Flir E4 Thermal imaging camera teardown

[mrflibble]

Here's a pic I just took of the same board and fired up the Red/Green (bicolour LEDs) (so 4 total current limit resistors in play).

Those hotspots are the 0603's you mentioned earlier? If so, the level of detail is damn nice!

[homr]

Thanks to those whom spoon fed us that are in the cheese line, appreciate your work!

[georges80]

Here's a pic I just took of the same board and fired up the Red/Green (bicolour LEDs) (so 4 total current limit resistors in play).

Those hotspots are the 0603's you mentioned earlier? If so, the level of detail is damn nice!

Yep, 0603 sized resistors - VERY impressive detail!

cheers,
george.

[aargee]

Hi all -
Just found this forum & thread after buying, trying, and being thoroughly disappointed by a Fluke VT02 Visual IR Thermometer.  My goal was to evaluate the thermal uniformity of a small (5/8" diameter) polyimide heater circuit that I designed for use on a chemical sensor.  Mistakenly thought that the IR image resolution of the VT02 was 104x104 pixels (that is the optical resolution) and later found out that the actual IR image resolution is 15x15 pixels.  Fluke isn't exactly up front in providing information about the thermal image resolution and I now know why.  They are rightfully embarrassed by it.  Only unsuspecting rubes like me will buy it.  I'll be shipping the VT02 back on Monday for credit and hopefully exchanging for an E4 + $300.  Really hope an E4 is in stock at the same shop.

Thanks to Dave and other contributors for all of the excellent information on the Flir E4.  Really - very impressive to watch the review, tear-down and other related videos and technical posts.  Bravo!

Assuming my E4 arrives with the older, hackable firmware version, I'll be applying Dave's patch and unscrewing the lens to about 50 mm focal length and having a look at my little heater circuit.   Will post results when I have them.

Doug

Actually it was Mike that did the hack (with a bit of help from others on the forum). 

I notice that our local Fluke dealer is offering 'deals' on the VT02, and they are trying to promote it as a real TI camera.

[bernroth]

@georges80: I wonder if it's possible to combine the holder for the ZnSe lens with the hand adapter to turn the internal lens. I do not know much about 3D-Printing but this would be very handy.
What are the specs of the lens you bought on ebay? I have ordered a E4 cam too and would like to use it to analyze PCBs and power supplies.
With the data of the lens I can order the same one and ask someone with a 3D printer to fab the adapter for me.

Maybe you could clarify a bit how the optics work, I know the basics back from physics classes but I wonder how the focal length and lens diameter work together to have a focus on n cm/inch.

[okent]

I'm looking for the opposite.  Something that I can place in front and get some distance viewing, maybe a 2x or 3x.
I have access to a CNC machine shop just don't know what lens would work.

[georges80]

@georges80: I wonder if it's possible to combine the holder for the ZnSe lens with the hand adapter to turn the internal lens. I do not know much about 3D-Printing but this would be very handy.
What are the specs of the lens you bought on ebay? I have ordered a E4 cam too and would like to use it to analyze PCBs and power supplies.
With the data of the lens I can order the same one and ask someone with a 3D printer to fab the adapter for me.

Maybe you could clarify a bit how the optics work, I know the basics back from physics classes but I wonder how the focal length and lens diameter work together to have a focus on n cm/inch.

Rotating the E4 lens isn't too hard, but requires pressure against the 10 lens slots with a tool. Maintaining that pressure is a little tricky AND having a ZnSe secondary optic. There's also the danger of trying to use the lens cover with the tool in place...

For PCB work, I think it's easier to just pick a couple of lens rotation locations (just paint a mark on the lens default position). Adding the ZnSe lens gives more options.

The lens I bought was 20mm diameter, 3" focal length, ZnSe.  I just picked a vendor (direct from China). The specific vendor/link I used:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZnSe-GaAs-Focal-Lens-10-6um-Co2-Laser-Engraver-Cutting-Machine-12-25mm-1-4-/321078811086?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item76c47eb730

You just want a lens that has a diameter larger than the viewing diameter of the E4 lens at the distance the secondary lens is placed. 20mm diameter is more than adequate. Focal length is just a matter of buying the one you want.

With the two lenses close together I think you can approximate the focal length as 1/f = 1/f1 + 1/f2 (where f1 is the focal length of say the ZnSe lens and f2 is the focal length of the  E4 lens) unless I'm completely mistaken (which is possible ).

I did some quick temp comparisons with/without the ZnSe lens and with the E4 at various focal lengths (rotating the lens) and didn't see any appreciable differences that would affect my use.

cheers,
george.

[Zoltan von Negrow]

Yes - seems to have fixed it- I can't get it to crash now.
Has anyone seen any other issues with the menu hack apart from crashing in palette select/arctic/lava mode? Can we call it stable now?

condensation mode still gets lost while zapping some of the measurement modes... I'd also really like to check if there's a menu to be added so one can set the humidity level for that mode - otherwise it's pretty pointless

Humidity is measured externaly, by another tool, that can be connected wirelessly to higher models from flir, like Ebx series.
It will be very hard to set humidity manualy.

Extech Moisture meter MO297 [T910973]
Can be connected to the thermal imaging camera through MeterLink™

[amyk]

"The program can't start because MSVCP110.dll is missing from your computer...".

F**** dependencies...  ... will try another setup ....

