Thermal camera for SMPS PCB checking and finding shorts on down to 0402 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ocset
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 11:27:31 am
content: HelloThe internet is very slow today, I think its this global bug.Does anyone know of a good , cheap Thermal Camera for looking at SMPS PCB’s? We don’t need all the special stuff like video camera overlay etc etc.Don’t need a mobile spot etcJust a decent picture screen size, (at least 4cm by 4cm) for our SMPS PCB which is 10cm by 15cm…(we don’t need to see all of it at once)

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 11:39:36 am
content: Either one of the "better" ones with adjustable focus, or a liberated FLIR E4 with an additional lens should do that job.I've no experience with that particular camera, but a friend (also working in the electronics business) had some good experience with the Keysight U5855A camera. Anyway, for inspecting PCBs an adjustable focus and reasonably high resolution (320x240) are the major points to look for.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 02:37:56 pm
content: For a business the FLIR ETS320 makes sense. FLIR designed it for such work. I have one and its focus is adjustable to permit different working heights..... FLIR do not tell you that though.Much depends upon your budget. I might even sell my ETS320 for the right price as I do not need it.There is a Black Friday deal running on the ETS320 at the moment....https://www.tester.co.uk/flir-ets320-thermal-camera-for-electronics-testing?gclid=CjwKCAiAiuTfBRAaEiwA4itUqKpyG_FwvbT-gVSDoGfnFY_ZjVA2tSgQKKrv70RsNzE3cIG5xftBNhoC6dsQAvD_BwEFraserUK

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 02:48:42 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on November 24, 2018, 02:37:56 pmFrankly it's not a versatile instrument. It's on a stand and PCB size is very limited until it interferes with a stand, can look only downwards, not to say you cannot look into a device that is partially/fully assembled. Thermalexpert TE-Q1 should be much better choice for limited amount money.Bottom picture is just stupid. Looking onto PCI card which is not plugged into PCI slot. It has SATA cable connected to it but SATA does not even provide any power.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 03:56:17 pm
content: Wrapper, no argument from me on the basic stand etc. It was a silly move by FLIR but they obviously think all PCB's are now smallI created a boom arm adapter for my unit so mine can operate just like a normal boom arm microscope. The focus is adjustable as well so not fixed at 70mm distance like when supplied by FLIR (another silly mistake by FLIR as I have stated previously) For a little further investment the ETS320 is actually a very effective tool. It just needed an engineer like me to revisit its design and improve on itRegarding the last picture..... oh I have to disagree..... apparently wireless charging and power is all the rage now !. But seriously, we know publicity pictures are often technical accuracy disasters like the one of a young lady soldering whilst her pretty little fingers are wrapped around the heating element !As to other options, there are many but the OP needs to decide how 'industrial' his need is. Temperature measurement accuracy can be a factor, combined with ease of use by diagnostics staff. Mobile phones are very unwelcome in many production areas for all manner of reasons. The E4 hacked to E8 is an option provided a stand is created ...... but how many reputable manufacturers want to risk using a product that has been hacked ! I know from speaking to a few that they would not risk their reputation doing so. Hence why I did not mention the Ex series.My professional PCB thermal profiling setup comprises a very expensive FLIR A40 with close focus lens option, mounted on a heavy duty adjustable height document camera table. It feeds its output to a PC or monitor (users choice). That little setup is what priduction facilities would tend to use as the cost is recovered through normal business asset purchase processes, little different to buying any other mission critical equipment. I also have some lovely close focus Jenoptik cameras as regular readers of my posts know. Those are gorgeous bits of kitJust a little side story for readers......I remember a production manager telling me about a thermal issue on a PCB they produced. Early failure of the overheating part cost them an enormous sum of money as they had to recall all the boards for rework whilst installing replacements as part of a rolling recall. He said a thermal profiling exercise on the PCB would have revealed the problem immediately. Before anyone shouts poor design and testing..... the prototypes were fine. Sadly the production boards were fitted with an "equivalent" part that turned out to be not so "equivalent" ! During priduction sample boards should have been batch tested and the issue would have quickly revealed itself. Sadly the boards lasted around 4 months in operation before the component would fail. £3K on a thermal camera suddenly appeared insignificant to the production manager ! I set him up with an agent for FLIR and they bought a few cameras for R&D, production and quality assurance. They do not intend to make the same mistake again !Fraser

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 04:47:20 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on November 24, 2018, 03:56:17 pmOoh, I don't remember seeing that one. Do you have a copy (or a link to the original)?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 05:47:26 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on November 24, 2018, 03:56:17 pmIt can be used with PC running windows as well.

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2018, 02:23:52 pm
content: Quote from: Ultrapurple on November 24, 2018, 04:47:20 pmI guess it might be this:Credit: Shutterstock photo, ID# 204001492, titled “Beautiful woman repair soldering a printed circuit board”, by Rob Byron.More details on this photo (eg you can see her face!) and other soldering catastrophes here.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2018, 02:33:17 pm
content: HaHa, no it was a different picture that I saw but the same errorI will see if I can find the picture I saw. I was showing an advert to my Dad at the time and noticed it but did not bookmark the page. It made my Dad laugh thoughFraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2018, 04:06:47 pm
content: Found it. I was wrong, it was a hot air pencil. The last picture on this page with the blond lass. No blond jokes pleaseThe page is the "The Poke" and found here....https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2016/03/09/soldering-stock-photo-fail/Fraser

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2018, 12:39:01 pm
content: Just noticed that the OP has been banned !Looking at his last posts I did not see anything very naughty. He had a 800+ post count as well.Fraser

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2018, 12:45:53 pm
content: Quote from: Fraser on November 27, 2018, 12:39:01 pmHe's got quite political in some other thread, something about "lazy engineers doing nothing and getting paid by the government", and "the government should fund LED street light development to compete against china" or whatever including a website full such stuff. Somehow this triggered a moderator.Anyway, his posts can be a source of entertainment, depending on your point of view.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2018, 12:51:35 pm
content: Ah yes I saw that. Probably a short term ban for getting too political then.Cheers 👍Fraser