FLIR PM695/595 Teardown/ PC Connectivity / Firmware modifications

[Chanc3]

I would definitely be interested in seeing how you progress with your 3D casings!

As for the camera codes, I only have a hardcopy (and cannot find anything else online), so I'll scan it in when I'm next in the office. I doubt it'll be any trouble if I share it with a few others
 

[Fraser]

All camera commands are listed in the FLIR SC3000 user manual that may be downloaded from FLIR after registration. IIRC, they are also in the Agema Toolkit IC2 DIG16 developers guide, found in the AGEMA legacy technical documents area.

 http://flir.custhelp.com/app/account/fl_downloads/session/L3RpbWUvMTQzMTE2MjI2Ny9zaWQvUHlURGVVbG0%3D

FLIR has an excellent legacy document and software repository. Well worth a good look.

Aurora

[Fraser]

Hint:

To open FLIR PM series battery shells, just take a small tack hammer and use it to tap the seam where the two haves meet. Do this all along the seam and it will split. It takes practice to know hard to hot the seam but it works well 

Aurora

[andyf]

Aurora-I am impressed by your knowledge of the PM series of cameras. I have a 695 that was not used for a while and I think the internal battery has now failed. Although the camera is now working I had to reset date, time etc but crucially have now lost all of the colour palettes.
Do you agree that this is an internal battery fault and that it can be repaired?
Thanks

[Fraser]

The colour palettes are not held in the Dallas RTC memory. That is an unusual issue that I have not come across before.

The Dallas RTC used in the PM695 holds time and date information, hence the need to re set those if it's battery fails. The good news on that front is that the RTC Module used is the POWERCAP version. You can buy new POWERCAP battery modules quite cheaply. I bought mine from Farnell. You kust I clip the cap and snap on the new one. It is also possible to take the small PCB out of the POWERCAP and solder a new tag type lithium button cell onto it. Very user friendly compared to the older potted RTC modules.

Can't help on the loss of palettes at the moment though. Weird fault though as loss of palettes due to firmware data corruption would normally mean loss of camera functionality. The firmware in the PM695 is held on an Intel flash chip that I have yet to directly access so I cannot comment on how to interrogate the firmware.

I love these cametas so consider them always worth repairing, but sadly they are extremely expensive to get repaired by FLIR. They are professional quality unit's after all. As I was told by the FLIR tech...... Mercedes quality means Mercedes spare parts and servicing prices.

Best Wishes

Fraser

[andyf]

Thanks for your input Fraser.
Would you consider having a look at it for me (for a fee of course), replace the battery and see if anything can be done re firmware?
Thanks

[Fraser]

My iPad doesn't show me your country. Please advise where you are located.

The PM695 is liable to strict ITAR controls as it is 60fps military grade thermal imaging hardware. Sadly shipping it between countries is a nightmare.

If you are in the UK I would be willing to fit a new POWERCAP to your camera and investigate the loss of palettes. I am non commercial but do the odd repair for a small fee to cover my time. I am retired but have a comprehensively equipped modern electronics repair lab. I also reverse engineered the PM series camera PCBs so have schematics to use in their repair. PM me to discuss further.

Fraser

[Chanc3]

That's very generous of you Fraser (FYI Andy is in the UK).

I still haven't revisited the faulty solenoid issue, although I will be taking a look at it when things have quietened down at the new office.

I managed to get hold of a load of old PM6xx/5xx series batteries - about 20 of them, so if anyone wants to experiment with them, let me know and I'll happily send you some for the cost of postage.

[Fraser]

Hi Chanc3

Yes my life is starting to return to normal so I hope to be able to carry out the odd repair now and then. 2015 was a very bad year for me health wise, but hopefully 2016 will be better.

If you get stuck on the PM cameras solenoid, I will be happy to provide any help that I can. I always have at least one pM series camera dismantled if you need any pictures.

I have been considering doing more thermal camera repair work as it is a niche market. The trouble is the lack of schematics and OEM co-operation. I may still do some small scale repair service though.

With regard to PM series batteries. I have been surprised at their failure rate. They seem to have a very hard life, as second hand ones seem to have virtually no capacity left in them. I have to wonder if FLIR's fast charger is to blame. I have considered building batteries by sandwiching the cell pack between PCB panels as I do not have enough complete batteries.

If you are willing to share some of your batteries, that would be much appreciated.

Best Wishes for 2016

Fraser

[Chanc3]

Can certainly spare a few! Just need to check it's all good to send and what the PO requirements are for sending batteries in the post (something like 2 or 3 to a box). How many would you like?

[Chanc3]

So I cracked out my PM 675 today to discover that the display is utterly dead. 10 minutes later and I had identified the likely cause, however I have no idea what it is, what I should be searching for and if it can even be replaced.





Can anyone help me identify what it is? I'm hoping Fraser can help!

Once I've checked this, I can go on replacing the RTC etc to fully convert this US camera to UK

[Fraser]

Hi Chanc3,

That is a common point of failure but sadly yours is in a worse state than many. The damaged item is the high tension transformer that provides the high voltage step-up to drive the flat panel fluorescent tube that sits behind the LCD. From memory it is an NEC blacklight board but I doubt you can still buy it as a spare part. It's ID is BLO1301. I may be able to repair such units however.

The transformer may be recoverable if you can find the ecw ends to attach to. Its challenging work but can be done.

