Looking for software to interface an ISI Ir-Insight - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: oddbondboris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2021, 07:44:48 pm
content: I've got a broken IrInsight from everyone's favorite online auction site, it works and has heavy sensor damage, but it will not access the menus, when powering on while holding the trigger it freezes instead of going to the menus. for my purposes the sensor damage might not be a full dealbreaker, already had the thing apart and the onboard battery appears to not have corroded anything, it still even keeps timemodern smartview does not worki think flexview willsightview or sightview pro will definitely worktried digging around web archive but can't find anything useful

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2021, 11:59:35 pm
content: I own an Infrared Systems Snapshot 525 camera and looked for the Sightview software some time ago. Sadly I have had no luck at all. Good luck in your search.Think very carefully about keeping a thermal camera that has severe microbolometer damage. Prices of used cameras have dropped and there are some excellent deals available on eBay. A damaged microbolometer can really mess up a cameras auto ranging and hottest/coldest spot detection.Sadly information and software for Infrared Solutions Inc products can be very hard to find these days.Fraser

author: oddbondboris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 12:44:08 am
content: If you don't have it i doubt i'm going to find it.i'm not entirely convinced the sensor is actually damaged, the firmware is obviously corrupt and i think it's not applying the factory correction properly and reading some random data as the correction map.I figured out a lot of the interface it's pretty intuitivenone of this is case sensitiveA - displays serial ack on the screenS - Takes a snapshot and stores it in the cameraJ - shows the info from stored picture XX in hexL - downloads stored picture XX via xmodem, the resulting file is 160x120 monochrome bitmap that gimp will autodetect and openO recalibratesX averages 30 frames then pauses output on that frameZ takes one frame and pauses outputU returns to normal processing[ closes shutter] opens shutter( enables something called "FINE" no visible effect) disables "FINE"don't do this if you don't have menu access | changes palette but only through a range of fixed palettes with no way to get back to autoranging that i can findY - goes into viewer mode on the device's displaywhile in Y mode:-N and P go to the next and previous images-A shows all images in rapid sequence-D i think it should delete the current image but freezes my cameraI tried fuzzing the rest of the possible codes but nothing else seems to respond

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 12:54:42 am
content: There is an IR Insight camera for sale in the USA on eBay. If you offer to make a donation to the sellers beer fund they might send you a copy of the files on the CD ? The seller is more likely to respond to such a request from a fellow American citizen.https://www.ebay.com/itm/Infrared-Solutions-IR-InSight-Thermal-Imaging-Camera-complete-W-Software-case/174575180772?hash=item28a57ddbe4:g:1C8AAOSw2x5f6h0CThank you for detailing the commands that you have foundFraser

author: oddbondboris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 04:19:47 pm
content: found ithttp://web.archive.org/web/20060311105057/http://www.infraredsolutions.com/resources/SightView2.0.7/setup.exe

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 04:45:52 pm
content: Excellent workI always check the internet archive so must have missed this software archive page.Many Thanks for sharing the URLFraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 05:14:02 pm
content: Ah, I now know why I did not find "IR sightview" ...... I was not looking for it ! I was actually looking for ISI IR SnapviewSadly my ISI Snapshot 525 needs IR Snapview. It sounds a little like IR Sightview but sadly is very differentThe search continues......Fraser

author: oddbondboris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 05:44:55 pm
content: http://web.archive.org/web/20060311103449/http://www.infraredsolutions.com:80/resources/SnapViewV210.exe

