AGEMA(FLIR) Thermovision 550 MWIR Cooled camera teardown and repair by Fraser - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 03:37:52 pm
content: Those who follow my posts will see that I recently purchased a second AGEMA Thermovision 550 (THV550) for £200. It was a calculated risk purchase as the camera was not sold as tested and the seller had nor means to power the unit. This worked to my advantage as the camera was originally listed for £1K but it had the potential to be an expensive paperweight if the cooler was dead. Negotiations with the seller ensued and I became the cameras new ownerI reasoned that even if the cooler was dead, the rest of the camera would be good spares for my other THV550 and such spares are very rare to find these days.The THV550 arrived and was quickly connected to a power supply for testing. This model of camera does not have an internal power source in order to reduce weight and bulk. It is powered from either a battery belt or a mains PSU. When the power button was pressed, I was rewarded with the sweet sound of a rotary Stirling cooler that was not suffering mechanical failure. a good start that got better. After 6 minutes the cooler dropped to its "maintain" speed that is lower than the initial cool-down so quieter6 Minutes is good for these THV550 cameras so the cooler looks to be in good working order. This was great news as I can repair all the other parts of the camera.When first powered, I noted an issue with the image displayed in the LCD colour viewfinder. The image was in monochrome when it should have been colour, and the image had a vertical sync line offset that meant the top of the image was now shown at the bottom of the display. After a reboot whilst still connected to the power supply, the issues both corrected themselves. If the camera was disconnected from the power supply, reconnected and restarted, the two display issues returned. I already knew exactly what the cause of this issue was and how to repair it. Apart from the EVF image issue the thermal image produced by the camera was excellent, as expected of a cooled MWIR camera.My THV550 is a European PAL standard model that is fitted with a PAL standard EVF. These EVF modules are Ex JVC camcorder production and are mono-standard using a SONY chipset. The correct standard EVF has to be fitted to a camera of the same output standard for correct operation. If I had connected a multi standard video monitor to the THV550 I would not have seen the display issue. Confused ? Then let me explain as other owners of PAL THV550 and later PM series cameras will likely suffer the same issue in the future as the units age.The fault: Colour EVF shows monochrome image and a vertical offset or no image at all (on later PM series cameras)The Cause: Expiration of the Dallas DS1643 RTC lithium battery leading to loss of data from the battery backed RAM.The reason for noted symptoms: The RTC RAM memory contains some camera configuration data that is read at Boot. If the data is corrupt or absent, the firmware loads a "factory default" configuration. The factory default configuration is stored in the cameras flash memory and is for NTSC standard camera. If a PAL camera suffers RTC data loss, an NTSC configuration is loaded at boot and the PAL EVF does not cope well with that , hence the monochrome image and vertical shift effect. Some EVF chipsets show no image or a course raster image only. Why does it fix itself after a reboot ? The camera firmware not only loads the NTSC default factory configuration but it also loads the correct PAL data into the RTC RAM ready for the next boot. Provided power remains connected to the camera, the RTC data is maintained and the next time the camera boots, its finds the PAL configuration data in the RTC RAM and loads the correct PAL configuration from firmware. If power to the camera is disconnected, the RTC loses its data again and the whole process repeats. The solution is to fit a new Lithium cell in the Dallas DS1643 RTC module. How do I know all this ? I completely reverse engineered the later FLIR PM570 that has its computer origins in the THV550The THV550 that I have just received was originally released in 1995 (mine in Circa 1996), 2 years before FLIR released their first Microbolometer based handheld thermal imaging camera in the form of the PM570. The two cameras share very similar case designs but the THV550 contains a stirling cooler in the location where the later PM570 located its internal Ni-Mh battery pack. The THV550 and PM570 have very similar computers in them so I feel quite at home working on this cooled cameraIn this thread I will show the disassembly of the THV550 and the layout of its internal parts. Disassembly is almost the same for the PM570. I will also show where the RTC module is located and the BR(CR)1225 Lithium cell that must be changed. Once the Lithium cell has been changed, the camera will store the correct data in the RTC RAM at the next boot and the camera will operate in PAL output mode at subsequent boots. The Lithium cell life in these camera is very long and you can expect at least 10 years from the new cell. Note that the RTC module used in the THV550 and early PM570 cameras is the DS1643LPM (low Profile Module) socketed version that is nor intended to have a new cell fitted. It would normally be a module change out but these modules are long obsolete so a change of cell is the best way forwards. New Old Stock of the DS1643LPM will have unknown battery life remaining, and that is if you can find any stock ! Later PM series cameras use a DS1643P RTC module that makes use of "PowerCaps" that are easily changed. The module is soldered to the PCB and the power cap snaps onto the top of it. The PowerCap contains a BR(CR)1225 Lithium cell and 32KHz clock crystal. They are still available to buy or just the cell may be changed.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 03:40:09 pm
content: Continued....Including images captured of the EVF display on first boot and after a reboot with power still connected.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 03:47:03 pm
content: Disassembly begins....... only 4 screws need to be removed to separate the two halves of the case.Care is needed to disconnect fragil ribbon cables that bridge the two halves of the case.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 03:49:24 pm
content: Continued......

