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Are 160 x 120 pixels enough for boards?

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
I am interested in purchasing a thermal camera to check some pcb boards and after sifting through the internet, found this list of cameras for pcb circuit boards from which the HT-301 which has a really high resolution seems the most interesting because I could mount it on my workbench. However, it costs about 700$ and I know there are Flir models out there like the One Pro which cost much less but I don't know if they will give me the right amount of detail (160 x 120) but is around 400$. People here really seem to know their craft and I'd love to get an opinion because i can't find any of these in a retail store around to try them out at least.


Thanks!
  • 0
    Here's a suggestion: Take pictures with whatever you already have (phone, camera...), and downsample it in a picture editor to the resolutions you're considering.
  • 0
    A more off-the-wall idea: A few years back there was a fashion for taking obsolete DSLRs, and having the IR filter milled off the sensor, making an infra-red DSLR. Maybe if these old toys were sold off (eBay?), it'd make a very high resolution IR camera (is that equivalent to "thermal"?). Obviously it'd need either manual operation or tethering to your systems - I've no idea what you mean by "some", and too much of a kludge for many environments ?.
  • 0
    Gideon:

    A more off-the-wall idea: A few years back there was a fashion for taking obsolete DSLRs, and having the IR filter milled off the sensor, making an infra-red DSLR. Maybe if these old toys were sold off (eBay?), it'd make a very high resolution IR camera (is that equivalent to "thermal"?). Obviously it'd need either manual operation or tethering to your systems - I've no idea what you mean by "some", and too much of a kludge for many environments ?.


    The trouble is that a normal CCD senaor can only see near-IR.  The sort of thing that TV remote controls put out.  To be seen, something would have to be almost red hot.


    The far-IR (or thermal-IR) from something that's only a bit warm is likely to be too long a wavelength.


  • 0
    I've got a Seek Thermal that plugs into my iPhone. Cost about £200, worth every penny. Yes, to home in on a specific chip you need a pointer, a finger works quite well, mine has found many a tricky board fault in seconds.

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  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    ive got a FLIR that plugs into my phone.. 

    it overlays the wireframe of the items in the photo so its easy to work out what you are looking at.

  • 0
    As I recall, the FLIR plugin has lower resolution, but superimposes upon the phonecam image. The Seek is higher resolution but doesn't. I like my Seek, but you do need a pointer to pinpoint an item on the board.

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