author: oddbondboris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 05:48:33 pm
content: also to add to the commands found now that i have the software,::: gets you a prompt:::get returns:getaverage = 0x001Ebackground = 0x00FAbaud = 0x01bias_target = 0x0847bin_limit = 0x0040bin_offset = 0x0000black_hot = 0brightness = 0x0000build = 'Nov 16 2004 12:37:54'button = 0x0600command_mask = 0x0006contrast = 0x0010date = '210110124235'deadpix_bg = 1deadpix_save = 1drift_factor = 0x0080edge_thresh = 0x10emissivity = 0x03B6err = 0x029Eerr_step = 0x0010fine_ad0_trig = 0x3Ffine_ad1_trig = 0x40fine_ad2_trig = 0xFFfine_flags = 0x009Ffine_frames = 0x001Efine_timer_delta = 0x0003fine_timer_end = 0x003Cfine_timer_start = 0x000Afix_vddr = 1fixed_mode = 0x05fixed_offset = 0x07DBfixed_span = 0x0200flow = 0frame = 0x000070F5image_count = 0x01image_time = 0x00interp = 1lag = 0x02min_span = 0x0080osd_flags = 0x7Foverlay = 0palette = 0x01shutter_close = 0x06shutter_open = 0x06sn = 'IST20050137'tec_timeout = 0x0Ftype = 'IR-InSight T100'vbias = 0x0DDDvddr = 0x0EEAverbose_init = 0version = 'v1.3.4'xfer_1k = 1xfer_crc = 1set allows you to set those things

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 06:14:31 pm
content: Oddbondboris,Thank you for taking the time to look for the Snapview software for me. I downloaded it and tried to install the software but ISI have password protected the archiveI have a faint memory that I came across this issue previously and wrote to Infrared Systems asking for the password. You had to provide your cameras serial number to get it but I never heard back from themI really appreciate you providing the URL thoughFraser

author: oddbondboris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 06:25:00 pm
content: password is "fortune" without quotesit needs a 32 bit install to run though

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 08:56:29 pm
content: How on earth did you find out the password ?I was thinking of using some form of brute force ZIP cracker but did not think it would work. Please do tell me your secretYou have been an absolute star. Thank youFraser

author: oddbondboris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 09:24:14 pm
content: I wouldn't trust any of this software outside of a virtual machinehttps://github.com/thewd-hub/sourcespecificallyhttps://github.com/thewd-hub/source/tree/master/InstallShield%20Self-Extracting%20Executable%20Password%20Cracker/v1.00also you probably really want thishttp://web.archive.org/web/20060311103152/http://www.infraredsolutions.com/resources/SnapViewProV210.exepassword is vulcanas for finding the softwarehttp://web.archive.org/web/*/http://infraredsolutions.com/* will give you every page under infraredsolutions.com takes a min to load but worksput exe in the search box and you'll find what you want

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2021, 10:11:06 pm
content: Oddbondboris,Thanks to you I now know a completely different way to search for software using the Wayback machine. I normally just go to the index page of the company and work my way through the web sites different areas that would hold the data I need. Thank youFraser

author: oddbondboris
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2021, 01:28:10 am
content: One last thing fraser, since you seem to love lenses and cameras, these things have a 20mm f0.8 lens on them with very close macro manual focus and an image circle big enough (i think) for at least an old BST sensor, might be worth picking one up if you see it really cheap just for the lens

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2021, 02:18:09 am
content: I already have such a lens from an ISI-Fluke camerasAs you say.... nice lenses and usefulFraser

author: cejoba
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2022, 12:05:45 pm
content: Anyone have a tear down for this? It would be interesting to know what sensor/core inside.

author: cejoba
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2022, 03:15:48 pm
content: Quote from: cejoba on October 14, 2022, 12:05:45 pmI'm here to answer it myself.I took 2 simple photos, attached.Mine is with red plastic, made in 2006. Not the common yellow plastic version.BTW, any way to remap bad pixels on this?

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2022, 03:50:56 pm
content: Thanks for sharing the picturesSadly the dead pixel map on this type of camera is created during the factory calibration process when the NUC tables are created and there is not a separate software sub-routine that can be accessed to update the dead pixel map if more pixels have failed. I regret I do not own the factory calibration software for these cameras so cannot help you.Fraser

author: cejoba
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2022, 04:09:02 pm
content: Thank you Fraser.They do appear to increase overtime, as I saw the saved pictures inside, some early photos have 2 dead pixels instead of 3 now...

