Custom PC - UK (2020-06)

CUSTOMISATION / HOBBY TECH

HANDS ON

FLIR ETS320

p p motional

imageryforthedeviceshowcases,butthere

area coupleofcatches.Thefirstis specificto

theETS320.Asit’sdesignedforclose-updetail

work,thecamerais unabletofocusatdistances

furtherthanaround70mmfromtheobjecton

test.Thattranslatestoa workableviewingarea

ofjust 49 x 37.5mmatitslargest– that’s enough

tofocusonspecificsections,butnotenough

togetanoverviewofanentireboard’sthermal

footprintforanybutthesmallestofdevices.

T

raditionally, thermal analysis of

electronic components has been

rather unscientific. You would run a

device at full-tilt for a bit and poke it with your

finger; if it hurt, that component would probably

need a heatsink. Burnt fingers gave way to

temperature probes; temperature probes gave

way to non-contact thermometers; finally, non-

contact thermometers gave way to thermal

imaging equipment, capturing thermal data in

the same way a traditional camera captures light.

Over the past few years, the cost of

thermal imaging devices has been steadily

dropping (see Issue 146). It has now

reached the point where it’s possible to

buy smartphone add-ons for only a few

hundred pounds, or imaging modules that

allow the suitably clever to build their own

thermal cameras.

Regular readers will be aware of the

frequent use of thermal imaging analysis

in Hobby tech, using a relatively entry-level

FLIR C2 handheld camera. While functional,

the device is used outside its designed

environment here. The C2 is a semi-rugged

and compact camera aimed at people such

as site surveyors, typically targeting the

investigation of buildings and infrastructure

rather than compact electronic components.

The FLIR ETS320, by contrast, is designed

specifically for the analysis of electronic

andgroundingcliptoprotectthepieceunder

analysis from electrostatic discharge(ESD)

damage. It also features hands-freeoperation

through either the FLIR Tools+ software

package or, cleverly, by showing upasa

standardwebcam via its micro-USBport.It’s

R’sattempt at really sellingdetailed

omponent-level thermalanalysisto

heelectronics industry.

Compared with theC2,the

ETS320 is a major upgradein

erms of its sensor. WheretheC2

fersa limited 80 x 60thermal

olution for 4,800 measurement

ntsper image, the ETS320hasa

0 x 240 resolution. Assuch,each

ureincludes 76,800individual

rements, each of whichisaccurate

C ascalibrated at the factory.

That resolution is enoughtopick

out individual component-level

detailsfromapartontest,asthepro

components.It’sbundled

witha stand, completewitha

clever non-IR-reflective texturedbase

The FLIR ETS320

is an impressive

machine, but built for

one very specific task

g

toprotectdevicesfromESD

FLIR

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of

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poin

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measu

to±3°C

Unlike the handheld C2, there’s
no touch-screen on the ETS320

Agroundconnectorisincluded