PI 640i CM

Ensuring the smooth operation of distribution grids is crucial for protecting industrial assets and infrastructure. Energy companies are under significant pressure due to aging infrastructure and rising demand for affordable energy. This strains substations and grids, increasing the likelihood of costly and disruptive brownouts and blackouts. Effective monitoring solutions for retrofit installations are necessary to prevent utility failures, improve capacity, maintain reliability, and manage costs.

It is essential to understand how heat moves through substation components. Electrical resistance can cause these components to wear down over time, sometimes quickly. When electrical current flows through these damaged parts, it produces heat. Thermal imaging technology can help visualize these issues, allowing for early detection of potential failures. However, utilities are finding that using handheld infrared scanning is not enough for continuous monitoring of critical substation components. Having thermographers in every substation, especially during peak loads when issues are most likely to arise, is not practical.

Thermal thermal cameras play a key role in a preventive maintenance strategy. They can spot problems in electrical utilities before they escalate, helping to control costs. Failures in critical substations, like overheating transformers, can lead to severe consequences. Fixed-install infrared cameras enable round-the-clock monitoring of vital components. They can detect signs of wear or possible failure through changes in temperature. Previously, the high cost of infrared cameras limited their widespread use.

Another important use is early fire detection in outdoor environments, such as paper mills, sawmills, biomass power plants, scrap metal facilities, and waste recycling plants, where the fire risk is particularly high. Annual financial losses from fires in these areas can be significant, mainly due to poor early detection systems. thermal cameras are effective for monitoring large spaces and providing early warnings, which are vital for implementing fire emergency plans.

Industrial settings often need equipment monitoring and early fire detection in extreme temperatures. For instance, conveyor systems that transport coal or wood chips in cold climates risk overheating bearings, which can disrupt operations and increase fire hazards. In wood chip processing, friction can create sparks that ignite fires in wood pulp operations. Furthermore, large piles of decomposing mulch or biomass can catch fire spontaneously, posing serious dangers to nearby factories or residential areas.

The PI 640i CM package addresses the need for continuous monitoring in these challenging environments. It includes all the necessary components for effective equipment and fire hazard monitoring, offering early warnings when overheating or fire risks are detected. The package contains an thermal camera, an outdoor enclosure with a heater and fan, a front window air purge, a high-definition video camera, and a USB-Server Gigabit (PoE) for long-distance video transmission.

The PI 640i CM Package consists of a PI 640i infrared camera, a visible camera, and the USB-Server Gigabit (PoE), all pre-assembled in an outdoor housing with a wall mount. The redesigned Optris housing, which comes with a built-in heater and fan, allows it to function at temperatures from -40 °C to 50 °C without losing measurement accuracy.

With a frame rate of 32 Hz and a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, the PI 640i can detect even minor temperature differences, thanks to its 40 mK thermal resolution. The HD VIS camera, with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, a 30 Hz frame rate, and a 65° field of view, enhances combined thermal and visual monitoring as well as early fire detection.

The PI 640i CM Package provides significant savings compared to custom installations by integrating these components into a single, cost-effective package. It improves fire safety by enabling monitoring of more areas from various locations. Its low cost supports broader area coverage and more efficient early fire detection solutions.

The PI 640i CM Package’s detection strategy identifies hot spots using every pixel in the high-resolution 640 x 480 infrared camera. The PI 640i’s fast processors continuously scan the field of view for temperatures above set thresholds. The thermal camera‘s process interface port can send alarm signals to external control devices or sprinkler systems. Users can add more modules to set fire alarm temperatures across different camera views, further improving the system’s fire hazard detection and response capabilities.

This system also supports sending high-resolution thermal and video images to a control room PC running PIX Connect Software. The software can display multiple images from different locations, allowing for real-time thermal video analysis to spot false positives, such as exhaust pipes or solar reflections. This feature helps prevent unnecessary fire control activations or evacuations.

Designed and made in Germany, the PI 640i CM Package is an effective and affordable early fire detection solution. Global engineering support ensures successful installation and operation across various industrial settings. The reliability, affordability, and advanced features of the PI 640i CM Package make it an excellent choice for utilities looking to improve their continuous long-term monitoring capabilities.

