Hikvision DS-2TP31 series Thermal Camera Teardown

[Fraser]

The Patient : Hikvision DS-2TP31 series, working but subject of a Teardown

The Task : To teardown the camera and assess its design, quality and potential for reconfiguration.

Will there be pictures ? .... you bet there will 

Can the Fever Detection camera version be changed to the standard model with greater temperature measurement capability ? ..... Maybe, we will have to see.


Background:

I recently highlighted that a chap on eBay is selling the Hikvison DS-2TP31B Fever Detection cameras for an excellent price of around £60 plus £10 postage. (he is still selling them) So for £70 you get a camera that normally retails at around £1K ! A bargain ? Well that very much depends upon whether the camera still provides what you need. It has to be a good fit to your tasking otherwise it would be better to buy something like a UTi260B or the lower resolution but lower cost UTi120S. More about what the Hikvision camera offers in terms of temperature measurement later.

I was interested in the DS-2TP31B camera as I wanted to know how the claimed measurement accuracy of +/-0.5C between 30C and 45C had been achieved. I was also interested to know what imaging core the camera contained as its 160 x 120 pixel resolution did not seem to fit the current market favourites from Infiray (IRAY) or Guide Sensmart. I doubted that the core was a FLIR Lepton and some investigation suggested that it is most likely a Hikvision 'in-house' core.

I now have the opportunity to look inside the DS-2TP31B camera and the owner has given me permission to document the teardown on this forum  I am pessimistic with regard to reconfiguring the cameras firmware as I suspect this Fever Detection camera may differ in hardware to that of the standard DS-2TP31 model in order to achieve the greater measurement accuracy. I will see what I can discover in the OS though. This camera needs to still be working when I return it to its owner so I am limited in how far I can go with a teardown and changes to the firmware. I need to be careful with it !

So without further comment, lets get to the teardown.

The first question asked by many who look at this and the Uni-T cameras is "how do I open the casing ?" The answer is... with care and patience ! These cameras usually have a number of hidden screws securing the case halves. There are normally at least two screws in the bottom of the handle, hidden behind rubber covers, and a number of screws hidden behind the LCD display window. The display window is normally attached to the cameras case with the same sort of strong double sided tape used on mobile phone screens. To remove the plastic display screen you need to warm its perimeter with a hair dyer whilst taking great care to not overheat and warp the screen plastic or camera casing. A screen removal sucker is then used to pull on the plastic screen to lift part of it away from the camera casing. A plastic screen separator (looks like a guitar plectrum) is then inserted between the plastic screen and camara case. Another separator is then used to move along the perimeter of the screen, lifting it away from the casing. Reheating of the adhesive will be needed as you go to allow it to release its grip. The whole plastic screen will come away without damage and the case securing screws will be revealed behind. Place the plastic screen on some 'easy release non stick paper' as found on the rear of shipping labels etc. the adhesive tape will then be re-useable 

In the pictures that follow, you will see the hidden screw locations on the Hikvision DS-2TP31B camera and the locations will likely be similar on the Uni-T and Infray cameras. There were no plastic case clips on the Hikvision camera which was nice to see as such can be a pain to release.

To the pictures now and I will comment on the design at the end.

Fraser

[Fraser]

The teardown begins.......

[Fraser]

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[Fraser]

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[Fraser]

So what do I think of the build quality ?

I am pleased to say that this is a nicely made camera and I was especially pleased to see extensive use of brass screw inserts in the plastic casing as these are often deleted from a design at the cost reduction phase. The trigger design is well thought through and well engineered. There is a complex rubber cover over the trigger switch to protect it from moisture and dust ingress. Nce to see 
The PCB quality is excellent and I see no evidence of cost reduction being applied to the quality of electronic components used in the camera. Note the use of quality Coilcraft inductors. The main processor is not easily identified from its markings but may be an original part of a cheaper Chinese clone.

