An interesting prototype thermal camera from 2004 - HRU640 PTZ - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: phansel
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 09:35:54 am
content: Hi all,I came upon a curious relic from a company L3 acquired back in 2004, BAI Aerosystems. It's a pan-tilt-zoom module built around a 640x480 camera (HRU640) with a 76mm f/1.3 lens built by another company, i2tech (https://innovativeintuitivetechnologyinc.com/product/hru640/), which is still in business. The seller didn't seem to know anything about it and priced it buy-now $200. A cursory search of this forum showed nothing by BAI or i2tech yet documented. The lens is obviously worth that much by itself, so I bought it.It showed up in rough shape, covered in sand and dust. The FFC shutter was stuck & only clicked, while the pan bearing caught and made loud grinding noises when turned. Unwilling to spend $800 on a replacement OEM bearing, I disassembled the assembly, extensively washed the original bearing with isopropanol and lightly re-greased it before reinstalling. Loose grubscrews on the pan motor's drive gear also gave it severe slop. The PTZ function was obviously not in use within the last few years!Since it has an L3 sticker on it, and is dated 12/05, it was clearly manufactured after the BAI acquisition in January 2005. The internals suggest it's a prototype: various connectors and harnesses are bypassed; bodge wires and silicone blobs are on nearly every PCB, from the base board to the camera OSD injector and motor driver. The jumper soldering in some places is pretty bad. The largest PCB, housed in the plastic shell and featuring a MOOG slipring, is dated 2003.The core is a circular one, vendor labeled DRS Infrared, with a rather large die inside. I can't find any information on DRS 640x480 cores from around this time. I would have to guess, based on the appearance of the video, that it's VOx. I also imagine it doesn't have DRS' modern "umbrella" collector microstructure.The camera didn't output any video until I re-seated a micro-coax line on the core module -- my guess is that this carried the global shutter / sync signal. I would not be surprised if it popped out again under vibration.After all that cleaning, and after doing a bit of tracing to find the 12V input pins, I was able to get a working black-and-white 640x480 output with some data in the corners (azimuth / elevation). The accelerometer assembly sitting on top of the camera head didn't seem to be enabled. The FOV is quite narrow, maybe 20 degrees, but the image is impressively clear. I won't speculate on the fabrication costs for this core...From the overall state, this seems like a prototype PTZ built around an also-prototype HRU640 camera. Perhaps: installed on a plane or helicopter for years, flown and tested extensively at the start, and then left exposed to the elements long past its operational life. My guess is that it showed up on the market today because the A/C carrying it was retired and parted out.I had been hoping to gift it to a friend with a GA plane, for runway clearance usage at night, but it's just not the right tool for the job. A modern, 100 gram QVGA core with integrated FFC + analog out and a wide-angle lens would be more appropriate.I've put it up for auction on eBay if anyone is interested. Pictures are available there as well.Sold!If anyone has any other info about this neat module, do share!

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 01:49:45 pm
content: I have seen similar used in observation drones and even observation balloons !I see you offer international shipping. Be careful as you will be in breach of your countries Federal laws on export of DUT if you do not obtain an export licence.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 03:07:03 pm
content: Regarding the microbolometer identity. That looks like a relatively early Honeywell design based Boeing microbolometer to me. Boeing North American became DRSAn educated guess by me would be the DRS (Boeing) U6000 VOx microbolometer with 640 x 480 pixels of 25um size. The U6000 is circa 2002/3 so it fits the correct period for your camera core. The U6000 is most definitely subject to Dual Use Technology regulations.Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 03:23:19 pm
content: I could not find the DRS U6000 datasheet in my archive but I have found a link to a SPIE paper that covers this microbolometer. I was correct in my memory of its specs. It was the first DRS (was Boeing) VGA microbolometer using 25um VOx pixels. It was announced in 2002. It is the “big brother” to the U3000 microbolometer originally produced under the Boeing Name. Picture of U3000 attached (sorry it is so small)https://search.app/VK7UbJzbWoVHbYeCAFraser

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2025, 03:21:38 pm
content: Good luck with the sell..I saw the old listing... that older listing also had open for international buying / shipping.believe the "shippingcost" back in Feb.. was around 56USD to Denmark... so the previous seller also didn't restrict it.It is also way overdue.. that these extremely dated ITAR regulations on thermals are being flushed out with the bathwater..They make very little sense here in modern times, when anybody under the sun can get high-performing thermal devices from abroad, and regions that don't give a flying duck about these regulations.- and these days.. USA sadly seems to have more in common with these specific regimes.. that these ITAR regulations originally were directed at..Lately FN mandates & resolutions.. US are voting in cahoots with these four regimes.. that ITAR (not least on thermal) refers to, so it makes no sense.. that you're restricting thermal cameras against your new closest allies, who interests you're empowering.QuoteAlso been uphill battle for US-companies like Seek & Flir etc, when they constantly need to hamstring so much of their product-portfolio to sub 9Hz, while the competition don't.Even relatively new products from Seek thermals.. most of them are still 9Hz limited.

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2025, 03:41:56 pm
content: For a modern pan & tilt function with a wireless instant 50Hz_feed..I use this approach.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2025, 04:27:36 pm
content: I now have the SPIE document that covers the temperature stabilised (TE) DRS U3000, U4000, U6000 and U7000 microbolometer modules. It is an interesting read for those with access to it. I am attaching pictures from the paper as I believe I can do so under fair educational use rulesThey come from the SPIE paper found at :https://search.app/VK7UbJzbWoVHbYeCAand all rights are acknowledged.In these images you will see the block diagram of the U6000, the physical module and support PCB stack design along with the improvements in the Boeing/DRS Microbolometers thermal sensitivity over the years from 1995 to 2001. The paper explains that these improvements in thermal sensitivity came from a number of improvements in the microbolometer-ROIC wafer fabrication process.From memory it is the Boeing-DRS U3000 or U4000 in my excellent FLIR PM series industrial thermal cameras.U3000 320x240 51um pixelsU4000 320x240 51um pixels (improved U3000 design providing 2 fold increase in NETD and spatial pattern noise performance)U6000 640x480 25um pixelsU7000 320x240 25um pixels (pin compatible with the U6000)The 640x480 pixel U6000 die was designed to fit into the same module size as the U3000 and U4000 so the pixel size had to be reduced to 25um and methods found to retain the performance of the microbolometer-ROIC module compared to its larger pixel brothers.Interestingly, these microbolometer modules contain a re-firable getter. That is good to know.Fraser

author: ArsenioDev
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2025, 12:32:28 am
content: 600 series article so only requires a signed end user consignee statement from STA-1 countries, and notification of export to BIS

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2025, 05:35:36 pm
content: I have seen an awful lot of microbolometer modules over the years and can recognise some by appearance alone. This one was relatively easy as I have seen it in other industrial cameras. I recognised it as a Boeing type module from past research, so the rest was relatively easy.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2025, 01:57:39 pm
content: This history of DRS shows that they bought the uncooled sensor side of Boeing in 2001 and Nytech in 2002.https://www.leonardodrs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/history-bochure-final_rev17.pdfWho are Nytech ? …. A brief description of their products is included by DRS…..“DRS acquires Nytech Integrated Imaging Systems, leader in uncooled thermal imaging systems; the unmanned aerial vehicle business of Meggitt Defense Systems; and Navy Controls Division of Eaton Corporation, provider of shipboard integrated electrical power distribution and control systems for the Navy.”Fraser