Lorex E181AB takes Dahua firmware...

[pozzello]

disclaimer! I'm not recommending this to anyone, unless you know what you're doing and you really want/need these features. YMMV. no warranty expressed or implied, yada-yada...

So, I've been playing with a Lorex E1861ab i picked up used on that big auction site, 8MP on a 1/1.8" sensor.

http://192.168.0.54/cgi-bin/magicBox.cgi?action=getSystemInfo

shows it's a clone of the Dahua IPC-HFW1831E:

appAutoStart=true
deviceType=E861AB
hardwareVersion=1.00
processor=DH7200
serialNumber=ND012010141443
updateSerial=IPC-HFW1831E
updateSerialCloudUpgrade=IPC-HFW1831E:01:02:02:64:2C:00:01:00:00:00:00:320:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:2

Stock Lorex firmware can be found here:

Lorex E891AB (aka IPC-HFW1841EN-PV)

https://www.lorextechnology.com/-/E891AB-1-p I picked up one of these 4k Lorex units cheap with a cut off ethernet/power dongle. My first few attempts to fix with a new ethernet jack resulted in no link light, tho it did power up over PoE, so I opened it up and hooked up the serial adapter...

ipcamtalk.com

The oldest Dahua firmware for the 1831E i could find was DH_IPC-HX2(1)XXX-Sag_EngSpnFrn_PN_V2.622.0000000.23.R.191101:

Spoiler

C:\Users\pozzello>more < C:\Users\pozzello\Downloads\DH_IPC-HX2(1)XXX-Sag_EngSpnFrn_PN_V2.622.0000000.23.R.191101\check.img | findstr "."
'V╛ä`î]╝m

hÅ\W
check
{
"DefaultLanguage" : "English",
"DefaultVideoStandard" : "PAL",
"SupportLanguages" : "English,Spanish,French",
"hwid" : [
"IPC-HDBW1831R:01:02:05:64:2C:00:01:00:00:00:00:320:00:00:00:00:00:01:00:00:200",
"IPC-HDBW1831R-S:01:02:05:64:2C:00:01:00:00:00:04:320:00:00:00:00:00:01:00:00:200",
"IPC-HFW1831E:01:02:02:64:2C:00:01:00:00:00:00:320:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:200",
"IPC-HFW2831T-ZS-3711:01:02:02:64:2C:00:01:00:00:00:04:320:00:00:00:00:00:01:00:00:200",
"IPC-HFW2831T-ZAS-3711:01:02:02:64:2C:00:01:0F:01:01:04:320:03:00:00:00:00:01:00:00:200",
"IPC-HDBW2831R-ZS-3711:01:02:05:64:2C:00:01:00:00:00:04:320:00:00:00:00:00:01:00:00:200",
"IPC-HDBW2831R-ZAS-3711:01:02:05:64:2C:00:01:0E:01:01:04:320:03:00:00:00:00:01:00:00:200"
]
}

and I was able to TFTP it to my unit using these commands:

Spoiler

run dr
run dk
run du
run dw
run dp
run dc
run pd
run sk
run sr
tftp 0x82000000 .FLASHING_DONE_STOP_TFTP_NOW
sleep 5

Nice! the Lorex firmware lacks i-frame interval setting in the GUI (defaults to 2x the frame rate), but the Dahua firmware allows setting this directly
(without resorting to the API as explained here: Set GOP (I-frame interval) on Lorex cams that don't have this exposed in the web UI.)

From there, I tried using the GUI to upgrade to the version I'm currently running on my real Dahua hfw-1831e (from Andy), but it wouldn't take. (DH_IPC-HX2(1)XXX-Sag_EngSpnFrn_NP_V2.800.0000000.2.R.190404)

However, the GUI upgrade did work to get to a later version, DH_IPC-HX2(1)XXX-Sag_EngSpnFrn_NP_Market_V2.800.0000000.5.R.200107.

The 'install' file in the DH_IPC-HX2(1)XXX-Sag_EngSpnFrn_NP_Market_V2.800.0000000.5.R.200107 .bin does have ""burn dhboot.bin.img bootloder" in it, so I've probably updated my bootloader and may not be able to go back to the Lorex FW. Haven't tried that yet, and frankly see no reason to go back at this time...

This version limits bit-rate to 8192kbbps, so I used the GUI upgrade once again to downgrade to V2.800.0000000.2.R.190404 and surprisingly, that worked as well.

So now I have a Lorex E861AB that thinks it's a Dahua HFW1831e. While It did not gain any IVS/smart features (like the lnb8005c does when updating to DH FW, see Smartening up the Lorex LNB8005C 8MP mini bullet.), I can configure i-frame interval, I got better support for various browsers without a plugin, and I got that 4th profile (for day/night) that the Lorex FW was lacking.



Now to do something about that too-wide 2.8mm lens...

 

[alastairstevenson]

Well done! A good result, worth sharing.

 

[swhomeautomation]

Hey @pozzello ,

The Lorex E861AB is 'Resolution/Frame rate 4K(8MP) @ 15fps, ' according to the Lorex E861AB spec sheet but the Dahua hfw-1831e is 'Main Stream: 4K (1~25/30fps)' according to the Dahua spec sheet.

Did the E861AB start working at 25/30 fps when it was flashed to the 1831E firmware?

Does the E861AB have any IVS functions with the Dahua firmware?

Thanks

 

[mat200]

Hey @pozzello ,

The Lorex E861AB is 'Resolution/Frame rate 4K(8MP) @ 15fps, ' according to the Lorex E861AB spec sheet but the Dahua hfw-1831e is 'Main Stream: 4K (1~25/30fps)' according to the Dahua spec sheet.

Did the E861AB start working at 25/30 fps when it was flashed to the 1831E firmware?

Does the E861AB have any IVS functions with the Dahua firmware?

Thanks

Hi @swhomeautomation

It would surprise me if the firmware got it working well at 30 fps .. as I would expect the 15fps rated camera to have lesser hardware vs a 25/30 fps camera.