The microbolometer assembly is a bespoke Hikvision part and is not a 3rd party core. The microbolometer is securely mounted on a quality PCB within a two part metal chassis that also acts as a heatsink via a metal 'finger' projection that contacts the rear of the microbolometer via thermal transfer paste. There is a temperature sensor IC mounted on the front of the metal microbolometer module chassis adjacent to the FFC shutter. The close proximity of this sensor to the FFC shutter assembly is intended to provide an accurate measurement of the FFC shutter temperature for calibration of the the cameras temperature measurement system. An accurate measurement of the FFC shutter temperature is essential in a Fever Detection thermal camera that produces accurate measurements of the target. Any error at this point will be introduced into the measurements of the camera as the FFC shutter behaves like a Blackbody temperature reference in this camera.

The metal microbolometer modele chassis is clearly designed to be used in different configurations as it can accomodate a laser marker and a different type of FFC shutter that uses a rotary solenoid actuator rather than than the linear movement type used in this Fever Detection camera. The standard DS-2TP31 camera model incorporates a laser pointer that could not be accommodated with the tall linear FFC shutter design. To fit a laser pointer assembly, the rotary solenoid type FFC shutter would be needed. So why use the linear shutter design on the Fever Detection camera version ? I can only assume that the temperature reference accuracy of the enclosed FFC shutter is superior to that of the free air FFC flag. There is definitely some technical thought and drive behind this design 

In precis, I cannot fault the design of this camera. It is a joy to dismantle and has a feel of qaulity engineering about it. Granted it is not in the same class as high end thermal imaging cameras, but compared to the Uni-T thermal cameras, it is a superior design.

Fraser
   

[Fraser]

For comparison purposes, the Uni-T UTi220A Pro (Believed to be the UTi260B under a different number). Note the lack of brass inserts in the casing plastics  Compare the PCB's as well.


Just some points to note about the UTi220A Pro :

1. The Lithium Battery is a 2 wire connection so no thermal monitoring, unlike the DS-2TP31 design which is 4 wire.
2. The Trigger acts on a main PCB mounted switch rather than on a separate PCB as in the DS-2TP31 design. Not a big deal.
3. The thermal window is not fixed into the casing. I prefer the window to be well sealed to the casing.
4. I cannot see a metal chassis temperature sensor in the images so the sensor is likely mounted on the PCB for simplicity of build.
5. I am not a fan of the visible light camera being mounted on the microbolometers heatsink as these cameras can produce heat that effectively transfers to the microbolometer assembly.

The Uni-Trend UTi220A Pro appears to have had an effective cost reduction process applied to it that has reduced the cost of the cameras production. That does NOT mean that the UTi220A Pro is not a good camera ! This is just a comparison of the two camera designs... one oozes good engineering whilst the other is more typical of what to expect at the budget end of the market as production cost reduction is key to low retail price and being competitive in the marketplace.

Fraser

Note:- These images are borrowed from this thread....
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/uti220a-pro(uti260b)-disassembly/
These pictures are the property of "c1400700226" and this is acknowledged.

[Fraser]

So back to the Hikvision DS-2TP31B camera.......

What about its firmware ?

From what I can tell from my brief examination of the firmware it has been 'tweaked' to offer the following for Fever Detection.....

1. The measurement range is specified as +30C to +45C but the camera actually measures from +25C to +50C
2. Measurement accuracy is stated as +/-0.5C compared to the +/-2C of the standard DS-2TP31 model.
3. The image displays <+25C or >=50C when out of measurement range but the image is correctly spanned to cover the full temperature range present in the scene between -20C and +150C.
4. The saved images contain the full radiometric data of the scene within the -20C to +150C
5. Saved images may be analyzed in the free Hikvision iVMS-4800 image analysis software without the Fever Detection measurement limitations.
6. The low sensitivity range providing 0C to +550C measurement is not active on the Fever Detection version of the camera.
7. There appears to be some form of thermal image stacking being used in the fever Detection camera to improve performance. This impacts frame rate and is very obvious if the camera i panned across a scene.
8. The firmware may be upgraded by adding the "Digicap.dav" firmware file to the Micro SD card root. The camera finds the file at boot, installs the update and then deletes the file from the card. The update file is of approximately 5MB in size.
9. The firmware file for the standard and Fever Detection versions of the camera are the same but the behaviour of the firmware is defined by other means. This is likely an ID check upon installation of new firmware or fixed configuration files on the camera.
10. Access to the OS is not possible via the USB port as that is configured as a bulk memory device.
11. There appears to be an engineering port on the cameras main PCB (JD3) This may be an UART serial port and will be investigated. If it is a UART port, OS access may be possible. JD3 may indicate a Diagnostic role for the connector ?
12. I expect the camera to be running a compact embedded system version of Linux.