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 03:53:29 pm
content: Continued......

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 03:55:05 pm
content: Continued.....

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 03:56:51 pm
content: The DALLAS DS1643LPM module with integrated BR1225 Lithium cell. Thankfully the cell is not potted !

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 04:03:15 pm
content: During the disassembly of the THV550 I noted that two very nice options are installed, namely the High Temperature filter and the Digital Communications PCB (for connection to a PC). I can make good use of both of those optionsFor £200 I believe I got myself a nice little bargain here. That said, my last THV550 cost me only £0.99 ! See the story here......https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/a-stirling-cooled-qvga-thermal-camera-for-99-pence-!-yep-no-kidding/msg2822198/#msg2822198But remember, it could easily have been a very different story and outcome if the cooler had been dead ! I would have had a £200 spares donor. Useful though that is, it is not as much fun as having a working cameraOnce I have tagged and fitted the new Lithium cell I will service the camera and post some images from it here

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 07:08:21 pm
content: The DS1643LPM RTC has now been rebuilt with a nice new BR1225. Pictures attached.

author: MrSheep
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2023, 08:16:22 pm
content: Wow 6 minute cooldown time is practically new for a rotary cooler. Hopefully it will serve you well for at least a few more years. The manufacture date was 1996 too!

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2023, 10:22:29 pm
content: I have two of those now and both are in good working order. I did a service on both units today and the only issue I found is the somewhat agricultural way that AGEMA chose to convert the NEC EVF module (normally used in camcorders) to the THV550 EVF housing. It is not pretty ! I shall upload pictures later. I am still deciding whether I should modify the original design to improve the mounting of the PCB’s. AGEMA used blow moulded plastic ‘cheeks’ on each side of the EVF PCB stack and the.n wrapped insulation tape around the assembly to hold everything in place before it is inserted into the metal EVF casing.Both THV550 units now have fresh RTC cell and both sound the same when running.I will have to buy a higher rated PSU than the PM570 PSU that I am currently using as I am seeing a lot of ripple coming out of the PSU when the cooler is running at full speed.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2023, 02:13:19 pm
content: The latest pictures of the two THV550 cameras.I have serviced both cameras and they just need an external tidy. Both EVF's have been removed for cleaning and inspection. I am considering potential modifications to the plastic 'retainer' side panels to improve the fit and stability of the PCB stack. I also include generic pictures of the JVC camcorder EVF that was the source of the electronics package and eyepiece assembly. There are several JVC GR-AX models that use the same, or similar electrics package in the EVF. I bought several such camcorders (both PAL and NTSC versions) for very little money as a source of EVF spares.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2023, 02:16:16 pm
content: Continued.....

