DVR-007/-027 suggestions for custom firmware?

[danny]

I've got a DVR-007 and have some ideas for improving the firmware on the video capture and license plate readability side. I'm an electrical engineer so I have no problem soldering or doing a certain amount of hands-on customization and coding. BUT in order to get started I'm wondering if anyone has experience or tips with how to:

a) load a firmware binary onto these units (Is there a flash or other non-volatile memory chip that holds the program? There seem to be no connectors for programming other than USB so there must be a programming utility for the Zoran.)

b) get a copy of the existing firmware source code to modify...

Both of these are probably roughly 0% likely, but if anyone would know I thought this would be the place to ask.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[jokiin]

put your efforts into something else with more capable hardware, this product can't be improved any further

 

[danny]

put your efforts into something else with more capable hardware, this product can't be improved any further

Well I'll quote part of your signature back - the impossible just takes longer.

I would dispute that the product can't be improved any further. But regardless I am looking for a way to try out video processing ideas via this unit. Do you have a different product in mind when you say I should put my effort elsewhere?

 

[jokiin]

Well I'll quote part of your signature back - the impossible just takes longer.

true, I'm not sure you have that much time though it really is limited in what it can do though, not a good platform

Do you have a different product in mind when you say I should put my effort elsewhere?

if you wanted to look at what you could do in firmware you could have a look at what @Tobi@s has been doing over here http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/mini0801-hacking-hardware-and-software.3157/page-4#post-40291 for a headstart, the particular camera he's working with is not particularly a good platform as the hardware resources are strained already but the same process would apply to other Ambarella based product so some of the work he has done already would no doubt make the job easier for you

aside from that I think the NT96650 platform is ripe for someone to start playing with the firmware