Fraser

[Fraser]

The chipset used in the DS-2TP31 B camera:

1. HK 2015- 6 : SOC of unknown ID. Likely an ARM Cortex based SOC (Possibly a Amberella SOC as Hikvision use their IC’s in IP cameras)

2. Trion T20F169 : Advanced FPGA IC

3. Winbond 25M512JVE : 512Mb (2x256Mb) Serial NOR MCP Flash Memory

4. BQ24295 : I2C controlled 3A single Lithium Ion cell charger

[Fraser]

I have captured the cameras boot sequence via the serial port 

As hoped, the 4 pin connector, marked JD3, is a UART Serial port. From top down, the pinout is +3V3, UART Serial In (3V3), UART Serial Out (3V3), 0V. The data settings are 115200 Baud 8,n,1.

The UART Serial output presents the boot process and then repeatedly reports that it is looking for an IP Address 

The boot sequence reveals that the unknown SoC IC is the Huawei Hi3518 HD IP Camera SoC. 

https://cdn.hackaday.io/files/19356828127104/Hi3518%20DataSheet.pdf

The OS is Huawei LiteOS Linux.

A cursory look at the boot listing did not reveal any obvious accessing of configuration files that could configure the camera for Fever Detection duties. What did surprise me was how untidy the boot sequence is. Just look at all the errors that are reported. Many appear to be due to missing hardware of software. A bit like a standard generic Linux build that was set up for a task but the unused boot elements were left in place. 

I attach the boot record in PDF and .txt format in case it is of interest.

The beginning of the Boot sequence is reproduced here:

System startup

U-Boot 2010.06-788427 (Mar 27 2020 - 11:37:08)

SPI Nor:"W25M512JV", Block:64KB, Chip:64MB

Hit Ctrl+u to stop autoboot:  0

booting from pri part...
Load kernel to 0x81800000 ... Done!
## Booting kernel from Legacy Image at 81800000 ...
   Image Name:   LiteOS-0.1.0-e2
   Image Type:   ARM Linux Kernel Image (lzma compressed)
   Data Size:    5074736 Bytes = 4.8 MiB
   Load Address: 80008000
   Entry Point:  80008000
   Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK

Starting kernel ...


Fraser

[Flukav]

Hello Fraser,
Thank you very much for this teardown and the log file.
By any chance, can you identify the connector and protocol used for the screen?

[tisher]

Any news with configuration file unlock?
Other Hikvision thermal camera use ftp for access
http://ftp.hikvision.ru/01.%20Firmware/01.%20Hikvision/10.%20Thermal/2.%20How%20to/07%20System/

And...
http://ftp.hikvision.ru/01.%20Firmware/01.%20Hikvision/10.%20Thermal/2.%20How%20to/07%20System/How%20to%20get%20thermal%20information%20by%20serial%20port.pdf

Or we can try to repack firmware with some changes
https://ipcamtalk.com/threads/hikvision-firmware-tools-change-language-extract-files-and-create-own-firmware.2664/

[Fraser]

Flukav,

The connector is a standard ZIF type and the boot record includes the ID of the LCD controller IC within the LCD panel. IIRC the protocol was MIPI but I will need to check.

I will add the LCD connector pin count and internal controller ID here later as I do not have it to hand.

Fraser

[Fraser]

Tisher,

The other firmware access that you detail is for IP cameras that naturally have an easy access port into the cameras OS. The handheld camera does not offer network connectivity and the firmware fails to find network connectivity hardware in its boot sequence.

I was thinking the same regarding modifications to the firmware and uploading a modified version to the camera. I have not tried the firmware modification tool yet. The issue will be whether the firmware in the handheld camera is close enough to that used in the IP cameras to be compatible with the firmware tools.

