Ip Camera Ir leds are on at Night, But No Video and Can't see the Ip

[patrocle]

Not sure if the outside heat done something to this camera ,but right now i can't find witch ip the camera has.
So the camera has the ir leds red at night, but i get no video feed to my BI or even the Nvr that come with the camera set(witch this come is part of it)
Also i moved the camera from the ismart poe nvr to the tp-link poe+ switch and i get the same results.
I but a poe splitter on the cable by the camera and i see the yellow small led on steady (not blinking), but the green led for the data is off! i knew that the green led suppose to blink while data is coming on the cable?!...

So i am using Fing on my iphone to find what ip's comes in and out, and i notice that when i unplug the camera cable there is an ip 192.168.1.100 that goes offline,and if i plug it back in ip comes back to
life! and if i ping it it say it works. But i can not go in the browser at 192.168.1.100 as it will not see it,just say connection can not be reached.

I am guessing that same parts went bad in the camera.

Camera:
Ismart c2003dn4

Anyway, i think i maybe ready to get something else to replace this junk! with something under $100 for my backyard (60-70 ft to see,and wide lens)

Thanks for any advice.

 

[patrocle]

So i took the camera apart and the 2 boards that are inside , 1 is the poe board and the other i guess is called "camera module chip board"

Poe Board:

Camera module chip board

So i took the cam to one of my friends to check the capacitors,resistors,etc what ever he can check and tests come okay,but there are
some other that can't be checked and those maybe at fault.

Not sure witch board is responsible for the ip not to show and data not to come through (video feed on my screen)

Found few places where i can get a POE board, but not sure about the "camera module chip board" witch one will fit as i have not found one the same, or even if worth to fix this...but
to find the problem to this and know for next time or help others with the same problem,maybe is worth by fix it.

Found a Poe board here:
http://big5.made-in-china.com/gongying/qqxuran-SMvxYFaGAeWX.html

And the "camera module chip board" here:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2-8-...2619838845.html?spm=2114.01010208.0.74.h7tOBa
but not sure if 100% the same.

Thanks,

 

[PSPCommOp]

is the RJ45 plug terminated correctly? Someone else on here had a similar problem with a camera and it turns out he didn't terminate both ends the same.

 

[patrocle]

is the RJ45 plug terminated correctly? Someone else on here had a similar problem with a camera and it turns out he didn't terminate both ends the same.

The camera worked for more than 1.5 year with the same cables,and now i try like 3 more, so is not the cables.

 

[patrocle]

So because i have 4 of the same cameras i decided to take a good one apart and switch boards , and yes i did find the "camera module chip board" BAD.

So at this point not sure where to find one as they are many or even if worth fixing.

 

[alastairstevenson]

So at this point not sure where to find one as they are many or even if worth fixing.

If you have a USB to TTL serial adaptor - you could try hooking it up to the serial console pins that are helpfully labelled on that board, the pads above the main connector, labelled T and R and GND (Tx and Rx and Ground). If you don't have one - search PL2303 on eBay,
Typical interface settings would be 115,200baud, 8 bits no parity.
You might spot activity that suggests it's a firmware corruption.
Though it's not really worth the effort on a cheap camera, more for the interest and learning.

 

[patrocle]

If you have a USB to TTL serial adaptor - you could try hooking it up to the serial console pins that are helpfully labelled on that board, the pads above the main connector, labelled T and R and GND (Tx and Rx and Ground). If you don't have one - search PL2303 on eBay,
Typical interface settings would be 115,200baud, 8 bits no parity.
You might spot activity that suggests it's a firmware corruption.
Though it's not really worth the effort on a cheap camera, more for the interest and learning.

Well the cam they where selling at around $200 at the time,but with discount it was $125, plus i got it as a set poe nvr plus 4 cam's for around $500.
But yes i can try the firmware, don't know much about where to get the firmware for it or what software to use to upgrade it. I have to dig in my pc or net to see if i find the original.
Now i did find the T,R,GND on the board , see attached picture, but based on this
https://www.amazon.com/NooElec-Adap...ie=UTF8&qid=1471955476&sr=8-1&keywords=PL2303
has 4 wires : gray ,white,blue and black. I know that black goes to gnd, but what about for the other?
Thank you for help.

 

[alastairstevenson]

One way to find the colours is to look for the same item from another sellers on Amazon and find one that helpfully has specified what the colours are. The 4th one will be power, which isn't needed.
When you connect up, it should be Tx to Rd and Rd to Tx and Gnd to Gnd.
You won't do any harm getting them mixed up. Send it will be clear enough when it's right. You might have to power cycle the device to generate activity.
PuTTY is good to use - the scrollbars is handy for copy / paste.

