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 808 Car Keys Micro Camera Review
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#6 Camera
The #6 is one version of the 808 car keys micro camera.

Table of Contents
#6 Camera Report
#6 New Battery Shapes
#6 Firmware
#6 Variant, Fake 1280x720, SunPlus


  
120723 - One way to un-brick a #6
Steve from the UK has this comment about how to un-brick his #6.  He was then able to load the C6.febe9e93.1528.bin.brn.new firmware.  Works fine.  His camera has a 1MB firmware chip (SPI serial flash 8 megabit chip).

Interestingly, shorting the two pads close to the switch didn't put the camera into firmware mode ready for un-bricking.  I had to remove the battery first, short the two pads, plug into USB then remove short from pads.  Then it worked and I reprogrammed with the #6 firmware.


    
110217 - #6 Variant, Fake 1280x720, SunPlus
 #6 variant 1280x720 sample video frame, rescaled to 640x360
110217 - Roger's comments: Last fall, I bought an 808 camera. It shoots 1280x720 "fake HD" (interpolated) in an AVI/M-JPEG format.  The files are huge (about 25.5 Mbps, 4 times larger than the standard 808), and the dropped frame rate is dismal at 36% to 43%.  It accepts a TF card. A frame capture shows the "splotchy" effects typical of interpolation.  It cost about $12 shipped, I believe.  I don't see this model on eBay now, but it's definitely a model to avoid if it shows up again, especially since there is a "real HD" version now:  Some people are likely to think they're getting a real bargain on one of those.




 #6 variant 1280x720 sample video frame, rescaled to 640x360
101103 - Andrew received one of these #6 variant 1280x720 cameras from eBay yuanminqi  item 190451723182.



Up-scaled and no aspect ratio distortion
A sample video with a round object shows that the AVI is not distorted.  Analysis shows that the resolution is not 1280x720.  It is probably a 640x480 camera module, cropped to 640x360, and then rescaled (2X) to 1280x720.

Missing frame rate is high
12 missing frames per second even with a very fast micro SD card.  29.224 FPS.  127 frame sample AVI file.  101 MB per minute AVI data rate.  The SanDisk 8GB class 4 card benchmarked 3.2 MBps  random write speed.

Even with these problems the color and sharpness was good.

100927 - Alchemist has reported a camera that takes 1280x720 AVI files.  It seems to be an upscaled 640x480 #6 SunPlus camera.

54% missing frames (terrible) - I sampled frames 100 to 199 in one sample video and 54 were missing.

29.951 FPS

29000 Kbps - approximate video data rate, about three times the rate of the #3 and #6 camera.

125 megabyte (125E6) - File data rate per minute, about 40% higher than the #3 and #6 camera.

353Kbps PCM. - Audio is the same as the #3 and #6 camera.

640x480 native - My subjective resolution test shows that the native resolution is not 1280x960, and is probably 640x480.  Procedure:  Capture a video frame A.  Copy A to B.  Rescale B to 640x480.  Rescale B to 1280x720.  Compare A to B.  If the resolution looks the same then the native resolution is probably 640x480.

Missing frames are missing - An unusual AVI format issue:  In most 808 cameras that produce an AVI with missing frames, the missing frames are duplicates, or present but short (0 or 6 bytes).   In this camera the missing frames are totally missing.  My video players are smart enough to replace a missing missing frame with a duplicate of a previous frame. 
If VirtualDub is used to make a "direct stream copy" of the AVI file it replaces the missing missing frames with duplicate frames, and as expected the file size increases.


  
2010 Nov 17 - #6 Firmware
Just like the #3, the #6 firmware can be downloaded (#6 to PC) from the camera, modified to blank the font, and uploaded.  Follow the procedures on the #3 page.  Contributed #6 sample firmware files are here C3SampleFirmware.

  
2010 Oct 10 - #6 Date Time Tip
Nate says for the #6:  Contrary to the instruction sheet, the proper format for the tag.txt file is:
[date]
2010/10/10
16:56

Do not include seconds in the time argument, or the time will be set to 00:00:00.

  
2010 June 10 - #6 Cameras - New Battery Shapes
Victor in Moscow ordered three cameras.  One is a #3 and two are #6. 

The #6 cameras each have a different LiPo battery new shape.  One of the batteries is swollen so much that the case barely closes.  One is marked 421133 which is probably 4.2x11x33 mm.  A normal typical battery is 4x20x30 mm.

The light yellow foam tape is filling space between the battery and case border. It seems it's to hold the battery, to prevent it's moving over the circuit board. Also if you insert the card into the card-slot the tape prevents the card from being inserted between circuit board and the case body.  The card slot is wider.
 
#6 camera
#6 camera, battery new shape
#6 camera
#6 camera, battery new shape, swollen
#6 camera
#6 camera, battery swollen
#6 camera
#6 camera, swollen battery, the screws are required to force the case closed.

  
2010 May 26 - New #6 Camera
I am receiving reports of a new camera with these features: Similar to a #3 camera (same video size, audio).
Video date time stamp in lower left.
TAG.txt (file name might be case sensitive) and format requires equal sign "[date] 2010/05/26 13:26:00=".
File names are MEDI*.* or SUNP*.*.
The components are smaller.
Seems that the component count is less.
One crystal has been moved to the front (button) side.
Microphone is larger diameter and soldered with insulated wires instead of direct solder to the circuit board.

#6 Camera - Setting the Date Time
See this section about how to set the date time.

Fab from Germany reported this very unusual pitch shift audio problem with his #6 camera: YouTube (removed)

C6 Camera
Camera #6 bottom. Photo by Björn.
C6 Camera
Camera #6 top. 
Fewer and smaller components than the #3 camera.  Photo by Björn.

  
2010 XXX XX - XXXXXXXX
 
   

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