Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown

[samsimg]

Hi all,

After spending several hours studying in this forum, getting excited and after an order at Amazon, I'm a proud owner of a FLIR E4. It's running the latest FW V2.3.0 and the V0.4 Resolution Update worked perfectly. Absolutely stunning!

However, I'm having troubles with the 2.3.0 Menu 2014 update. The enhanced menu does not work properly (no PIP, ZOOM and improved measurement) and most importantly I keep getting the following error when I run the python script:

Applying 5178 bytes of delta at 000004d8
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "menu_conf.py", line 12, in <module>
    assert len(d) == len(delta)
AssertionError

I tried to factory reset the E4 and start from scratch again with the resolution hack and then menu hack. I'm using the conf.cfc file from AFTER the resolution hack as instructed.

Any ideas what goes wrong?

Thanks in advance!

[murcielago]

Anyone knows how to remove the battery from the bottom battery and cap housing??

I am thinking of modding it to either upgrade to a higher cap battery or allowing a simple drop-in battery compartment

I've tried removing according to the youtube video but it looks easier than it is

Anyone???

[janekivi]

  File "menu_conf.py", line 12, in <module>
    assert len(d) == len(delta)
AssertionError

Right conf is in \FlashFS\system\appcore.d\config.d and lenght is 6608
What you have in C:\python27 directory?

[gif999]

Anyone knows how to remove the battery from the bottom battery and cap housing??

I am thinking of modding it to either upgrade to a higher cap battery or allowing a simple drop-in battery compartment

I've tried removing according to the youtube video but it looks easier than it is

Anyone???

Puling straight up didn't work but pushing on the rounded side near the top to rotate the battery made it come right off.

[Swake]

Funny, there is a torrent.d folder on the flir 

[Swake]

@Mike
@Taucher
@DaveWB
@Aurora
@compet17
@gemrough
@janekivi
and because I certainly forgot someone important
@all those that have contributed and still continue to support us

THANK YOU    

[samsimg]

  File "menu_conf.py", line 12, in <module>
    assert len(d) == len(delta)
AssertionError

Right conf is in \FlashFS\system\appcore.d\config.d and lenght is 6608
What you have in C:\python27 directory?

... of course I was using the a conf from the wrong directory  All is good now.

Many thanks, janekivi !!!

[murcielago]

Puling straight up didn't work but pushing on the rounded side near the top to rotate the battery made it come right off.

thanks man, I struggled with it and managed to get it off.

though it decided to pry a section of my fingernail off along with it.


I found this hourglass shaped rubber grommet that fell out, is that needed?

[Swake]

Now I have 360x280 resolution @ infinity 
(no grammatical errors this time?)

Grammatical I don't think so. On the other hand you have achieved E9 resolution 

[freqjn]

and yet another 2.3 upgraded

Had similar issues as Swake. Started the upgrade on a Win7 Pro (64) (1 of 2). After running permanent.fif, ipconfig only showed 169.254.x.x, 255.255.0.0.

Second machine tried was Win 8.1 (64) ipconfig gave same results after again releasing and renewing, also went as far as killing ipv6 on both the 1st and 2nd machine.

Beginning to think it was bricked at this point.

Three hours later achieved success on the third machine Win7 Pro (64)(2 of 2). I did not kill ipv6. I did not install Flir Tools, I only installed 32bit Flir drivers on this 3rd (64bit) machine. Ran ipconfig, after driver install, with 192.168.0.2 showing went right to Filezilla for immediate backup.


The res hack its..its....sooo pretty.

Many thanks to all participants of the discussion and EEVBlog.

This post is brought to you by the print button (above-right of the first post on each page) and (Ctrl)+(f).

[daves]

If you are interested in BFIC, here is new version.

You can correct wrong MSX alignment, you can put measure points on image. There will be areas with min/max/avg and batch export to csv soon. Also I do plan to make it work with Flir tools.




What are next news

- You can load any plain JPG and treat it as a regular thermal image
- You can open ISI images (Snapshot 525)
- Working on Fluke IS2, BMT and new FLIR BMP images - will be soon

I am also about to get rid of convert utility, which is causing problems on 32 bit systems.

Any inputs are appreciated. This tool is not dead at all I am just too busy with other projects.

