CVS Red PV2 6550 mods

"CVS Red" 6550 Firmware Mods

Step 3: Modify your Camera's 6550 firmware

WARNING: It is easy to kill your camera if you make a mistake following these instructions. If losing the $20 you paid for your camera is too much for you to risk, stop now and go watch TV or something. Follow these instructions at your own risk.

You will need to refer back to my main PV2mods page for instructions on downloading and installing some of the software tools. Specifically, make sure you download and install: Tiny Hexer and both libusb downloads from sourceforge. They will be needed to complete the steps below.

This process of unlocking the 6550 firmware is different (and somewhat more difficult) from the original method used on the 6520. The original 6520 camera used a relatively simply unlock sequence that forkboy programmed into his great software "PV2Tool".

CVS made the firmware mod process tougher by adding many new unlock sequences that vary from camera to camera. Brite_eye posted a method that appears to work reliably for the 6550, and I have expanded on it here to provide the "how-to". The steps below are taken directly from his post on the camerahacks forum:

-3. If first time user download and install latest libusb-win32-device-bin and filter-bin. http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=78138
-2. Add 27, 28, 2B, 2F, 30 to libusb.inf, right click on inf then install.

As with the original 6520 cameras, you must install the libusb software libraries. The latest version (0.1.10.1) seems to work better than the 0.1.8.0 version I used previously. Install the filter-bin file in the default location selected by the install. Unzip the device-bin file at "C:\Program Files\libusb-win32-device-bin-0.1.10.1". PV2Tool uses the interface provided by these libraries to connect to the USB interface. To enable libusb to associate itself with the various device ID's your camera may send to your computer, you need to add lines to the libusb.inf file. This file should be located in the "C:\Program Files\libusb-win32-device-bin-0.1.10.1\bin" directory. Here are the complete lines that I added to my file:

[Devices]
"CVS_Red_0024"=LIBUSB_DEV, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0024
"CVS_Red_0027"=LIBUSB_DEV, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0027
"CVS_Red_0028"=LIBUSB_DEV, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0028
"CVS_Red_002B"=LIBUSB_DEV, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_002B
"CVS_Red_0030"=LIBUSB_DEV, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0030
"CVS_Red_002F"=LIBUSB_DEV, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_002F

Once you add these lines to your libusb.inf, save the file. If your computer brings up a "New Device Found" dialog while you are working with camera, make sure you choose to specify the location of the driver and then browse to this directory. This will insure that the libusb driver is registered for your camera, and that PV2Tool can see it.

-1. Download and install latest PV2Tool 2.13 from https://sourceforge.net/projects/pv2devkit

The latest version (2.13) is essential to this method.

0. Remove batteries. Allow camera to set idle for several hours.

Apparently, playing with the camera before you do this can effect your results. Be safe and do what he recommends. Open the battery door by removing the two screws or releasing the latch with a paper clip.

1. Take cover off, use 2 screws to secure board near cable connection.

Open the camera by removing three screws under the rear label and releasing all the plastic clips around the edge of the camera. You may use a sharp knife to cut the label to access the rear screws (as shown in the pic below), or carefully peel back the rear label to access the screws. The best way to release the plastic clips is to use a small jeweler's screwdriver. Start at the battery end of the camera and release the clips towards the USB connector end by pressing inwards at the notches in the case.

Once you have the camera open, be very careful! The flash capacitor can be charged and can hold a 200 to 300 volt charge. If you make a mistake and touch the flash contacts (or board traces), you will get a nasty shock.

Once you get the rear cover off, use two of the three screws to hold the PC board to the front cover as indicated by the arrows in the picture below.

2. Run PV2Tool 2.13 using exe corresponding to your libusb.

Unzip the archive and run the version that matches your libusb version (0.1.10.1 if you downloaded the version I link to). I recommend you unplug any other USB devices from your computer before you continue. It may not be necessary, but I have seen system crashes that I believe were caused by other USB devices interfering with PV2Tool.

