Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown

[kmueho]

I can't enter the RNDIS mode.
Obviously I'm too stupid.

I went trough the menu as follows:

Settings->Device settings->Camera Information->press "right" for 10 secs->USB mode

Then I see a list of modes:
MSD
UVC
RNDIS
RNDIS and UVC
RNDIS and MSD
UVC and MSD
RNDIS, UVC and MSD

Currently selected (blue spot) is "UVC and MSD"

I moved the bar to RNDIS and pressed "Enter" (the big central button of the camera).
But the only thing which happens is that the E4 jumps back to "Model"-Menu (one level up).
When I go in usb-mode menu again nothing is changed.

I tried also all the other usb-modes but I can't change it at all.
I tried all with usb cable connection to the PC and also without.
I tried to press the enter-button for a longer time.
I tried to press the trigger for picture-taking instead.
I tried to press the "play" button instead.
I tried to press "right" or "left" instead.
I reset the camera to factory defaults and repeated all above.
But nothing works. The E4 stays in the "UVC and MSD"-mode.

Here I ran out of options and need some help...

**********************************
UPDATE: Forget about all above.
Thought I had to switch manually to RNDIS before running the fif-file.

[rob9]

One more question:

does the e4+ work as a normal uvc webcam even if i remove battery, display and buttoncable and connect the device to a smartphone/laptop via usb?

So, apparently Joe-C made some modifications to the E4 (Umbau zu V003, bottom of the page):

http://joe-c.de/pages/posts/waermebildkamera_flir_ex_umbauten_177.php

It seems like the E4 can be used without display. But it will need a battery to buffer the additional power that is needed to actuate the shutter. Buttons are still connected.

" Rest folgt später..." though, -> to be continued


Btw.: Is Flir Tools fully functional with flashed E4s? I am still unsure about it (Video-Recording via UVC and third-party-app might be working but Flir Tools seem to be more capable).

[jmaja]

What is the current recommendation for E4 to get good PCB thermal images? There is a lot of information about this and other threads about E4 lens adjustment tools, lens holders and external lenses, but it seems too big a task to go through all the 8000+ posts in this thread.

Which method is the recommended one? Which parts should be used for that? Can you buy these somewhere or do you need to find out a way to 3D print it (I would need to use a commercial one). If a lens is recommended, which lens is known to work well?

[Bud]

Then I see a list of modes:
MSD
UVC
RNDIS
RNDIS and UVC
RNDIS and MSD
UVC and MSD
RNDIS, UVC and MSD

Currently selected (blue spot) is "UVC and MSD"

Mode selection in the hidden menu is not working on E4, forget it.

[kmueho]

Hello,

meanwhile I applied the resolution patch and also the one for the menu.
The camera works great and I want to thank everybody for giving me this easy opportunity to upgrade my E4.

Today I was playing around with the Flir Tools and here I have a question:
In the "Instruments" section I can view the life stream but I can't do anything else.
There are neither any controls shown nor measurements or plots.
The camera is set to USB mode "UVC and MSD".
Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Thank you in advance...
kmueho

PS:
By the way, how can this picture been viewed 132 times as I just posted it?

[rob9]

Btw.: Is Flir Tools fully functional with flashed E4s? I am still unsure about it (Video-Recording via UVC and third-party-app might be working but Flir Tools seem to be more capable).

@kmueho
did Flir Tools work before you flashed your E4?

[BFX]

Another happy owner of "upgraded" I3 from eBay for 250EUR
And yeah something wrong is there on this PCB

[kmueho]

Btw.: Is Flir Tools fully functional with flashed E4s? I am still unsure about it (Video-Recording via UVC and third-party-app might be working but Flir Tools seem to be more capable).

@kmueho
did Flir Tools work before you flashed your E4?

Can't tell you - didn't try.
I tried Flir Tools to find out whether it's video recording function does more than simply taking a video of the screen content of the camera.
Because this is (for example) already possible with the camera app of windows 8/10.

Does anyone know whether it's (afterwards) possible to make similar changes to a video taken by Flir Tools as one can do with still pictures (changing the color palette, switch MSX on/off, etc.) ?

Thanks in advance.

[rob9]

@kmueho

 I read somewhere that hacked e4s are somehow blocked in Flir tools. The missing buttons might be a confirmation. 


Regarding the recording-function: As far as I understand standard Flir tools is not able to record any video:
http://flir.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/919/~/difference-between-flir-tools-and-flir-tools%2B

flir tools+ for around 300 bugs might be able to record radiometric videos, but I do not know if the E4/E4+ is capable of providing a radiometric videostream.




I lately read about low accuracy of the E4 at low temperature (ambience/objects). So, in case one upgrades the E4 the calibration gets even worse? Is it still possible to calibrate
the (upgraded) E4 with firmware 2.11 (calib.rsc)? If so: Please tell me how?

[rob9]

Is it possible to get UVC working on Android?  I have tried but it looks like there's a flir-specific implementation and it does not show up in Android as a basic webcam.

That is very unfortunate. hooking the e4 up to an android phone was one thing I had in mind. Can anyone confirm e4 is not working with android webcam apps?

[jmaja]

@kmueho

 I read somewhere that hacked e4s are somehow blocked in Flir tools. The missing buttons might be a confirmation. 


Regarding the recording-function: As far as I understand standard Flir tools is not able to record any video:
http://flir.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/919/~/difference-between-flir-tools-and-flir-tools%2B

I don't have any buttons with hacked E4 + newest Flir Tools. Thus I can't even "Save IR JPEGs from a live image" which should work according to that list. Is that the case also for not hacked E4? What about older Flir Tools versions?

