Another patient arrives - a sick AGEMA/FLIR PM570

[Fraser]

Well I broke my rule regarding not buying more thermal cameras, especially duplicates !

I saw a very nice condition AGEMA/FLIR PM570 for sale this week. What made it ‘special’ was its condition and the inclusion of the X0.45 supplementary lens. Most PM series cameras have seen quite a lot of action in industry and bear the battle scars to prove it. This unit seemed different.

The camera arrived today and was everything I had hoped for with regards cosmetic condition. I cannot see a single scratch or ding on it. It looks unused ! An inspection of the X0.45 wide angle supplementary lens showed that to be unblemished as well..... as new without the common fine scratches on the front lens element from cleaning.

Note the title of this post ..... I use the word “patient” with good reason. The camera came with a good battery that charged fine but the camera would not start. Attaching the official external power supply made no difference. Multiple attempts to start the camera failed but suddenly I saw the EVF wake up and the green ‘on’ LED lit. A raster with some bright dots and noise appeared but nothing more. The camera would not respond to the power button to switch it off so power had to be disconnected. Further start attempts resulted in another, different noise display in the EVF and again, failure to respond to the power button. This little PM570 is sick

The seller sold the camera as working and is a really friendly chap. He was shocked to hear that the camera would not start and we very quickly agreed on a mutually acceptable partial refund that was significant enough to make it worth me keeping the camera. The additional X0.45 supplementary lens was really what swung me towards keeping the faulty camera. Such lenses are quite rare and expensive and though I already have one, I have several cameras to which it attaches including my A40.

The PM570 design dates back to 1997 and it is, IMHO, a lovely camera that contains fine engineering. It is the first thermal camera that I completely reverse engineered so I have a huge soft spot for it. This particular PM570 is one from the period when FLIR bought AGEMA who designed it. The camera ID label shows “FSI” as the OEM yet the cameras case branding and strap show AGEMA.

I shall repair this fine example of a PM570 and it will be a ‘keeper’ due to its unblemished condition. I have a working spares donor PM570 that suffered crush injuries in an industrial accident so I have all the parts needed for a repair. Hopefully the fault is nothing too complex as I have neither the time nor the energy to undertake a major repair odyssey at the moment.

I will report progress on this patient as and when I find time to do so.

Fraser

[eigiman]

Hello Fraser,

I wonder where you got to with the PM570? I have just got hold of the same camera, in exactly the same condition. FLIR are not being very helpful, and I am at an end with my understanding of the circuits...

Thanks
Ilya

[Fraser]

Sadly that camera is still sat awaiting repair. Life threw some unwelcome challenges at me so little projects like this got parked. To be honest I had forgotten about this particular patient.

Fraser

[eigiman]

Thanks Fraser,

Would you be willing to share any of your reverse engineered info on the imager (for a price, of course). Both processors are hanging - so presumably the 68000 is waiting for the Intel and then halting.

You had previously mentioned a failed gate in a '244 buffer in this context. I only have '245s on the video processing board (see 2nd photo), but the reset signal for the Intel does go through them and I'm not convinced the logic levels are making any sense...

Best wishes
Ilya

[Fraser]

Sorry, I promised FLIR that I would not share the reverse engineered schematics. They were impressed with what I had achieved, but understandably concerned that such schematics existed outside FLIR. Even their service agents do not have access to the full schematics.
I have a very good working relationship with FLIR.

I likely got the buffer chip ID wrong in my post as working from memory.

Fraser