3. Plug Camera into USB.
4. Click Open - should see PID 27 if using a red.

PV2Tool will display a message indicating if it found a USB camera and print information about its USB ID. For the 6550, it should find a camera with PID_0027.

5. From bottom count up 6 pins on SDRAM (right side of LCD next to empty battery holder).
6. Place pointed probe end of multimeter wire between pins 6 and 7.

Click on the picture below. It shows the two pins that must be shorted on the SDRAM for this step to work. Hold the probe tip (or similar object) on pins 6 and 7 and continue to the next step.

7. Unplug and replug USB cable - wait 15 seconds - should hear 2 death beeps.

As I am right handed, I held the probe tip in my right hand and the centronics connector in my left hand. I removed the centronics connector, counted to three, and then plugged it back into the camera. Wait for the 2 death beeps. If you don't get them, don't panic. Just try unplugging and re-plugging the USB cable again. You may need to try a slightly longer disconnect. When you do get the 2 death beeps, leave the USB cable connected and...
8. Remove probe.

9. Click Open - should see typeid from nerve pinch (mine was PID 2B).

PV2Tool should still be open on your computer. Click the open button. PV2Tool should find your camera, but it should now report a different PID. It may be 2B or 30, depending on your camera's typeid. Here is the screen capture from my TypeID 30 camera:

10. Click SDRAM Keyscan.
11. Follow instructions on pop up window.

The "SDRAM Keyscan" button scans the firmware of your camera for the keys needed to unlock the firmware. When it finds them, it creates a pk2keys.txt file with the needed keys. The popup will tell you to disconnect the camera, re-connect the camera and then open it. You should now be able to click the "Unlock" button to use these keys to unlock the camera. Thanks again to all who worked to make this great tool!

With your camera now unlocked, you can click on the "Unlock FIRMWARE" button to modify your camera's firmware to stay unlocked. You could also choose other options provided by PV2Tool to modify your camera, such as the "Set Pic Limit to 30" button. This option should enable your camera to store up to 30 pictures (I have not tried this option myself yet).

Step 4a: Camera Drivers

Some notes on the camera driver installation: This method does not change the USB ID of the camera to 0024, as is done in the firmware changes for the 6520 version. These changes leave the USB ID set to 0027. To enable your camera driver to associate itself with the 6550 camera, you will need to change the driver inf file to add USB ID 0027. For the Cheez driver, you need to make the following changes to the smalunhj.inf file:

[SMALUSB.models]
%USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0023.DeviceDesc%=SMALUSB.Dev, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0023
%USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0024.DeviceDesc%=SMALUSB.Dev, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0024
%USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0027.DeviceDesc%=SMALUSB.Dev, USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0027 <-- Add this line

USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0024.DeviceDesc="Che-ez! Foxz2"
USB\VID_0DCA&PID_0027.DeviceDesc="Che-ez! Foxz2" <-- Add this line

If you are using the FlatFoto drivers you will need to make similar changes to the smaluslx.inf file.

Once you have updated the inf file, you need to get Windows to associate the camera driver with the USB ID 0027. You may do this by connecting the camera to your computer, and then following these steps:

Open the windows device manager and select the CVS camera (it should show up as a libusb device).
Right click on the camera device and choose "Update Driver".
Choose to "specify the driver location", and browse to the location of your modified camera driver inf file.

Sometimes windows will keep trying to associate your camera with the libusb driver until you remove the libusb inf file from the windows\inf directory. To find the file that is causing your problem, browse to the inf directory (c:\windows\inf on Windows XP) and search the files there for the string "0DCA". Open any files that have this string. If any of them are libusb driver inf files, delete them. Repeat the steps above. You should now be able to associate the correct driver with your camera.

Continue to Step 4 on the main page for info on downloading pictures from your unlocked camera.

Revisions

4-Jul-2005: Added inf file info. Thanks for the tip Frank!

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