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2023, 02:27:21 pm
content: For anyone wondering about the image storage side of these cameras....These cameras come from an age (1995) when PCMCIA ATA hard disk drives were common. That is what was supplied with these cameras and they provided a whopping 170MB. Those mini hard disks were very expensive at the time. Later AGEMA/FLIR moved to PCMCIA ATA FLASH. Thankfully these cameras will also happily work with Compact Flash cards using a PCMCIA (PC Card) to CF adapter provided you use small capacities such as 256MB. They will not work with 1GB CF cards, I tested them. To read the PCMCIA drives and Flash cards I use a combination of USB CSM Omnidrive, a USB Lexar PCMCIA USB bridge and laptops that support a PCMCIA Type III hard disk drive. When using a PCMCIA to CF card adapter you can just read the CF card using a normal CF camera card reader. The saved file is a proprietary .IMG type that may be read in FLIR software such as Explorer99 and Researcher.These thermal cameras do not offer video recording 'on-camera'Fraser

author: MrSheep
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2023, 03:23:51 pm
content: Oh wow they work with compact flash, have you tried this with the amber radiance 1? Wondering if I can copy the backup firmware I got to it and try it out. Besides the size is there any other requirement such as speed?

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2023, 05:17:22 pm
content: As far as I am aware you cannot use ATA flash in place of the linear Flash that is used in the Radiance 1. They are very different memory architectures.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2023, 08:42:41 pm
content: The EVF is one area of the THV550 and later PM series that is known to fail so I have decided to upload plenty of pictures of the THV550 EVF module here in case anyone needs them in the future. As already stated, the EVF module was designed for use in Camcorders and is marked "NEC 16T". I have found the same module in some JVC camcorders but there have been changes to the module over the years.The backlight is a CCFL flat panel and that can deteriorate with use. Conversion to an LED backlight is possible. The HV driver for the backlight is a known source of failure and I have had to repair HV step-up transformers that have partially detached from the PCB after the camera was dropped or other rough handling of the EVF.The Chipset and LCD panel are from Sony.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2023, 08:45:19 pm
content: Continued.....

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2023, 08:46:56 pm
content: Continued.....

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2023, 09:09:31 pm
content: Sony CXA1785AR and CXD2403AR datasheets in case they disappear from the internet....

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2023, 09:54:37 pm
content: The THV550 EVF uses the Sony LCX004BKB7 colour LCD panel but I have yet to find a datasheet for that. The LCX005 datasheet is a good alternative though as they differ only in size. This SONY LCD panel was advanced in its day, but it is a low resolution panel by today's standards.The THV550 benefits from the use of a decent external LCD monitor that will produce a far clearer image for the user.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 02:39:20 pm
content: Another EVF donor arrived todayThis time it is a JVC GR-AX837E VHS-C model. The camera is in great condition and came with a battery, which is a bonus. £17 deliveredOnly the Electronic Viewfinder will be used from this camera and that may seem like an awful waste to some, but this is a vintage camcorder, and a VHS-C one at that. Such camcorders are basically scrap these days as few people want them. I do hate tearing a nice camcorder apart just to extract the EVF, but I never did like VHS or VHS-C so I have no use for the complete camera. I salvage the small screws from the disassembled camcorder as these can be very useful. The rest of it goes into the electronic waste for recycling. I know of no affordable alternative source of these little Colour LCD EVF units and at least the camcorders sacrifice is for a good cause ! Do remember that the colour LCD EVF modules used in the JVC camcorders changed over the years and so some are a better match to a AGEMA or FLIR THV/PM series camera than others.Fraser

author: Agema
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 18, 2025, 08:39:17 am
content: Hello Fraser!. New here...I have an old cooled infaraed camera and if I connect it to my computer via PCMIA, Windows 10 detect it as "Agema550" but driver is missing if i look device manager. Doyou maybe know where i may find some suitable driver for it ? Thanks in advance !

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2025, 06:06:18 pm
content: This thread may be of interest….https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/interfacing-to-agemaflir-cameras-how-it-used-to-be-very-expensive-!/You need FLIR Researcher (not ResearchIR) to connect to the THV550. It is a camera from the Windows 98 / WinXP era so do not expect to find Windows 10 or 64 bit drivers.The “Thermovision Control” software may also work on a suitable platform.FLIR have software to download from their support archive but Researcher is licenced.Fraser

author: dxxs
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 06:09:33 am
content: Quick question, when you replaced the RTC battery, did the unit retain calibration data, or did you need to reload/realign anything? Always worried about losing stored parameters on older thermal cameras.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 11:47:45 am
content: The RTC does hold a little bit of configuration data but this is re-written to it from firmware when the camera is restarted. No calibration data is present in the RTC module.