 0
What is this?

That seems to be another menu for setting up save image resolution but heck knows what that means. I was able to get it into the settings menu and ID_SETUP....  thingies resolve to the text labels on the left side of the menu and IMAGE_RESOLUTION... thingies resolve to Super and Normal options on the right side,  and they are accordingly 1 and 0 numerals in ui.userSettings.saveImageResolution but same as with USB options i can see them but cannot change them from the menu. Also not clear what their meaning is, they do not affect JPEG quality setting if changed via telnet rset. I can see this image resolution setting changing in the menu when i set it via telnet. I tried to compare full rls resourse tree with this set to Super and then to Normal but could not figure out what it did.

And some finds. Preview is allowing to edit image before saving and second trigger press saves it.

That is kool !

[janekivi]

Cool???
You haven't seen nothing yet...
I upload little video for you : )

http://wikisend.com/download/260172/2015_B_O.2.avi

[FredB]

You have been very busy. 
It looks like you have implanted FlirTools into the camera.

[-jeffB]

 

How much stuff is tucked away in there?!

Great work, janekivi!

[Fraser]

@janekivi,

Very clever work indeed.

I am a firmware 1.19 user and was satisfied with the improvements made with the original resolution and menu upgrades. I still am but it is very interesting to see what you are achieving with your changes to the E4.

You have provided options that are on my high end cameras and they look good too. An E4 with a supercharger 

Most impressive I must say 

Now to go back in this thread and read how you are achieving such excellent improvements on a camera that was not supposed to be upgradeable without a great deal of encryption manipulation 

Aurora

[DaveWB]

Cool???
You haven't seen nothing yet...
I upload little video for you : )

http://wikisend.com/download/260172/2015_B_O.2.avi

Impressive! Looks alot different than the menu hacks I am used to in 1.22 I'll have to check with Evan from TEquipment and see if he still offers the EEVBlog discount

[mtdoc]

very impressive Janekivi!.

Even though I barely tap the features in my originally upgraded E4 - I now have feature envy.

[Co6aka]

You haven't seen nothing yet...

I think Janekivi should see some bottles of champagne from everyone soon. O0

[Emoticon]

Cool???
You haven't seen nothing yet...
I upload little video for you : )

http://wikisend.com/download/260172/2015_B_O.2.avi

FYI If you record video with virtualdub you can get 15fps video recordings, I think VLC Player is also capable of it too. Great job BTW!

[OrBy]

I believe that you can set the frame rate to cap at 15 FPS but your still only getting 9 FPS of valid data. To get more then that some one would have to look into unlocking the frame rate witch has been avoided so far due to not wanting to raise legal issues.

[janekivi]

Those videos I made with WinXP and Mediaplayer Classic.
I select there video "320x240 3.75" - is this fps? There no other options.
Then xVid MPEG-4 and they are small enough but may be I find other
software what is working for me and have more options.

And Ic_MeasureTool_ProfileGraph had wrong name in rcc, I repack it.
This is Graph icon for line. May be I'm digging in wrong place. I took
Exx software, may be I must get something from upper end.

What camera have cool stuff without need for touch screen?