Flir C5 for PCBA Troubleshooting - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: edtyler
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2022, 03:18:19 am
content: Hi,I've seen the topic TG267 vs C5 and it kind of went off the rails with respect to the basic question I have.My budget is $1K or less.It appears the C5 may be good enough for PCBA inspection and troubleshooting with its radiometic 160x120 imager and minimum focal distance of about 4". even though there are only 5,000 points of radiometric data, that's probably good enough for detailed analysis of reasonably sided features.Given the 54 degree x 42 degree field of view, it appears that each pixel represents a surface area of perhaps 0.030 inches squared with the camera 4 inches off the PCBA surface. This is fine enough to allow reasonably spaced 0201 parts to be distinguished, assuming no dead pixels in the imager.Of course, more sensor pixels would be better - but cost a lot more money, unless one uses suppliers without a long track record from China with dubious support.Faster frame rates probably don't matter for PCB inspection, do they?I'd like to hear other downsides to using a C5 for this kind of work, especially comments on Flir's software offerings. What issues might I run into when using a C5?Also, if there are other reputable vendors out there that have a similar offerings that you have experience with for PCBA inspection, please comment on what you have seen .Thanks!

author: Spirit532
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2022, 12:47:53 pm
content: Get an Infiray T3Pro. It's at your budget limit, and will perform several orders of magnitude better than the TG267 or C5, simply because they both use the Lepton 3.5, which is overall not a very good core. That, and it's much higher resolution, much lower noise, has manual focus instead of relying on infinity, and full rate(25Hz).Hell, even the $200-ish P2 would crush FLIR's offerings...

author: edtyler
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2022, 10:32:14 pm
content: Thanks for the reply. I am a little concerned about the dependency on a phone with the inevitable operating system changes that would render their driver/software inoperative.It does look like the imager is a lot better and not much more expensive. Would probably have to buy a dedicated cell phone/tablet to use this device and lock out all updates to ensure that the IR camara's software will work for a long time. Or, perhaps a connection to a PC would be better.Also, the measurement range is somewhat limited, which might make it less useful for non-PCBA tasks. It is unclear if it produces radiometric images.

author: Spirit532
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2022, 06:54:48 pm
content: The T3Pro has a very wide range - you won't find a better one outside FLIR's "bx" series cameras, or firefighting units. They all support direct PC connection and have an SDK/desktop software, which is listed right there on the first page... as well as radiometric imaging...

author: edtyler
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2022, 07:40:10 pm
content: Thanks for the clarification on the range. It looked like the max temp was 120C. I am also glad to hear that it is radiometric, although it is unclear if every pixel has temrature data or just a subset, like the Flir C5 (5,000 points).The PC connection sounds nice as well.However, there is very little technical detail available from their site. No data sheets, no user manuals --- nothing of substance. So, even if they have a very nice product, their complete lack of pre-sales support gives me cause for concern about post sales support and warranty issues. It's too bad that they do not seem to care about improving their customer contact experience.Do you own one of these Infiray T3Pro units? If so, do you have it connected to a PC?

author: Spirit532
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2022, 10:30:00 am
content: The C5 only has 80x60 pixels. That'sit, it's not a subset.Why are you averse to just... asking them? Seriously, this isn't an infiray support forum, you asked for a recommendation and were given one.

author: edtyler
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2022, 06:44:13 pm
content: The C5 has 160x120 pixeles with 5,000 radiometric points.My objection to Infinray is that they have no data of any substance on their official web site. Not even a user manual. To me, this speaks of a company that could just evaporate and leave users with no support.I'm not sure if you have one of the Infinray units you are suggesting, but if you do, what's after dales support been like?

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2022, 07:42:19 pm
content: Infiray is part of IRAY and they will not be disappearing anytime soon

author: baldwin_008
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 22, 2022, 11:03:22 am
content: Hi, I'd like to recommend you the CA series thermal camera.Its specially designed for PCBA application.With 200x260 resolution, plus PC software.Can help you done work perfectly.Just contact me for immediate response.