Fraser

[Fraser]

Correction....

The back light module is a Sanyo part. I confused its OEM with that of the PM570 EVF unit (NEC)

Sanyo details from the 2001 catalogue attached

Fraser

[Fraser]

Chanc3,

With regard to changing TV standards from NTSC to PAL.

In this modern age of multi standard monitors I have not bothered to change mine.

Please be aware that the FLIR PM series camera EVF is mono standard and is either NTSC or PAL. An NTSC EVF will not work correctly with a PAL signal feed. The best that you can expect is a monochrome image. The EVF chipset is standard SONY one and can be changed to another TV standard. You will need to read the data sheets to see what needs to be changed.

Fraser

[Chanc3]

Thanks for your replies Fraser - is it possible to just replace the component? I don't really know what I should be searching for!

[Fraser]

The step up transformer is not available as a spare part as it is custom to the Sharp back light inverter board.

The only way I found to source this back light assembly is by buying JVC camcorders dating back to the late 1990's that had a colour viewfinder. JVC used the same or similar back light modules in those cameras. Later camcorders used LED backlights and they do not fit.

The PM570 uses an NEC Camcorder EVF that is just transplanted into the metal EVF case of the AGEMA camera. Later PM series cameras use a custom EVF module designed by FLIR. The PM 575, 675 and 695 all use the same FLIR designed module that contains a COTS Sony chipset/LCD combination and the Sanyo back light module.

Fraser

[Chanc3]

The step up transformer is not available as a spare part as it is custom to the Sharp back light inverter board.

The only way I found to source this back light assembly is by buying JVC camcorders dating back to the late 1990's that had a colour viewfinder. JVC used the same or similar back light modules in those cameras. Later camcorders used LED backlights and they do not fit.

The PM570 uses an NEC Camcorder EVF that is just transplanted into the metal EVF case of the AGEMA camera. Later PM series cameras use a custom EVF module designed by FLIR. The PM 575, 675 and 695 all use the same FLIR designed module that contains a COTS Sony chipset/LCD combination and the Sanyo back light module.

Fraser

That's a pain. Is there any particular model camcorder that has the compatible backlight assembly? Quite a few on eBay!

[frenky]

You could reverse engineer the circuit on that pcb to find out where 5V comes in and where much higher voltage goes out.
Then attach voltage source to that contacts and increase the voltage until you see backlight... But required voltage might be to high...

Or disassemble lcd and try to replace current back-light with leds. LCD might not be evenly lighted but it should work.

[Chanc3]

You could reverse engineer the circuit on that pcb to find out where 5V comes in and where much higher voltage goes out.
Then attach voltage source to that contacts and increase the voltage until you see backlight...
Or disassemble lcd and try to replace current back-light with leds. LCD might not be evenly lighted but it should work.

That's a lovely idea, but I have only very, very basic knowledge of electronics, so I would have great difficulty doing that!

[Fraser]

With regard to finding the model and revision of camcorder that contains the correct back light module, it is not at all easy.

JVC used several different versions of colour EVF but they all look the same from the outside ! I had to buy many old camcorders before getting the EVF version that I needed. The pictures attached show a few 'Fails' that do not contain the correct back light module. I can use them as a complete unit in the PM570 though.

Reverse engineering the back light PCB is easy as it has very few components on it. Rebuilding the transformer is more effort than it is worth. Transplanting another transformer or whole back light module is a better option. Finding the exact Sanyo back light module could take some time, effort and money as you will have to buy several JVC camcorders with no guarantee which EVF revision is used. Been there, done that !

Fraser

[Fraser]

Chanc3,

I have just gone through my stock of JVC EVF units. Sadly I have none with the correct back light board for you unit. I remember using the one I did find to repair another PM695 some time ago. I am resigned to modifying any back light boards that I need to repair in PM 575 and later cameras. It would be quite a time consuming task. The commercial cost of such work would likely lead to the camera being written off. I think even I would have to charge around £250 for such a repair.

Sorry I do not have better news.

Fraser

[Chanc3]

Hi Fraser

No problem - don't worry about it! I'll keep my eye out for any used/broken cameras that may pop up in the future. I'll drop my contact at FLIR a quick message and see if he has any luck.

Thanks for your help thus far!

[tokotak]

.........commanding the high temp filter etc, ..........

Have you finally managed to command HighTemp option? If the new range became available? Permanently?

IIRC the calibration file must be present when upgrading to HightTemp option. Wasn't it the roadblock?

By the way while putting on some lenses the manual say the calibration file necessary only for PM6xx series and not for PM5xx. Why are such limitations for a newer model?
 

[Fraser]

@tokotak,

No sadly I have yet to find a way to activate the high temp range so that it is selectable via the menu. The high temp range adds a aperture limiter in the optical path of the lens block. This acts like the closing of an IRIS. The microbolometer does not need any new calibration (unlike when its bias voltages are used to set a range) but a system offset calibration table is needed to take account of the aperture limiter.

To be honest I never pursued the high temperature mode as I have not needed it to date and I have other thermal cameras capable of such temperature measurements.

No idea on the lens calibration question. The PM series cameras auto detect which auxiliary lens is fitted by reading small magnets in the lens rear using three HAL effect sensors in the cameras mount. The correction tables are already present in the cameras firmware and no further calibration is normally required.

Fraser