Note that it is not a special firmware version that sets the characteristics of the camera. The standard ‘non Fever Detection’ camera firmware will install on the Fever Detection Camera but once installed, it’s configuration is set for Fever Detection. Either the firmware installation process configures the update as it is being installed, or the firmware is standard and reads something inside the camera as it boots to configure it for Fever Detection duties. This is why I studied the boot log but nothing to configure the camera was found. I suspect there is an ID somewhere in the camera that is read by the firmware but I do not know where yet. To revert the Fever Detection camera to a standard configuration may require editing of the Cameras internal ID, if such exists, or editing of the firmware to set standard firmware operation when it sees a Fever Detection Camera ID.

The standard camera firmware was not on the Hikvision web site but I found it in the Hikmicrotech site. The cameras true hardware platform name is “E1L”

https://www.hikmicrotech.com/en/download/5

Fraser

[Fraser]

The LCD display COG controller is an ST7789V. The boot log makes reference to a MIPI interface protocol so the LCD protocol could be MIPI ?

https://www.newhavendisplay.com/appnotes/datasheets/LCDs/ST7789V.pdf

Fraser

[tisher]

and here
http://ftp.hikvision.ru/01.%20Firmware/01.%20Hikvision/10.%20Thermal/1.%20Firmware/
"2TP Handheld Series" ?

[Fraser]

Tisher,

Interesting, that firmware link you just shared is for a 2TP31 with a hardware ID of “E2L” That firmware is also older than the Fever Detection camera firmware that was loaded on my test camera. 2019 vs 2020

I shall have to investigate.

[tisher]

Any good news?
i try to decrypt digicap.dav file with know tools but no success for now

https://ipcamtalk.com/threads/mcr-hikvision-packer-unpacker-for-5-3-x-and-newer-firmware.15710/

[Fraser]

With regret other tasking has taken priority and I have Not had time to look further into the firmware side of this camera yet.

Fraser

[knedit]

Anything new on being able to give these units more capabilities? they seem identical physically and with more of them showing up on ebay this is likely going to have more demand.

[Fraser]

Sadly nothing to report on the firmware front. From what I understand of the design, it is using Busybox with Hikvision specific code overlayed. Hikvision are not the tidiest of programmers so the camera firmware may be vulnerable to modification, but Hikvision have made life difficult by using encryption

These cameras are currently locked into a fever detection specification and image processing mode, with no easy way to change that configuration. Installing the standard firmware package does nothing as the firmware just configures itself as a fever detection version   I would need to spend a lot of time reverse engineering the accessible code in the camera and sadly I am engaged in higher priority tasking at the moment. I will PM you the current situation for me.

[daisizhou]

Hi Do you have a plan to recompile the firmware to make the measurement range larger, suitable for maintenance and inspection PCB or other plans?
If it can be turned into infrared detection use, it will be a cheap test tool

[Fraser]

Sadly no plans at the moment. Decompiling the firmware is likely beyond my skill set as I am a hardware tech and not a coder

You are quite correct though… this would make a bargain purchase if it can be reverted to the standard DS-2TP31 version with twin temperature ranges and disablement of the image stacking feature.

As supplied, the fever detection version is a very accurate at Radiometric thermal camera covering the measurement range 25C to 50C. Such would be useful to a Veterinary practitioner and wayyyy cheaper than dedicated Vet cameras  The displayed and saved images are not temperature range limited and will show all temperatures in the range -20C to +150C. It is only the on-board measurement feature that is limited in this respect. To measure the pixel temperatures outside the Fever range, you have to look at ten saved image using the free image analysis software. At £70, delivered, I still find this well made thermal camera to be a bargain  It’s measurement accuracy without the use of a fixed temperature reference is truly impressive. Hikvision clearly put Some decent thought into how to achieve better accuracy through a combination of temperature calibration , hardware and firmware improvements.

