nx_cs.adj for NX500, hot pixels removal

Hi all,

I know that the nx_cs.adj file has been discussed here a while last year (and before), but in other context. I own NX500, which I occasionally use for timelapsing of the night sky (you can find some of my astro-timelapses here: https://www.setvak.cz/timelapse/2019.html). The time has come to map out the hot pixels; it is possible, the procedure is described in the NX500 Service Manual, but requires the nx_cs.adj file, which I don't have. Is this some standard file to launch the service menu, or does its content change depending on what you need to perform with the camera? Also, the instructions refer to an "Adjustment folder" which needs to be on the same card as the nx_cs.adj file. Is this just an empty folder where the camera stores some info from the procedure, or does this file need to contain something specific?

Thank you for any advice on this.

Martin Setvak wrote:

Hi all,

I know that the nx_cs.adj file has been discussed here a while last year (and before), but in other context. I own NX500, which I occasionally use for timelapsing of the night sky (you can find some of my astro-timelapses here: https://www.setvak.cz/timelapse/2019.html). The time has come to map out the hot pixels; it is possible, the procedure is described in the NX500 Service Manual, but requires the nx_cs.adj file, which I don't have. Is this some standard file to launch the service menu, or does its content change depending on what you need to perform with the camera? Also, the instructions refer to an "Adjustment folder" which needs to be on the same card as the nx_cs.adj file. Is this just an empty folder where the camera stores some info from the procedure, or does this file need to contain something specific?

Thank you for any advice on this.

I've seen this referenced in the service manual as well but as far as I know that file has never been publically available or by any forum member. However, you can try setting the date on your camera over and over. I believe it will remap automatically on a schedule, so setting the date in the future over and over and then turning the camera on and off may have some effect.

mnewxcv wrote:

I've seen this referenced in the service manual as well but as far as I know that file has never been publically available or by any forum member. However, you can try setting the date on your camera over and over. I believe it will remap automatically on a schedule, so setting the date in the future over and over and then turning the camera on and off may have some effect.

Hmmm, have you seen somewhere a note that setting the camera date will trigger remapping the sensor?  Perhaps I must have missed this behavior of the camera. I frequently correct the camera time, but the hot pixels remain the same ...

Hi, I did some research on nx cs file a few years ago. I could look it up if you want. I remember disabling wifi and changing the MAC address with it.

I would advise against it as it's possible to mess up and there are no more service centers available.

mnewxcv wrote:

Martin Setvak wrote:

Hi all,

I know that the nx_cs.adj file has been discussed here a while last year (and before), but in other context. I own NX500, which I occasionally use for timelapsing of the night sky (you can find some of my astro-timelapses here: https://www.setvak.cz/timelapse/2019.html). The time has come to map out the hot pixels; it is possible, the procedure is described in the NX500 Service Manual, but requires the nx_cs.adj file, which I don't have. Is this some standard file to launch the service menu, or does its content change depending on what you need to perform with the camera? Also, the instructions refer to an "Adjustment folder" which needs to be on the same card as the nx_cs.adj file. Is this just an empty folder where the camera stores some info from the procedure, or does this file need to contain something specific?

Thank you for any advice on this.

I've seen this referenced in the service manual as well but as far as I know that file has never been publically available or by any forum member. However, you can try setting the date on your camera over and over. I believe it will remap automatically on a schedule, so setting the date in the future over and over and then turning the camera on and off may have some effect.

I can't remember exactly. I had an nx1 some years ago that had a couple hot pixels. There isn't any documentation that I could find for Samsung cameras, so I tried a little of everything. I changed date, took photos with the body cap only, etc. I wish I could remember more but I don't. Some cameras remap when taking photos of black with the body cap on. Some do it on a schedule.

otto k wrote:

Hi, I did some research on nx cs file a few years ago. I could look it up if you want. I remember disabling wifi and changing the MAC address with it.

I would advise against it as it's possible to mess up and there are no more service centers available.

