Vevor SC240N / TopDon TC004 / InfiRay C200 / Hisilicon HI3516DV300

[vfx_luis]

I'm still waiting for mine to show up, but in the Hisilicon Datasheet it states that the SoC has a HDMI 1.4 output (so 1080P60). Idk if the internal Screen uses that somehow, but just for the sake of it, do you think it would be possible to add an HDMI out to the camera?

Or better just stick with UVC?

[Manawyrm]

do you think it would be possible to add an HDMI out to the camera?

No, the required pins probably aren't connected to the SoC and we don't have either the HiSilicon SDK nor the InfiRay application source.
So I don't see any way of getting something like that too work. UVC will be the much better approach.

[Alibulala]

Does anyone know what is the deal with the lower resolution of the Vevor SC240 compared to the Topdon TC004 and Infiray C200?
(240x180 vs 256x192)
 Is it really a different sensor or just software locked?
Or are they selling sensors with some dead pixels under a cheaper brand name?

I´ve ordered the Vevor SC240M after I saw the Marco Reps video, but now I´m unsure if I want to keep it once it arrives, or send it back and get the Infiray or Topdon version. 

[Oreg]

Hey guys, I would like to hear your opinions on my issue with the Vevor SC240N.

I noticed that on my SC240N, the lens cover gasket was not installed properly, so it is oozing out. I was afraid that the IP54 rating is not valid. So I contacted Vevor support and they answered me that the protruding part can be cut off without affecting the use. Nevertheless they offer me a significant subsequent discount (almost 30 %) due to the inconvenience.

I've been toying with the idea of doing the magnetic macro lens modification anyway and could then use the opportunity to properly install the gasket myself.
So my question to the people who have opened their camera before: In your estimation, is vevor's statement accurate or should the seal be installed properly to ensure the IP54 rating?

[JohnPi]

The firmware for the TD004 is available at https://www.topdon.com/pages/pro-down.html?fuzzy=TC004

Its readme includes:

How to Upgrade Your TC004 Device?
1. Turn on TC004, and go to Setting >> System Setting >> USB Mode to switch to the USB Disk mode.
2. Connect TC004 to your Windows computer with the supplied USB cable, then go to https://www.topdon.com/pages/pro-down?fuzzy=TC004 and download the upgrade package file (IRPT_EMD_C200SE_V1473(107)-TC004) to the root directory of the TC004 SD card.
3. Unzip the file, and rename it as "update". (See figure below).
4. Press and hold the right button of the device for 10 seconds; then press and hold the left button while still holding the right button; release both buttons until the following update page appears on the device.

[bebopdk]

The same update for the TC005(with visual camera) can be found here:

https://lenkor-plat.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com/topdon-web/information_app_file/Update%20software-TC005.zip

[JohnPi]

That's version 1.4.7.3 (103); my SC240M has a version 1.4.4 (102) Has anyone tried the TC005 firmware in a SC240M ?

[ImpulsiveJames]

Well crap, now I have to buy one.....

[Manawyrm]

Oh, that's awesome, I'm not sure how I missed that!

Thank you. I'll try to build a (no-hardware hacking required) firmware dumping image with that.

[Oreg]

I've been toying with the idea of doing the magnetic macro lens modification anyway and could then use the opportunity to properly install the gasket myself.
So my question to the people who have opened their camera before: In your estimation, is vevor's statement accurate or should the seal be installed properly to ensure the IP54 rating?

As it turns out, Vevor's statement may have been correct, as the seal is quite wide. Nevertheless, I have now installed it correctly.
I would love to unlock some more features on my SC240N like additional color palletes and video recording.

By coincidence I found a hidden menu which is partly english and partly chinese. I don't know the exact button sequence but I can trigger it sooner or later when I fiddle with the left/right buttons.
Hold left button, press right button 3x, keep right button pressed down and and press left button 3x. Repeat alternately until the menu opens.

[Fraser]

Google translate says.....

