Unknown camera without reset button

N

neuromax

n3wb
May 30, 2019
8
0
Italy
Hi,
sorry if I have no more information to add, someone asked me for help with a camera.
They had no more access to the IP / password.
I wanted to help but it looks like there is no switch inside.
The box does not show any brand.
The camera does not show any brand.

This is a picture of the internal board.

Can someone help please?
When I can I will add a higher resolution picture if necessary.
camera_board.jpg
Thanks in advance.
 
neuromax said:
Hi,
sorry if I have no more information to add, someone asked me for help with a camera.
They had no more access to the IP / password.
I wanted to help but it looks like there is no switch inside.
The box does not show any brand.
The camera does not show any brand.
..
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Hi neuromax,

Do you have any other information to share?

Picture of the exterior of the camera?

IP PoE camera? ( I am guessing it is based on the board.. )
 
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That appears to be a clone of an older Foscam design. The contacts/holes on the right-hand side of the photo near the servo motor are the console TTY port. Use a USB/serial adapter to connect here, if you're versed in Linux bootstrap (CFE) or operating system processes. The reset button is typically on the underside of that board, a small black pushbutton that is access from a tiny hole in the plastic shell.
 
Hi. Thanks to all for the quick reply.
I took some pictures of the outside of the camera.
There seem to be no brand anywhere.
VorlonFrog, I'm not versed in CFE, but I could learn, but I would prefer a simple reset button :) .
I tried to look under the board, everywhere, but i didn't see anything useful (button). As soon as possible I'll open it again and look more carefully, and if I can find a good angle, maybe I can take a picture of the bottom of the board.

IMG_20190530_205924.jpg IMG_20190530_205841.jpg IMG_20190530_205818.jpg IMG_20190530_205802.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hooboy, a no-name PTZ. All bets are off. :(
Unless someone else recognizes it.
Check the board for Imporx PTZ or Yunch PTZ and you MIGHT find something helpful.
 
Last edited:
Thanks VorlonFrog.
I opened it again, looked carefully, but found no clues, no "hidden" buttons, nothing at all :(
Do you still think I can access it with a console connection using the connector on the left side of the motor?
And could you point me to the right cable to use?
 
@alastairstevenson provides good advice. USB/serial cables are inexpensive and plentiful. Buy two or three as long as you're buying. I've destroyed more of these than I can count, just disconnecting/reconnecting the pins so many times. The wires are incredibly fine and they give up rather quickly. :(
 
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neuromax said:
Really thanks. I assume the pinout of the connector is standard.
Click to expand...
If you have an ohmmeter (and cheap ones are $10 at harborfreight and similar stores) first identify GROUND. With no power connected to the camera and the meter set to read ohms resistance, you touch one meter lead to a screw or shield connected to the ground plane of the printed circuit board. Then touch the other meter lead to each of the four contact points. When the meter responds, that's your GROUND. Then apply power to the camera, switch the meter to read volts DC keep the black meter lead connected to ground, and touch the red meter lead to the remaining three contact points. One of them will likely read 5VDC or 3.3VDC and that's your POWER. That leaves two points to identify, Transmit and Receive. This is the easy part, no meter necessary. Connect USB GROUND to GROUND on the circuit board. Do not connect anything to POWER. Take the RECEIVE pin from the USB and hold it to one then the other terminal while watching the COM port on your computer with a program like puTTY. Generally, you'd start with the COM port at 9600, but most tech these days use 115200. 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity. When you see data appearing in the puTTY window, that's your TRANSMIT pin. It should connect to the USB RECEIVE pin. Finally, connect the USB TRANSMIT pin to the remaining contact point, that's your RECEIVE pin.

In shorthand, these are PWR (or Vcc), TXD or TX, RXD or RX, and GND.
 
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VorlonFrog said:
If you have an ohmmeter (and cheap ones are $10 at harborfreight and similar stores) first identify GROUND. With no power connected to the camera and the meter set to read ohms resistance, you touch one meter lead to a screw or shield connected to the ground plane of the printed circuit board. Then touch the other meter lead to each of the four contact points. When the meter responds, that's your GROUND. Then apply power to the camera, switch the meter to read volts DC keep the black meter lead connected to ground, and touch the red meter lead to the remaining three contact points. One of them will likely read 5VDC or 3.3VDC and that's your POWER. That leaves two points to identify, Transmit and Receive. This is the easy part, no meter necessary. Connect USB GROUND to GROUND on the circuit board. Do not connect anything to POWER. Take the RECEIVE pin from the USB and hold it to one then the other terminal while watching the COM port on your computer with a program like puTTY. Generally, you'd start with the COM port at 9600, but most tech these days use 115200. 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity. When you see data appearing in the puTTY window, that's your TRANSMIT pin. It should connect to the USB RECEIVE pin. Finally, connect the USB TRANSMIT pin to the remaining contact point, that's your RECEIVE pin.

In shorthand, these are PWR (or Vcc), TXD or TX, RXD or RX, and GND.
Click to expand...
Really thanks, I'll let you know as soon as I can put my hands on a usb to serial adapter.
I could use an old PC with a serial port, I guess, am I wrong?
 
No response from the "presumed" manufacturer :(
And I tried to spot the ground hole but no one responded. (touching two screws gives a result).
Could the holes be disconnected? Maybe the serial is somewhere else?

Really thanks for your help and patience.
 
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