The FLIR Pathfinder (V1) Thread

[Fraser]

I was fortunate enough to come across a FLIR Pathfinder (V1) thermal imaging system for vehicles the other day. The unit is "as new" with all parts and with no signs of ever having been deployed on a vehicle. Sometimes I get lucky and come across these gems at a price that I can afford. This was such an occasion and I consider myself very fortunate.

For those unaware, the FLIR Pathfinder series of thermal imaging cameras are weather hardened units designed to be deployed in the grille of a vehicle. As such the unit is equipped with a Germanium lens protection window and heater to keep the unit operational in cold climates. The casing is made from aluminium alloy and is very robust. Such ruggedness is essential if a thermal camera is to survive the rigours of being located at the front of a vehicle that travels along all manner of road conditions and weathers. The original Pathfinder (V1) even found itself installed on the USA's M1 Abrams tank !

There are a few versions of the "Pathfinder" in the wild. The Version 1 unit, such as I have, was intended to be easily deployed on vehicles from new, or retro fitted to such with only a power supply and monitor required to complete the system. The camera unit receives approx 12V from the host vehicles electrical system and sends a composite NTSC or PAL video signal to a standard monitor that  is mounted in the vehicles cockpit area. This was a very simple system to retro fit into most vehicles and there were different kits sold to meet the differing needs of end users. The "commercial kit" that I have did not come with an LCD monitor but the Law Enforcement (LE) kit included a 7" LCD monitor.  A universal camera mounting bracket was included in both kits. The versions of the Pathfinder system that followed the Version 1 were different in that they employed firmware based measures to make the camera inoperative unless it was still connected to its specific (original) host controller. The host controller could also be married to a vehicles systems to make transfer to another vehicle very challenging. Many of the later versions of Pathfinder camera are labelled as "Autoliv" as they were part of the Autoliv night vision system deployed on luxury brand vehicles such as BMW and AUDI. At this point I advise readers thinking of buying a "bargain" Ex BMW or AUDI Pathfinder camera to do their research as getting the camera to work in your application could be very challenging. There are other threads on this forum discussing the BMW and AUDI Autoliv cameras.   

I already own an Autoliv NV2 version of the Pathfinder and it does have enhancements over the Pathfinder Version 1, such as a user replaceable Germanium window (if you can afford it !) Sadly it is a paperweight due to the measures taken by FLIR to prevent its use on another vehicle. I did not expect to find a Pathfinder V1 for sale in the uk and certainly not one that looks new ! The unit I stumbled upon is mint with not a single mark on its casing or Germanium lens protector. I suspect that this camera was purchased for some form of evaluation in a safe environment and then boxed up for many years awaiting rediscovery and sale. My unit was built in 2011 so is a late build for a V1 camera.

So why am I starting this thread ? Well I researched my new purchase on the internet and realised that there is not a great deal of useful information out there, beyond copies of the user manual etc. Whilst my camera came with the original flir umbilical cable, others are often missing this when sold and the connector looks unusual at first glance. I tracked down a source of the connector and thought it would be good to provide any useful information in a thread on this forum for those who may need it in the future. Note that I do not intend to dismantle my Pathfinder as the casing is hermetically sealed and filled with gas to prevent condensation issues. I may well rehome the unit and want its mint condition to be retained.

The Pathfinder provides a data path for configuration by OEM's. This uses the LIN automotive communications protocol. There are also LVDS digital outputs for monitors and hosts that can make use of a digital video stream. The LIN command set is sadly not provided in the user manual and was only provided by FLIR after an NDA was completed  I do not have that document but the unit, as supplied, is pre-configured for use and FLIR provided the configuration capability for OEM's who required changes to the standard (general use) configuration.

I will attach pictures of my pathfinder V1 and also details of where I sourced additional connectors for less than £5 each.  If anyone has additional information that they believe may be useful to others, please do add that information to this thread.

Fraser

[Fraser]

The connector used on the Pathfinder (V1) is a product of Tyco but is surprisingly easy to locate provided you know what to search for. The connector is to be found on BMW vehicles in various applications. I searched for "BMW 12 pin connector" and discovered that the 12 piv type is used for the "Lane change assist" module and parking sensors. With this knowledge I quickly found a UK supplier of the plug with loose pins and water seals. The cost was a very reasonable £4.99 so I purchased two for use on custom cables. 

My plugs came from here:

https://auto-connectors.co.uk/products/12-pin-connector-lane-change-assist-0-7mm-male-plug-for-porsche-bmw-volkswagen-audi-967680-1534151

The connector is marked up with the following identification that will help to locate the connector type in your locality.

BMW 8373630-03   1-967680-1

I attach pictures of the original connector and the parts I purchased. A simple search for "BMW 12 pin lane change assist" or "BMW 12 pin parking sensor" will find these connector on eBay and on internet retailer sites. Do not over pay as they should cost around $6 with pins and pin weather seals. A version with a rubber weather cover for the whole connector is also available for a few Dollars more.

Be aware that there are some pre-wired connectors also available but I chose to avoid those in case not all 12 pins were wired (they were wired for specific roles on a BMW)

I include the pinout for the Pathfinder (V1) camera for those who cannot locate it.

Fraser

[Fraser]

Pictures of the universal camera mounting bracket supplied in the kit......

[Fraser]

The "hookup" information contained in the user manual.

Also included is the Pathfinder V1 specification page.

[Fraser]

The digital version of the Pathfinder V1 Sales Brochure and User Manual......

[Fraser]

Some useful information from forum member “figment” in response to a request I made for the command set used with the Pathfinder V1……..

I'm also on the hunt for the Flir PathfindIR commands

This is all I've been able to gather;
The Full Feature PathFindIR camera is provided for OEMs and installers who want to utilize custom features for their applications. The additional features available on the Full Feature PathFindIR camera are selected and set via a LIN (local interconnect network) communications channel. The white wire in the standard PathFindIR System Cable (308-0159-00) provides the means to send the LIN commands to the PathFindIR camera.

The additional custom features provided by the Full Feature PathFindIR camera include the following:
• Selectable color palettes—white hot, black hot, sepia, and rainbow
• Selectable automatic gain control (AGC)—four AGC settings can be selected
• Additional signal outputs for 8-bit digital video data, clock signal, and sync signal requires OEM cable 308-0152-00.
• 2× Zoom—The central part of the image is magnified twice its normal size.
• LIN command to restore factory defaults

If you have purchased the Full Feature PathFindIR camera and need information on these functions, contact your FLIR representative and request the Electrical Interface Control Document (ICD) that describes the connector interface and the proper formatting of the commands controlling these additional functions. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is required in order for FLIR to provide this document.

Note that only the “full features” version of the Pathfinder V1 offers the full array of OEM selectable options. Anyone wishing to reconfigure the Pathfinder V1 would need both the command set and a LIN master interface to communicate with the cameras command data interface. In many/most vehicle mounted applications, the standard configuration “as supplied” is fine.

Commercial controller option for the Pathfinder V1……..

There is a company that advertises a control module for the Pathfinder V1 but it is expensive (~$700) and limited in its functionality. The maker has created a LIN master and programmed the controller with the function commands for Palette selection etc.

The NAVTV.com Pathfinder V1 camera controller may be found here…….

https://navtv.com/products/NTV-KIT491/flir-xg-controller-full-featured.html