Thermography software optris PIX Connect is included and license-free.All infrared cameras are delivered with the thermography software optris PIX Connect, developed specifically for the extensive documentation and analysis of thermal images. The Windows-based PIX Connect software enables users to tailor the infrared cameras to meet specific requirements. It analyses live and recorded temperature data and triggers alarm signals for process integration.The key to leveraging the Optris infrared camera is a correct configuration. This includes detailed device-specific configurations such as frame rate, measurement range adjustments, external communication settings, and USB/Ethernet configurations. Moreover, PIX Connect facilitates firmware updates and the download of configuration files over the Internet. PIX Connect Optris offers several different SDKs for our Xi and PI thermal imaging cameras. Depending on the operating platform, the infrared camera, the coding language, and the hardware platform, different software interfaces can be utilized: SDK The Optris IRmobile allows users to set up and commission an Optris infrared pyrometer or infrared camera with an Android smartphone or tablet. This tool becomes handy for commissioning and aligning the infrared camera‘s field of view or adjusting the configuration. The app analyzes the connected infrared camera‘s live infrared image stream with auto hot and cold spot detection. For pyrometers, a temperature-time diagram or the video signal is displayed. This app works on most Android devices running 5.0+ with a USB port supporting USB-OTG (On The Go). Google Play

Is the PI 640i CM export controlled?

The PI 640i’s high resolution qualifies it for export control in the EU and US markets. Check with local compliance authorities for procedures to manage exports outside the U.S. or European markets.

Can I use the PI 640i CM to measure metal temperatures?

Most metal targets have low emissivity and tend to reflect heat temperatures from any area incident upon the target. IR cameras with long wave detectors like the PI 640i are particularly vulnerable to this low emissivity effect. For this reason, it is best to use a short wavelength camera like the Optris PI 1M (link here) when measuring metal targets unless it is possible to coat or paint the metal part to improve surface emissivity. Emissivity can also be improved on metal surfaces when rough textured or when there are holes or crevices where measurements can be made inside the cavity.

Where is the PI 640i CM made, and do its memory components come from outside the U.S. or the European Union?

The PI 640i CM is designed, manufactured, and calibrated in Berlin, Germany. Some electronic components may be sourced from outside the EU or the US. Still, it is important to note that the PI 640i does not store any thermal images or temperature values in volatile memory. The PI 640i only stores full thermal images, thermal video (.ravi files), and temperature values in the customer PC hosting the PIX Connect software necessary to operate the camera. The camera uses memory components inside the camera electronics, which may be sourced outside the EU or the US to store a reference picture (also called dark picture) of the non-uniformity correction paddle or flag and some reference temperatures used to correct temperature drift. All these memory elements are deleted when the power to the camera head is terminated.

Can the PI 640i CM operate without a connection to a computer?

The PI 640i must be connected to a PC loaded with Optris PIX Connect software to produce thermal images and remote temperature measurements. By eliminating processing in the camera head and leveraging PC processing power, the camera head size can be reduced, and the ambient operating temperature can be increased. Autonomous operation (without the use of a PC) is supported in Optris Xi-series infrared cameras.

Can the PI 640i send temperature information from spots or areas to my PLC?

The PI 640i can send temperature information or temperature alarms from the Process Interface connection on the back of the camera. A cable with integrated electronics and a terminal block is included with the camera. It can be programmed in PIX Connect software as an Analog Input (AI) and Digital Input (DI) to control the camera or as an Analog Output (AO) to control the process. The signal level is always 0-10 V (DI = 24 V). An optional industrial process interface is also available, delivering up to three independent temperature values or alarms to a user-supplied PLC. USB-RS485 adapters are available for applications with output requirements for more than three areas.

Is temperature measurement important for infrared camera-based early fire detection systems?

Yes, particularly when automatic alarming is required. In some markets, accreditation bodies are establishing requirements for temperature measurement capabilities that accurately signal temperature increases of 20°C.

Can I use a thermal security imager and alarm on the hot spots?

While it may be easy for thermal imagers developed for security applications to identify a hot spot on an image, it can be more challenging for cameras not designed to measure temperature to deliver alarms on a series of targets with unique temperature alarm thresholds. Because some potential ignition areas will get warm before they ignite, it may be prudent to establish lower alarm or “pre-alarm” temperature thresholds in some cases. A camera designed and calibrated to deliver accurate temperature measurements on ambient temperature targets may be a better solution when even subtle temperature increases can signal a potential fire threat.

Is infrared camera resolution important?

Almost always. Most infrared cameras can be programmed to deliver an alarm when a pixel or grouping of pixels has exceeded a user-set threshold. If the target to be monitored (e.g., a small wood chip) is very hot but comprises only a portion of the thermal imager pixel, the camera will report a temperature measurement that is the average of the wood chip temperature and the surrounding ambient temperatures.

When will a lower resolution and more affordable infrared camera work for a given application?

When the spot size to be monitored is the same size as a pixel or group of pixels, an example may be a measurement on the side of a large furnace, where it is important to understand the average temperature but not necessary to measure a small spot on the furnace wall.

How do I know the pixel is too large for an accurate measurement?

Infrared camera suppliers who make thermal imagers for temperature measurement will typically host a spot size calculator on their website. The calculator should present the geometric size of a single pixel (IFOV) when the camera, the optics, and the distance from the target are input into the optics calculator.

