Poll

Has the hackabiliy of the E4 made you buy one :  

Yes, I was already looking at the competition at a similar price, but the hack swung it to E4
274 (27.9%)
Yes, I'd not considered buying a TIC before, but 320x240 resolution at this price justifies it (as either tool or toy!)
444 (45.3%)
Yes, I was going to buy an E5/6/8 class of unit but will now get the E4
49 (5%)
No, but am looking out for a cheap i3 to hack
50 (5.1%)
Not yet, but probably will if now that a closed-box hack becomes is possible
164 (16.7%)

Total Members Voted: 803

Author Topic: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown  (Read 3770460 times)

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Offline Bud

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7100 on: June 03, 2015, 06:52:27 pm »
I only used this forum. Try searching other flir threads.
But this may not worth the efforts. You cant change Registry settings. Or you can but they not persist.
Facebook-free life and Rigol-free shack.
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7101 on: June 03, 2015, 08:13:26 pm »
I see... you know, I have some experience with good old Cassiopeia BE-300 pocket PC device which also was running WinCE 6.0. So I am aware of this concept of 'Program Memory - Storage Memory', packed execution files, and deployable registry which only keeps until reboot.

There was a tiny utility which allowed however, to made changes permanent by flashing something... it was 12 years ago, so I don't remember the details!
 

Offline OrBy

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7102 on: June 03, 2015, 09:38:41 pm »
The reg has very little effect on these units since the FLIR UI is basically the shell but I seem to remember being able to make changes to the reg when my unit was on 1.18.7.
The fact it's running WinCE 6 as the core counts for very little as the OS was never really setup to be exposed to the end user. (The BE-300 may have been different)
Most of the core OS files reside in the NK.BIN of the OS image and I don't recall a way to update or patch that on a live system.
You would instead need to modify it offline and reflash it also at the same time bypassing any security, DRM, or check-sum measures that could be in place so that the unit does not perma-brick on first boot.
(There was at least one user here that tried to downgrade back to older version who I think had to sent it to FLIR to be fixed after it failed)
I know before I would try screwing with any of that I would want some way to back up the entire flash first just in case.

VNC stuff: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eevblog.com%2Fforum%2Ftestgear%2Fflir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown+VNC
« Last Edit: June 03, 2015, 09:48:45 pm by OrBy »
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7103 on: June 03, 2015, 10:27:17 pm »
@OrBy

Thank you!

And how exactly do I back-up the entire flash and then re-flash it if device is bricked? Okay, not bricked, but malfunctioning? You know?
 

Offline OrBy

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7104 on: June 04, 2015, 01:41:49 am »
And how exactly do I back-up the entire flash and then re-flash it if device is bricked? Okay, not bricked, but malfunctioning? You know?

No way that I know of.
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7105 on: June 04, 2015, 08:24:58 pm »
@OrBy

So...suppose I have a bricked device, which before bricked, was set to RNDIS. Is this enough to re-flash default Firmware 2.3.0 ? I know, if the device was set to different mode, this can pose real headache, but if it was left in RNDIS mode?
 

Offline OrBy

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7106 on: June 05, 2015, 04:25:17 pm »
It would depend on how bricked it was. If enough of it is still running that you can get into the file system - then you may be able to get something going. I can't say more then then that as I never have run into the issue myself.
 

Offline Bud

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7107 on: June 05, 2015, 05:36:38 pm »
I once had a situation when i could not connect to the camera either way, but the camera was working, it is just that i could not connect, download pictures, etc. i was able to fix it by applying default settings/reset via the Settings menu, and somehow it showed up as USB drive after couple reboots, so i immediately ran the remove RNDIS script to set the camera to USB on next reboot. I used temporary RNDIS since then when playing with configuration.
Facebook-free life and Rigol-free shack.
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7108 on: June 05, 2015, 08:54:21 pm »
@Bud,

thank you for your comment,

but I was sure the problem is severe when it is bricked when in USB mode, you are telling the opposite?

Look... let us compare risks of letting camera stay in RNDIS or it is safer (makes it easier to repair if something goes wrong) when it is in USB mode? I thought that by setting RNDIS permanent I make it more 'recoverable', am I right or not?
« Last Edit: June 05, 2015, 10:16:51 pm by Solare »
 

Offline Bud

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7109 on: June 05, 2015, 11:39:32 pm »
I think USB mode is safer.
Facebook-free life and Rigol-free shack.
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7110 on: June 06, 2015, 12:25:08 am »
Aha...so one can re-flash firmware, if usb mode is enabled, no matter how device is bricked?

P.S.: finally, weeeeeekend has come! :)))
 

Offline gemrough

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7111 on: June 08, 2015, 10:47:53 pm »
Solare are you sure the battery wasn't low? I have seen what you are describing on units with low battery. Charge battery and problem disappears.
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7112 on: June 09, 2015, 01:02:35 am »
@All

This isuue is there:

"Situations like halts (out memory, appcore crash, reboot without saving etc., error during editing a snapshot, may appear routeenly when using device. So, sooner or later, FS gets corrupted and what then?"

What's then? Can the flash drives be checkdisked etc., remotely?

@gemrough

No, unless you consider 40% as low battery.
 