Fraser

[daisizhou]

This kind of tester for measuring temperature, the most critical indicators are temperature drift and interference.
Is it out of range especially when measuring in sunlight and when measuring in an air-conditioned room.
The experience of using Uni-T is very poor.
Now many places are using infrared thermometers to test body temperature due to new virus testing, but there is a big error in this measurement.They're just there to get the job done, not to measure everyone's temperature accurately。looks like a scam.
Only through a lot of long-term use, see how the stability works.
If it is indeed stable and accurate, it is meaningful to improve

[Fraser]

Hikvision cleverly incorporated a very accurate FFC shutter design that is used as a calibration reference for the microbolometer measurement process. The standard DS-2TP31 camera uses a conventional “free air” open FFC flag that is vulnerable to temperature errors at the point of flag temperature measurement. Image stacking also appears to have been employed but I do not know the exact purpose of this except to create an average sample for measurement.

I totally agree that the use of thermal imaging cameras was a mixture of science and ‘wishful thinking’ It is very difficult to accurately measure a human's core temperature at a distance, using a thermal camera.That is a topic that has been covered before on this forum though. What impressed me with ten DC-2TP31B  was that the design had been enhanced in hardware and firmware to provide meaningful non contact measurements of good accuracy. How accurate the camera is over the full range of ambient temperature, I have not tested. Like some thermal camera manufacturers, Hikvision realised that a weakness in many modern budget thermal cameras was the thermal differential between the FFC flag and the temperature sensor used to enter mine it’s surface temperature. An error in this measurement is transferred to ten measurement system and introduces that error into it. Hikvision positioned a small temperature sensor in a ‘garage’ that reps the FFC shutter at a stable temperature away from air currents. The sensor obtains a reasonable measurement of the shutters surface temperature as a result. Nice idea  As the the accuracy of any master reference for temperature….. that is not known to me at this time. I can say that my test DS-2TP31B easily met the stated specification of measurement accuracy when tested against a Professional Blackbody of known accuracy and emissivity. The permitted error was +/-0.3C between 30C and 45C. My sample unit had an error of +0.1C at 40C in an ambient of 21C and this level of error starts to challenge the accuracy of the Blackbody so an error can be in the cameras measurement, or the Blackbody control loop/deviation etc.

[Tim Foo]

Before you open up your UTi260B watch this first https://youtu.be/1yYN5GsLT3w

This morning my UTi260B overheated during charging.  I always monitor my USB charging and it went to something like 3.5A!  That's what trigger my interest. 

After disconnecting the charger, I placed the unit in a safer location (outdoors) as a precaution against any possibility of the unit going up in flames.  Some spots are hot to the touch.  The hottest spot is near the (finger) trigger switch is in excess of 54°C, measurement done with an IR Thermometer about 20 min after disconnection.  It took me a bit of time to recompose myself after moving the unit. 

5 hours latter after letting the unit to cool down, as expected that unit wouldn't startup. 

I would now recommend everyone to exercise caution when charging thier UTi260Bs.  It may be sensible to place the unit in some place where any fire dammage can be controlled in case the battery chargging goes wrong.

I will attempt opening the unit up very soon.

Meanwhile I am open to any advice. 

[vip23]

Hello. Found this menu, maybe it will help. Back button three times, up once.

[nikitasius]

Some folks selling it 600€
The 31B model 🤣🤣

[Fraser]

The DS-2TP31B model was a higher priced version of the DS-2TP31 aka E1 camera. The cost was likely due to the “COVID-19” effect on pricing and also the specialist nature of the camera. Whilst it is true that I bought several brand new DS2TP31B cameras at only £60 each, that was just one of those bargains that I stumbled across as the Pandemic began to recede and also people realised that thermal cameras were not the panacea to COVID-19 detection that they once thought they were. I have not seen that great price repeated. I believe it was a surplus dealer who had bought a large number of units and was just dumping them onto the market. He said as much to me and claimed I would never find a lower price.

It is true that the DS-2TP31B has a limited temperature measurement range but thankfully it still offers the full high sensitivity range for the actually imaging that it produces. It is still perfect for things like PCB repair where you are looking for the hot component when injecting a voltage. For £60 they were an absolute bargain. Added to that, they are very accurate for measurements between +20C and +50C which is still a useful range. They also lend themselves to spotting wildlife in the garden. I would think that they would be great for VET work as well as VETS are looking for soft tissue issues that fall within the cameras measurement capabilities.

