512 Parking Mode Power Problem

[drwilliams]

From my own knowledge as a former embedded systems software engineer, I believe that the the G sensor is programmed to trigger an interrupt over an i2c bus at first power up, with a threshold value that is only marginally above the RMS noise level of the sensor chip. When the camera is asleep, that interrupt wakes it. Seems to me that the threshold is set in firmware (rather than nvram) and initialized very early on in camera boot - perhaps even in the boot loader itself. Which is presumably why it isn't trivial to make it user configurable. Also, by the time the interrupt handler is running, the G event has finished, so it has no way of knowing if it was real, or just sensor noise, after the fact.

I also believe that manufacturing variances in the G sensor will make some cameras 'better' that others (e.g. if they have a particularly good sensor with less noise), and I would be pretty sure that lower ambient temperatures will also have a positive effect (cooler should mean less sensor noise).

My camera is being replaced tomorrow. Will be keen to see if it behaves better, and I will let you know.

 

[adrianse]

I do have same issue, camera in P mode is not running as expected, after 2-3 days system stop responding -> only solution is to reset the device

 

[Nextbase Support]

@adrianse What firmware are you on?

@kenofseavington After a full 2 hour charge it should last 20-30 minutes under it's own power, is it doing that? Give us an email on support@nextbase.co.uk or call 02920 866429! We can repair/replace where necessary.

@Jonah Was it a faulty battery? Or was it the parking mode protecting more than 30 minutes worth of files throughout the night? The reason I ask is the new unit isn't behaving drastically differently. What version of firmware are you on? We can still help you, I'd recommend emailing us on support@nextbase.co.uk or calling 02920 866429 so we can try getting to the bottom of it with you.

 

[RottenFoxBreath]

I feel I've got to chime in here too.
Got a 512GW and rear fitted at Halfords, to my Insignia, fuse 6(I think), cigarette lighter one anyway.
Battery wouldn't last more than a day, even with a full charge, crazy activation from the sensor, no activity at all, nothing on, near or passing by the car/camera(cctv at house and work proved this).
"James" gave me an RMA:68282, but Halfords did exchange it, primarily as I can't be without the camera, as it's for work and play., and the Halfords guy checked it over as faulty.
Replacement unit was on firmware 17.5 I think, uber dark rear cam, unresponsive unit, and wifi mode would activate itself, so updated to latest on website..reset cam, format card, etc..
This latest one, does the same thing, full charge at night, by morning, it's flat, date has reset, won't record, sometimes the "position the rear camera" screen pops up, and the spaces inbetween recordings is as much as 20 seconds.
That last one was proved last week during a near miss, as we "chased" the culprit down, as they were drunk as we found out from police, but from incident to following the car, missed 20 seconds, as it next started recording at a set of lights we arrived at.

So I guess I could go through support, as Halfords have said they won't replace it again, and it was bought only on the 30/08/18, and installed originally on the 12/09/18, replacement was given and fitted on 20/09/18.
Utterly dismayed, as the last thing I want is to have to check the camera whilst driving or every time I before I start off.
Gone through everything, reset, format, charging, updated to 22.5, changed recording times, sensor levels, and now most days have to reset the camera, when I start the engine, for it to guarantee a recording, which isn't protected(which it seems to always want to do, every time the date resets)
I thought it was with just driving to work, and not much else, but really annoyed that this happens no matter what, short or long day drives.
At my wits end, and feel like buying another brand, even though it's a double dip, and really can't or won't want to be without a camera.

 

[adrianse]

@adrianse What firmware are you on?

@kenofseavington After a full 2 hour charge it should last 20-30 minutes under it's own power, is it doing that? Give us an email on support@nextbase.co.uk or call 02920 866429! We can repair/replace where necessary.

@Jonah Was it a faulty battery? Or was it the parking mode protecting more than 30 minutes worth of files throughout the night? The reason I ask is the new unit isn't behaving drastically differently. What version of firmware are you on? We can still help you, I'd recommend emailing us on support@nextbase.co.uk or calling 02920 866429 so we can try getting to the bottom of it with you.

