December 2009 - Gadget Update

Bring your FI8908W paperweight back to life

If you're part of the numerous people who bricked their ip camera at any stage, maybe you kept it (as a door stopper, a paperweight or a dummy camera). In that case, there is one last thing you can try to make your camera functional again. It requires a small investment of less than €15 so I think it's really worth trying.

I obtained some information recently, thanks to Foscam tech support for most part, on a serial upgrade method that would fix cameras for which the firmware upgrade went bad.

A word of caution first:
- I've only tested this method with the oldest FI8908W, not the Foscam "Logo" FI8908W (fw v.11.14.2.26 and up).
- this should be experimented only if you exhausted your other options, like claiming a replacement under the warranty.
- this is also not guaranteed to work for all. It suppose that the boot loader in the camera is still intact.
- the recovery files are not normal firmware upgrade files and cannot be uploaded to the camera using the normal firmware upgrade procedure.

What you need:

- a USB to serial UART interface that does 3.3v logic (see photos). If dual 3.3v/5v is not specified, assume it does 5v only and don't buy. This should not cost you more than €15.

- some wires and female crimp pins to make the connections easier. I reused those from an audio cable for CD-ROM.

- the Foscam FI8908W Recovery files (+ mirror) - They contain instructions and binaries to upload.
2011 Update: I've received these other recovery files (+ mirror) from Foscam and should work with newer FI8908W AND FI8918W

- a terminal software if you don't have HyperTerminal on your version of Windows. I suggest RealTerm.
- I also used some adhesive putty to help keeping the wires in place and isolate the wires from each other.

You have to unscrew the bottom cover of the camera to access the JTAG connector (marked J2). On some cameras the connector is there but without the pins; In this case, add a solder iron to the "What you need" list. The only challenging task will be to achieve a stable connection to it for the length of the operation.

In the documentation, the file IPCAM_PCB_Connection.xls shows where to connect the wires. The 4 pins, from right to left are used as follow:
Pin #1 - INPUT
Pin #2 - OUTPUT
Pin #3 - GROUND
Pin #4 - POWER (not needed)

The serial interface you buy may have more than 4 pins but the corresponding ones will usually be labeled as TXD, RXD, GRD and VCC. One important point is that you need to cross INPUT with TXD, and OUTPUT with RXD.

The file IpCam serial upgrade.pdf will tell you how to initiate the connection with the boot loader of the camera and what commands to issue in order to upload the recovery files, linux_4Mx16Bit_new.zip and romfs_cmos_11_14_2_17.img (for FI8908W and FI8904W) into the camera. (included W90N745 uClinux BSP User Manual.pdf documents the uClinux commands).

Once your wires are connected, power on the camera, and if you see a screen like the one below, the rest should be straightforward.

Below is the documented procedure as it worked for me. In bold is what you type and in italic what is returned (don't forget to press ESC to enter debug mode as told on screen).

You can also watch this video as an example to make yourself familiar with the procedure.

bootloader > del 6
ERROR: Image 6 is not existed (there was obviously nothing to delete in my case)

bootloader > del 7
ERROR: Image 7 is not existed

with the new recovery files the address to use below has changed

bootloader > fx 6 romfs_cmos_11_14_2_17.img 0x7f0e0000 0x7f0e0000 -a
Waiting for download
Press Ctrl-x to cancel ... (while it waits, you have to select Transfer > Send File in Hyperterminal menu, choose the Xmodem protocol and select the file romfs_cmos_11_14_1_37.img)
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Flash programming ...
.........
bootloader > fx 7 linux_4Mx16Bit_new.zip 0x7f020000 0x8000 -acxz
Waiting for download
Press Ctrl-x to cancel ... (while it waits, you have to select Transfer > Send File in Hyperterminal menu, choose the Xmodem protocol and select the file linux.zip)
CCCC
Flash programming ...
..........
bootloader > del b31 (Clears the flash parameters)

bootloader > boot

Rebooting the system ...

The camera will boot and probably start moving during the initial check up phase, it's back !

The camera may report that no Web-UI is present. In that case, use the IP Camera Tool to flash a normal WebUI file the traditional way (don't use the recovery file for this).

