Firmware upgrade, empiretech cam - How? / Having Trouble connecting 180cam

[Heavyopp]

I’ve having trouble with a 180 camera and believe a firmware upgrade would be beneficial.
What I don’t understand is how do I upgrade the firmware without exposing the camera to the internet.

what’s the safe process?

Is there a program I need to do this? Config tool? Do you put config tool on your BI machine?
Just a little guidance please.

 

[wittaj]

Best practice is 3 factory resets, flash firmware, and 3 more factory resets.

Best practice is to log into the camera GUI and load it from there. Download the firmware to the c drive and then point the camera to that location under the update option. Goofy things can happen using ConfigTool.

What problem are you having that you think the firmware will address?

 

[Heavyopp]

Will post issues tonight — in the field at work now

 

[Heavyopp]

What problem are you having that you think the firmware will address?

I don’t exactly think a firmware update is going to fix my issue.
It sure looks like I’m on a version of firmware that isn’t even listed —old. Kinda figure at this point what can it hurt. There certainly seem to be valuable improvements in the updated firmware over what I currently have.

My problems are my cam won’t run in the position I want it too. Might be too long of a wire run. Not really sure. I get power to cam, but I can’t access the cam gui. Can initialize, can start setting up but lose connection while going through the process of setting up the cam. Happened 2 times. 1st time it happened 3 factory resets brought the camera back to life. The second time I couldn’t get it back and pulled it down.

Camera seems to be working other than the fact I cannot get video from it. On board illumination was running and following the time plan I had managed to set up.

Was thinking wiring issue. Changed rj45 on both ends of the wire. Wire is new out of box from monoprice. Cat 6 full copper 23 awg.
110 feet long from switch in basement, up into attic, then to camera location.

When I pulled down the camera I threw up a new b5442-se that I won on this past lottery. Figured I’d check the wiring. The 5442 has been running for a few days now. No issues set up on BI.

So I then hooked up the 180 cam to a 10 foot patch cable in my basement next to the switch. Started right up, connected and seems ok. Ran that for 24 hours on BI too. Just looking at basement walls.

Anyway, figured I’d upgrade the firmware and try again up where I want it. See if it makes any difference.

I also tried a new 4 port switch thinking maybe the 8 port switch I am running was maxed out although I don’t know why it would be. Only has 5 cams on it and none of them terribly demanding. Poe+ switch. Anyway, no change with the 180 cam running on it the 4 port poe+ switch alone.

I don’t know whats going on. 110 feet should be well within the length limits. As I said, I don’t know but gotta try something.

 

[TheOtherMike]

Have you checked for any voltage-related exceptions?

 

[Heavyopp]

Have you checked for any voltage-related exceptions?
View attachment 196064

No, didn’t know that existed.
Overlay? How would I see it if I can’t get video from cam when it’s happening?

 

[TheOtherMike]

I've never used this so I can't offer guidance. I'm just trying to take advantage of any built-in diagnostic.
Another "event linkage" for this exception is to send email but that's not likely an option for most due to network setup.
Maybe check the system logs.

There's also a diagnosis page

 

[TheOtherMike]

Under advanced maintenance there's an export option - I got about 1.5MB of mostly binary stuff.
Also under run log, I downloaded the most recent log and it looks like it contains exception info:



I have no idea what to do with this tho

Maybe you can ssh in and DL logs in text format

 

[Heavyopp]

I'm starting to find a pattern. I happened to have another run of wire already in place in the attic going to almost the same spot. PTZ will go on this wire eventually.
Anyway, I put an end on the wire and brought part of my test rig up into the attic. Hooked up the 180 cam on the test rig.

This run of wire is another 110 foot run.

180 cam will not enable. On board illumination lights are on which would coincide with the time plan that was programmed previously. No video signal. No way to access camera.
No green light on switch. I tried 2 different switches which work fine with other cameras and this one on a shorter wire. No change.

There is only 1 more thing to check. All the times access fails I'm using a PFA122 junction box for the camera wires. When on the bench, and using a short patch cable the camera wires are straight and not curled up in the junction box.
Maybe there's a defect in the camera wire. when it gets curled up in the junction box it shorts or breaks contact somewhere. I'm gonna go pull it from the junction box now and straighten the camera wires. See what happens.

@EMPIRETECANDY

Any thoughts Andy?

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Looks like connection not well, need to check if the camera’s rj45 connector is loosen or the cable’s.

 

[Heavyopp]

I ended up pulling the camera wires from the junction box. No change -- still no camera signal when hooked up to 110 feet of cat 6.
It's unplugged now -- I'll play with it tomorrow

This doesn't make any sense.

