Why Use Infrared Cameras

FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS

Q: Why measure temperature?

A: As devices get smaller and fast-

er, they generate more heat that can

weaken or damage parts inside the
product. Similarly, many processes and
products generate higher than normal
heat signatures when they begin to fail,
which can be detected early based on
accurate temperature measurement.
So measuring temperatures helps
speed up the rapid prototyping phase
and improve the design phase of
product development. Temperature
measurement is a way to help identify potential failures in processes, and
speed up the troubleshooting steps.

in the IR spectrum. The warmer the

object, the more IR radiation it emits.
IR cameras, also known as thermal
cameras, are able to produce an image
from this radiation and provide a
temperature measurement for each
pixel. This offers the ability to see and
measure temperature across a scene
without contact. Because IR cameras
offer more data than thermocouples or
pyrometers, and can track changes in
temperatures over time, they work well
for science, research, and engineering
purposes.

Q: Are there key spots to measure

temperature?
A: The idea is to gather data over an
entire area instead of a specific spot.
This can help researchers and engineers
make better-informed decisions about
the systems theyre testing. Traditionally, temperature measurement devices such as thermocouples and thermistors require contact and can therefore
only provide data from one location at
a time. There are only so many of these
devices that can fit on a test piece. If
the object is very small, such as a printed circuit board, the attached thermocouple may actually affect the temperature reading by acting as a heat sink.
Non-contact measurement is possible
with a pyrometer also called an infrared (IR) thermometerbut just like
thermocouples, pyrometers only measure a single point.
IR cameras are able to measure temperature over a wide area. Any object
that has a temperature above absolute
zero (about -460F) will emit radiation
Sponsored by FLIR

Q: Do moving parts

affect accuracy?
A: Measuring temperatures on objects
in motion can be challenging. Contact
forms of temperature measurement
are not practical for moving systems.
Non-contact temperature measurement such as spot pyrometers lack the
response rates necessary for accurate
readings on fast moving objects. In order to visualize and take accurate temperature readings on extremely fast
moving targets, an IR camera designed
specifically for a short exposure time
and fast frame rate is required.

Q: How do infrared cameras work?

A: Infrared energy emitted from the

object is focused by optics onto an infrared detector. There are two types of
detectors: thermal and quantum. Thermal detectors react to incident radiant
energy. Infrared radiation heats the pixels and creates a change in temperature that is reflected in a change in resistance. These cameras do not require
cooling and are generally less expensive
than quantum detector cameras.
Quantum detectors made of Indium
Antimonide (InSb), Indium Gallium
Arsenide (InGaAs), or Strained Layer
Superlattice (SLS) are photovoltaic. The
detectors crystalline structures absorb
photons that elevate their electrons
to a higher energy state, changing
the conductivity of the material. The
cooled detector sends the information
to electronics for processing, creating a
thermal image.
Both types of cameras create thermal
images and videos that are radiometric,
meaning they are imbedded with temperature values for each pixel recorded.
You can then open up the images
or videos in a software program and
read the measurement of every pixel
in image within the video and perform
analysis, such as histograms, time vs
temperature plots, or line profile plots.
The data can also easily be shared or
exported into other programs, such as
Excel and Matlab for further analysis or
sharing with colleagues/customers.

Q: What should be considered in

selecting an IR camera?
A: Identifying the temperature range,
size of object, spot size, and speed at
which you want to measure temperature are key. You want to ensure the
camera you select can meet all these
needs simultaneously in order to work
effectively for your application. Knowing the temperature range and speed of
measurement will help drive the detector type for your camera. For example,
when testing fast-moving objects, the IR
cameras snapshot speed is also important. If the snap shot speed is too long,
any motion in the image it captures will
appear blurred, leading to in accurate
readings. A bouncing ball, for example,
will look like a cometwith a trail of
motion behind it.
Also knowing the field of view you
want to image along with the smallest
spot size you want to measure will help
in deciding which optic(s) youll want
to couple with the camera for optimal
performance. If you are looking at
smaller electronics components, youll
likely need a close up optic in order to
resolve these smaller devices.
Other items to consider are potential
triggering capabilities and included
analysis and reporting software of the
camera. Triggering may be a desired
feature if you wish to synchronize the
camera to other instruments or events
during the testing. In addition, the
included analysis software is important
so you can easily capture, analyze, and
share the temperature data and imagery
you collect during testing.

FASTER THAN
A SPEEDING BULLET
Introducing the FLIR X6900sc High Speed MWIR Camera

Full resolution 640 x 512

thermal recording at an
astounding 1000 fps so
you can freeze motion and
measure temperatures on
high speed targets
even a speeding bullet.

Q: What is the greatest, value-

added feature of using an IR

camera?
A: Being able to capture with each thermal image hundreds of thousands of
points of accurate noncontact temperature measurement, in order to thermally characterize devices under test, offers the greatest value. This data can be
used to analyze a product or process in
order to improve design, increase performance, or troubleshoot the device
quickly. Traditional forms of temperature measurement, such as thermocouples or spot pyrometers, are not practical
for moving or smaller devices, and these
legacy forms of temperature measurement simply do not give enough information to tell the full story of how products are responding thermally.

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