2000AS wont display image when cold...kinda - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: madmaxbryan
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 01:00:27 pm
content: I have a 2000AS out of a LAND FTI Mv, which works decent enough indoors, although a little more contrast would be nice. Tonight i decided to try it outside, its a bit cooler (50F/10C) so i let it sit outside for a few hours to acclimate, then turned it on. The imager is pointed into a parking lot with vehicles that were just driven so still warm. The image im seeing is all black regardless of focus adjustments, but i can put my hand a few feet in front of the camera and it shows up just fine so i know it works. One thing i noticed though, is if i have the camera pointed off into the distance at a warm vehicle and stick one of my fingers just barely into the field of view, suddenly the camera can see the vehicles quite clearly, but when i take my finger away the image goes back to black. I have had it turned on for several hours outside now it still has the same issue.Why can my imager not see without my finger in frame?

author: All Seeing Eye
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 02:33:32 pm
content: I don't have 2000 AS. my HT-301 has had a similar situation when setting 400C higher temperature.

author: Vipitis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 04:17:46 pm
content: this sounds like an AGC issue. Maybe there is a hotpixel that reads max temperature and therefore messes with the AGC, this does not explain that the finger brings it back in check. Maybe a cold pixel isntead... or some upper/lower bounds you hit.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 07:17:39 pm
content: That LAND FTImv is not your average deployment of a 2000AS core !http://energytek.tw/tw/pdf/land/medical_research.pdfThat medical deployment has been fine tuned to operate with accurate temperature sources (likely 37C) within the field of view. This provides enhanced measurement accuracy.I am not certain of exactly how you are connecting and testing your 2000AS core but it is possible that the core does not behave in the same manner as a generic application version. That core may have been configured and fine tuned for imaging targets of approximately 37C and may not even create an image unless such a temperature is presented to it. The span may be relatively small and the centre temperature set to 37C. This could cause the effect that you are seeing. The LAND software may have provided the user with the ability to configure the core in a manual settings mode.The 2000AS core is not as configurable as the later 3500, 3600 and 4500 cores and I do not have any configuration software to setup its span and centre temperature. The core is normally operated in a fully automatic mode rather than manual span and centre temperature. If this auto mode can be enabled, the camera core may behave as per a generic version. No guarantee of that though.To test the cores current span and centre temperature configuration you could set it up watching a coffee cup and half fill it with cold water whilst monitoring the water temperature with a thermometer, add some hot water and log the results as you increase the temperature from, say 20C (Ambient) to 60C. You will likely see significant changes in the cameras output between around 30C and 40C.Fraser

author: madmaxbryan
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 02:05:24 am
content: I had never seen that PDF you provided Fraser, but it to seem to explain my situation perfectly. The core inside the FTIMv uses the standard pinout like most the 2000AS cores, and visually looks exactly like the standard 2000AS core. I will try your test and see what happens. I never bothered to monitor the rs-485 lines as i heard they were not used, but i wonder if they are in this application to send temperature data back to the PC.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 02:51:26 am
content: Looking at that pdf and the one referenced below, It looks like the Land software does configure the span and centre temperature settings. Have you got a copy of that software as I would be interested in trying it with a generic 2000AS core.http://www.lirkorea.com/Landinstruments.net%20Website/infrared/downloads/pdf/thermal_imagers_FTImv.pdfOf interest to me was the camera specification on the data sheets. They state a frame rate of 30Hz yet the generic 2000AS was capable of only 20Hz. That may be nothing important but it did catch my eye. Does the core have any identifying model numbers on it or the lens barrel ?Fraser

author: madmaxbryan
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 04:22:07 am
content: I dont have the software for it, but i will look around to see if its in the wild.

author: madmaxbryan
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 04:24:24 am
content: Not sure why this image didnt attach with the first one.