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2022, 04:23:06 pm
content: I have often thought that the dead pixel map should be accessible and manually editable in a thermal cameras memory, but I am not as knowledgeable about the software side of these cameras as I am the hardware. I suspect the NUC and dead pixel tables are parity checked in some way so changes might require changes to any checksums within the file. I wish I was more knowledgeable on the coding side of things but I am a bit old to learn that now.Fraser

author: cejoba
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2022, 12:46:36 pm
content: Oh man I can't thank you enough for discover those serial commands!I'm adding some thing here you didn't mention.The RS232 parameter should 115200-8-N-1, flow control doesn't matter.Here's my original :get returns:average = 0x001Ebackground = 0x00FAbaud = 0x01bias_target = 0xF495bin_limit = 0x0040bin_offset = 0x0400black_hot = 0brightness = 0x0000build = 'Mar 29 2006'button = 0x0600color = 0x00color1 = 0x00color2 = 0x04command_mask = 0x0006contrast = 0x0010date = '221129061733'deadpix_bg = 1deadpix_save = 1drift_factor = 0x0100edge_thresh = 0x10emissivity = 0x03B6err1 = 0xFC85err_step1 = 0x0010fine_ad0_trig = 0x1Ffine_ad1_trig = 0x7Ffine_ad2_trig = 0x7Ffine_flags = 0x00DEfine_frames = 0x001Efine_timer_delta = 0x003Cfine_timer_end = 0x003Cfine_timer_start = 0x003Cfix_vddr = 1fixed_mode = 0x04fixed_offset = 0x0000fixed_span = 0x0200flow = 1fpga_rev = 0x8001frame = 0x00000892frame_rate = 0x001Eimage_count = 0x02image_time = 0x00interp = 1lag = 0x02min_span = 0x0080netd = 43.6044noise = 4.6884osd_flags = 0x020Fpalette = 0x02shutter_close = 0x06shutter_open = 0x06skip = 0x00sn = 'ISXS20060410'tec_timeout = 0x0Ftype = 'IR-InSight'vbias = 0x0F66vddr = 0x0B2Everbose_init = 0version = 'v2.0.1'Here's my mods and other comments:bin_limit = 0x0100 --- This is the most important mod, it allows you to see much more details! Don't over-do, or you loss dynamic range.fine_frames = 0x000F --- Shorten NUC time from 1s to 0.5s, with no bad effect. You can choose a even shorter one, just make sure it do not produce noise pattern.lag = 0x04 --- Eliminate screen flicker due to AGC. This value too big or too small both will flicker.verbose_init = 1 --- Show log when boot up.osd_flags = 0x0000 --- Optional, disable all annoying overlay. Other values have different combination, try yourself.Other lines --- They have no useful effect, or read only, or set automatically.:::reset --- Allows you to gracefully reboot the camera.BTW, This camera performs really well, not like it's advertised "100mk" sensitivity.Even with f1 lens instead of the original f0.8 one, it shows low delta details well. (With my tweak above)

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2022, 03:30:36 pm
content: Cejoba,Thanks for this interesting and useful postFraser

author: cejoba
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2022, 12:04:05 pm
content: I just did a compare, and the Insight have the same level of sensitivity (ability to resolve low-delta details) as TAU2.It seems VOX technology stucks for at least 15 years...

author: Bill W
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2022, 12:18:52 pm
content: Quote from: cejoba on December 11, 2022, 12:04:05 pmMore that what was achieved with 50um pixels and f/1 lenses 15 years ago is now being achieved with 12um pixels and f/1.6 lenses.Technology improves, costs can be cut, same 'adequate' outcomeBill

author: cejoba
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2022, 12:06:26 pm
content: Quote from: Bill W on December 11, 2022, 12:18:52 pmI guessed that too, it's a pity they don't use the advantage to make better performance ones.