*edit*
When using a phone in bright sunlight without your glasses.
Tx to Rd and Rd to Tx
Tx to Rx and Rx to Tx

the scrollbars is handy for copy / paste
the scrollback is handy for copy / paste

From Amazon - but not the same colours as yours. maybe yours is the one with the pins, not wire pigtails.

Black cable-----GND.
Green cable----TXD.
White cable----RXD.
Red cable ---- VCC.
Connection method: Brush requires only three lines, generally used only three signal lines RX TX GND, VCC.

 

[patrocle]

So the scope of adding the usb is to flush it with the original firmware? or...
Problem is where will get that and what software will i use to insert the firmware to the cam?

Sorry not much as firmware tech, but i try anything.

Thanks,

 

[alastairstevenson]

The first activity, if there turns out to be some life in the serial console, would be to try to determine the cause of the problem by inspecting the bootup dialogue.
Then the scope for recovery actions can be figured out.

 

[patrocle]

Ok, I have order one of those PL2303.(should arrive on 25th ,pm.)
I see that you said above to use
puTTY
http://www.putty.org/

Is that that software will be working with?

And i did find the software (IPWizardIII_2.1.1) that come with the camera for updating the firmware and the .bin files from the last firmware update.

Thank you for helping and the advice.

 

[alastairstevenson]

PuTTY is popular and works well - the Windows version.
I'm less impressed with the Linux version, even though it's nominally the same software, the version I got is missing the oh-so-useful menu on the status window, and generates about 1k comments per second on the launch window.

 

[patrocle]

Ok i got that one from amazon.
Connected :
Camera > usb board (pl2303)
R to Rx
T to Tx
Gnd to Gnd

Powered the camera from my tp-link poe+, and used a spliter too.

Started PuTTY , but i am lost in whats next.
I am on Com4.


Thanks,

 

[nayr]

definitely turn off flow control, you dont have that.. are you getting any data back from the camera when you turn it on? try different speed settings..

you might also need to swap Rx and Tx.. Rx on one end is Tx on the other and vice versa and its not always clear how they label them.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Confirm from Windows Device Manager what COM port the USB adaptor has been assigned. Maybe you have already done that and it is COM4 as per your screenshot.

And you will need to set and save this:

Typical interface settings would be 115,200baud, 8 bits no parity.

 

[patrocle]

From my reading done lot of this PL2303 are counterfeit, and not the real Prolific. So i managed to fix the driver, but
i have try for hours with no luck to get any data from the "module chip board" i think it maybe dead,or something dead on it.
I switch cables between tx/rx com ports,changed all around and nothing.
There is a red light on the pl2303 that comes on during is plugged into usb and stays on,then if the pl2303 is connected to the module board there is a blue light that comes on too and stays on.
If i put the Ethernet cable from the tp-link poe+ to the camera > red and blue light still stays on solid,no changes.
If i put a poe spliter between the camera and Ethernet cable, then the blue light on the pl2303 and the red led on the module board camera start blinking and blinks some more,and then they go both solid,and then both turns off and stays off.

 

[alastairstevenson]

It looks like the serial settings in PuTTY are OK, and Device Manager shows it's the correct COM port.

There is some uncertainty about which test points on the board may be a serial console.
A way to explore this is as follows:
Connect the GND of the serial convertor to any metal part of the camera that looks like it connected to camera ground, for example via the screws holding the boards in place.
Wrap a short bared length of copper wire that's connected to the Rx lead of the convertor around a small needle.
Start PuTTY.
Gently probe the test point to be checked with the needle and power-cycle the camera.
Watch for recognisable characters scrolling up the PuTTy screen.
If / when you get that, you have found the camera serial console Tx output.
Now you need to put a weight on the PC keyboard Return key so it auto-repeats, and, keeping the needle on the Tx that you have found, with another length of copper wire connected to the convertor Tx lead, wrapped round another needle, probe the remaining test points to find which one causes the PuTTY display to scroll up.

 

[patrocle]

I have try and can't get it to work.
I have switch cables, did exactly how you suggested above,just does not want to go.
Could be something deeper burned within the module board,so anyway

At this point will just keep it for parts as i have other 3 cam's the same. And will buy other one instead. Will
go with:

2016 Newest Dahua DH-IPC-HFW4431M-AS-I2 4MP H.265 Full HD Network IR Mini Camera POE cctv network bullet with bracket
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2016-...ddresstype=600
or
LBW90S500 H.265/ H.264 HISILICON 5.0MP Infrared Night Vision Weatherproof Waterproof IP66 BuIlet CCTV IP Digital Camera
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/LBW90...08.0.57.grMlEm
or
Longse
LRDC60XA200
or
LRDC60S500

Thank you for helping and advice!...