Single-lens macro inspection of PCBA components

FLIR Systems announces that its T500 Series thermal camera with new Macro mode facility provides a unique solution for electronics inspection applications such as finding hot spots on printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) and ensuring that various components are working within their design limits.

Traditional macro lenses are often challenged by their short working distance. And with the tall components on some PCBAs it can be difficult to physically position a thermal camera close enough to focus on shorter components. FLIR’s Macro Mode allows users to place their T500 Series thermal camera at a workable distance while still providing a small spot size.

Macro Mode works by adjusting the thermal camera’s detector position during the calibration process, which provides additional working distance between the sensor and lens. Macro Mode allows you to capture accurate temperature measurements of small targets without incurring the cost or inconvenience of switching between additional lenses.

Using a FLIR T500 Series thermal camera with a standard 24° lens and Macro Mode enabled – users can acquire data from a spot size as small as 71 µm — no lens change needed. At this tiny spot size, the T500 Series thermal camera can still accurately measure temperatures and thermally characterize 1.6 mm × 0.8 mm sized 0603 components. It can even detect hot or under-performing components as small as 0.6 mm × 0.3 mm.