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Sunday 30 December 2012

Firmware Updates, Upgrades and Software - Little Acorn Trail Cameras


 5210                    6210
In this post:
Do you need to update your firmware?
How to find your camera's firmware version. 
Current firmware versions. Updated 09.03.2013
Recent 6210 firmware issue (Wireless connection).
How to do a Firmware Upgrade.
Resetting your camera.
Recent Set up software releases.
Posts coming next month.

Do you need to update your firmware?
Probably not, is the simple answer.
If your camera is functioning normally, doing the job you require and has no obvious faults, then in my opinion it's probably best not to do an upgrade (why fix a running engine?).

In other words, my advice is don't upgrade for the sake of having the latest firmware installed, because it might
be a version that is fixing a specific problem that your camera does not have; and in some instances might harm your camera's performance.

If you know of a later firmware version that is suitable for your camera, and which has an essential feature you need, or is specific to fixing a problem that your camera might have, then maybe, once you have made certain you really need it.


How to find your camera's firmware version. 

Fig  1:  5210 Press the second button in from the right
(right arrow/shot) of the control panel.

Take an image with the camera.

Do this by switching the camera to test and then:


5210 (Figure 1) Press the second button in from the right (right arrow/shot) of the control panel.


Fig  2:  6210 Press the second button up on the right of the control panel.
6210 (Figure 2) Press the second button up on the right of the control panel.


Each time you press this button the camera will shoot one image.

Fig  3:  File properties box in Windows Explorer. 
Remove the SD card and put it into the card slot of your PC, or if your PC does not have a card slot, use the camera's USB cable to connect to your computer.




Open Windows Explorer and you'll find the card listed SD/MMC(?:) as a drive under Computer (Figure 3). The drive designation will vary depending on how many drives are working on your computer.

Open the folders on the card and in the folder named 100IMAGE you will find the images you have taken.

Right click on an image thumbnail or list item, and in the drop down box left click on properties.

In the properties box left click on the details tab and next to where it says 'Program name' it will give you the Firmware version, which will look something like V3.06A or M for 5210 series cameras, and V1.2.003T for 6210 series cameras.

You can also find the firmware and other information by looking at the EXIF data in image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Paint Shop Pro.




Current firmware versions.

5210A - V 3.06A;   5210M - V 3.06M;   6210MC/MG - V 1.2.101T

Firmware can now be downloaded from the new Downloads Page.


Recent 6210 Firmware issue (Wireless connection).


Fig  4: 6210s with the wireless connection problem
may or may not show the SIM status, the antenna icon
or the signal strength indicator.
There has been a problem with some of the latest 6210MGs where although the MMS/GPRS sets up OK and all the normal menu functions set up and work, the camera will not send data. An indication of this is the absence of the antenna icon and status indication in the top right hand of the screen (see Figure 4).

If you think you have this problem, please get in touch by email; and include the camera's Model Number, Serial Number and date purchased.

I have firmware version 1.2.003T that will correct this issue.



How to do a firmware upgrade.

Please note that all upgrade BIN files, regardless of their version or purpose, are named either FW5210A.bin for all the 5210 camera models, or FW6210.bin for all the 6210 camera models.

The only way you can identify a particular firmware file is by the name of the zip archive file it arrives in. If you mix up different BIN files you will probably end up making a right dog's breakfast of your camera's programming; which will mean resetting it and starting again.

Fig  5: Partial windows Explorer screen shot showing location of saved BIN file on SDHC card





How to Upgrade the 5210:

Important: Do not format your SD card in Windows. Either format in the camera or use SDFormatter which you can download here.

Format SD Card (in camera)
Carry out the following procedure either, by putting the SDHC card in your PC or by connecting your camera to your PC using the USB cable provided.
1) Copy the file FW5210A.bin to the SD card at the top of the hierarchy (or root directory) as in Figure 5 and not in a folder.
2) Insert the SD card in the camera to be upgraded. 
3) Press and hold the OK button (see Figure 1 above)
4) Switch the camera to the "TEST" position. 
5) Wait until the start-up (picture of acorn) splash screen shows and then release the "OK" key. 
6) Enter MENU, navigate the marker to DEFAULT SET, and press OK. 
7) Format SD Card (in camera)

You can now re-programme the camera with your preferred menu setting.