Something for non-Foscam devices:
I don't want to be Foscam-centric, it's just that I only have Foscam devices at the moment, so I'll put here similar recovery packages for non-Foscam cameras when available and to the limit of my free storage (mainly FileFactory & Google Docs). They're provided as is and I have no way to test them.

IP607 (EyeSight) found @ Chinavasion: This recovery package is the result of concerted efforts of the ip cam hackers
commenting below this post. It's been made available by Admin (mirror) and contains the adjustments to the fx 6... line. Please follow the instructions in the help.txt.

EasyNP FS 613A M136: Check this very detailed recovery guide from Oskys!

Changing the MAC address
Some clones, mostly from DealExtreme.com apparently came with the same MAC address, making it impossible to use them together in the same network. An easy way is documented here (mirror). I didn't test it, but according to the feedbacks on Ted's blog, it seems to work great.

Some branding at last!

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Foscam is primarily a OEM producer and therefore always left their products open to custom re-branding.
Over time, they acquired some popularity (probably due to both their firmware evolution and their present customer support) but it was nearly impossible to distinguish their products from others if you wanted to buy from them.

This is about to change finally as, starting with the December production, their product range will now carry a distinctive "Foscam" label.

Another small change will be the presence of the "IR Night Vision ..." sticker on the focus rim but this is already common amongst the clones.

So, provided that eBay resellers update their pictures, it should now be easier to buy a Foscam camera when you want one.

More pictures of branded Foscam models on www.foscam.com

Digital Note Taker Pen

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I got myself the"gadget of the month" from the local hard-discount shop and started to play with Medion Digital Note Taker (MD 86149).

This 2nd generation model is similar to what appeared under the IOGear brand about 2 years ago but it became cheaper enough today to trigger an impulsive buy (€59.99).

By opposition to the much more expensive (but cool) LiveScribe pen, which allows a wider range of interaction, the Mobile Note Taker doesn't require you to buy special pre-printed paper. All you need to carry with you is the pen, and a tiny receiver that will hook on the top or one of the corners of your usual notepad.

The first intended usage (referred to as off-line mode) is to record whatever you write while away from your computer, then download it by plugging the mini-usb cable to the receiver when back home. Then you can simply archive your notes as is, or extract your drawings and process your writing trough an OCR.
The box says that you can save up to 100 pages of notes and the manual claims about 80 pages. This probably comes from the size difference between A4 and Letter (slightly longer) formats these different evaluations where based on.

The second usage (referred to as on-line mode) allows you to directly interact with your computer with the receiver plugged-in. You have then two possible modes to use your pen as a mouse, or as a ... pen. It offer a more convenient use than the tiny Wacom Volito for instance, as long as you can live without the pressure sensitivity as Note Taker doesn't have it. However, the touch and feel is much more natural and the final result, especially for handwriting looks far more natural to me.

The box contains: 1 pen, 1 received, 1 usb cable, 1 unique ink refill (not a spare refill, it has to be inserted into the empty pen), 1 pouch, 2 CD-ROM and 2 x SR41 button cells for the pen (the receiver recharges using the USB cable).

The hardware is immediately recognized on XP/Vista and 7 upon connecting and would work as a mouse, (after pressing the pen button once) before even installing any software.

The software included is called Note Taker 3.3 and will be used mainly to retrieve and store your off-line notes.

There is a second one on a mini-cd with called MyScript Note Lite from VisionObjects. It is not more than a demo version of the already old MyScript Note. The Lite version is very limited and also outdated, so, instead of installing it, you should download the trial version of the actual equivalent: MyScript Studio Note Edition.
I gave it a try, and compared to the disappointing MyScript Note, this MyScript Studio gave surprisingly good results at the challenging task of recognizing my own writing!

The firmware... yes, the device is firmware-upgradeable although it is not mentioned in the manual. However the version from Medion is the most recent 1.81 as reported by the firmware updated utility downloaded from Pegatech where they provide the v.1.76, so there's no need to flash at this point.

In conclusion, this is a nice gadget. Unless you've got already Windows Vista or 7 and Office 2007, it may require some additional spending like MyScript Studio to unleash its full potential. My primary use will be as a replacement of my Wacom tablet and, in line with that idea, I plan to keep the ink refill when it goes empty, it will save me from wasting paper when using it in mouse mode!