 

[Heavyopp]

Thought of another variable...

When on the bench, the patch cable isn’t made by me.
Not that my cable is defective but maybe this certain camera’s female rj45 does not work well with the rj45 male connector I’m using. maybe just 1 pin isn’t making contact.

 

[Heavyopp]

I've edited the title to reflect what this thread evolved into. Just to help the search engine.

If there is anyone that is following along I am 100% sure what the connection issue is.

The amazon cable matters pass through RJ45 connectors I am using do not work with this particular dahua/empiretech camera.
This is proven with 3 different cables that work with other Dahua/empiretech cameras.

Use a factory patch cable, no matter the length, the 180 cam fires right up. This assumes that the factory cables are terminated with something other than the cable matters connector I am using.

So I know the problem, the solution may be as simple as order some modular connectors from Monoprice. These seem to get good reviews here.
Another solution would be to change the camera female RJ45 -- not nearly as simple but certainly possible.

 

[Heavyopp]

The following is just copied from another thread where I was starting to get info.
It is out of context here but once again may help someone with similar issue using the search feature.



So this is starting to point more towards a camera issue...
What I've done:
New RJ45 ends, both sides cam and switch.
Factory hard reset 3 times. Still can't connect, illumination lights on camera are on. No green light on port on switch.
Switch ports on switch to a know good port. Remove a cam from switch to use it's port. 5 cameras on an 8 port switch.
Can finally get into camera
Initialize cam no issues
Format SD card.
Program time settings - I use day, night, and General for those changing dusk and dawn hours.
Start setting exposure and playing with display settings for day, night and general. All is good at 1st, camera responding fast, hitting apply and getting a fast "operation successful".
Then it gets slow, and I get operation failed. Cam still responds but very slow. Then it goes dark and I lose connection. This is about the same point in programming that I lost the connection previously.
Illumination lights stay on on camera. Green light on switch port is now dark.

Got me thinking power issue so I pull this wire from the 8 port switch and hook up a 4 port switch along with the 8. Plug only the 180 cam into the 4 port switch along with line in.
No change. Cannot access cam.

What is going on? I'll hard reset again but I'm not hopeful. Firmware upgrade? I won't be able to tell what firmware I'm on till I hard reset to get cam back.

Any thoughts?

 

[Heavyopp]

Looks like connection not well, need to check if the camera’s rj45 connector is loosen or the cable’s.

Most certainly is connector issues...

 

[Flintstone61]

Are you using a POE switch rated at 802.3AT
I'm thinkin the Run may require more juice. maybe an 802.3AF switch doesnt have the pwer budget to handle all your cams
[/QUOTE]

 

[Flintstone61]

The main difference between them is the amount of power delivered. The 802.3af PoE standard delivers 15.4 watts to endpoint devices, while the more recent 802.3at PoE standard delivers 25.5 watts PoE endpoint devices.

802.3at vs. 802.3af Poe: What is It, and How Are The Two ...

Ruijie Networks
https://www.ruijienetworks.com › 802-3at-vs-802-3af-poe

 

[Flintstone61]

I may be in your boat.....I have a 180 turret that was hooked to a Cisco POE switch that is 802.3af and im starting to think my wiring may not be my problem....ran cable twice....I think if a guy calculates the LED's and the the 2 cameras running inside.....it might need at 802.3AT switch or power supply.
might need to try a small POE switch rated at AT to see if in fact that is the problem.

 

[Flintstone61]

Yup, I'm an idiot. I didn't read the fucking manual....I need to get a small POE switch to run this or get a whole new( used) ebay switch.

Power Supply

12 VDC (±30%)/PoE+ (802.3at)/ePoE

EmpireTech IPC-Color4K-T180 4K Full-Color 1/1.8" CMOS Dual-Lens Splici

Dual 1/1.8" CMOS Image Sensor | Outputs 180° wide angle splicing image | Built-in warm light | The max. illumination distance is 40 m | Built-in Mic and speaker supports two-way talk | IP67 protection | EPTZ function | SMD3.0

empiretech01.com

 

[Heavyopp]

Switch says it's AT compliant -- POE+ but did I actually measure it??

I'm confident that my problem is the cable matters connector and that particular 180 camera female connector -- It was a refurb from empiretech.
None of my other cameras have issues with the amazon/cable matters connectors. I guess that would make it a camera connector issue and not necessarily an issue with cable matters.

Either way, I've ordered some modular connectors from monoprice. Will be here in a few days and we'll find out if I'm right.