Exploring an Inexpensive Thermal Imager

RE: Exploring an Inexpensive Thermal Imager

koudelad — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 17:37:32 GMT

Thanks for showing us the experiment!

I am currently waiting to get my hands on this new FLIR TG297FLIR TG297 camera. They recently introduces a cheaper series with 160x120 pixels resolution.

Another approach to find the shorts is to put some alcohol on the board and see at which places it evaporates the fastest.

David

RE: Exploring an Inexpensive Thermal Imager

ralphjy — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 21:14:20 GMT

Hi John,

This technique would probably work for me since I'm reasonably sure I have a shorted regulator (just need to figure out which one). Haven't got round to trying to repair the NVR because I've been busy with other things. I have accumulated a couple of other boards where similar buck regulators have failed. I'm starting to think that these failures are due to ESD damage. When we started to offload manufacturing to China, lack of ESD mitigation in PCB assembly was a significant problem. I guess I should start repairing these modules before the scrap pile gets too big [View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-81458c74-9ec3-4c46-b9a9-3d7fd5e50099/contentimage_5F00_4027.png:16:16].

Ralph

RE: Exploring an Inexpensive Thermal Imager

DAB — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:52:21 GMT

Good test John.

DAB

RE: Exploring an Inexpensive Thermal Imager

three-phase — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:19:30 GMT

It doesn't look to be too bad a camera. If it is producing both the thermal and photo images, then that is quite good. Depending on what materials you are actually measuring, you could try lowering the emissivity - it may make the copper track stand out more, depending on what it is coated in.

Kind regards.

RE: Exploring an Inexpensive Thermal Imager

genebren — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 17:23:21 GMT

John,

Great look at the usefulness of a thermal imager. I only wished that you would have received yours early, so I might have gotten one of these on my Christmas list. Now I will have to go and buy one on my own.

Thanks for sharing you experiment,

Gene

RE: Exploring an Inexpensive Thermal Imager

colporteur — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 16:39:41 GMT

I like the premise.

I'm curious would the instrument see AC wires running in walls? Run an AC heater that plugs some current and then see if there is any image.

RE: Exploring an Inexpensive Thermal Imager

shabaz — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 14:38:43 GMT

Hi John,

This is great to see an example with a PCB, and that it provided the detail to narrow down to a diode or trace. It looks like a very useful tool.