You can configure it to link against MSVCRT.dll which is present on every system since Win95 or so. Makes a tiny self-contained executable that works everywhere. Funnily enough MS discourages this but this is what they do for the programs they ship with the OS

Info here:
http://kobyk.wordpress.com/2007/07/20/dynamically-linking-with-msvcrtdll-using-visual-c-2005/
http://www.masmforum.com/board/index.php?topic=9803.0
tl;dr: find a MSVCRT.lib that links for MSVCRT.dll and link with that.

[Taucher]

You can configure it to link against MSVCRT.dll which is present on every system since Win95 or so. Makes a tiny self-contained executable that works everywhere. Funnily enough MS discourages this but this is what they do for the programs they ship with the OS

Info here:
http://kobyk.wordpress.com/2007/07/20/dynamically-linking-with-msvcrtdll-using-visual-c-2005/
http://www.masmforum.com/board/index.php?topic=9803.0
tl;dr: find a MSVCRT.lib that links for MSVCRT.dll and link with that.

Yeah, that gotcha got me ... new PC, all new Soft (I hate what MS has done to formerly good products) have been used to my good old VS05 and Eclipse/Java ... C/C++ quite rusty ...

Did you check the statically linked EzCRC01 exe? - according to my depends.exe it should only require kernel.dll now

Before I forget: the source can be easily modified to create an in-place-CRC01-updater.
That step would just require writing "result" back to the original file instead of writing it to the hardcoded path.
The code is built so it will discard and ignore any bytes starting with "# CRC01" - then re-add the computed CRC

[Mr-Beamer]

Ordered 1  two for  1200 euro    will be delivered within 3 to 6 days.   
Until then, I'm playing with a SC655 with a max of 200hz

Besides 9 Hz is fast enough for normal use. (30hz is obviously better).
> 30hz  is good for measuring inrush currents or explosions etz.
I use the SC655 mostly @12.5hz.

By the way the I.mx257 has a USB host port!
Maybe one of the pins of the connector is equipped with USB
Or maybe is on the not assembled connector on the PCB.

(some sample pic's from the sc655)

[olsenn]

Those are some very nice thermal images. Now how many thousands did that camera cost, dare I ask?

[Mr-Beamer]

€20K 

[olsenn]

€20K 

Soon enough, they will be sold at Wal-Mart for pocket change

[olsenn]

Watch the short video, "Ora", on YouTube. It was filmed with an experimentsl, HD cyro-cooled TIC

[mikeselectricstuff]

By the way the I.mx257 has a USB host port!
Maybe one of the pins of the connector is equipped with USB
Or maybe is on the not assembled connector on the PCB.

I did try plugging in a USB Micro host cable with a USB memory stick but nothing happenned

[mrflibble]

I did try plugging in a USB Micro host cable with a USB memory stick but nothing happenned

Presumably because you need a USB OTG driver. I read that Platform Builder 6.0 started including USB OTG support, but they (Flir) would still need to have included it in the kernel/firmware. That, or provide your own USB OTG solution.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I did try plugging in a USB Micro host cable with a USB memory stick but nothing happenned

Presumably because you need a USB OTG driver. I read that Platform Builder 6.0 started including USB OTG support, but they (Flir) would still need to have included it in the kernel/firmware. That, or provide your own USB OTG solution.

.,.and also provide 5V power on the connector - didn't actually test for this but didn't see any LED activity on the USB stick

[mrflibble]

.,.and also prodice 5V power on the connector - didn't actually test for this but didn't see any LED activity on the USB stick

Although that is not a strict requirement. If the usb port says screw you hippie in the power department you can still use usb otg through a powered hub.

[tanntraad]

Got an E4 today from a local supplier today, version 1.18.8. I followed the instructions in post #1 and all I can say is; WOW! and thank you!
I did a quick tour around the house in 60x80 pixel-mode and it was great -with this mod it is just awesome!

Should one be worried that the FLIR Tools software could somehow automatically "update" the E4?

[mrflibble]

Should one be worried that the FLIR Tools software could somehow automatically "update" the E4?

Not that I'm aware of. Besides that, it would be extremely not done to do an update without notification. If only for the very simple reason that you could decide to power off the device at any time. That, and possibly several random legal reasons.

[London Lad]

I called PASS in the UK today, which is where I got my E4, to place an order for some Fluke gear.
The salesman got chatting about the E4 and the hack and said "you were lucky, the next lot are going to be hack proof" 

[mikeselectricstuff]

I called PASS in the UK today, which is where I got my E4, to place an order for some Fluke gear.
The salesman got chatting about the E4 and the hack and said "you were lucky, the next lot are going to be hack proof" 

..to which the answer would be "well good luck with selling those then..."

[London Lad]

I called PASS in the UK today, which is where I got my E4, to place an order for some Fluke gear.
The salesman got chatting about the E4 and the hack and said "you were lucky, the next lot are going to be hack proof" 

..to which the answer would be "well good luck with selling those then..."

Yes I was very tempted!

[mikeselectricstuff]

Got an E4 today from a local supplier today, version 1.18.8. I followed the instructions in post #1 and all I can say is; WOW! and thank you!
I did a quick tour around the house in 60x80 pixel-mode and it was great -with this mod it is just awesome!

Should one be worried that the FLIR Tools software could somehow automatically "update" the E4?

The worst they could do in a newer version is refuse to talk to a modded unit. Anything else would probably be iilegal under hacking legislation - making unauthorised changes or possibly even criminal damage.
Probably worth a read of T&Cs for any nasty small print, but they'd be really stupid to pull something like that.
But Flir tools doesn't seem to be very useful for anything so not a big deal.