For many years, I have been using and editing TRENDnet’s indoor security cameras:

The last link marks my most recent report (I think)... eight years ago. Why hasn't it been there recently? Part of the reason is that for privacy reasons, my wife always disagrees with the idea of ​​installing security cameras in our homes, even if they only operate when we are not at home. If this is a second home in a remote area (an example we no longer have), I might change her opinion. But all in all, given all the ongoing hacking that I often read about, I cannot say that I blame her.

Part of the lack of recent reports is due to the contrast with the Blink outdoor camera system she was satisfied with my installation, and since I did it for the first time, it has continued to work like a charm for more than 2.5 years, initially set up like Traditional security cameras like TRENDnets, let alone accessing them consistently and reliably, are too much trouble. You need to get close to the AC power source, first turn off or operate PoE-compatible wiring and network equipment. If the Ethernet cable is not your thing, you also need to make sure you have reliable Wi-Fi and adequate coverage.

Then there is the software aspect of the story. The embedded web server in each camera is conceptually cool, but accessing it through a web browser needs to support only Windows (and, starting from Windows 11, Windows is no longer supported) ActiveX or cross-platform but requires user-installed Java support . Dedicated applications for computer and mobile platforms allow you to bypass browser-based access restrictions, but long-term support is required to respond to the evolution of operating systems. This concept is not entirely included in the DNA of consumer electronics companies. All of this may explain why when I visited TRENDnet's product page this morning after leaving for a long time to prepare for writing an article, I found that the product suite that the company still provides and supports is its previous shadow.

Nevertheless, the camera with an embedded web server is still cool in concept. In other words, I think I should use this teardown for TRENDnet TV-IP551WI, which has some interesting hardware features: 802.11n Wi-Fi (only 2.4 GHz and reflects the "W" in the product name) and 10/100 Mbps wired Ethernet connection, "night vision" support (reflected in the last number "I" of the product name, which stands for "infrared"), and an integrated microphone provide visual and auditory remote monitoring functions for the camera.

I will start with a stock image:

Now here are some photos of my device, the first is that the bracket is still connected and is usually accompanied by a 0.75 inch (19.1 mm) diameter cent coin for size comparison. Unlike other camera models I have used, this camera model does not include a convenient but unreliable motor-driven rotating base and rotating lens for pan and tilt remote control purposes:

Please pay attention to the WPS configuration button and embedded hardware switch on the other side:

Before continuing to use the camera, this is the matching "wall wart" power supply, including an overview and a close-up of the label:

The metal bracket of the camera has a base with a diameter of approximately 3 inches and adds approximately 0.5 inches in height to the dimensions listed on the TRENDnet specifications page, 75 x 115 x 30 mm (2.95 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches). Starting from the front, this is how it looks after removing the camera. Note the four infrared LEDs around the lens, one in each corner, the ambient light sensor above the lens and the microphone below the lens. Not clearly visible (but believe me, it's there) are two clusters of status LEDs embedded in the silver ring around the lens, below the microphone aperture, to be precise:

This is the back and also includes a close-up of the product label (among other things) FCC ID XU8TVIP551 that always provides information:

In the previous overview photo on the back, did you notice the four screws, one in each corner? Remove them, carefully loosen a few labels, and the back half of the product's plastic casing will immediately lift:

In addition to the full use of the aforementioned WPS button and passive vents, the half shell itself is largely unforgettable. The interior (unsurprisingly) is more interesting, starting with the iPassion (believe it or not) iP2970-L camera control processor IC in the upper right corner, which is obviously also used in D-Link's DCS-930L camera. The more dominant, although at least currently less informative, is the Faraday cage with vents on its lower and left sides. I initially had the desire to reassemble, and then donated the camera to charity...Oh, okay:

The "guts" consists of a "sandwich" of two PCBs. These side views are obvious:

Do you see the silver screw in the bottom right corner of the top PCB in the "sandwich" in the picture above? Remove it and the "sandwich" will immediately rise:

Technically speaking, the "sandwich" and the front half of the shell are still tied together by the long, rectangular green thing that is glued to the inside of the shell. Carefully use a flat-head screwdriver as a lever arm to loosen it, and confirm my suspicion of the 1×1 Wi-Fi antenna:

This half of the shell is more interesting than the second half. Pay attention to the openings of the four infrared LED light pipes, ambient light sensor, and microphone:

Below the latter, talking about the light pipe, it is the pair related to the status LED. Look, I told you so!

The front view of the "sandwich" is quite interesting:

First, let us unscrew the lens assembly, its specifications include (from the product page):

It is further divided into two different parts. Please note the clearly marked optical support for the infrared spectrum:

After removing it, we saw the image sensor below it for the first time:

TRENDnet is vague in details, only pointing out on the product specification sheet that it is a "1/5" CMOS sensor, and the following sensors plus processing capabilities:

This special photo also provides a perspective view of four infrared LED light pipes (working range up to 7.5 m), ambient light sensor, status LEDs (labeled D7 and D8) and microphones. TV-IP551WI dates back to mid-2012, so I guess the microphone is an electret model, not a common MEMS substitute nowadays. The following are its related specifications:

forward. If you go back and look at the overview of the back of the two PCB sandwiches, you will see two other screws, both black this time. Remove them, separate the 22-pin connector assembly that normally connects them, and peel off the "sandwich":

There is again a lingering two-wire tether between them, which is easy to disconnect. Looking to the future, I will refer to the PCB on the left as the "camera" PCB and the PCB on the right as the "system" PCB. Let's take a closer look at the former, first, starting from its front:

The important IC here is Spansion S29GL032N 32 Mbit MirrorBit (multi-level unit) NOR flash memory, which is probably mainly used for code storage purposes because the camera does not support native still or video image capture. Spansion is a joint venture between AMD and Fujitsu’s flash memory program and is now part of Cypress Semiconductor.

Next, let us re-examine the image sensor area, here is an end point of the two wire harnesses. It is glued in place; a flat-head screwdriver solves this problem:

The module includes two main sub-components: the part where the lens is screwed into, I guess it is an electronic removable infrared filter, similar to the one we saw in the early Wyze camera disassembly (in the daytime you want it to be in the image The front of the sensor to prevent the infrared light from having unnatural effects on the captured video, but after the dark infrared is the only lighting option, so the filter is removed). Remove the two screws in the figure above to realize the separation of the sub-components:

Here is a closer view of the end of the filter subassembly:

Before flipping, let's take another close-up of the front of the camera PCB:

We have already mentioned the camera control processor:

Now, let's get the top of the Faraday cage and rely on the flat screwdriver again instead of my nails. enlarge…

……We found that D-Link DCS-930L has more design commonalities:

Also pay attention to the large amount of glue that holds the antenna connector in place!

Last but not least, let's take a look at the system PCB. First positive:

This is another angle of the ambient light sensor (the camera can automatically switch between normal and night modes based on the sensor’s recognition, or the user can manually control which mode is active):

And some other close-ups, before flipping the PCB:

The only IC worth noting here is the TS8121A 10/100 Mbit Ethernet pulse transformer:

With this, we are done! Look, I told you that a security camera with a history of nearly 10 years can still provide some interesting surprises! As always, I look forward to your thoughts in the comments.

— Brian Dipert is the editor-in-chief of Edge AI and Vision Alliance, a senior analyst at BDTI, and the editor-in-chief of the company's online communications InsideDSP.

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