Automotive night vision hacks and questions - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: bratboy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 07:12:40 am
content: I hope this is the right place for my post, I've been looking at old Cadillac night vision cameras. They used to be a couple of websites out there that would mention businesses that sold replacement parts and how to pair them down. I haven't got one yet but I wanted to get this kind of information before I did.I was also wondering if anyone out there has hacked any more modern Automotive night vision systems that are available out there. It would be great to have what that Target's potential obstacles. Anybody have any thoughts? Thank you

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 08:02:41 am
content: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/autoliv-nv2-on-raspberry-pi/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/openirv-isc0901b0-(autoliv-nv3-flir-e4568)-based-opensource-thermal-camera/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/troubleshooting-cadillac-camera/msg1524808/#msg1524808

author: Bill W
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 03:58:19 pm
content: Salvaging cores of that era from fire service cameras is another good source.Depending on the camera, some of the support here is good (ie if Fraser has taken one apart......... or I built it)Bill

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 04:04:07 pm
content: Raytheon BST fire fighting core = full 320x240 pixel resolution at 30fps with no Flat Field Correction events ..... good for drivingThe resolution of the Cadillac DeVille BST camera appears to have been reduced.Fraser

author: bratboy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 10:40:46 pm
content: The caddy is just a huge lot less money!

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 11:17:54 pm
content: Remember that when buying a Cadillac DeVille BST camera that is dates back to 1999/2000 and has spent a lot of time in the hostile environment that is found behind a cars grille in the engine compartment. Sometimes you get lucky and find one that works well but it is not uncommon to find the Tantalum capacitors in the camera failing and the chopper wheel membrane torn or badly degraded. If the lens protection window is cracked or broken be aware that the MK1 camera is often destroyed by water ingress. The MK2 camera has a sealed lens assembly so only the lens gets wet. Corrosion to the Germanium lens can occur however.If you buy a Cadillac DeVille camera, make sure that it works well (a very grainy image is not normal but often seen on these cameras) and if you cannot see it working, buy from a seller who accepts returns. Be prepared to find that the camera needs some electronic and physical Restoration. I own two Cadillac DeVille cameras and both were in great external condition yet they had degraded and torn chopper wheel membranes and failing Tantalum capacitors.Raytheon BST cores that come out of fire fighting cameras do not suffer from the torn chopper wheel membrane or capacitor failures in the same numbers as the Cadillac version. That is why they make a good alternative to the Cadillac DeVille camera but you need to place them in a suitable waterproof casing for vehicle mounting. If you buy an E2V ARGUS 2 fire fighting camera, you get the Raytheon core plus a Germanium lens protection window to use on your own bespoke casing. You would need electronics and hand tool skills for such a build however.The later Microbolometer based FLIR Pathfinder night vision camera for vehicles is an excellent option but hard to find, and usually expensive when you do.Fraser

author: Bill W
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2020, 10:49:48 am
content: Quote from: bratboy on November 23, 2020, 10:40:46 pmHow much less ?Going rate for whole cameras is around GBP400 and 'core kits' GBP200 and as Fraser says much more likely to be known working.Bill

author: pbarton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2020, 07:54:25 pm
content: Any comments on this crowdfunding organization, or the product?Lanmodo Vast Pro: Night Vision System with Dashcam.https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lanmodo-vast-pro-night-vision-system-with-dashcam#/Supposedly "Estimated Shipping January 2021"I have no connection with Indiegogo or Lanmodo.

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2020, 10:19:07 pm
content: It's not a thermal camera. Just an ordinary color image sensor. The 'night vision' just cranks up the gain and lowers the frame rate.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2020, 10:20:51 pm
content: pbarton,Not thermal night vision of course but happy to offer my thoughts as a user of all manner of cameras, including IICCD and low light types over many years.1. A visible light camera that claims to provide colour 1080P images in near darkness. It would need to be a low light camera to meet this claim and monochrome CCD and CMOS sensors have historically been more sensitive than colour imaging arrays. Very recent developments have made colour imaging in low light possible, but this unit will not have that technology at that price point.2. The 'sales pitch' did not appear to provide any camera specifications, most notably the cameras sensitivity.3. The camera has a very small lens for a low light camera !4. Mercedes uses a NIR camera system for their night driving assistance system. The car is equipped with powerful IR projector lights that illuminate the road ahead and NIR sensitive monochrome cameras are used to view the scene.5. A large bright colour display is NOT what you need in your field of view when night driving ! Such a display is both distracting and damages a human eye's night vision so the advert showing a bright colour display is plain daft ! The display would normally be a subtle low intensity monochrome at night. If the sellers are suggesting people should drive by purely the image produced on the cameras display....they are nuts and such is illegal in most countries. This is not like driving a military vehicle on the battlefield using an IIT or IICCD periscopeIn precis, this looks like a pretty standard Crowd Funded flawed product due to a fundamental lack of understanding by the designer. Save your money or buy a normal Dashcam for crash recording.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2020, 10:37:25 pm
content: An interesting article.......https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a15120574/night-vision-systems-compared-bmw-vs-mercedes-benz-vs-audi-comparison-test/

author: tcq1000
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2021, 08:53:40 am
content: I bought an old BMW FLIR Pathfinder ZB Night Vision 66.54.9 141 606-01, but there was no signal output after power on. After checking the data, part of this camera is bound to the key hardware information of vehicle SN. Do experts in this field have any solutions?

author: ArsenioDev
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2021, 12:37:00 pm
content: Can you crack open and take photos of the control box boards and camera board too? That can tell us a LOT and give us a place to start working from.