Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown

[Fraser]

For deep scratches you can use 1200, then 1500 grit wet and dry paper. Ensure you use it wet. That will remove a deep scratch with ease and can still be easily returned to clear using the NOVUS Polish. I have done this on battered multimeter screens.

If you go down the route of removing the screen plastic you will have the challenge of which material to replace it with. Polycarbonate is my preferred choice but this still suffered scratching in use. You will also lose the decorative elements of the OEM screen.

Fraser

[Solare]

hey guys,

to those who experienced this 'ring of crap' issue, please be warned that this is due to a change in calibration maps loading order in the new 2.11 (and possibly later) firmware, compared to earlier versions (2.8 and below).  This can be fixed manually with tweaking calib.rsc parameters.

Unfortunately, it is NOT a single and easy 1 step fix, which can be reproduced on your particular camera.

I mean, it is NOT, I repeat: NOT permanent or shareable.

To remove the ring for once, you have to power down the device, disconnect your battery and let it rest overnight (discharge some flash section  with temporarily recorded offset parameters).

Then, on the next power-on cycle, the ring of crap will go away.

However, it WILL come back, if you let it work for considerable while, especially let it getting warm.

To remove it again, please perform the procedure again.

[Fraser]

@Solare,

Ooooo that's not good news Thanks for the information though.

Fraser

[svdheijden]

@Solare, so the loading order is not baked into the firmware then. Seems like a (for now) succesfull anti-hack attempt from Flir then?

[Fraser]

The solution would be re instatement of a later firmware after the upgrade using firmware 2.3. FLIR do release periodic firmware update files so when they release an update, install it and hope the resolution upgrade sticks ? You might lose the additional menus though.

Another route for investigation is looking at restoring firmware 2.11 from 2.3 manually using the copy of the system taken before the rollback to version 2.3.

With the later firmwares containing encryption, such may not be so simple though. If someone can get the latest firmware update file from FLIR CS that might be a solution so long as the upgrade does not revert the camera to standard spec for an E4.

Fraser

[2lps]

TLDR;
With slight modifications of the 2.3  hack, I was able to create 2.11 hack. There is no more ring of crap and the need to downgrade from 2.11 to 2.3.
NOTE: This is not a 2.8 hack.Not sure if there are problems of upgrading from 2.8 to 2.11. For 2.8 use the downgrade to 2.3.

You will need the original 2.11 common_dll.dll and conf.cfc to be on the device before applying the 2.11 hack. If you downgraded to 2.3, revert the hacks, upgrade back to 2.11.

Details of what i did:

Today I received my E4 with 2.11 firmware and calibration certificate from 22 Feb 2016. Downgraded to 2.3, backed up all of the original content and used the instructions for the hack here - http://fubar.gr/hacking-the-flir-e4/ As expected, after the procedure I got the "ring of crap". Reading Fraser's post, I tried to go back to 2.11 while the patch was applied. Downloaded the update pack from here http://cdn.cloud.flir.se/swdownload/assets/cameradownload/flir_ex_pn639_v2.11.0_update_pack.zip. Strangely, the res hack appeared to persist after the upgrade to 2.11. BUT, the "Image mode" menu was deactivated and there was no spot metering. Going back and forth between 2.3 and 2.11, I found out that the problem was in common_dll.dll (which is overwritten by the upgrade from 2.3 to 2.11).

I looked at the Python scripts and disassembled common_dll.dll to figure out how the 2.3 hack was working. After few hours, I found out that if I just change the offsets in common_dll.dll.delta, so that the signature checks are disabled in the 2.11 version of the file (the offsets for 2.11 are slightly different than those for 2.3) and followed the exact same procedure in http://fubar.gr/hacking-the-flir-e4/, except the downgrade to 2.3, I now have res hack and menu hack working, and the ring of crap is gone. Didn't need to change the conf.cfc.delta files. I guess the de-activated "Image mode" menu and the missing Spot Metering were just a side effect of the signature check failures, because they were in a different place within common_dll.dll.

I am attaching the modified script package (removed e6 files, as they seem to work slightly differently at first glance) and an image from the camera after the fixes. Use http://www.7-zip.org/download.html to decompress the attached .zip file. It is actually a .7z file, with changed extension, so I can attach it here. When using .zip, the file is slightly bigger than the allowed attachment size of 1000KB.

Happy hacking and the usual - "You do this on your own risk."