Hi Otto,

yes, I remember those discussions here, addressing various unofficial modifications of NX1/NX500, lead by you and Vasile, e.g.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57344758
https://github.com/ottokiksmaler/nx500_nx1_modding

... but if I remember correctly, none of those was dealing with hot pixels removal. I will be grateful to you if you find something which can help. The standard method of removing hot pixels by dark frame subtraction can't be directly applied to longer astro-timelapses, as the shooting settings and conditions change throughout the night, so getting rid of the permanent hot pixels would help a lot.

Thanks,
Martin

Sorry, I used confusing language, I meant to say that I experimented with nx_cs file, but not directly with hot pixel remapping. As my camera has developed some (not visible unless longer exposures and high ISO) I might have to do it myself

We'll see how it goes.

I dug it up. Is your camera hacked via Vasile's hack? Since stock camera will not go into DEV or CS modes (or you need older firmware). Unfortunately, my camera is hacked differently and it, for some reason, closes DEV menu after a second.

It seem you just need a few directories and two empty files and the camera should go into VFPN DEFECT mode.

If you're interested I'll post the instructions here.

otto k wrote:

I dug it up. Is your camera hacked via Vasile's hack? Since stock camera will not go into DEV or CS modes (or you need older firmware). Unfortunately, my camera is hacked differently and it, for some reason, closes DEV menu after a second.

It seem you just need a few directories and two empty files and the camera should go into VFPN DEFECT mode.

If you're interested I'll post the instructions here.

No, the camera is not hacked , and it runs under the body firmware 01.11 (and lens firmware 01.30).

Yes, I am definitely interested in the instructions ...THANKS!

You will definitely need to hack the camera in order to enter the DEV menu. I'll try to get my camera to enter it, but it is hacked differently and heavily customized so I don't really want to throw that away. I'll report back when I manage to get it done.

YOUR WARRANTY IS NOW VOID! THIS WILL TURN  YOUR CAMERA INTO A BLACK HOLE AND ALL LIFE WILL BE DESTROYED! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK! I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS!

So, my camera will not enter the CS menu. It shuts down when I enter the DEV menu after a second or so (it's not shut down, it just shows black screen and stops responding to key events but it's still apparently working). This is most likely (basically 99.99%) due to my customization of my firmware. Normal cameras hacked with Vasile's hack have no problem entering the DEV menu (somebody correct me if I'm wrong). Instructions (please, do read the carefully) are available at

https://github.com/ottokiksmaler/nx500_nx1_modding/tree/master/nx-on-wake

and

https://github.com/ottokiksmaler/nx500_nx1_modding/tree/master/video-bitrate-mods/nx-patch

(for video bitrate mods, focus stacking, etc).

I would, in your place, test if I can enter the DEV mode reliably before proceeding to CS mode. I have entered the CS mode before with no issues and played with settings, but that was with previous version of firmware, I cannot guarantee it with the latest version.

After that, you need the card with "nx_cs.adj" in SD root, also directory "adjustment" with subdirectory nx500 and the file "5.vfpn_defect.adj" (the are empty or contain just newline characters - CRLF). It should look line this:

nx_cs.adj
adjustment/nx500/5.vfpn_defect.adj

Your camera should have only the body cap on it (no lens). Insert the card, turn the camera on. Turn the mode dial to AUTO (Smart Auto mode) and do the key dance:

Down, OK, Up, OK, Right, EV+OK (press EV, click OK, release EV)

You should be in CS mode. Choose sixth option (6. VFPN&DEFECT  - I know the file is named 5.vfpn but it's sixth option). The process should automatically start. When it ends you should see "ADJ. Finished!". I would wait a minute or two (been burned before by turning the camera off too soon). Then turn the camera OFF. Wait a minute or two (I'm paranoid, there are no means to service the camera so...) and remove the card, wait a bit, insert new card and take a few test shots.

Thanks a lot, Otto, I will try this probably over the next weekend, when I have more time. I'll report afterwards.

