doc:appunti:hardware:sjcam-8pro
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doc:appunti:hardware:sjcam-8pro [2022/04/29 11:46] – niccolo | doc:appunti:hardware:sjcam-8pro [2023/06/09 12:21] (current) – [SJCAM SJ8 Pro Review] niccolo | ||
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- | ====== SJCAM SJ8 Pro ====== | + | ====== SJCAM SJ8 Pro Review |
- | + | ||
- | See also my other page about this camera: | + | |
- | + | ||
- | * **[[ambarella_custom_firmware]]**. | + | |
- | * **[[sjcam-8pro-api]]** | + | |
The **SJCAM SJ8 Pro** action camera was introduced in **2018**, it features **4k video** at **60 fps** and **gyroscope image stabilization**. I purchaesd it in 2021 to work alongside my old [[xiaomi_yi|Xiaomi Yi]], mainly because I was interested in image stabilization. | The **SJCAM SJ8 Pro** action camera was introduced in **2018**, it features **4k video** at **60 fps** and **gyroscope image stabilization**. I purchaesd it in 2021 to work alongside my old [[xiaomi_yi|Xiaomi Yi]], mainly because I was interested in image stabilization. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{.: | ||
Unfortunately SJCAM does not support this camera very much: the latest **firmware upgrade** is from September 2020, despite there are some evident bugs and several aspects of the user interface which should be improved. Thirdy part support is poor: there is no **waterproof case** except the original one, which unfortunately has a plastic window. There is not much documentation about **customizing the firmware** or scripting using the **Ambarella Scripting**. | Unfortunately SJCAM does not support this camera very much: the latest **firmware upgrade** is from September 2020, despite there are some evident bugs and several aspects of the user interface which should be improved. Thirdy part support is poor: there is no **waterproof case** except the original one, which unfortunately has a plastic window. There is not much documentation about **customizing the firmware** or scripting using the **Ambarella Scripting**. | ||
+ | |||
+ | See also my other page about this camera: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * **[[sjcam-8pro-ambarella-firmware-modding]]** | ||
+ | * **[[sjcam-8pro-ambarella-wifi-api]]** | ||
+ | * **[[sjcam-8pro-custom-firmware]]** | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Specs, Pros and Cons ===== | ||
**Pros** | **Pros** | ||
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===== Color profiles ===== | ===== Color profiles ===== | ||
- | The SJCAM SJ8 Pro has two **color profiles** selectable from the **Current Mode Settings** menu: **SJCAM - Vivid** and **Flat**. There is a firmware bug that prevent you changing the color profile if the Gyro Stabilizer is enabled, and the color profile choiche is not remebered after power off. In my opinion the vivid profile is too much saturated, specially it **enhances too much** the contrast from the **blue sky** and the **white clouds**, even when the sky is mainly gray and cloudy (as in the frames below). On the contrary the flat profile is **too much washed out** that you will hardly want to use it. | + | The SJCAM SJ8 Pro has two **color profiles** selectable from the **Current Mode Settings** menu: **SJCAM - Vivid** and **Flat**. |
+ | |||
+ | There is a firmware bug that prevent you changing the color profile if the Gyro Stabilizer is enabled, and the color profile choiche is not remebered after power off. In my opinion the vivid profile is too much saturated, specially it **enhances too much** the contrast from the **blue sky** and the **white clouds**, even when the sky is mainly gray and cloudy (as in the frames below). On the contrary the flat profile is **too much washed out** that you will hardly want to use it. | ||
{{.: | {{.: | ||
{{.: | {{.: | ||
- | You can edit the color profiles | + | You can edit the three color profiles //SJCAM - Vivid//, // |
==== Flat vs SJCAM - Vivid ==== | ==== Flat vs SJCAM - Vivid ==== | ||
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There are many hackers who produce modified versions of the original firmware. In general they distribute the original firmware patched in several places, mainly to customize framerates, exposure parameters, etc. | There are many hackers who produce modified versions of the original firmware. In general they distribute the original firmware patched in several places, mainly to customize framerates, exposure parameters, etc. | ||
+ | |||
+ | I created a custom firmware to improve some video codec settings and to improve image quality (mainly color balance and saturation). You can find it here: **[[sjcam-8pro-custom-firmware]]**. | ||
