IR Spot sensor/alarm.

[paulca]

Off the tip of the hat...


A simple, cheap IR camera you hang over your bench (or where ever).  It, much like an IR fire sensor but a little more touchy, will look for heat spots.  If a heat spot gets above a certain temp, it raises an alarm.

How cheap can you make it and how effective would it be?

It's ... something that might light up a few seconds before you smell the magic smoke about to release... it might save you from what I did last week and ... touch the MCU to see how hot was while shorted and consuming about 20W.

A 60*C orange light.   80*C Falshing orange.  100*C auidble  alarm say.  All adjustable.

Note.  The MCU was NOT 60*C, or 80*C... it's was Awwwwww fuc....!!!  hot and 3 days heeling.

[jpanhalt]

Internet:

(CMOS) sensors can exhibit near-infrared (IR) sensitivity from 700 nm to approximately 1,100 nm

In terms of temperature, 1100 nm is a lot hotter than I want my MCU to be running at.  (See:attachment)

[JustMeHere]

Use the temperature sensor in the MCU.

[barshatriplee]

I think adding an LM35 or DS18B20 to your circuit will be more convenient.