DOWNLOAD ----> http://test.daves.cz/wrapper/wrapper.zip (about 12MB - it contains utils)

[Bud]

Any inputs are appreciated.

OK, since you asked...
 

The temperature picker in Editor causing the app to crash when moved to the left top corner. Tested several times, the error seems reproducable. Win7 x64/Intel here with 32Gb Nvidia graphics.

And by the way, would be nice the picker label to change from above  to below the probe line as it approaches top and right corners of the picture so it does not go outside of the picture frame boundaries where it is not possible to read it.
Thank you for your efforts!

[Bud]

A new discovery here.

I put RNDIS mode command in the config file:

.system entry
.system.usbmode text "RNDIS"

With that the camera now boots every time to RNDIS mode, even with zrndis.rsc file removed.
The only way to switch it to USB was to remove the above two lines from the conf file.

Not sure how useful that is but anyway, interesting to know.

[Fraser]

@daves,

You have my sincere thanks for your work.

I have a Snapshot 525 camera but could not lay my hands on any software to read the files that it produced. Do you have a Snapshot 525? Did you get the original software? If so I would love to obtain a copy (its freeware but now unavailable).

Keep up the good work and thank you again.

Aurora

[murcielago]

I managed to dismantle the battery but not to sure if it's possible to replace the batt with a higher capacity 18650

Am i right to say the PCB at the top of the battery is the charging PCB?

Also, there are 3 pins, pos, neg and TH. What's the TH for?

[Fraser]

Suggest you take a look at my 'E4 useful information' thread on this forum.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/flir-e4-the-useful-information-thread/msg374200/#msg374200

TH is the thermistor connection (10K NTC)

PCB on top of cell is the protection circuit and not a charger.

Somewhere in this teardown thread you will find details of upgrading the standard cell to a higher capacity.

Aurora

[daves]

Do you have a Snapshot 525?

No, I just had a request to read ISI images and user sent me sample photos.

[Fraser]

@daves,

Ah OK, No worries. Thank you very much for providing the ISI file read capability 

Aurora

[dorcy]

OK almost there. ran janeviki's python menu script and get a new .cfc file named "conf_reso_only.cfc" Do i need to change the name of the file to conf.cfc before replacing the .cfc file in the camera.
Thanks

[FredB]

OK almost there. ran janeviki's python menu script and get a new .cfc file named "conf_reso_only.cfc" Do i need to change the name of the file to conf.cfc before replacing the .cfc file in the camera.
Thanks

No, the conf_reso_only.cfc is your backup-file.. You have to load the new made conf.cfc into the camera.

[DaveWB]

Here's a little comparison video of a stock vs 2.3.0 upgraded. http://youtu.be/dP8R7FRYU0k

[nitroxide]

Hi everyone,

I've been following this thread for a while (as a modest contributor in the early days, then as a stalker). To my defense, I was busy trying to make entry-level thermal imaging more affordable (http://hackaday.io/project/1974-tj-99-thermal-imager)

Now, regarding the Flir E4: I'd like to have a friend buy one from US (during a busines trip) and carry it back on his flight to Europe.

Do you see any issues with this? I for one couldn't find a definitive answer to this (I'd also like to avoid any unnecessary paperwork stated in the Flir Ex export info doc. if in practice req. are more lax). Next step would probably be to ask Flir directly, but if anyone here already has any experience with this, please help me out.

Please excuse my offtopic! However, it might be that someone has an answer and that may be a good reference to others too.

[Zucca]

Do you see any issues with this?

I flew with a E4 in my hand luggage from US to Germany and back. Only on the way back, the german officer asked a few question about that strange device. I had to turn it on and he was playing for 5 minutes long with it. Big smiles and nothing more. That´s what happen to me

[faza380]

Good day. Tried to update the E 50 to E60 with nothing happened. Tell me you can do it and how?

[nitroxide]

Do you see any issues with this?

I flew with a E4 in my hand luggage from US to Germany and back. Only on the way back, the german officer asked a few question about that strange device. I had to turn it on and he was playing for 5 minutes long with it. Big smiles and nothing more. That´s what happen to me

Zucca, thanks for sharing your personal experience. This is exactly the kind of response I was looking for!