Best,
Martin

Martin Setvak wrote:

Thanks a lot, Otto, I will try this probably over the next weekend, when I have more time. I'll report afterwards.

Well, I just tried to get into the CS mode, but no success. I tried this with initial fw 1.11 (which I had until now), updated it to 1.12, but no response of the camera (with both fw versions).  I somewhat hesitate hacking the camera ...

Sorry to hear that, I should have more (or at least some) free time in next few weeks and I'll try to see whether I can enter the CS mode (or trigger defect tool without it).

Minor progress here. As the DEV and CS modes were locked in firmware 1.11 and 1.12, I downgraded the firmware to version 1.10 (available e.g. here: https://drivers.softpedia.com/get/SCANNER-Digital-CAMERA-WEBCAM/Samsung/Samsung-NX500-Camera-Firmware-110.shtml#download), after which I was able to enter the CS mode. However, when I launch the 5.vfpn_defect.adj, the only thing which happens is that the green dots appear on the left side of the screen, informing that a process has started, but nothing more. After 30 minutes the camera shuts down, and that's it.  No message that the adj process was finished. Since the service manual informs that temperature of the sensor has to be +35C or more, I warmed up the camera by running an interval sequence (exp. 25s at ISO3200, which is my typical setting for astro-timelapses), with the camera packed in a blanket, which heated the camera up to about +40C, but the result was the same. I assume that the 30 min after which the camera shuts down itself, is the power saving limit, and that no sensor mapping occurred. Any idea what I might be doing wrong?

Do you get the actual CS MENU on screen that you can move through or just the green dots?

otto k wrote:

Do you get the actual CS MENU on screen that you can move through or just the green dots?

Yes, I get the CS MENU through which I can move and select. To check if any other of the adjustments works, I included also the other adj files (as listed on page 8.15 of the service manual):

1.simple_shutter.adj
2.iso.adj
3.awb.adj
4.efs.adj
5.vfpn_defect.adj
6.color_shading.adj
7.gyro.adj
8.country_code.adj
9.sn_mac.adj

and tried to launch the COUNTRY CODE and SN & MAC ADDR, but with the same result - just the green dots, and nothing else. So it appears that something somewhere is missing - either in the adj files themselves, or in the camera. I tried this with 5.vfpn_defect.adj empty and with the CRLF as you suggest, but with the same result. The nx_cs.adj file contains the string smart_camera as recommended in one of the other threads in this forum. Also, the CS menu shows slightly different numbering of the options than what corresponds to the list above:

1. CIS Dot Data
2. Shutter
3. ISO
4. AWB
5. EFS
6. VFPN&DEFECT
7. COLOR_SHADING
8. GYRO
9. COUNTRY CODE
A. SN & MAC ADDR
B. WIFI OFF
C. PAF

but this matches the Fig. 8-35 on page 8-16.

otto k wrote:

After that, you need the card with "nx_cs.adj" in SD root, also directory "adjustment" with subdirectory nx500 and the file "5.vfpn_defect.adj" (the are empty or contain just newline characters - CRLF). It should look line this:

nx_cs.adj
adjustment/nx500/5.vfpn_defect.adj

Hmmm ... Looking e.g. at country_code and SN_MAC adj descriptions in the NX500 service manual, it appears to me that these adj files have to contain the corresponding adjustment scripts, not being empty.  The manual refers to the lines of the adj scripts which need to be changed.

Also, looking into the NX 10, 100, 300, 1000 and 1100 Service Manuals (all NX service manuals I could find), all of these refer to the VFPN & DEFEC adjustment script files, so probably these are not just empty.

This might explain the behavior of my attempts to launch any of these - from the CS menu I attempt to start these scripts, but as the corresponding adj files are empty, nothing happens - which explains the green dots and nothing else happening.

You are completely right, I forgot even the smart_camera requirement since the hacked cameras can enter the DEV menu without it at all. Sorry, my bad.

I have retested and cannot enter the CS menu on my camera at all. I'll try to see where my files for changing MAC and disabling wireless are, maybe they can provid3 additional clues.