New TX-EX2 1024x768 - anyone know anything? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2019, 10:20:15 am
content: Has anyone else noticed theTE-EX2 uncooled 1024x768 30Hzcamera? Multiple interfaces (Camera Link, USB, LVDS, LVCMOS, BT656 Analog: NTSC, PAL) and RS-232 control. I've no idea of price or availability and it's not a dongle-style device (waves at Fraser) but I think it looks interesting. Any thoughts?

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2019, 10:23:48 am
content: This is what it looks like (click to embiggen) and there's also a 640x480 version for those who get frightened by too many pixels.

author: railrun
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2019, 10:27:45 am
content: Christmas is coming.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2019, 10:31:49 am
content: That looks to be a very nice piece of hardware 👍🙂Fraser

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2019, 12:15:28 pm
content: I will contact the European reseller and ask for a price. I expect it to be in the 8000€ range, but we'll see. HD sensor but 12micron. I have to calculate what sensor size that equates to.I doubt selling both my current cores is enough for it. But yesterday I came to the realization that HD res with superresulotion gives you 3.1 MP. About 10times the VGA pixels and nobody can dispute such a resolution for stills.

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2019, 12:23:57 pm
content: I'd guess an active area of 15.36 x 12.288mm. That's quite a bit bigger than 640x480 17µm (~11x8mm).

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2019, 01:29:19 pm
content: With higher resolution and larger FPA size comes more expensive optics as wellFraser

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2019, 02:35:46 pm
content: True, but a fair number of the (relatively) inexpensive germanium optics of 19mm and longer already have image circles compatible with 12µm XGA sensors - it's all written up in the lens specs. Ophir seem to be the go-to choice for a lot of dongle-scale camera manufacturers, but I'm sure there are others.On a separate note,Tamron have introduced LWIR lenses with built-in vibration reduction. Now there's an interesting development! I find VR invaluable on my visible light cameras and I suspect there are comparable benefits for LWIR, though equally I don't suppose hand-held photo snapping was uppermost in the designers' minds.

author: Bill W
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2019, 11:56:49 pm
content: Quote from: Ultrapurple on December 12, 2019, 02:35:46 pmImage circles are one thing, but you'd also want the 'circle of confusion' to be around pixel pitch, or are we now heading to the scenario of the mobile phone visible camera/lens where you need to process your way to a sharper image by having lots of pixels ?Bill

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2019, 09:20:32 am
content: Good point Bill.I sort-of come from the world of DSLRs where pixels are cheap, and well-corrected, high resolution lenses are pretty much ubiquitous. So I hadn't considered George Airy's disk, which is most remiss of me.

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2019, 10:59:41 am
content: Ophir has a list of lenses advertised for 10 and 12 micron pitch.https://www.ophiropt.com/user_files/optics/Brochue_10_12_lenses.pdfExactly 3 do cover the 1024*768 resolution. But my calculations show that the image circle is rather small. Much smaller than VGA at 25micron, therefore the DoF is less. Good for most applications but not for mine.

author: MarcusG
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 16, 2019, 11:46:04 am
content: I'm guessing this would be a development of the sensor used for the 1024px videos/images on their website? Images look a odd, hopefully they have refined them a bit more since those were posted.http://www.i3-thermalexpert.com/1024x768-car-tree/http://www.i3-thermalexpert.com/studio/thermal-video/Would very much like the extra resolution over the TE-V1, I suspect my budget less so the price jump...! Has anyone inquired regarding the price for a unit?

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2019, 12:32:43 pm
content: The car park images appear to be the result of dynamic detail enhancement that is now quite common on thermal CCTV cameras. It is supposed to bring out the detail in images but can make them look a little weird, like too much contrast. I would expect the camera to offer configuration options for the level of ‘enhancement’ applied to the image that it produces.Fraser

author: mahony
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2019, 01:23:03 pm
content: Regarding the pricing for the other modules I would guess around 6.5k€ or 7kUSD.The VGA Module goes for 2.8k€ (0.9Ct/px), and the 384x288 for 1.2k€ (~1Ct/px) - assuming 0.8Ct/px gives roughly 6.3k€.

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2019, 03:19:37 pm
content: I have sent an email but no response yet. I don't think it scales too well and I am unsure about the lens options they have to offer for it.They have some edge enhancement as shown here.http://www.i3-thermalexpert.com/products/oem-core-12/The US/Korean site has different content than the European site sometimes. As it was with the M1

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 07:59:34 am
content: got an answer and they are not selling the TE-EX2 to private entities as of now. Therefore not price got named.

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 11:33:56 am
content: @Vipitis - you did better than me: I emailed the main contact point listed on the ThermalExpert website and, yet again, they haven't bothered to reply to me.From what I've seen TE make good enough cameras but their head office customer service sucks. And their website is down again because they've gone over their traffic quota (who usesmeteredhosting for professional websites these days?)

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 11:44:34 am
content: @mahony - sensible sums, though I suspect there will be a new technology premium on 1024x768 so I'd guess 1 to 1.1Ct per pixel so I'm guessing nearer 8.5k€, possibly even 10k.As an aside, I recently checked with Opgal and they're not planning to go beyond the 640x480 Pro in the Therm-App series. (When they were developing the Pro I understand they had some power consumption issues so I guess I'm not surprised).

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 12:05:32 pm
content: I have had contact with them before about the M1 and the non center issue shown on the forum. Wanted to get some hints if it could be unlocked.They often reply at 1am in the night.Out of curiosity I emailed Sierra Olympic for their Vayu HD core, it's like a few steps up but will be interesting to see what their reaction is like.

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 01:53:52 pm
content: What non center issue is that?

author: bap2703
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 04:50:06 pm
content: Quote from: Ultrapurple on December 17, 2019, 01:53:52 pmSoftware update could shift the field of view of the camera, leading people to think the M1 was just a Q1 with windowing applied.

author: johnelot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2019, 07:18:57 pm
content: i exchanged some mails with thermal expert and they seem decent people , when asked about the 1024 they said around double the cost of the 640 which i thought was not bad . the only reason i did not buy from them was i needed an easy plug in connector with keypad and everything for a small monocular build (i had to go chinese for that ) most others use usb or things i am not familiar with.i might try the 1024 from them in the future

author: Ultrapurple
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2019, 10:37:47 am
content: Double the cost of the 640 would be an absolute steal. I'd have one at that price...