Will a single pixel or IFOV always be large enough for an IR camera to deliver a measurement consistent with the camera specification?

No. While it is possible to detect a temperature increase with a single pixel, all infrared cameras need more than one pixel to measure temperatures accurately. A 3 x 3-pixel matrix has been used as a rule of thumb to define the pixel coverage necessary for a measurement compliant with specified camera accuracy. However, this can vary significantly depending on the camera and the infrared detector pitch (size). To determine the true Measurement Field of View (MFOV), use the Optris Optics Calculator or check with the manufacturer to determine MFOV.

I have used handheld cameras to measure the temperatures of important mechanical and electrical equipment in my facility. Can I use the PI 640i CM system for these applications?

Yes. Many facilities use fixed-install infrared cameras to monitor critical electrical and mechanical systems, reducing manpower and providing more comprehensive temperature data. Infrared temperature measurements on transformers, fuses, cable trays, rotating equipment, power cables, motor control centers, and switch gear are routinely measured with infrared cameras. They can be measured with properly calibrated fixed-install infrared cameras. In the U.S., the NFPA 70B-2023 Standard for Electrical Maintenance covers important details about using infrared equipment to monitor these systems. It is an excellent guide for any company or facility interested in establishing an internal standard for electrical equipment maintenance. The document references the importance of properly calibrated infrared camera equipment and the use of comparative thermography and small temperature rise to indicate equipment health or future fire hazards. The PI 640i CM is developed and produced in Germany and is calibrated according to government standards. Calibration certificates are available for customers requiring traceability on calibration standards.

Can I connect Optris Infrared cameras to the Video Management System I use for my security cameras?

The signal produced by the camera and converted to ethernet in the USB converter is not formatted for display on standard video management system.

The stated accuracy in that range for the PI 640i LT is +-2 C, but I was wondering if the accuracy could be further improved with surface emissivity information or calibrated to +-1 C or better

No, the actual temperature accuracy could not be further improved by information on surface emissivity. This is for the PI640i camera ±2 °C or ±2 %.
However, accurate surface information regarding the emissivity is necessary in order to measure the correct temperature based on the reflection ratio on the surface to be measured. An incorrectly set emissivity results in a temperature deviation.

I have a PI 640i and would like to connect it with the USB cable. What do I do if I’m not receiving a signal in the software?

– Check in the WINDOWS device manager that the USB driver was recognized correctly
– Go to Settings/Camera or via search and type in „camera“ and then activate the button “allow apps to access your camera”. Due to an Windows Update this could happen.
–  If you have a black screen on PIXConnect software, this could be because of the bad performance of your graphic chip and hardware acceleration. Regarding this case, reduce the screen resolution of the monitor.
– Check the USB cable and the connector pins on camera and PC side
– Try another USB port of the PC or another PC (if available) to check that the USB cable has no issue
– Maybe the USB power supply of the camera supporting PC is too low
– Using a too long USB cable / a not provided USB cable by Optris or an USB extension cable could be the reason that the software PIXConnect does not get any signal
– Use a PC where you have administrative rights or check with your local administrator

Will optris PIX Connect Software for optris IR Cameras run on my iPad?

No, PIXConnect currently cannot be run on an iOS system (Apple).

Is your infrared camera long-wave (LWIR) or short-wave (SWIR/MWIR)? What’s the typical frame rate? What’s the IFOV (instantaneous field of view / pixel size)? And does it connect to a PC via USB, or what other platforms/interfaces are supported (e.g., Ethernet, etc.)?