It does not surprise me that some of these DS-2TP31B cameras are still for sale at high prices. They were not cheap to buy into stock and some dealers are trying to recover their investment so advertise them at cost of higher. They likely hope for another peak in Covid-19 events that might stimulate sales again. I will not knock someone for trying to recover their investment. Some sellers on eBay may have seen the original RRP and are thinking the cameras are still worth that sort of money. The market price of this specialist version of the DS-2TP31 is highly unstable and there are bargains to be had 

I just bought the DS-2TP21B which is the bigger brother to the 31B. It is the COVID-19 fever detection version of the HikMicro M10 camera. Still 160 x 120 pixels, but a more capable camera with manual focus, touch screen, Wireless connectivity, video recording, many measurement functions,  decent IFOV and it actually measures from 0C to +100C (tested by me). That has turned out to be a really nice thermal camera that is perfect for PCB work etc. I bought it, new in its hard case with two batteries, a desk charger and power supply for only £220. There is another of these cameras on eBay UK at the moment for £300. Still not a bad price for what it offers the user. The RRP on the DS-2TP21B was over 7000 Euros    It can now be bought from UK dealers for prices ranging from just over £1.5K to £3K. The prices were highly inflated during the Pandemic.

https://www.conrad.com/p/hikvision-ds-2tp21b-6avfw-ir-camera-30-up-to-45-c-160-x-120-pixel-wi-fi-fever-detection-2251776

Fraser

[Fraser]

Link to the DS-2TP21B auction.

Consider the specification carefully and make your own decision on whether it offers value for money in the current market. I like mine, but that is because it meets my needs. Your needs may be different !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256066753767?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=PxmtoXM_Ryu&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=BgpdXaaLSkK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

He is asking £300 or offers. I tried £200 and it was declined. I believe he will more likely accept something like £280.

I have no connection to the seller or the camera they are offering.

Fraser

[Fraser]

The next cheapest price I found on eBay was £549. To me that is getting into serious money for the resolution offered and I would not consider it a bargain at that price. Another seller on eBay UK wants £3.3K for this camera !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234831838047?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=P_cEFmGMRQy&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=BgpdXaaLSkK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234476142785?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=L7ng4TgNRhG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=BgpdXaaLSkK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Fraser]

A refurbished HikMicro M10 that has the full measurement range plus torch and laser function active is available for £779….

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235130267978?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=v18jirrrqzq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=BgpdXaaLSkK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Still serious money for a 160 x 120 pixel camera though. I provide these prices only as a guide to the market price and to show the great price variation across the market.

There are bargains to be had but you need to keep your eyes open to spot them before some else does.

[Fraser]

I am not going to defend the RRP of COVID-19 fever detection versions of thermal cameras but there may be some justification in the higher prices beyond just the specialist nature of the camera version and market demand at a time of crisis.

I recently saw a comment on a UK thermal camera dealers site detailing the two available purchase options…… Ex Factory and Calibration Checked. The comment stated that thermal cameras come out of the factory without a calibration certificate as the factory production processes normally provide a camera that makes measurements that fall within its stated tolerances. It was stated that this was a belief of compliance and accuracy, rather than a proven fact….. just like CE marking ! The dealer stated that where the measurements of a cameras measurements need to be of known, proven accuracy, a calibration check and associated certificate is available at additional cost.

With the above in mind, it is plausible that the Covid-19 fever detection cameras with their claimed enhanced measurement accuracy of +/- 0.5 Celsius (+/- 0.3 Celsius if a Blackbody is used) tolerance may have undergone enhanced calibration at the time of production to ensure accuracy. Such calibration can be time consuming so additional cost of production may result. I have no insight into the production of the fever detection versions of cameras beyond noting the hardware enhancements that were employed to improve measurement accuracy.

