Camera displaying wrong colors - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: ulix
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 07:08:15 pm
content: Hello,I have here a Drivt Hd Camera, which acts very weird.the display shows the wrong colors on the display in Camera mode as well as in the menu.But when booting, the logo is display in the right colors.I tried to reconnect the display cable, but this would not work. It is not the display, I think because of the very display of the boot logo.The Camera as well saves the wrong colors on the micro sd car.How can I troubleshoot this? There are no scheamtics at all...How should I start?Thank youHello,

author: ulix
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2016, 07:17:51 pm
content: add pictures.

author: bktemp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 08:27:37 am
content: If the menu has wrong colours you can rule out the sensor, if the recorded images have wrong colours, you can rule out the display. Therefore my guess would be either some configuration data got corrupted and the camera is now in a wrong colour mode, or a connection on the BGA package is bad and the video data is now missing a data bit.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 09:23:22 am
content: 1 stop shaking when making pictures2 the boot screen, if thats what the potato picture number 3 shows, is red on blackits possible that- first potato smear shows correct red- boot screen was never red to begin withconnection between chip and the lcd is bad, or the lcd (less likely)

author: ulix
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 02:55:22 pm
content: Hi,Sorry for the pics, but the boot logo is only there for a short while...The Logo is red. So do you think some ice spray will help? Or pressing the bga to see if there is some change?

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 07:32:23 pm
content: googled for the boot screen, ok so its an action camera, did it die after some 'action' ?start with finger test - press everything )chip, ribbon socket) with your finger while its on looking for changeslooks like pure red is ok, this type of screen is probably 6 bit parallel, possible you are missing some bits, you could put scope on individual pins

author: TheBay
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 14, 2016, 08:00:21 pm
content: Quote from: Rasz on September 14, 2016, 07:32:23 pmHe said the files on the SD card have the wrong colours too, so it's not anything in the path to the display, can't be the camera module as the OSD is wrong too,main MCU issue? or has the wrong video standard been selected somewhere.Just double checking with the OP, have you viewed the SD card on a PC not through the device itself, as there are so many variables that need to be ruled out.

author: ulix
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2016, 10:49:10 am
content: Hi,! I must correct myself! The colors on the recorded video look perfect (checked the card on the pc)!!! It was 1 year ago when I opened it...Camera didn't die after action, got used barley on a Motorcyle which got barley wet and only had some wind and engine move.Seems like the Display? has some issues with some colors...

author: ulix
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2016, 10:54:00 am
content: additional pics.

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2016, 05:17:56 pm
content: yes, you are missing some bitstry taking a picture ofhttps://color.adobe.com/build2.0.0-buildNo/resource/img/kuler/color_wheel_730.pngto see which ones

author: ulix
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2016, 07:02:59 pm
content: Hi,pictures good enough? Missing bits?

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2016, 12:24:08 am
content: hmm that color wheel was too smart I think, hard to tell whats wrong, maybe most significant red bit is stuck high?try this imagehttp://assets.hardwarezone.com/images/displaymate_7.jpg

author: ulix
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2016, 09:31:43 pm
content: Tooks some pics,hope it's ok.What do you think, is it a broken connector/ ribboncable or has it to do something with the graphic processor?

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2016, 03:52:16 am
content: you can copy that jpg to sd card and display on the camera, will make it clearerbut it looks like every color is over saturating, probably something on the lcd itselfhave you poked at the bga and connector?

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2016, 04:04:43 am
content: I had some similar issue with my Dashcam. But it turned out it was a badly seated flat-flex cable from the camera to the main processor board. The recorded images were bad also on the SD Card because it was getting a bad signal from the camera. The menus were all correct colors because the main board connection to the display was fine.I am assuming if your SD card images are recording correctly, the camera module to main processor board flat-flex is probably fine. However, the connection between your main board and your LCD display is screwed. I would inspect the flat-flex connection on each side as well as along the entire length for any small break, and try to wiggle and bend it to see if it makes contact. Even a small rip somewhere may cause this strange color issue.Here are my videos and how I solved the similar strange color problem:My teardown and fix video:Here's a sample of the defective-color video exactly as was recorded to the SD Card:

author: Rasz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2016, 07:48:27 am
content: edy I remember your camera well, even posted its between camera and pcb back thenhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/defective-gs8000l-dashcam-or-fake/msg782422/#msg782422the difference is camera sensors send data in YUV, meaning even one bad bit will screw whole paletteLCDs with rhat many lines on a flex (40 here) are usually parallel RGB, so you would need at least three bad connections to screw all three base colors (like on the last pictures), unlikely me thinks. bad vref/bias voltage on the lcd maybe?there should be some markings on the back, maybe even manufacturer and model number

author: bktemp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2016, 12:03:51 pm
content: Quote from: Rasz on September 22, 2016, 07:48:27 amI don't think it is a problem with a bias/gamma voltage of the lcd (it would totally distort the colours, not just jump back to a lower brightness), it looks much more like a missing bit in the digital domain. But you are right, it is odd to see the missing bit on each colour. It could still be a bad connection on the main controller/memory screwing up the YUV data before it is sent to the lcd.Maybe this lcd does not use parallel RGB but serial RGB (6/8bit parallel bus transferring RGB sequentially)? Many lcds used in cameras don't use the usual RGB subpixel pattern but some other odd layouts to simulate higher resolutions.In the pictures straight lines look quite jagged, so the lcd uses most likely one of those unusual pixel layouts.

author: fossi
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2016, 03:12:23 pm
content: When there is used a CCD sensor from Sony manufactured between 2002 and 2004,it might be this problem:http://www.imaging-resource.com/badccds.htmlThere is a listing of all known and affected camera products.regardsfossi