Outdoor IP Camera I.R. LED Mod

Dericam H216W & Cybernova CN-WIP880MW
Outdoor IP Camera I.R. LED & PoE Mod's
April 2014

Note: The IR modification described on this page was done initially followed by the PoE modification on page 2 and the original Outdoor-IP-Cam-IR-Mod.pdf has been updated to include the PoE modification.

After buying several different lower cost outdoor IP cameras over the past year to find which I prefered and buy more of I found the Dericam H216W & Cybernova CN-WIP880MW to be the best. The Dericam cost a bit more than the Cybernova, but both are the same hardware wise with simply different firmware, but if Blue Iris is used to view and operate the cameras, like I do, they both operate and perform exactly the same and it makes no difference which camera one buys.

Like most of the lower cost IP cameras, both can be used with either a wireless or wired connection, but a wired connection provides much better performance and the only way to go if at all possible. I tried wireless connections for a short period after receiving my first 2 cameras that were installed ≈ 60 ft. from my wireless AP and the frame rate was never faster than 5-7 fps which became 24-25 fps with a wired connection. A wired connection also makes installation much easier if a router with PoE outputs is used by not having to run power to each location and for non-PoE cameras like these I simply use a PoE splitter at each camera to obtain the 12V needed. My only complaint is that I wish the manufactures would allow one to choose between having either a Wi-Fi or PoE module supplied with these cameras.

The following modification deals with an IR lighting issue that affects not only these, but just about every camera with IR LED's and shows how to disable the IR LED's without affecting the photocell's ability to control the IR Cut Filter. This is an essential feature for cameras installed indoors being used to provide an outside view through a window as the window glass will simply reflect the IR from the LED's back into the lens which then blinds the camera if the LED's are left operational at night. A similar problem is often had with cameras installed outside, like the problem I had with one of my cameras installed under a soffit where IR reflecting off the soffit back into the lens affected the image regardless of how the camera was positioned. The solution of course was to turn off the camera IR LED's and use a LED IR source installed nearby where it's IR couldn't illuminate the soffit and cause problems.

Above - Front & Rear Views of the camera IR LED Board. The yellow circles overlaid on the rear view indicate the LED locations and the red circle indicates the photocell location on the front side. In addition, the Red colored solder pads are those connected to +12V and the Amber colored pads are those connected to the collector of transistor Q1 on the schematic. Click on the rear view image for a larger image and on this Outdoor_IP_Cam_IR_PoE_Mods.pdf link for a schematic and other information needed.

Upper left - Step 1 is to remove diode D1, the 1K resistor in series with diode D1 and the black wire to J15 on the middle camera board.

Upper right - The LED assembly consists of 8 strings of 6 LED's in series with a resistor which are then wired together into 2 groups of parallel wired strings with separate connections to the collector of Q1 and step 2 is to remove these 2 connections. One connection is the PCB trace that existed within the yellow oval and the other is the via connection from Q1 to the other side of the PCB within the yellow circle which is easily removed by using a small drill bit to remove the annular copper ring surrounding the via.

Left - Step 3 is to reinstall the diode, 1K resistor and black wire removed in step 1. A white horizontal jumper wire was then installed that connects the 2 groups of IR LED's together again and white and yellow wires from an in-line connector socket were added as seen to the left and below.

IR Board Detail

Left - Step 4 is to cut the trace shown cut within the smaller yellow circle and install the 2 small SMT diodes seen within the larger yellow circle (D2 & D3 in the modified board schematic) from the pad located at the top of the yellow circle to the portion of the cut trace that leads to the via seen at the yellow circle 3 o'clock position.

The final steps are to modify the camera cable as noted and seen below and in the Outdoor_IPCam_Mods.pdf.
a) Remove the SMA Wi-Fi antenna connector.
b) Replace the input power barrel jack with a barrel plug and press-fit the removed barrel jack into the hole where the SMA connector had been after enlarging the hole just enough for a tight fit.
c) Connect the red & black barrel jack conductors to the red & yellow wires in the camera cable.

Below - The modified camera cable after the initial IR modification. If doing both, the IR & PoE mod's, please note that the PoE mod. requires a few more changes to be made before heat shrink is applied so you don't end up having to modify the cable twice.

d) The connector on the white & yellow camera cable wires to J4 on the rear camera board was replaced with the plug portion of the small 2 pin inline connector mentioned in step 3. For a small and inexpensive in-line connector you can't beat using heat shrink tubing and pins & sockets cut from longer strips of pin and socket headers.

Wiring Detail

e) The momentary action reset push-button connected to the white and yellow camera cable wires at the RJ45 connector end of the cable was replaced with a small alternate action On/Off switch salvaged from an old PC that was protected with and encased in heat shrink tubing to make it much like the removed switch in a molded case.

Camera Detail

Upper Left - The removed barrel jack press fitted into the enlarged hole where the SMA antenna connector had been.

Bottom Left - The modified cable connected to the PoE Splitter that was used until the later PoE Modification was done.

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