How to Upgrade the 6210:

Important: Do not format your SD card in Windows. Either format in the camera or use SDFormatter which you can download here.

Format SD Card (in camera)
Carry out the following procedure either, by putting the SDHC card in your PC or by connecting your camera to your PC using the USB cable provided.

1) Copy the FW6210.bin file to the SD card at the top of the hierarchy (or root directory) as in Figure 5 and not in a folder.
2) Insert the SD card in the camera to be upgraded. 
3) Press and hold the "Back" button (second button down from top right on control panel) (see Figure 2 above)
4) Switch the camera to the "TEST" position. 
5) Wait until the start-up (picture of acorn) splash screen shows and then release the "Back button"
6) Enter MENU, navigate the marker to DEFAULT, and press OK.
7) Format SD Card (in camera)

You can now re-programme the camera with your preferred menu setting.



Resetting your camera.

Fig  6: 6210 default set - Menu page 5
If you are new to trail cameras, the menu choices can be confusing, not just individually, but also in how they interrelate with each other and the camera's operational circumstance. I am not going into this now but I will be covering practical operational settings in my next few posts.

If you are experimenting with menu settings and it all gets too confusing, navigate to Default, which is the last item in the menu (all camera models), and press the OK button. This will return the camera's menu to the manufacturer's default settings, so that you can start again.

Another situation that may give rise to problems is where you have been tempted, for whatever reason, to do several firmware upgrades; after which your camera has started to do strange things or obviously malfunction. I can't prove this, but I do have empirical evidence to suggest that under these circumstances the camera's programming can get confused.

In this situation, reset your camera by removing the SDHC card, the SIM card (MM/MG models) and ALL the batteries. Leave the camera for at least 24 hours, which will allow any volatile internal memory to discharge, before starting again. I don't guarantee this will necessarily solve whatever problem you may be experiencing; but until you have done this you cannot carry out further meaningful analysis.


Recent Set-up software releases.
Please note that the Acorn set up software is only Windows compatible.
Important: Software refers to the programme used on a PC, by the user, to set up the camera's menu functions and not to the firmware that is used to programme the camera's chipset.

There is an indication that some recent software versions above v1.2.020 are not suitable for setting up some of the 6210 models, probably the older MMS and pre screen change cameras.

If you are experiencing a wireless connectivity problem with your 6210 camera using the later software, then download v1.2.020 from the Camera Data page and see if you can set up successfully using this version.

I'm not sure if this is a real problem or not at the moment, and am trying to find out; so please let me know if you have had this issue and then overcome it by using the earlier software.

Recent set up software version allows setting up of the new feature of SMS remote control. I confess that I know nothing about how this feature works

Release notes to v1.2.027:


1.0.001:
Only support China Mobile and China Unicom, the other waiting for test results.


1.0.002:
U.S. carrier testing is complete

1.0.003:
Support the three mobile phone number and email function changes.

1.0.004:
Fixed a wrong URL,Support Sweden.

1.0.005:
Ascii code for the phone supports "+"

1.0.006:
1.Solve the garbled error
2.Slovenia wait for the test

1.0.007:
Slovenia wait for the test

1.0.008:
Add SMS

1.0.009:
Add "Portugal","Turkey","Switzerland","Spain","Slovakia","Russia","Romania","Poland","Netherlands","Italy","Ireland","Hungary","Greece","France","Australia","Austria","Brazil","Bulgaria","Croatia","Czech Republic","Denmark","Finland","New Zealand","Norway".

