Seek Thermal OEM cores are now available from Digikey!

[Ben321]

I got an email from Seek Thermal that linked to Digikey's product pages for the Seek OEM core starter kits. There are 6 of them, varying in frame rate, image resolution. and lens size. The only thing determining the price, of those 3 factors, seems to be the size of the lens. For modules with the larger lens, it costs $500. For modules that have the smaller lens, it costs $450 (with one exception, the 320x240 module with the low frame rate and small lens also costs $500, unless this is an error in Digikey's product database). Here's the links to the 6 modules.
200x150, <9fps, small lens https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/seek-thermal/S202SP/13573737
200x150, ~30fps, small lens https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/seek-thermal/S212SPX/13573832
200x150, <9fps, large lens https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/seek-thermal/S204SP/10468367
320x240, <9fps, small lens https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/seek-thermal/S304SP/10492240
320x240, ~30fps, small lens https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/seek-thermal/S314SPX/13573823
320x240, <9fps, large lens https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/seek-thermal/S309SP/10492242

There does not appear to be a version that has both the large lens and also the ~30fps frame rate.

In addition to the hardware, the email I got linked to this Vimeo video that showed they have some test software you can use to get your OEM module running right out of the box. It's called Seek Simple Viewer, and apparantly you need access to their developer portal (something you only get after purchasing one of the OEM starter kits) to download it, as the email had no link to download it nor does their website contain any link to such software, and even doing a Google search for the exact phrase "Seek Simple Viewer" (using quotes to force the exact phrase to be searched for) returns 0 search results. It seems that this is something completely new, that even Google's indexer bot hasn't discovered yet. Here's the link to the video demonstrating the software.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/521513134

[Fraser]

Seek Simple viewer is not new. It is available only after gaining access to the Seek developer portal and, in my experience, that requires an NDA with Seek. In my case I was also provided with the Seek Thermal SDK and full documentation for the imaging core. Breaching the Seek Thermal NDA has consequences.

Seek provide development software to support Windows, Linux Android and iOS platforms.

Fraser

[Ben321]

Seek Simple viewer is not new. It is available only after gaining access to the Seek developer portal and, in my experience, that requires an NDA with Seek. In my case I was also provided with the Seek Thermal SDK and full documentation for the imaging core. Breaching the Seek Thermal NDA has consequences.

Seek provide development software to support Windows, Linux Android and iOS platforms.

Fraser

The most important thing is that now ANYBODY can buy a Seek OEM core starter kit from Digikey. Previously, you had to go through Seek themselves, and fill out there OEM core form (which I'd done about 5 times, with no response from Seek). I think Seek only wants you to fill it out if you are doing so on behalf of a company you work for that would use their OEM cores. They aren't interested in individuals wanting to buy one of their cores for hobbyist use. You can tell this because the form on their website had a REQUIRED field to state the name of your company. When filling it out, I always put "none" or "hobbyist use only" for the company name, and seek NEVER got back to me as usually would happen when you contact a company with a contact form. But it seems it did get me on their email list, as I finally got the email from them when Digikey started selling the OEM core starter kits.

My guess is their OEM core starter kit contains a piece of paper with web address for the Seek developer website, so you can get the required software and SDK (unless the kit contains this software and SDK on a CD shipped with the kit).

Also Fraser, you mention that you yourself got one of these OEM cores. Did you buy it through Digikey, or directly from Seek?

[Fraser]

No my Seek Thermal QVGA core is part of a Chinese thermal imaging camera that I was asked to test by the OEM. The camera was gifted to me after completion of the testing. I needed the SDK to diagnose some problems with the camera so the OEM contacted SEEK Thermal and asked for permission, which was given. At the time SEEK Thermal were very busy so just added me to the OEM NDA rather than getting me to sign one just for me.

SEEK Thermal are selling huge numbers of their imaging cores due to the Pandemic and Fever detection use. They appear to have no time to deal with imaging core enquiries from individuals. SEEK Thermal have wanted to sell to the general public only through companies like Digikey as it lowers the distribution and support burden.

I cannot say whether SEEK Thermal provide a link in the development kits for the SDK portal but if they do, it is protected so only approved customers have access. They definitely require an NDA to be signed for the documents that I have. The SDK details only the command sets and interaction with the SEEK Thermal API and does not detail the data protocol on the USB link between the core and the API running on the host. SEEK Thermal consider the thermal imaging core, USB link and Host API to be a ‘module’ that the designer communicates with only via the API and the facilities that it offers. This is unfortunate as it limits versatility to only what the API offers.. The core is actually just a SEEK Thermal Classic or PRO USB dongle camera in a different format. The development kit is a core attached to a piece of bent metal with the USB link made available at the rear of the metal ‘chassis’. Nothing more.

Fraser