Offline et328

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7113 on: June 10, 2015, 12:50:58 pm »
Hi all,

I just bought a Flir E4, I had read most of this thread during the week I waited for it's arrival...
I'll write here some notes how things went, maybe they help someone.

The E4 had 2.1.0 version FW. I had problems with USB driver installation. Win 7 64 and 32 both had the same issue. This package fixed those:
http://flir.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/987/~/usb-connection-problem-with-flir-ex-series-cameras

I then upgraded to 2.3.0 firmware and did some temp tests and checked the functions.

I then put RNDIS mode on, no problems with IP-address, Flir used 192.168.1.2 for it's IP. My local network is using 192.168.0.xx (and my computer just happens to use the usual Flir IP 192.168.0.2) but looks like Flir detected this and switched to other IP address space.

Had small problem with FTP, first I tried to use my favourite program Total Commander, but it showed just empty dir. Filezilla worked fine.

Installed resolution hack, it didn't work at first, common_dll.dll was not replaced. I then used telnet to run stopapp and used Filezilla to manually upload the file. Great success, major improvement in picture resolution and noise (i.e. almost no noise).

btw. temporalMk double 13.750835 so I assume I had good luck in the sensor lottery?

Later I installed menuhack, no problems with that. I used Windows 7 64 bit for all the above things.

Big thanks to Mike, tmbinc, janekivi and everyone else who made this possible!  :-+
 

Offline fubar.gr

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7114 on: June 10, 2015, 03:43:57 pm »
Which hack method did you use? Cameras manually upgraded to 2.3.0 couldn't be hacked so far.

Offline et328

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7115 on: June 10, 2015, 04:05:55 pm »
Which hack method did you use? Cameras manually upgraded to 2.3.0 couldn't be hacked so far.
I mostly used your great guide since it had all the info in one place.
Maybe that upgrade problem effects only those models that had 1.xx version from the factory, this one is from May 2014 and had 2.1.0. Conf.cfc is 6608 bytes.
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7116 on: June 10, 2015, 07:07:14 pm »
Firmware 2.1 upgraded to 2.3 will not cause a problem as they are both the later encrypted file system.

The issue arose for users who upgraded from the earlier unencrypted file system to the later encrypted V2.3. The two are not the same structure and this causes problems when trying to employ the FW 2.x 'hack'.

I have said it before, and will say it again here..... I can see no good reason why a user would wish to upgrade an eminently configurable 1.xx E4 to the later heavily counter-measured 2.x firmware. FLIR would love you to do so however., and they will upgrade your early camera if you ever return it to them for repair or calibration. Firmware updating is a mandatory operation as part of calibration at FLIR  ;)

Just in case anyone still has not got the message, if you have a firmware earlier than 2.x you are very fortunate and should stick with it. There are no serious countermeasures present and this makes future improvement possible with ease. IMHO the very best firmware ever released for the E4 was 1.19.x. It is totally open to all manner of upgrades and very stable. I have yet to have a lock-up or any other weird behaviour on my E4 running FW1.19 and menu upgrade Version 2.

Aurora
« Last Edit: June 10, 2015, 07:11:48 pm by Aurora »
If I have helped you please consider a donation : https://gofund.me/c86b0a2c
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7117 on: June 11, 2015, 08:59:52 pm »
@et328

Congrats! You are really lucky. mine has twice that magnitude of noise!

Where did you buy it?

@Aurora

Do you have any news to share regarding my little inquiry about web-server measuring noise? :)
 

Offline Chris Epler

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7118 on: June 11, 2015, 10:21:59 pm »
.calib.nrdp.ds250C_we_ap_fi_le.measureInfo.temporalMk double 16.146466
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7119 on: June 12, 2015, 12:04:24 am »
Thank you! Your FW version should be? Where did you buy it?
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7120 on: June 12, 2015, 11:24:57 am »
@All

With E4, we have 45 degrees FOV without zoom.

What FOV we have with Zoom 2x, 4 x, 8x enabled? :)
 

Offline -jeffB

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7121 on: June 12, 2015, 02:58:44 pm »
@All

With E4, we have 45 degrees FOV without zoom.

What FOV we have with Zoom 2x, 4 x, 8x enabled? :)

By simple geometry, wouldn't it have to be 22.5, 11.25, and 5.625 degrees?
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7122 on: June 12, 2015, 03:38:52 pm »
Yep I also thought so... however, on the second thought? ;)
 

Online Fraser

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7123 on: June 12, 2015, 07:09:05 pm »
Solare,

FLIR will not provide any files or assistance for the enhancement of the E4 or any other camera from their range. They have deliberately removed some applications from the E4 in their efforts to prevent upgrade and modifications. Tech Staff at FLIR put their job at risk if known to have helped 'hack' a camera. I cannot ask anyone to do that for me.

Sorry I cannot help you with the web-server restoration.

Aurora
If I have helped you please consider a donation : https://gofund.me/c86b0a2c
 

Offline Solare

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Re: Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown
« Reply #7124 on: June 12, 2015, 08:15:23 pm »
@Aurora,

NP, I was just wondering :) But actually, it has nothing to do with hacking, rather with evaluating the hardware quality!

Thank you!
« Last Edit: June 12, 2015, 08:19:04 pm by Solare »
 


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