[Fraser]

2lps,

Excellent investigation into the issue and great solution.

Congratulations on solving this problem and thank you for sharing the details

Fraser

[svdheijden]

Awesome 2lps! You rock!  I'll be getting an E4 in the next month so i'll probably be using it then.

[Solare]

@2lps and the guys,

congrats, you made this procedures persistent. This is a very good achievement for those who only want to install hires and simplest menuhack on their new camera. Which means, for the majority of us. Now the majority can install the hacks on the 2.11 firmware.

I have checked the new hacks and they really work. No ring of crap. No calibration issues. Awesome.

Drawbacks if any? Yes, unfortunately but quite expected.

Any advanced functions beyond the standard hacks require careful revisions now before being used on the 2.11 camera. Some of them I discovered to cease working, some malfunction. Some survived.

With this said, I would NOT recommend to those who don't experience any calibration issues like Ring-Of-Crap etc., and have their cameras running smoothly on 2.3.0 downgraded from the above version numbers, and using or plan to use the advanced features mentioned elsewhere,

to back-upgrade the core files to the 2.11 with this new hacks.

#1 rule = Never Touch A Running System, applies.

The E4 device is, besides it is look very simple, a fairly bold bunch of technologies, where many levels of software and hardware are orchestrated together and it is really easy to break this symphony into to all sort of glitches, with most of them do not appear immediately but delivered with delays no before you discover them by chance.

2.3.0 platform, on the other hand, it already tested thoroughly, so those who seek reliability, stick to it for a while.

@2pls, again, many thanks for a good job done!

 

[2lps]

I was satisfied that I got the basic functionality running. I am not aware of all the previous improvements, but if you notice something is not working, please share.

It was pure luck that what I did work at all. This is my first thermal camera, and before watching the tear down and reading this thread few weeks back, I had no idea of how the camera works. I intended to wait few weeks/months in order to get a better understanding. Well, if someone has any problems, please share them. We can work together to try to fix them. And yes, if it was not for this hack, I would have not bought the camera at all. I was looking at some DIY solutions in order to learn the technology and experiment for fun. But couldn't miss such a great deal.

[Bud]

I love this thread

[Ben321]

TL;DR :
10 Jan 2016 There is a new firmware, V2.8, which needs to be downgraded to 2.3 for the hack to work.

Anybody managed to get a hack for V2.8 yet?

[svdheijden]

I just ordered an E4. Curious to see which firmware its ships with!  And excited to try and hack it of course!

[calvin12]

I have a E4 that I got a few years ago, ver 1.22. I hacked it when I got it for the upgraded resolution. I was just looking up info on it and see there is 2.3 with menu hacks also. The site I was at said there are issues bumping 1.22s to the newest hacks and referenced back to here to get more info. I don't see anything here showing any 1.22 to 2.3 and new hacks being a problem. I just want to verify if this is OK to do or not.
If it is I assume I'd need to bump up to 2.3. then do the hacks is that correct?

[DaveWB]

I have a E4 that I got a few years ago, ver 1.22. I hacked it when I got it for the upgraded resolution. I was just looking up info on it and see there is 2.3 with menu hacks also. The site I was at said there are issues bumping 1.22s to the newest hacks and referenced back to here to get more info. I don't see anything here showing any 1.22 to 2.3 and new hacks being a problem. I just want to verify if this is OK to do or not.
If it is I assume I'd need to bump up to 2.3. then do the hacks is that correct?

Just do the 1.22 hack... there is no purpose or need to upgrade to 2.3. If it ain't broke dont fix it...

[svdheijden]

I just ordered an E4. Curious to see which firmware its ships with!  And excited to try and hack it of course!

Got the E4 and did the resolution and menu hacks... And it worked like a charm! The E4 came with firmware 2.11. Thanks for the hack guys!

[calvin12]

I have a E4 that I got a few years ago, ver 1.22. I hacked it when I got it for the upgraded resolution. I was just looking up info on it and see there is 2.3 with menu hacks also. The site I was at said there are issues bumping 1.22s to the newest hacks and referenced back to here to get more info. I don't see anything here showing any 1.22 to 2.3 and new hacks being a problem. I just want to verify if this is OK to do or not.
If it is I assume I'd need to bump up to 2.3. then do the hacks is that correct?

