Disassembling and Unauthorized Access to T2S+ Infrared Camera System
InfiRay T2S+ Camera Examined for Thermal Measurement Resolution Improvements
User [Dmytro] has disassembled an InfiRay T2S+ thermal imaging camera to investigate its inner workings. The device, known for its affordable price compared to competitors, exhibited some intriguing findings upon closer inspection.
Upon removing the case, the camera components required some spudging and levering to dismantle, but once inside, they came apart relatively easily. [Dmytro] observed similarities with the Flir Lepton, another budget thermal camera on the market. Notably, a clone of the Cypress FX2LP chip, which facilitates USB communication, was found within. There exists a possibility that the Gowin FPGA's onboard gateware could be modified, opening a potential avenue for running open-source firmware in the future.
One concern raised by [Dmytro] regards the camera's software. When used with an Android phone, it necessitates a proprietary app with questionable permissions. While it can be used as a standard webcam on a computer, the camera fails to self-calibrate in this mode, causing images to rapidly degrade. [Dmytro] managed to work around this issue by discovering techniques to manually trigger calibrations and apply image corrections when using the camera without the smartphone app. Additionally, efforts were made to enhance the resolution of thermal measurements produced by the camera.
Over the years, we've seen various innovative thermal camera hacks. More information on this topic can be found in the accompanying video.
As for strategies to improve the thermal measurement resolution in devices such as the InfiRay T2S+, users can approach this challenge through multiple technical and software-based approaches. Leveraging the camera's hardware similarities with other budget thermal imagers and the potential for firmware modification, several techniques can be implemented.
One such technique involves hacking the firmware and image processing. By manually triggering calibrations and applying image corrections in real-time, image quality can be maintained or improved. In addition, if the Gowin FPGA's gateware can be modified, open-source firmware can be ported, allowing users to implement their own resolution enhancement techniques.
Super-resolution techniques, such as image stacking and AI/ML upscaling, also present potential avenues for resolution improvement. Hardware-based enhancements, like modifying or replacing the sensor with a higher resolution unit, can directly increase resolution, albeit with a greater level of difficulty. Lens adjustments and noise reduction methods are other potential solutions.
In summary, the InfiRay T2S+ camera can benefit from various techniques to improve thermal measurement resolution, making it relevant to a broader range of applications. Careful consideration of these strategies can lead to improved performance and enhanced overall capabilities for this and similar affordable thermal cameras.
- The discovery of the Gowin FPGA's onboard gateware in the InfiRay T2S+ camera opens a potential avenue for running open-source firmware, which could allow users to implement their own resolution enhancement techniques.
- Additionally, hacking the firmware and image processing, such as manually triggering calibrations and applying image corrections in real-time, can maintain or improve image quality, contributing to resolution improvements.
- Super-resolution techniques, like image stacking and AI/ML upscaling, could also be exploited for improving the resolution of thermal measurements in devices like the InfiRay T2S+ camera, making it more versatile for different applications.