Pros:
- Easy to setup
- Does job as expected
- Does not require dedicated preprinted paper
- M21 standard ink refills. (Specific iNote refill found for €1.6 on eBay)

Cons:
- limited manual
- ugly software
- not pressure-sensitive
- getting OCR to work reliably is a long process

Other pens similar to Medion Digital Note Taker MD86149:
- Pegasus Digital Pen M210 (this is the original manufacturer)
- IOGear Cordless Mobile Digital Scribe
- Apcom E-pens APPEG-030 Mobile Notes
- iNote Digital pen on eBay

- others

Similar technology applied to interactive whiteboards.

Additional Resources: Documentation, software and SDK can be found at Pegatech.com
see also: dedicated Google group, and blog.

The geek Xmas 2009 shopping basket

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The festive online shopping deadline is coming fast (taking into account the shipping delay necessary to get those items from eBay, DealExtreme, Iwoot, Firebox, DX and such...)

So here's my short list of gadgets of interest for this year. I hope it will help you finding the inspiration:

Idea #1: A Cassette MP3 Player
For some reason, many new cars are still coming with an cassette auto-radio, and at best, a CD player that doesn't play MP3's. The most popular solution was to plug one of those MP3 players with FM transmitter but the sound quality would be quite poor and depend on unoccupied frequencies available.

Now you can put an MP3 player shaped as a cassette directly into your auto-radio. Much nicer! It also works as a standalone player.

Found at Chinavasion.com for €17.51 incl. 2GB SD card.

Audience: owners of old or French car.

Idea #2: A Digital USB Microscope
The interest of this gadget really depends on the price you'll pay for it.
At close to €70 (called "new low price"!) from Firebox, I'd say, forget it. But from €28 (shipping included) on eBay, you may think twice.

Audience: student, teacher, engineer, hobbyist...

Idea #3: An Atari joystick key chain

After the full size re-edition of the Atari VCS 2600 joystick a few years ago, there's now a tiny keychain version, and it's still playable on a TV screen!
My only regret is that it come with only 2 games when a hundred would have fit easily. This gadget is NTSC only.

Found at Firebox for €17

Audience: nostalgic geeks, kids from 40 and over.

Idea #4: An USB Missile launcher

Probably the most useless usb gadget on the market. For real fun, couple this with a web/ip-camera and remotely control the host computer to fire at innocent people passing by...

Found on eBay, cheapest: item #390118120613 for €25.6 delivered.
Enhanced version with Webcam on Firebox for €45.

Target: any human or pet.

Idea #5: A Digital Note Taker

I didn't like those electronic pens that work only on special and expensive paper. A much nicer alternative consist of a wireless receiver that captures everything done with it's dedicated pen (using standard ink refill), then, the receiver memory is dumped to a PC where it can be archived or processed through the provided OCR program. It can also nicely replace a graphic tablet although the accuracy is probably not as high. It was found commonly at over €200 realier this year, but it now dropped to €59.99.

Found in Aldi stores @ €59.99 (Medion branded) and eBay, item #220506455598 at €59.59

Audience: student, professionals, kids,...

Idea #6: A Binary watch

Maybe you know someone so geek he's drifting toward being rather a neird ?
Well you'll have a gift for this person too:

While a binary watch is really for a selected audience, most of them found on eBay are just stylish enough to start and finish their life in a drawer.
But this particular Ovo binary watch found at IWOOT is far more elegant and reasonably sized.

Found on I Want One of Those at €22

Audience: hardcore geek and casual neirds

Idea #7: A Rollnet kit

If your garden is too windy and your house too small for a full size table, this simple idea let you play table tennis on any flat surface.
The Artengo Rollnet is also reasonably priced.

Found in Decathlon stores from €14.90 (€19.90 with 2 bats and 3 balls)

Audience: casual tennis table players

Idea #8: the ultimate tea and coffee travel mug

The Double Shot model from Planetary Design is the last mug you may ever need. It does everything and comes complete with the traditional coffee lid, but also the plunger, and, concealed in the base, a small storage box for a refill of coffee, tea or sugar...

Found from around €25 in various places:

Coffee Pot Shop

Greystones Coffee Pots

Amazon.co.uk marketplace

Audience: Coffee and Tea lovers (with a geeky twist)