Dear Tiffany and Support Team:

I'm on the latest firmware.
I do have the R-Cam.
The battery can last whole night , however morning time I got message "low battery" when P mode is enabled.
The SD Card is in corect speed (64GB) class 10, 90mb/s.
The Camerat can operated normal way with P mode enabled but do not last more then 3-5 days, afterward the system stop respondig, then I must hard reset it to get controll over it

Kind Regards
Adrian

 

[drwilliams]

I promised to write once the replacement camera had arrived, and I wanted to give it 24 hours (i.e. overnight). My original 512GW used to record every 8 to 12 minutes with a protected recording overnight, despite there being no movement at all. The replacement (appears to be a refurb?) didn't record a single protected event last night - not a single one. Both running 22.5 firmware. The G sensor 'noise' appears much reduced in the replacement compared to the original (when playing back a forced recording in Replay 3), and interestingly, the audio gain appears to be higher (picks up a great deal more background noise). Maybe a different hardware revision? Certainly it appears to work in parking mode as designed, whereas the original did not. Sensitivity doesn't appear to be reduced - I was able to force a recording simply by tapping on the passenger window with a knuckle.

There has been 1 glitch so far with the replacement camera - soon after setting it up, and using it for a drive to a petrol station, it re-entered 'first setup mode' when I got back in the car - this despite the camera battery being at 3 full bars and it working properly when I parked up. It hasn't done it again, but it remains 'on watch' to see if it becomes a pattern.

Kudos to Tiffany @ NextBase for helping to resolve this.

 

[Peek]

An update on 15 November:
Tiffany at Nextbase has been exceptionally helpful. She really is a credit to Nextbase. Her customer focus and willingness to nibble away at a problem to achieve a solution are quite rare in this world.
Tiffany sent me another 512 in exchange for what increasingly became accepted by her as my faulty 512. The new one is much better, but still recording one or two unnecessary protected files over a 24 hour period.
With regard to the plan to install a further 512 plus rear in my wife's Mazda 2, my son has now checked the car with his multi-meter and, yes indeed, as both Mazda and Halfords told me, there are no permanently live fuses in the dashboard, surprisingly. We are going ahead with installing the cameras into the Mazda 2 this weekend into an ignition fuse, knowing that we now have a crucial fall-back position: Nextbase having accepted there is some fault with over-sensitivity in SOME 512s, we have an assurance from them that if the 512 which is going into the Mazda 2 is also faulty in recording excessive protected files, we can exchange it with them for a tested and proven one. Also, my son discovered a relatively easy route through the dashboard into the engine bay on the Mazda 2, so that he could hardwire it into a permanently live fuse in the engine bay if needed as a last resort.
Interestingly, without going into too much detail for reasons of confidentiality, I heard last night about a chap living near to me, who therefore may well have obtained his camera from the same branch of Halfords, who has been having exactly the same problems as I had, with the 512 he has just bought. His camera, I'm told, records many excessive protected files, even though he keeps his car in a garage overnight. He has been directed to this site and to Tiffany at Nextbase. Watch this space.
In summary, Nextbase's quality assurance and product snagging may be open to question, but Tiffany's customer care is brilliant. She probably rescues this company, and I hope her managers recognise this.

 

[Kremmen]

It would be nice to know what's causing the overnight protected files when the car is in a presumably windproof and light tight garage. Makes no sense.

 

[drwilliams]

It would be nice to know what's causing the overnight protected files when the car is in a presumably windproof and light tight garage. Makes no sense.

My hypothesis:

1) The G-Sensor has a natural 'noise' level - registering tiny movements even when completely stationary. Analogous to the 'hiss' you'd hear from a recording of total silence.

2) The parking mode movement trigger threshold appears to be set only just above the 'noise' / 'hiss' level.

3) Some sensors are noisier than others (production variances).

If you've got a camera with a 'noisy' sensor, every now and then the sensor noise goes above the threshold, and triggers the recording.