Shut down timer

[PKNY]

After using the shut down timer for a few days, I found that the timer is quite useless. Yes, it did shut down after the hours I set, but it turned back on when it saws the voltage was >12.3v.

Example:
If I set the timer to shut down in 2 hours…
1. Camera was in parking mode for 2 hours.
2. Camera shut down.
3. Camera turned on immediately in normal mode for 8 minutes.
4. Camera went into parking mode.
And then repeated from step 1 to 5.
Basically, it will keep recording until the voltage gets lower than 12.3V.

According to the new manual, the camera will turn back on if the voltage is 12.5V±0.2V (http://www.winycam-eng.com/download/man ... Viewer.pdf). Who thought on that, I wish it has a higher start up voltage or give me an option to choose from. Anyway, the timer is unless for me.
:x

 

[Mtz]

That is a firmware bug for sure and I don't expect Livue will solve it.
But we are lucky because most of us are using the english firmware and this firmware doesn't have the timed shut-down feature. It is available only for the korean firmware.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[PKNY]

I wouldn’t expect they’ll fix this either. This is a “feature.” :lol: They even put that in the user manual (In page 19, “Voltage to start power ：12V car standard: 12.5V±0.2V, 24V car standard: 25.5V ±0.5V). So, I wouldn’t call it a firmware bug, but this is definitely a design flaw. :twisted:

Anyway, I could use the shut down timer if I used a regulated 12v power supply, but I’d lost the auto start up and low voltage prevention.

Or, I could treat the shut down timer as a “higher-than-standard” low-voltage detection (standard: 11.8v +/- 0.3 vs “higher”: 12.5v +/-0.2). For example, if I set the timer to two hours, every two hours the camera would check if the voltage dropped below 12.5 +/- 0.2v. If the voltage was higher, the camera would turn on; otherwise, it’d turn off. The downside was I would lose about 1 minutes of footage every two hours.

I wish DashCamMan will add this info to his FAQ page.

 

[Mtz]

Maybe the camera (with Livue firmware) can check the voltage only when it is starting. So the 2 hours is not a Power Off feature, but a voltage checking feature and this mean from which time to check if the battery voltage is still good by... restarting the camera. If this is true, the question is how is working the Winycam firmware? Because this option is only On or Off.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[PKNY]

No, I can turn on the camera with only 9V on both firmware, and it stays on until I unplug it. From the spec of its DC-DC converter (ACT407), the min voltage to power this camera is 6v, but I haven't try it.

Later on I will use my variable output AC-DC power supply to power this camera, and see how is the battery protection behave on both firmware.

Edit: Did a quick test using 6V to power this camera on both firmwares. It WORKS!
(Warning: The low voltage input is for testing purpose only. I will not suggest using <12V for a long period of time.)

 

[Mtz]

Yes, will be very interesting if the camera will shut down when you will provide 11.8V (for more than 30 seconds with english winycam firmware).

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[PKNY]

I did some tests to figure out how the camera and its Car Constant Power Discharge Protection setting behave on different voltages. The variable output AC-DC power supply can change the output voltage on-the-fly without cutting off the output, but it can only set to 15v, 12v, 11, and lower (this is the best power supply I have). Also, the output voltage is within +/- 0.01v.

Test 1: Power the camera using 11v, and wait for ten minutes.
Purpose: To determine the startup and shutdown behavior when the input voltage is below the shut down voltage (11.8v +/- 0.3v), and when the Car Constant Power Discharge Protection set to ON/OFF.
Result:
With Car Constant Power Discharge Protection set to off.

• WinyCam 0306 FW (EN) -- The camera stays on the whole time.
• Livue 0306 FW (KR) -- The camera stays on the whole time.

With Car Constant Power Discharge Protection set to on.

• WinyCam 0306 FW (EN) -- The camera turned off right after entering into parking mode (around 8 mintues).
• Livue 0306 FW (KR) -- The camera turned off right after entering into parking mode (around 8 mintues).

Comment: The low voltage protection only works when the camera is in parking mode and Car Constant Power Discharge Protection is set to on.


Test 2: Power the camera with 12v. Wait for the camera begins to record, and then turn down the voltage to 11v.
Purpose: To determine the low voltage shutdown behavior when the input voltage changed from normal (12v) to low (11v).
Result: Same as test 1. The camera only turns off if the Car Constant Power Discharge Protection set to on and it is in the parking mode.


Test 3: Continue from test 2. After the camera turned off for 5 mintues, turn up the input voltage to 12v.
Purpose: To determine the input voltage and auto startup behavior after low voltage shutdown.
Result:

• WinyCam 0306 FW (EN) -- Camera stays off
• Livue 0306 FW (KR) -- Camera stays off

Comment: The startup voltage must be >12v.


Test 4: Same as test 3 except turn up the input voltage to 15v instead.
Purpose: To determine the auto startup behavior after low voltage shutdown.
Result:

• WinyCam 0306 FW (EN) -- Camera turned on
• Livue 0306 FW (KR) -- Camera turned on

Comment: The shutdown timer works when the input voltage is 12v.


Overall, the camera behaves the same on different input voltages despite the firmware languages are different.


The following tests are for Livue's Korean firmware only.

Test 5: Set the shutdown timer to 2 hours. Power up the camera with 12v. Wait for 2 hours.
Purpose: To determine the shutdown timer behavior.
Result: Camera turned off after 2 hours.
Comment: The shutdown timer works when the input voltage is 12v.

Test 6: Continue from test 5. After the camera is off for 5 minute, turn up the input voltage to 15v.
Purpose: To determine the auto startup behavior after the camera shut down using the shutdown timer.
Result: Camera turned on.
Comment: The camera can auto start up with 15v or lower, but it must be >12v.

Test 7: Same as test 5 except the camera is powered by my car battery (>12.5v)
Purpose: To determine the shutdown timer behavior when the input voltage is higher than the camera’s startup voltage.
Result: Camera turned off after 2 hours, but immediately started up again.
Comment: The 12.5v (+/- 0.2v) auto startup voltage from the manual should be correct. That means the camera will keep turning on and off until the battery is drained to <75% capacity. The shutdown timer is pretty useless in the area I live. Maybe it’ll work in a cooler area.

 

[eek]

Hi, I have just purchased two of these cams - one for front and one for rear. I'd like to use the shutdown delay feature, however can only set it to ON/OFF in the LivueBBViewer software, running 20130613_EN firmware on the cam. I noticed the english voice on this version is hilarious and nearly impossible to understand compared to the 201211xx version that the cam originally shipped with.

Does this mean if I download the 20130613 "korean" firmware from the livue website, I can then set the shut down delay using LivueBBviewer?