As a side note, the DS-2TP21B provides a measurement calibration enhancement option in the menu. The camera is pointed at a known accurate Blackbody with Emissivity, distance and temperature known, and a measurement calibration correction is stored. A nice feature to have and one not offered on the DS-2TP31B camera. Such a user accessible feature would be great on all thermal imaging cameras that are capable of taking temperature measurements.

[Fraser]

To show how times have changed….I was watching an auction for a Guide IR T120H COVID-19 fever detection camera as the priced dropped over time. The camera is from the guide IR entry level series so is pretty basic. The resolution is 120 x 90 pixels provided by the Guide Sensmart TIM120 core. The “H” version firmware is heavily modified and offers two modes of operation to detect Fever in humans….. Portrait mode and bulk surveillance mode (my terms, not Guide’s). The portrait mode provides the outline of a face that the user must align with the person being tested. The bulk surveillance mode is more like a normal thermal camera and the measurement function highlights hottest target in view. The temperature measurement range is restricted to improve accuracy. Sadly only one colour palette is available and it is tuned fir fever detection

I saw that the T120H that I was watching had dropped to £80 on eBay. Some years ago I would have bought that in the blink of an eye…. But not any more. My analysis of that camera was that it’s 120 x 90 pixels was a serious restriction on its usefulness when the wide FOV lens was also considered. The fact that there was only the one colour pallet was a real downer for me, and this was a very basic camera that may be purchased from China for around £200 in its normal T120 general use format. I considered £80 too much to pay for a thermal camera with such limitations. The market has virtually exploded with affordable thermal imaging cameras so we can afford to be picky when it comes to hunting for bargains

Someone bought the £80 T120H camera after it being listed for many weeks. Their use case may mean that it was an excellent buy for them. I certainly hope so. That camera could be used for PCB work if a close up lens were fitted. £80 is not much to pay for the benefit that a thermal camera provides when examining faulty laptops etc. Absolute temperature measurements are less important than seeing hot spots worthy of further investigation.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295942607142

Some may recall that I bought two camera modules from Dahua fever detection tablet kiosks. The seller did not know what they were and I took a risk that the cores within the metal casings might be useful. It turned out that the two metal camera cases contained the Guide IR MobIR AIR USB C thermal camera Dongles. They contain the same TIMO 120 core as the T120H camera. The cameras work with a mobile phone but are the fever detection model so need the fever detection APP for accurate temperature measurements. They work with the standard MobIR AIR APP but measurements are incorrect. Each of those Dahua camera modules cost me only £18.

As a warning though….. I have investigated other Fever Detection kiosk solutions and determined that they use sensors like the Melexis MLX series that provide resolutions of only 32 x 24 pixels, or even less, with a slow response time. Be careful what you buy …. Do your research !

Fraser

[nikitasius]

Thanks for info Fraser 👍
But i still wanna find 17um hikvision for less than 80€ 😁
It's kind of fun, négociations etc.

[nikitasius]

Just got brandnew 31B for 80€ + 7€ (delivery & insurance).
Well, lets see next week if it's match the description, online is always risky 😁

[nikitasius]

Here is my  Hikvision DS-2TP31B-3AUF   

Thanks Fraser to show me this pearl, it's awesome camera!

And for 87€ (delivery included) it rocks!


Here is gdrive https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Meb7P2H3lyOa8La_MXdfiYTKUNFuYO-3


Upd: compared 17μm pixel w/ 12μm  w/ hand on the wall
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NP0NU7LH1SF9pdlrSCEn-YjvY02wud7L/view

[nikitasius]

Well, even if it display 25-45 range in UI it saves full range.
On last picture it's a tea from Tefal's teapot (w/ green tea inside).
89.7°C could be pretty close to real.