[rob9]

@jmaja

does the e4 go into uvc mode automatically after the upgrade or does it stay in rndis mode?

[jmaja]

@jmaja

does the e4 go into uvc mode automatically after the upgrade or does it stay in rndis mode?

I don't know. How do I check that? When I plug it to the PC with USB cable, Windows start importing pictures with its onw tool. I can import them with Flir Tools as well. Then I can go to Instruments tab and connect E4  (says FLIR USB Video) and see the same image on PC I see on the E4 display.

I can't see INFRARED with ipconfig, thus it doesn't seem to be in RNDIS mode.

[rob9]

I can't see INFRARED with ipconfig, thus it doesn't seem to be in RNDIS mode.

yeah, I agree. So you tried like the person did in this video?

[jmaja]

I can't see INFRARED with ipconfig, thus it doesn't seem to be in RNDIS mode.

yeah, I agree. So you tried like the person did in this video?

Importing and modifying pictures taken earlier works OK and as in the video, but connecting Flir Tools to live stream only shows the live stream. Doesn't allow you to record the stream or even take snap shots from it.

[dlp]

I have a similar issue.
I changed my E4 to RNDIS mode but now i cant see the camera in ipconfig AND my computer doesnt recognize it when i plug into USB.
I tried reversing the RNDIS mode as per instructions but it wont work.
I'm stuck at this stage. And Flir tools doesnt recognize my camera either.

Can someone help me either reverse RDNIS or get the computer to recognize my E4 in RDNIS? 

I can't see INFRARED with ipconfig, thus it doesn't seem to be in RNDIS mode.

yeah, I agree. So you tried like the person did in this video?

[rob9]

Importing and modifying pictures taken earlier works OK and as in the video, but connecting Flir Tools to live stream only shows the live stream. Doesn't allow you to record the stream or even take snap shots from it.

Seems like via Flir Tools the E4 is not capable of doing a radiometric video stream. In this video (I assume it is not an upgraded E4) there are no buttons either:

[jmaja]

Aftern understanding a bit more about different modes I tried RNDIS and RNDIS_UVC as well. With RNDIS you get no connection with the camera using Flir Tools. With RNDIS_UVC you can get live image, but not snap shots etc. You can't import images either.

The default mode seems to be UVC_MSD.

If I have understood correctly with UVC you can get video stream of what is shown on the E4 display. So no actual measurement data, just video.

[OrBy]

If you read though some of the other topics on radiometric video streaming on the E4 - it has the interface/ability built in but when queried it does not report it so no tools can use it. Some clever people here have used a specially compiled tools on Linux to capture radiometric video from the E4. But if you want official support from FLIR for that feature your likely going to have to step up to a higher end model since it looks like they have taken steps to disable it.

If you want to just capture the screen output of the E4 - that can be done simply with any tool that supports video recording from a USB device like a webcam when in a UVC compatible mode. You can use the separate "FLIR IR Camera Player" tool but I prefer to use a simpler tool like I posted here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/capturing-video-from-flir-e4-to-portable-device/msg609274/#msg609274

[joe-c]

Yes the UVC Mode seems to have a radiometric mode, but not for FLIR Tools.

I tried the FLIR E4 as UVC Webcam on som Android devices, some of them works, but its more a thing of the App and the Kernel, not the Android device itself (if it has USB Host as well).

i have had success with get the E4 Screen over USB->Rasperry pi->Monitor.
Sadly it don't works with the Octoprint Webserver 

[Platonas]

Hi,
I bought an E4 a few days ago with firmware 2.11.
I want to upgrade it (Hack it) to E4+ but I cannot set the RNDIS mode.
I tried many times to change the default UVC and MSD but it does not change. 
Is it disabled by Flir?

Is there any other way to connect to the camera?

Regards
Platonas

Update:    I figured out the problem with RNDIS.  It is not available via the camera's menu.  I had to run the file "FlirIstallNet.exe" and load the appropriate "fif" file.
Now my camera E4 is an E4+.

Thank you 2lps for providing the solution to the 2.11 version.  A big Thanks for the people that originally found the hack that makes us happier

[papadebaer]

Hallo,
ich suche nach dem Downgrade Firmeware 2.3.0 Danke

Hi, i lock for the downgrade 2.3.0 - thanks

I have a Flir E6 - with Firmware 2.8.0 -> with update to 2.11.0 is the Menu Hack working but the Resolution hack is not working .
(Error in Line 64)

So i will try with the 2.3.0 patch but i doesn´t finde firmewaer 2.3.0.

Thank you

[korrado77]

Hello everybody!!!

I bought flir E5 few days ago, only yesterday I found that I can hack her through this forum....
I did not resist a long time...
The thermographic camera has the fw 2.11
i followed this http://fubar.gr/hacking-the-flir-e4/ , with the files indicated here https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/flir-e4-thermal-imaging-camera-teardown/msg921880/#msg921880,
res and menu hacked!  Thanks to all those who have worked for this wonderful hack!!!!!
Now everything seems to work fine except this screen appeared 2 times.
I turned off and on again.
the error is serious?
what can it be?
you advise me to put everything back the original?

I hope will be of help to other people who E5 2:11

[Samogon]

Did you try cold restart (battery removed)?

[korrado77]

Yes papadebaer,
the error is appeared in two different moments and at a distance of about one hour of each other.
still he has not appeared again.