Just do the 1.22 hack... there is no purpose or need to upgrade to 2.3. If it ain't broke dont fix it...

the old 1.22 hack did not have the menu upgrades. has the 1.22 hack been changed to include those changes?

[habeeb408]

Anybody managed to get a hack for V2.8 yet?

The V2.8 cannot be hacked, but once you downgrade it to 2.3, it can be done: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/flir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown/msg839561/#msg839561

[habeeb408]

Have anyone bought new E4 lately?
Are they still shipping units with 1.2L and 2.1.0?
Any news?

Bought two from Grainger a week ago. 1.1L and 1.22 on both

What day are the calibration dates?

Also is there any solution to record streaming video from E4?
Or it is only flir tool+ ?


You can record videos using a raspberry pie: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/capturing-video-from-flir-e4-to-portable-device/msg365918/#msg365918

[habeeb408]

FIXED!! For 1) connection to server error and 2)loss of MSX and other functionalities (like temp cursor) after hack:
The video I am referring to is:
1)For connection error on FireZilla: Right click on FireZilla > Run as Administrator > Take battery out of E4 > Put battery Back >Start E4 >Connect Cable > RFID Select (cam info then hold right button 10 secs)>login (1:15 in this video) = Tadaa!! (hopefully!)
2)For Loss of functions go to: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/flir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown/msg411505/#msg411505
The reason you loose functionality is because the resolution hack was UNSUCCESSFUL. Download the generator at the EEVBLOG > get conf.cfc file from FileZilla (1:32 in this video) > SAVE THIS ORIGINAL FILE SOMEPLACE SAFE > copy conf.cfc onto the generator folder you just downloaded (where cfc_generator and other files are) > run cfc_generator >follow the directions (you just have to upload the original conf.cfc file to the generator and click the steps in the generator until you have the new made file) > follow video from 4:32 (rename original file and change new file name to conf.cfc before dragging onto firezilla)> ALL DONE!! PLEASE UP VOTE SO IT HELPS OTHERS!!?

[quadrobro]

Hi guys, I've followed this thread on and off for about a year now and am ready to pull the trigger. After catching up a bit, it appears the downgrade isn't the best method, which begs the question, what version is ideal to hack for greatest ease and functionality?

[kultakala]

Hi Guys,

Today i got my E4. It is E4 1.2L with SW 2.11.0.
It took me 4 hours to apply the hacks...  only because it took me so long to get and install a win7 32 bit and set all up in a virtual box 

The hacks were working fine and it took only about 15 minutes.
I followed the instructions for 2.3.0 but with using the hack files from post #7788, thanks to 2lps.

And of course thanks for all people involved in making this posible 

The images look good and everything works good.
Btw, this is in my calib.rsc > .calib.nrdp.ds250C_we_ap_fi_le.measureInfo.temporalMk double 13.134015

Greetings from Germany!

[2lps]

Mine is as follows (bought from a German seller):

Model: E4 1.2L
Serial Number: 6397****
Part Number: 63901-0101
Software: 2.11.0
Calibration  date: 22 Feb 2016

.calib.nrdp.ds250C_we_ap_fi_le.measureInfo.temporalDu double 1.1954776
.calib.nrdp.ds250C_we_ap_fi_le.measureInfo.temporalMk double 13.062092

I converted the dead pixel map to a .png (see https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/flir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown/msg343464/#msg343464).
 
There are 132 dead pixels out of 76800, which gives 99.832% functional pixels. According to this post from Fraser https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/flir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown/msg343716/?topicseen#msg343716, 99.8% is the spec for the the cheaper sensors.

[iG0R]

Hi, colleagues.
I got my E4 with the following characteristics:
Model: E4 1.2L
Serial Number: 6397****
Part Number: 63901-0101
Software: 2.11.0
Calibration  date: 8 Apr 2016

But I faced with one problem - when i'm trying to enter into the camera with username: flir and password: 3vlig i'm getting the error: "Error 530 bad username/password"
Anything can be advised on this?

[Chanc3]

Hi, colleagues.
I got my E4 with the following characteristics:
Model: E4 1.2L
Serial Number: 6397****
Part Number: 63901-0101
Software: 2.11.0
Calibration  date: 8 Apr 2016

But I faced with one problem - when i'm trying to enter into the camera with username: flir and password: 3vlig i'm getting the error: "Error 530 bad username/password"
Anything can be advised on this?

What program are you using?