Hi3518E IP Camera

workaround
If no linux interface to a SoC hisilicon, Ambarella or Texas int. is available then use a Win10 IoT board to get an ethernet stream for Opencv processing.

aliexpress
Store: Super Technology Industry Co., LTD uses the chip under brand name top 210 for $20, but its not rooted, only win7 interface. Use https://felipe.astroza.cl/hacking-hi3518-based-ip-camera/ to root.

Other aliexpress stores sell Hi3518E with linux root with motorized zoom lens included at $30. Retailers in the US embeds the module in a fancy casing and then try to sell it for $200(http://www.zmvideo.com/c/wi-fi-ip-camera_0005) and no Linux access.

mega pixel
hi3516 4meg combined with ov4689 sensor,  hi3518 1meg pixel. Store: HLong Asia - HASECU Store http://www.openipcam.com/forum/index.php/topic,1183.0.html  XMeye Hi3518E-based camera module. Complete details for accessing the Sofia interface for this Hi3518E camera module: http://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php?1812-Review-TOP-201-Super-Mini-720P-HD-IP-Cam-(The-Cheapest-IP-Cam-So-Far-!!)&p=19789&viewfull=1#post19789 Very Very detailed information about this Hi3518E camera module as well as all the other many different camera modules made by this same manufacturer can be found at this link below as well. Telnet password. Many links and .zip files such as developer tools. Camera reset utility. Serial recovery instructions and their files to recover this Hi3518E camera module. Links to ALL the manufacturers many different and free applications and firmware download pages for all these different camera modules. Links to the manufactures Wiki and forum and documentation on all the pin outs for all their different camera modules. http://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php?1812-Review-TOP-201-Super-Mini-720P-HD-IP-Cam-(The-Cheapest-IP-Cam-So-Far-!!)&p=19499&viewfull=1#post19499

http://www.buyincoins.com/item/54494.html#.VcB0H86D7IU The Network IP Camera using the Hi3518E camera module shown above, is so small you could call it a hidden Network IP Camera because it's hardly noticeable. Notes: This mini Network IP Camera shown above is one of the cheapest, functional and dependable that I have found, But the Hi3518E based camera above is a wired Ethernet only camera without wireless. It does not use IR-CUT or have IR lights or support PoE. But it's a great price and can be used and/or mounted virtually anywhere.

You will also need to purchase/use a 12V DC 1 amp power supply for the camera above. Which can be purchased anywhere. You may even have one laying around. You can also purchase one from the same seller as the mini camera shown above if needed for $2.30 U.S. ("Free Shipping") here: http://www.buyincoins.com/item/38674.html#.VcCAh86D7IU Note: The cord on the above 12V DC 1 amp power supply is short. So depending where you are going to mount your camera you may want to find a similar power supply with a longer cord. You can also purchase a RT3070 WiFi board for about $10.00 U.S. for this Hi3518E camera module and even the mini camera shown above and with a special firmware version make this same Hi3518E camera module or the mini camera shown above support both wired and wireless.

Note: Most RT3070 Wifi boards won't fit in the container for the mini camera shown above so you would need to run wires from the RT3070 WiFi board into the mini camera container and then connect those wires to the mini cameras Hi3518E camera module board and create a housing/container for the RT3070 WiFi board and the WiFi antenna it will use. You can also build and make your own custom Network IP Cameras by using the this Hi3518E camera module or other camera modules and boards manufactured by this same manufacturer. Which can support IR-CUT and PoE. See the links above for more details. The possibilities are endless for designing and building your own custom Network IP Cameras using this manufacturers Network IP Camera modules and boards while doing it extremely cheap!

SoC ip module
SoC IP camera module is the preferred solution over using Raspberry pi as an IP camera.
 * http://ushomeautomation.com/Notes/Funlux/index.html list of links at bottom
 * http://nemon.org/ipcam-ipr1631x/ Commercial hi3518e ipcam review, linux code etc. google ipr1631 on ebay etc. for pricing
 * https://ipcamtalk.com/threads/review-top-201-super-mini-720p-hd-ip-cam-the-cheapest-ip-cam-so-far.1775/ Review has taken me a little while to put together, but it was inspired by another post in the forum Disguised/Hidden IP Camera Recommendations. While assisting the OP with a solution, I came across the TOP-201 Super Mini 720P HD IP-Cam at a well-known ‘free-shipping’, China shopping website (linked below). The main reason for doing this write up on a fairly no-name product is to provide an analysis of the quality of product that can be produced at such a ridiculously low cost. After the amazement that this kind of technology can now be produced with such little value, my initial thought was… What possible kind of IP camera can be offered to the low-end retail market at just over $20 USD?
 * https://disqus.com/home/discussion/felipesblog/part_1_hacking_hi3815_based_ip_camera
 * https://felipe.astroza.cl/hacking-hi3518-based-ip-camera/ First of all, the goal of this post is explaining how you can flash and recover the firmware securely, so you would able to modify their contents without risk to brick the device. In a second part, I will cover how to build software for this device. Uboot dd command usage needed.
 * http://stackoverflow.com/questions/27846609/reverse-enginering-a-linux-based-usb-camera
 * https://github.com/Akagi201/hi35xx/blob/master/docs/hi3516c/sdk.md
 * http://marcusjenkins.com/hacking-cheap-ebay-ip-camera/ Escam QD300, IPCX-MC41672, TOP-201, ANRAN AR-AP2GA-WIFI-IP2, Foscam FI9821Wt
 * https://acassis.wordpress.com/2014/05/25/boot-log-for-a-cheap-hi3518-chinese-ip-camera/
 * https://acassis.wordpress.com/2014/08/10/i-got-a-new-hi3518-ip-camera-modules/ Yes, I get access to U-Boot prompt. Maybe your U-Boot is configured to ignore key pressed, same issue I faced here: https://acassis.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/how-to-transfer-files-to-a-linux-embedded-system-over-serial/ About tftp, I suppose you are running Linux, then just install a tftp server in your Linux and put your image inside the default tftpd directory. Search for tftpd in this blog. I suggest you learn how to compile a common module for Linux before trying to compile a module for your driver. You will find many sites explaining how to do that.
 * https://acassis.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/finally-a-kernel-compiled-from-source-code-is-starting-on-vstarcam-h6837wi/


 * http://www.unifore.net/ip-video-surveillance/introducing-hisilicon-720p-1080p-ip-camera-modules.html Hisilicon is one of SoC manufacturers based in Shenzhen, China. The company offers a wide range of encoding SoC for IP cameras. Compared with other SoC providers such as Amberella and Texas Instrument, Hisilicon SoC can allow camera manufacturers to develop high-performance IP cameras with competitive price. This is the reason why Hisilicon SoC becomes prevalent solution in today's IP surveillance industry. Just back to several months ago, Hisilicon introduced its latest SoC Hi3516A, based on H.265/HEVC architect, the SoC can work with 5.0 megapixel CMOS image sensor to deliver high efficient H.265 compressed ultra HD images. Herein we are going to introduce you the current IP camera modules based on Hisilicon, they are Hi3518E + OV9712 (1.0 megapixel), Hi3518C + AR0130 (1.3 megapixel), Hi3518E + AR0130 (1.3 megapixel), Hi3516C + IMX222 (2.0 megapixel).

links

 * Cctv_cameras ,
 * Gprs_and_wifi_streaming