Author Topic: From 1994 - the FiCAM-60 (Read 3665 times)

Bill W · « **on:** August 15, 2018, 07:05:40 pm »

Dug up the following image from the archives. A very early solid state thermal camera for firefighters.
Taken at Interschutz 1994

Chanc3 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 15, 2018, 07:20:48 pm »

Love that retro artwork! Would make an amazing museum piece!

Fraser · « **Reply #2 on:** August 15, 2018, 08:59:12 pm »

Lead Selenide scanning camera core ? The large angled window in the front of the camera case tends to suggest such. The angle of the window helps prevent Narcisus effect.

About that time I was using military uncooled scanning thermal imagers that had a Lead Selenide linear array and single axis scanning Mirror. Much Like the Agema 510.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_selenide

Fraser

Fraser · « **Reply #3 on:** August 15, 2018, 09:15:08 pm »

The AGA 110 and Agema 210 were also single axis scanning cameras with a Lead Selenide detector linear array. These are the forefathers of the 2 dimensional array uncooled cameras.

Fraser

Fraser · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2018, 10:58:44 pm »

To see inside a Lead Selenide array single axis scanning thermal camera, take a look at my post here......

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/agema-thermovision-510-a-look-under-her-clothes-by-fraser/

Vipitis · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2018, 12:15:14 am »

I wonder how many of those historic units still work. At least the uncooled devices don't need extra gas to operate. The once source I had close by shut down earlier this year, I don't know where all their stock ended up.

Fraser · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2018, 09:44:08 am »

Many old units work fine. Due to their intended use and high cost, quality components were often used. Common failures are capacitors and mechanical components that just need a lubrication service.

The old Pevicon tube based cameras still work, but often need a 'tune up' to compensate for tube aging. The Lead Selenide based cameras are very reliable with only the vacuum in the detector array capsule to be concerned about. BST FPA based cameras are often still working fine but some suffer failures of Tantalum capacitors. The very early nitrogen cooled scanning cameras will often work fine as well. Some suffer age related issues with the scanning mirror servos. Some high quality end cameras encapsulate the complete mirror block in a vacuum capsule and the vacuum can be lost over time.

Older thermal cameras will often work with just a little TLC. Sadly the pictures they produce can be disappointing to those unaware of how far technology has moved on in terms of resolution and image processing.

Fraser

Bill W · « **Reply #7 on:** August 16, 2018, 04:38:59 pm »

The bag gives it away as manufactured by Signaal, who became part of Thales via Thompson-CSF:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thales_Nederland

On that basis, this being a 'civilianised' military product is very likely.

Bill

Bill W · « **Reply #8 on:** August 16, 2018, 04:53:44 pm »

Just found the brochure

... but it is in German. Will post later.

It is a 3-5 µm camera and weighed 3.5kg and a MDTD of 0.25°C. As such not much different to contemporary Pevicon tube cameras, although those were of course 8-14µm.

Bill

Bill W · « **Reply #9 on:** August 16, 2018, 10:27:23 pm »

Attached

Vipitis · « **Reply #10 on:** August 17, 2018, 07:23:27 am »

The images are interesting. I wonder if those were captured electronically onto analog tape or if they had some funny device to expose film in the EVF.

Fraser · « **Reply #11 on:** August 17, 2018, 10:37:18 am »

Looking at the example images they are being displayed on the CCIR monitor and a camera used to photograph the displayed image. The images contain an interesting 'Chicken mesh' pattern that may be either a printing method (dithering) pattern or an indication of the detector system being used. I did not see any mention of the detector material or image collection format in the text.

The camera outputs CCIR so in 1994 a standard video recorder or PC video capture card could be connected to it for image capture.

Fraser

Bill W · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2018, 12:44:57 pm »

Looking at the originals, it is mostly printing artifacts coupled with a bit of moire from the various resamplings.
I also agree it is a photograph of a TV monitor, that is CRT edge not barrel distortion especially in the case of the UP 1043 road picture.

However the man walking dog image from the 'Up 1040' is definitely line scanned as it is a lower spatial resolution

Bill

Roman78 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 04, 2018, 08:00:58 am »

I own one of those Ficam 60. I bought it years ago to find cold spots wile renovating my house. Now i bought a Seek Thermal for this (and an other house). So I want to sell this peace of wonderful technology. So i googled and found this topic. Maybe someone is interested before i put in on eBay. I bought it whit a 19V Dell PSU, this is working good, but need several attempts to start.

Well some pictures....

Fraser · « **Reply #14 on:** December 04, 2018, 07:49:56 pm »

Hi Roman78,

Just to let you know your mailbox on here is reporting it is full. If you send me an email address we can communicate via that means

Fraser


EEVblog Main Site	EEVblog on Youtube	EEVblog on Twitter	EEVblog on Facebook	EEVblog on Odysee

EEVblog Electronics Community Forum