EEVblog #988 - FLIR ETS320 Benchtop Thermal Camera Review - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 26, 2017, 11:41:33 am
content: Review of the new FLIR ETS320 Benchtop Thermal Imaging Camera designed for electronics and PCB use.http://www.flir.com/ETS320/

author: prof
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2017, 01:01:35 pm
content: I'm a bit surprised that you aren't used to the FLIR tools already given that you seems to have used their products before. The in-camera UI is indeed very clumsy and limited so you pretty much always have to use the tools to get the interesting data out or analysed; nothing new there.The annotation possibilities you're missing can be found in the report generator BTW and coincidentally that's exactly what they're there for.

author: WN1X
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 26, 2017, 01:14:47 pm
content: The fixed focus is a big fail considering the price

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2017, 02:45:19 pm
content: Based on the focal distance and field of view, and the lack of general ease of use, this is designed especially for Korean phone manufacturers with combustible battery packs.

author: cmpxchg
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2017, 05:18:45 pm
content: Presumably they figured they could fuse a chinese generic benchtop setup with the E8 platform, just slap a different lens on it and presto you have a new product category. Then they realized the optical camera needed for MSX no longer works properly at the distance but hadn't planned to do any actual engineering, so disabled & shipped.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 12:08:58 am
content: I am pretty sure the reason for no MSX is because of parallax problem with working distances that short. There is a physical offset between the thermal sensor and MSX camera, you can see it on your handheld FLIR. In the handheld they correct for parallax by having larger pixel count on the MSX camera and applying Y offset and correcting geometrical distortions to allign both images the best they can.The hacked E4 can be set to MSX distances 10cm the shortest and with that the sides of the image already out of allignment compare to the image center because of parallax.Edit: The SOB software not only require you to register but chances are it also calling home with your computer name and login name, same as Flir software for handhelds. This was pointed out a few times in other Flir threads on this forum.

author: SNGLinks
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 01:10:49 am
content: Would it be possible to compensate for emissivity by taking a shot of the object with it turned off when all parts are at the same temperature? Then use that to correct for varying emissivity.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 04:37:54 am
content: Quote from: SNGLinks on April 27, 2017, 01:10:49 amI can't see what not.

author: HKJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 06:44:17 am
content: Quote from: SNGLinks on April 27, 2017, 01:10:49 amI doubt it, emissivity correction is how much ambient correct that must be applied and if all parts are at ambient then you cannot get that correction factor.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 08:50:18 am
content: Quote from: HKJ on April 27, 2017, 06:44:17 amBut look at the image of an unpowered board that is all at the same temperature, different object appear to be different temperatures due to errors in the emissivity properties.Surely this can be use as a baseline for compensation?

author: HKJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 09:58:28 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 27, 2017, 08:50:18 amI suspect that is because your ambient setting is wrong. It is not really possible to get it fully correct in a normal room. Some surfaces works like mirrors and reflect temperature from other parts of the room and that part of the room may not be exactly what you have specified as ambient.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 01:05:49 pm
content: I'm with Dave on this.After all, a board at a room temperature of 20ºC is still radiating thermal energy at 293ºK - and I can't say I've seen emissivity specified as variant with temperature.The trick, I would think, is to be able to interpret the room temperature snapshot and generate correction parameters to give an accurate result, pixel by pixel.

author: maukka
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 01:13:01 pm
content: I suspect reflections would be a big source of errors even if that sort of room temp compensation was possible in the FLIR software. Especially on bare metal traces.

author: HKJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 01:22:09 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on April 27, 2017, 01:05:49 pmThe emissivity coefficient says something about how much is reflect and how much is from the object, the ideal is a black body with e=1, it only radiates its own temperature, there is no reflections from that. Polished steel is at the other end, most of the emission is reflected from the environment, there is very little from the steel itself (e=0.07). When environment is at the same temperature as the object the coefficient do not really matter, because the reflect environment is same temperature as the radiation from the measured object.And the emissivity coefficient can vary with temperature.

author: Insoft
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 02:22:40 pm
content: Need a review on the Flir One and Flir One Pro

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2017, 07:31:11 pm
content: To do an emissivity correction, the target and the environment need to be significantly different temperature.The gold plated traces are very low emissivity, possibly below 0.01. Gold is used for IR mirrors and working really well there. So no way to measure the temperature of the gold plated parts.The pumping action of the temperature looks odd, like trouble with automatic calibration / adjustments. It looks like it was not that bad in the beginning - so maybe the camera was starting to run hot, when powered over USB. This would be a big fail.A point I would complain about is the limited distance from the stand to the camera. So no more than about 25 cm from the edge.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2017, 04:09:33 am
content: Quote from: Kleinstein on April 27, 2017, 07:31:11 pmThe "throat" depth. I noticed it too. With the mast type mounting, there has to be a limit to this, but the question as to whether this would be an issue is one to be answered by each user.I did think the lack of large area capability was a rather significant let down. The re-focus "hack" for close-up was very good - and indicates to me that the fundamental features to allow for large area scenes are, in fact, in place. Just need a longer screw thread cut.

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2017, 03:10:45 pm
content: This Camera needs a good articulating arm. The fixed focal distance is not that big of a problem if you can move it around freely and effortlessly.

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2017, 07:40:12 pm
content: I would expect better from a $2000+ lab instrument, -more bang for the bucks!not only expect to find a focus adjustment ring on the lens, but also tilting camera head for 90 degree angle work.also I would expect the video screen to have a tilt adjustment too & have independent mounting bracket from the camera head unit.also weight of the instrument stand should not be a problem for a $2000+ lab instrument, so what, if the shipping weight is up , its a $2000+ instrument, not a $40 USB microscope. FLIR

author: Wim_L
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2017, 06:08:38 pm
content: I'm genuinely puzzled by this gadget. Why would anyone want a device like this, instead of a standalone thermal camera on an articulating arm (which can be fairly light, if it only has to carry the camera and not the keypad and screen), and connectors to use the camera with any standard screen or computer?