Which thermal imaging camera to buy to inspect laptop mainboards? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: robgerr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 11:23:49 am
content: Hello friends of the forum.I decided to buy a thermal imaging camera to inspect faulty notebook pcb boards. I wanted to understand which model to buy for this job considering that I have to see smd 805,402 and 203. I'm oriented on a Hikmicro Pocket 2 but I think an adapter with lens is needed to see such small components. I wanted to understand if there are better products in this price range or this one is already fine (always with a lens). I also thought of another solution but I don't think it's possible, I have a simul focal amsope with C-mount adapter where a camera is inserted to take pictures of faults in the laptop motherboards, there is a solution to connect the thermocamera (for example the pocket 2) under the microscope?. Thank you.P.S. What characteristics should the optional lens have to inspect very small smds?Thank youStefano

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 11:34:18 am
content: Adding lenses is a crappy workaround. You need a camera with adjustable focus for best results.

author: robgerr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 11:43:13 am
content: Thank you for the answer, which product do you recommend?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 11:51:50 am
content: AFAIK Thermal Expert cameras from Korea have adjustable focus and worked very well on PCBs, like smartphone/PC attachments TE-M1, TE-Q1. There were threads on this forum about them. Although once they got EU distributor, incredibly cheap price for performance went up almost 2x, and they will no longer sell from Korea directly to EU. Still even with increased price, price/performance ratio is very good. Seek Thermal also have adjustable focus IIRC but they don't use Germanium lenses for their lower end products and performance is not even close even if resolution spec looks similar.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 11:57:19 am
content: I see they recently released standalone TE-SQ1 which has manual focus according to user manual.

author: robgerr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 12:06:35 pm
content: I had a look at the TE-SQ1 model but it appears to have a 9Hz framerate. I'm no expert in this area but I wouldn't want it to be low to see fast, pulsing shorts

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 01:16:20 pm
content: Almost all not very expensive cameras have 9Hz framerate, many of them artificially limited. It's due to export restrictions for military use.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 06:28:53 pm
content: I looked more about TE-SQ1 and by its looks I fail to see how it can have manual focus unless adjusted with some tool. Manual I found is quite rudimentary and videos I've seen don't show focus adjustment.Also I found Infiray T2S Plus which is quite a bit cheaper and seem to work well at close distance despite lower resolution. Also it has 25Hz refresh rate.

author: markb1980
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2023, 09:42:39 pm
content: I would suggest a Hikmicro Pocket2 or Guide PF210. I use the Pocket 2 for Phone- and PCB-repair.The Pocket2 can be mounted on a flexible goose-nack and the touchscreen make it easy to set level and span manually if needed. Good thing is you can very quickly get an overview (see 2rd attachment) of the whole PCB and identify the problemati area while you have both hands empty to inject current from a bench power supply.Then you can clip on the macro lens and get a detailed view (see 1st and 3rdd attachment).The benefit over a dedicated thermal camera for PCB-inspection like the Qianli Super Cam X is, that you can use a handheld TIC also for many other things...I am no friend of phone-acessories because you are just one bump away from ruining camera and phone. I have tested the Seek phone accessory camera with manual focus. I find it very fiddely to manually focus this small lenses on a camera which is just hold in place by an USB plug. If you want a phone accessory go with the P2 Pro + macro lens. The lens is held in place magnetically and it just take one second to attach or remove it.

author: robgerr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2023, 11:09:09 am
content: Thank you for the answers. What kind of optional lens do I need for the pocket 2? What characteristics should it have? I have seen different lenses on AliExpress

author: markb1980
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2023, 12:53:28 pm
content: I have a 50.8mm ZnSe CO2 focus lens (https://de.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-50.8mm-znse.html?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20230107045220&origin=y&SearchText=50.8mm%2Bznse&spm=a2g0o.detail.1000002.0&dida=y).You can buy the orig. adapter or 3D print my design:https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5397821

author: mobby_6kl
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2023, 07:00:20 pm
content: Yeah I can second the P2 Pro as a good option if you want with a phone/pc accessory. It's 25 (or 30?) fps, and the fixed-focus macro lens gets you close enough to distinguish any tiny component.

author: robgerr
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2023, 06:23:02 pm
content: Thank you for the advice. In the end I bought the pocket 2. I ordered the lens and printed the adapter in PLA but I didn't understand how it fits in the pocket 2

author: markb1980
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2023, 12:35:29 pm
content: Just push it over the square to protect the lenses. If the print is done good it should sit snug enough that you don't need to fix it.