Update dat

Manual binding

Clear User table

Export Log

Get System Module ID

Update Splash screen

[Oreg]

And in the first line it says "update" badly recognizable in red font.

[zrq]

Translation of the menu:
Update
Update_dat
Manual marking of bad pixels
Clear user bad pixel table
Export logs
Get module systemID
Update start up screen/picture.

[pie314isi]

that menu is documented in the zipfiles linked above.

[pie314isi]

followup:
"Press and hold the right button of the device for 10 seconds; then press and hold the left button while still holding the right button; release both buttons until the following update page appears on the device."

[ragequit]

It seems like I have been looking in the wrong place

There is a really complex update procedure in iray_hisi_camera, but now I see the much simpler update procedure in iraytek_softer_01.

I am not certain yet, but it seems like i can just put a S90start file in the update folder on the SDcard and start the update via UI?

Can anyone confirm this before I brick my camera ?

here is the relevant function
https://paste.ofcode.org/bC8wYWgHYApgJqSudyCckw

[bap2703]

Just got a TC004.
On Win11, the camera app / vlc / obs see the camera but can't get the video.
The software from topdon, TDView, works.

I suspect some unusual encoding.
Manawyrm did you do something special to get it to work? I mean apart from completely hacking the device

[pinchies]

The ".h264" files should play in VLC fine. They are a h.264 video stream but are not packaged in the MP4 container format, so they are not very compatible with other software. To fix this, you can do a "convert" using VLC to export an MP4 file with passthrough video, and that worked well for me.

[bap2703]

I meant about the UVC streaming.

With Windows (both OBS and the native Windows 11 camera app) it works immediately.

With the TC004 that has streaming enabled by default, you still need to activate it in the menu, I can use Topdon's software to display the live video.
But any other software won't work.
Maybe Topdon's firmware has a different "encoding" of the streamed data?

[jetpad]

I have the Vevor SC240N and stupidly thought "maybe the firmware for the TC004 or TC005 will load on it". I did nothing to back up the original firmware and after performing the firmware install, of course, it just boots to the logo screen and hangs. Is this bricked for good or is there a way to reinstall the original firmware?

[Manawyrm]

Oops

Well, I do have an image of the original firmware and would be willing to share it.

Do you have serial console access already? With that you can probably recover it.

[jetpad]

Thanks, that would help a lot. I haven't opened it up yet to add the port but don't have anything to lose now.

[Honusnap]

I can see i'm not the only dumbass here 
I did it on my C200 Pro => same punition, C200 is staying on the boot screen... i guess you too have the nice TCView logo .. 

[Honusnap]

I'm in the same boat as Jetpad, if you got directions to solve this ...
I got the C200 Pro (same as Topdon TC005, well not entirely .. for sure .. i guess the systemID is different at least)

I'm all ear, what should i do ..? I think i got en FTDI somewhere, what chip do you use for USB/RS232 ?

My problem is that i got no firmware for the C200 Pro.
I got a firmware upgrade but... it's in Chinese, dunno if it's usefull to compare.. just ask me for it.

[Manawyrm]

I'm in the same boat as Jetpad, if you got directions to solve this ...

Well, not exactly directions, this might be a little hard to follow for an embedded hacking beginner, not sure how much experience you have.

The FTDI won't do the trick here, you would have to do the RS232 level conversion yourself. Much easier to buy one of the many USB to RS232.
Get a proper one like https://www.amazon.de/UGREEN-RS232-Seriell-PL2303-Chipsatz-Grau/dp/B00QUZY4UG (or similar in your region).

Then try to either solder wires or source a suitable connector for the serial port (pinout mentioned in the first post).
From there, after we have a shell, we can work out a solution to copy a fresh/original image file from an SD card to the eMMC flash.
I'm hoping that the Linux is still fine on both of your cameras and it's just the application software.
That would be ideal, because that means that we can use the Linux itself to recover the flash.

Otherwise, things get a lot more complex because we'd need to upload a new Linux image via RS232.
There's currently no Linux image which could be uploaded via RS232, so this would get a bit ugly.