Generally there is **no access to the source code**, so **patching the firmware binary** is a rather delicate task, requiring to know the exact offset of the data into that **specific version of the firmware**, the structure and the lenght of the data and eventually how to **update the embedded checksums**. SJCAM does not facilitate the task, because it distribute different versions of the firmares marked with the same version number. | Generally there is **no access to the source code**, so **patching the firmware binary** is a rather delicate task, requiring to know the exact offset of the data into that **specific version of the firmware**, the structure and the lenght of the data and eventually how to **update the embedded checksums**. SJCAM does not facilitate the task, because it distribute different versions of the firmares marked with the same version number. | ||
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The best approach is to use the **[[https:// | The best approach is to use the **[[https:// | ||
- | You can refer to the page **[[ambarella_custom_firmware]]** with my notes about customizing the SJ8 Pro firmware using BitrateEditor. You can also refer to the program I wrote which can extract files and partitions from the firmware files: **[[https:// | + | You can refer to the page **[[sjcam-8pro-ambarella-firmware-modding]]** with my notes about customizing the SJ8 Pro firmware using BitrateEditor. You can also refer to the program I wrote which can extract files and partitions from the firmware files: **[[https:// |
===== SD Card partitioning and formatting with GNU/Linux ===== | ===== SD Card partitioning and formatting with GNU/Linux ===== | ||
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- | ===== TCP API ===== | + | ===== The TCP API ===== |
- | The camera offers an **API** over the **TCP protocol** | + | See the page **[[sjcam-8pro-ambarella-wifi-api]]** about the programming interface (API) offered by the SJCAM SJ8 Pro over the WiFi connection or even in localhost. The interface is offered |
- | The protocol was at least partially | + | The interface is based on **JSON messages**: you can exchange them over the WiFi connection as the official app **[[https:// |
- | Executing that script at camera | + | You can also send messages from the camera |
- | * At bootstrap, the RTOS executes the **autoexec.ash** Ambarella Script. | + | ===== Connecting |
- | * Using the command **t ipc rpc clnt exec2** it is possible | + | |
- | * The GNU/Linux environment has the **busybox** software, so it is possible to use the **telnet** command to establish a TCP connection with the API server at **localhost: | + | |
- | * The required **JSON commands** are sent to the API server to disable Gyro Stabilizer, select the Color Profile and then re enable Gyro Stabilizer. | + | |
- | **WARNING**: | + | If you connect |
- | + | ||
- | Here there are the three files that must be created on the root directory of the SD card: | + | |
- | + | ||
- | **autoexec.ash** | + | |
< | < | ||
- | sleep 5000 | + | Bus 001 Device 006: ID 070a:4026 Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd A9 Platform |
- | t ipc rpc clnt exec2 '/ | + | |
</ | </ | ||
- | **autoexec.rc** | + | The kernel inform also that the device is available as **USB Mass Storage**: |
< | < | ||
- | #!/bin/sh | + | usb 1-1.1: new high-speed USB device number 6 using ehci-pci |
- | / | + | usb 1-1.1: New USB device found, idVendor=070a, idProduct=4026, |
- | </ | + | usb 1-1.1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3 |
- | + | usb 1-1.1: Product: A9 Platform | |
- | **api-set-options** | + | usb 1-1.1: Manufacturer: AmbarellaInc |
- | + | usb 1-1.1: SerialNumber: 0001 | |
- | < | + | usb-storage 1-1.1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected |
- | #!/bin/sh | + | scsi host6: usb-storage 1-1.1:1.0 |
- | # | + | scsi 6:0:0:0: Direct-Access |
- | # Send some commands to the TCP:7878 API. | + | sd 6:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0 |
- | # Set the color profile to " | + | |
- | + | ||
- | # We should get the token number from msg_id 257, but this script | + | |
- | # is executed at boot, so the token should be always " | + | |
- | T=1 | + | |
- | + | ||
- | # A pause of 0.5 is required for each command to be completed. | + | |
- | # By trial we discovered that a pause of 0.4 is not sufficient. | + | |
- | S=0.52 | + | |
- | + | ||
- | { | + | |
- | echo ' | + | |
- | echo ' | + | |
- | echo ' | + | |
- | echo ' | + | |
- | echo ' | + | |
- | sleep 1.0; | + | |
- | } | telnet localhost 7878 | + | |
- | echo | + | |
</ | </ | ||
doc/appunti/hardware/sjcam-8pro.txt · Last modified: 2023/06/09 12:21 by niccolo