All pictures i took w/ default settings

[Fraser]

Yes, I noticed that the saved images are fully radiometric and contain the full temperature range rather than the limited one shown on the display. As Bill-W commented, it is likely that the firmware was just changed to only show the Fever Scanning range of temperatures and I hoped to modify the firmware to eliminate that restriction on measurement. Sadly Hikvision firmware updates are encrypted so I have not been able to dig into them. With regard to accuracy, I believe much of the accuracy gains come from the use of a better FFC flag as a temperature reference and likely a factory calibration that is targeted at the fever detection temperature range to achieve greatest accuracy. Such a limited range calibration sill locks the Radiance to Temperature unit curve to the values that came out of ten microbolometer ROIC at time of calibration. The accuracy at temperatures higher and lower than that restricted range will still be pretty accurate 

I really like the DS-2TP31 camera. It is well built and produces very good images co side ring it’s 160 x 120 pixel resolution. Hikvision chose wiseLy when it came to the lens FOV. From memory, the IFOV is similar to one of my 320 x 240 pixel cameras that are fitted with much wider angle lenses. I have used my camera for PCB thermal imaging and it does benefit from a close up lens and produces good imagery. That said, I recently bought the DS-2TP21B (basically a modified HikMicro M10) for £220. The 21B is also 160 x 120 pixel resolution but it has the advantage of a manual focus lens and large touch screen display The close focus capability of the 21B lens means I do not need a close up lens for PCB work  The 21B and 31B are well worth considering if found at a good price, as was the case for me and you Nikitasius I used the DS-2TP21B to diagnose a shorted MLCC in a £5000 rugged laptop this week. It makes life soooo easy  I own a FLIR E40 (upgraded to E60+) but would not hesitate to pick up the 21B, or even the 31B for a PCB repair. As a side note, it is interesting that the 21B allows the display of temperatures outside the fever detection range, yet the 31B does not.

Fraser

[nikitasius]

I've seen the forum you posted where folks discuss about modding hikvision firmwares. There almost 50+ pages to read lol 🤓
I will read next week to see where we are and is there are any progress to do w/ that firmware.

Btw here is mine (S/N photoshopped).
Aren't updated yet:
• maybe there are exploits for the old firmwares
• maybe i can make telnet working, there are option in settings but i see no telnet, ever no com via usb (like i have w/ chinese walkietalkies).

[nikitasius]

Any news with configuration file unlock?
Other Hikvision thermal camera use ftp for access
http://ftp.hikvision.ru/01.%20Firmware/01.%20Hikvision/10.%20Thermal/2.%20How%20to/07%20System/

And...
http://ftp.hikvision.ru/01.%20Firmware/01.%20Hikvision/10.%20Thermal/2.%20How%20to/07%20System/How%20to%20get%20thermal%20information%20by%20serial%20port.pdf

Or we can try to repack firmware with some changes
https://ipcamtalk.com/threads/hikvision-firmware-tools-change-language-extract-files-and-create-own-firmware.2664/

Well, just checked, it doesn't unpack E1 firmwares.
We need hik_pack by leecher which is wiped out from ipcamtalk forum. If to do easy way.

[nikitasius]

Here is our header 02KH https://ipcamtalk.com/threads/02kh-firmware-header.10313/

Here is an example about 03KH https://ipcamtalk.com/threads/you-go-hang-zhou-r6-camera-ds-2cd2x42-firmware-encoding-method.11516/

[vip23]

The time and date settings are lost. Can you tell me what battery is installed?

[Fraser]

These cameras often use a rechargeable Lithium cell so yours may just need the camera to be used to recharge the cell.

If the cell has failed (which would be surprising for these cells) you can just measure it’s dimensions and buy the nearest physical size of tagged rechargeable Lithium button cell that you can find.

https://www.sii.co.jp/en/me/battery/products/ms-lithium-2/#:~:text=OUTLINE,and%20highly%20stable%20overdischarge%20characteristics.

[Fraser]

I just checked my image archives for this camera and the cell is a "ML" series rechargeable LiMnO2 type. You just need the cells dimensions to match it to the correct cell in the series (dimensions form the part number as with non-rechargeable Lithium button cells). Useful details are provided in the Wiki page for button cells.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_cell

The cell should not have failed this soon so it would be worth checking that it is not just discharged due to a lack of use. Also check that the cells very low current trickle charging circuit is working to keep it charged whilst the camera is in use.

[Fraser]

A possible candidate for this cell….. the ML414H

https://www.sii.co.jp/en/me/datasheets/ms-rechargeable/ml414h/