1.0.010:
South Africa

1.0.011:
Sweden --Telia
Czech Republic -- T-Mobile ,Vodafone
Ukraine -- KiyvStar,MTS

1.0.012
Australian operator Telstra parameter correction

1.0.013
Bulgaria -- Vivacom

1.0.014
Finland --- Sonera / Elisa

1.0.015
Slovakia --  Orange / O2
Setup Date Format

1.0.016
Lithuania --Omnitel  //Unkown Result

1.0.017
Ukraine -- LIFE , Beeline UA

1.0.018
Spain -- Orange
Bulgaria -- Globul

1.1.001
New Software,compatible with previous generation style
Australia -- Mic1

1.1.002
Austria A1

1.1.003
Austria A1 //E-mail can not receive MMS

1.1.004
Add language

1.1.005
fix a bug(sms)

1.1.006
German     ---  Deutsch
Switzerland  --- Schweiz
Austria  -- Osterreich 

1.1.007
Spain   -- Telstra

1.1.008
Add language

1.1.009
Modify a cell phone the first number use 

1.1.010
Germany     ---  Deutschland

1.1.011
Australia -- Vodafone Three Virgin

1.1.012
Ireland -- Tesco

1.1.013
India   -- Idea CellOne BPL Airtel VodaFone

1.1.014
Ltl 6210 MMS Menu.

1.1.015
Remove TV Mode Setup

1.1.016
Add Ltl6210 Function.
1.Beep Sound
2.Storage Cycle

Add Latvia MMS Param

1.1.017
South Africa  --MTN


1.1.018
South Africa  --MTN

1.1.019
Modify the Finnish translation

1.2.001
Ltl 5210MG Support Smtp

1.2.002
Update Gprs Param

1.2.003
Update United Kingdom MMS Param

1.2.004
Add Cesky Language

1.2.005
Update

1.2.006
Add Namibia MMS Param

1.2.007
Update Ltl 6210M Gprs Param
Slovenia --Izi Mobil,Si Mobil

1.2.008
This is a test version, if the sending MMS have problems, please go back to the previous version

1.2.009
Estonia MMS Param

1.2.010
Lithuania MMS Param

1.2.011
fix a bug(6210MG)

1.2.012
Estonia Smtp Param

1.2.013
Norway -- Onecall

1.2.014
Croatia-- T-mobile HR

1.2.015
Belgium--Proximus Mobistar Base


1.2.016
Poland MMS Param

1.2.017
Lithuania Bite

1.2.018
Timer 2

1.2.019
fix a bug for beeline

1.2.020
Cyprus -- Cyta

1.2.021
Ceczh Repblic  -- T-mobile 

1.2.022
fix a bug for 5210

1.2.023
Slovenia -- Tusmobil

1.2.024
France  -- SFR

1.2.025
Turkey   --  Turkcell
Schweiz  --  Swisscom

1.2.026
Slovenia MMS param(simobil) Port:9201
izimobil -- smtp param


1.2.027
5210M SMS Remote Control



Versions 020, 022 and 027 are available to download from the Camera Data page.

Posts coming next month:
Which trail camera, why and how. My reasons for choosing the Acorn cameras.
5210 Menu system and settings. In depth how to set up and use.
6210 Menu system and settings. In depth how to set up and use.

I try very hard to be up to date with information about these cameras and hope that you find my posts interesting and informative.

My knowledge and understanding is drawn from information provided by the Acorn factory, from users around the world and from my own experience with using these cameras.

I don't guarantee to be totally up to date and knowledgeable about every aspect of issues relating to firmware and software, so if you think you know something I don't, I will be pleased to hear from you.


E&OE


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This web site is about the wildlife, particularly the mammals, of the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve area in the north west Highlands of Scotland, UK; and the equipment I use to search for them, which is chiefly trail cameras.

I provide a technical support and parts service for the Ltl Acorn range of cameras and the income from this provides for the upkeep of this site and the purchase of cameras for my own surveying.

I hope you find the site useful and informative; and please contact me if you have any questions that I haven't already covered.