Union Repair thermal imager for pcb inspection

[frenky]

A few hour ago Louis Rossmann "reviewed" this thermal imager:

THERMAL IMAGER FOR MOBILE PHONE PCB TROUBLESHOOT
https://www.unionrepair.com/thermal-imager-for-mobile-phone-pcb-troubleshoot.html



It looks like they took a FlirOne V2 put it a box on the stand and charge 900$ for it.

I believe that you would get better results with JoeC windows software (https://goo.gl/eUpdrH) and FlirOne V2 from ebay. And it would cost you less than 200$.

At 25:19 https://youtu.be/CB-jQkHrizo?t=1497 you can probably hear me screaming me over the internet "Turn off the MSX overlay and set the manual temp range!". 

[newex]

This thing contains a lepton 3.
It looks like it's Flir Duo in another case.
And here is what she has inside: http://www.launchirview.com/show-86-102-1.html
Here is the link to the software: https://sourceforge.net/projects/cell-phone-pcb-thermal-imager/files/latest/download

[Fraser]

It looks to me like a Chinese company that has decided to embrace the FLIR Lepton series of cameras.

From their point of view, the hardest part of the development task has been provided as a 'turn key' solution from FLIR. They then embody the Lepton Core in systems that will serve the market in various novel ways.

They are what the Lepton series need. That is to say, a Chinese manufacturer who is deploying the core in many novel ways. The PCB inspection camera is one, the Thermal borescope is another.

As to the cost of the PCB inspection camera......Hmmmm, I am uncertain what resides inside the units head as the provided link did not work for me. $900 does not seem too extreme to me considering they appear to be a relatively small company producing specialist products using an outsourced FLIR Core. The Lepton is still an expensive component. The FLIR DUO costs £1000 in the UK.

The PCB inspection thermal camera is obviously a specialist item, just like the ETS320. As such, I would expect them to charge a premium. The casing looks to have been well designed but the unit will suffer the same issue as the ETS320...... fixed focus  The use of fixed focus on a PCB inspection camera can be a limitation. Something I am addressing on my ETS320. Sadly modification of the Chinese unit would be more complex as the lens is tiny and it sits behind the FFC flag.

I welcome new and novel uses of the Lepton core by third parties. It is such am amazing piece of miniaturisation that just begs to be integrated into all manner of products. If FLIR ever reduce the unit cost we may see new applications for the core in affordable products.

With regard to making your own PCB inspection camera, this is definitely possible, but the F1G2 would either need a close-up auxiliary lens or it would have to be dismantled and the Lepton lens set to closer focus. The adjustment of the Lepton lens is fiddly, but it would yield a better result than the Auxilary lens.

I have been looking for an affordable Lepton 3 host board that would allow me to use some of the Lepton3 cores that I have from faulty F1G2 cameras. Sadly most are either for the Lepton 2 or else very expensive development boards.

Many thanks to the OP for highlighting this product. Very interesting 

Fraser

[frenky]

Here you can get a breakout board (with usb) for 110$, not cheap but could be fun to play with...
https://groupgets.com/manufacturers/getlab/products/purethermal-1-flir-lepton-smart-i-o-module#get-it-now

More info: https://groupgets.com/campaigns/377-purethermal-1-pro-kit-round-8

[Fraser]

I just tried to watch the 'review' by Louis....... I had to give up, it all got way too frustrating to see someone fumbling through a thermal PCB profiling exercise.

I totally understand Louis's view on thermal imagers for PCB inspection. You have to understand the technology and how to use it, otherwise you are better off with old school techniques like IPA evaporation.
Granted this thermal camera is not optimum for the task, but it is also not a 'tool' you can just pick up and use well. The user has to spend the time reading the manual and studying how thermography works. Louis does not have the time for such so his experience with the technology is less than rewarding.

I found the whole fiasco painful to watch and even fast forwarding did not get to better parts. Louis got himself a free thermal PCB inspection camera. He just needs to make the time to understand how to use it properly. If not, it is wasted technology. Not everyone likes PCB thermal profiling with a Thermal camera though. Each to their own really. If IPA evaporation works for him, great.

IMHO, not one of his better videos however. They cannot all be good though eh?

Kudos to the OEM for giving away such a unit for review. Maybe Dave Jones or Mike would be able to make a more useful video on the unit though ?

Finally, I have always considered 160 x 120 pixels to be the minimum resolution I would consider adequate for general PCB thermal profiling. When I say that, I am talking about a decent 160 x 120 pixel core. The Lepton3 is a compromise solution by necessity due to its size and cost. I personally would not want to use such a core for PCB profiling. FYI, 320 x 240 pixels is far nicer for such work, especially as components continue to decrease in size.

Fraser

[Fraser]

Frenky,

Yes I saw that board.

Sadly the boards is Lepton 3 capable, but the firmware is not. It can only cope with Lepton 2.5 at the moment and that is the 80 x 60 pixel radiometric core.

I saw a video of a drone PCB that was running a Lepton 3 firmware but the UK manufacturer has never released that firmware and refuses to respond to my emails on the subject. Apparently the firmware had some timing issues. Possibly not enough processor power ? They appear to have given up on the Lepton 3 firmware for the moment.

http://www.flytron.com/thermal-cameras/303-dronethermal-micro-uav-thermal-camera.html

Test flight with 160 x 120 core firmware (never released)

https://youtu.be/bizeVWBRUa4


Fraser

[dangelo]

seems more info here

open unit

http://www.launchbyte.net/555/0/22