Optris provides different types of IR cameras with different wavelengths. Here you can find an overview of the different camera types regarding the spectral ranges, the typical frame rates and the interface versions (USB or Ethernet (ETH)):
Long-wave (LWIR) cameras (spectral range 8-14 µm):
– PI400i LT (80Hz, switchable to 27 Hz),
– PI450i LT (80Hz, switchable to 27 Hz),
– PI640i LT (32 Hz (640×120 px @ 125 Hz),
– Xi80 LT ETH (50 Hz),
– Xi400 LT USB (80Hz, switchable to 27 Hz),
– Xi410 LT ETH (25 Hz (connected via Ethernet,4 Hz connected via USB),
– Xi640 LT USB (32 Hz)
Long-wave (LWIR) cameras (spectral range 7,9 µm):
– PI450iG7 (80Hz, switchable to 27 Hz),
– PI640iG7 (32 Hz (640×120 px @ 125 Hz)
Middle-wave (MWIR) cameras (spectral range 3,9 µm):
– Xi320MT (30 Hz)
Short-wave (SWIR) cameras:
– PI1M (0,85-1,1µm), 32 Hz (382×268 px @ 80 Hz, (switchable to 27 Hz)/ 72×56 px/ 764×8 px @1 kHz)),
– PI08M (780-820 µm), 32 Hz (382×268 px @ 80 Hz, (switchable to 27 Hz)/ 72×56 px/ 764×8 px @1 kHz)) ,
– PI05M (500-540 µm), 764×480 px @ 32 Hz/ 382×288 px @ 80 Hz (switchable to 27 Hz)/ 72×56 px/ 764×8 px @ 1 kHz,
– Xi1M ETH (0,85-1,1µm), 396×300 px, 20 Hz, 396×8 px (auton.: 396×1 px), 500 Hz, 0,85-1,1 μm, Ethernet, USB 2.0 (only 20 Hz), Auton. operation,
– Xi05M ETH (500-540 µm), 396×300 px, 20 Hz, 396×8 px (auton.: 396×1 px), 500 Hz, 500-540 nm, Ethernet, USB 2.0 (only 20 Hz), Auton. operation
The following digital interface kits are for the Xi 80/ 410/ 05M/ 08M cameras available:
– Ethernet TCP/IP / Modbus TCP interface kit
– EtherNet/IP interface kit
– Profinet kit
You can see the IFOV (instantaneous field of view / pixel size) for your IR camera with the different available optics in the optics calculator on the Optris website: Optris IR Camera Calculator (https://optris.com/optris-calculator/camera/)
Example:

What is the bit depth of our camera?

The bit depth of our cameras is 14 bit. The data has 16 bit but only 14 bit are used for the Temperature Data and the other 2 bits are not used.

Can we send the raw ADU data from the camera to another commercial software for processing?

As a rule, we do not disclose any information about raw data. The only option is to use the Connect SDK to output the camera’s ADU values as a matrix. However, these ADU values are uninterpreted. The cameras can send the temperature information and the color information to another commercial software for processing.

Does changing the mode from Temperature to ADU in the Connect SDK change the way that the image is displayed?

No, the way the image is displayed does not change. You can see this in the software examples provided with the PIXConnect software (See the menu HELP => Connect SDK => Examples). Under the configuration menu => External communication => ConnectSDK. You can change the mode from “Temperatures” to “ADU”. This has no influence on the displayed image.

Our company designs and supplies camera systems for steelmaking processes and is exploring different camera types. For this application, would you recommend long-range, near-infrared, or short-wave infrared models?

For steelmaking processes we recommend short-wave infrared cameras as the PI 1M camera, PI 08M camera, PI05M camera , Xi1M camera or Xi 05M camera. Use the lowest wavelength / spectral range as possible!

I’m using the SDK to run SimpleViewer on Linux and have PI Connect installed on Windows. After performing calibration, the thermal image appears entirely black and displays an incorrect temperature reading of 257°F. Which setup or calibration steps could I have overlooked to make this work correctly?

– Regaring the black display in the software PIXConnect , this could be caused by a bad performance of your graphic chip e.g. the hardware acceleration. Reduce the screen resolution of your monitor or if possible reduce the hardware acceleration
– Set the Optimization to “Performance” and remove the hook from “High Speed temperature calculation”

Does the PI 640i support external triggering? Specifically, can I connect a relay output or a controller’s digital output to trigger image acquisition on the camera?

– Yes , the PI 640i camera supports via the software PIXConnect external triggering to record an image.
– You can use an analog input or a digital input signal via the Process Interface (PIF) to trigger the camera.
– In the configuration menu, PIF setting menu , you can set the voltage signal for the analog signal to trigger the camera or you can set the edges conditions for the digital signal to trigger the camera.
– Another possibility to trigger a snapshot via a controller’s digital output is to use the serial communication (if available at the PLC). For this you can use the command list of the serial communication to send the command to take a snapshot.

Which Optris infrared cameras support integration with machine learning frameworks? Do they provide raw thermal image data access via SDK/API (e.g., the OTC SDK), allowing developers to apply custom ML models for tasks like segmentation, classification, or predictive thermal analysis?

The IR cameras do not provide any raw thermal image data access. You get the temperature data via the SDK (OTC SDK) from the camera to your process.

Which Optris infrared camera is best for measuring temperatures during welding processes?

– The choose of the correct Optris infrared camera depends on the temperature range and the type of the welding process.
– For plastic welding , a PI/Xi LT camera can be used (8-14 µm)
– For metal (e.g. steel applications) a short wavelength camera PI 1M/08M/05M , Xi 1M , Xi05M should be used (0.85-1.1 µm , 780-820 µm , 500-540 µm)
– For laser welding applications Optris provides IR cameras with a blocking filter.

• Process imager PI 640i
• HD video camera
• Outdoor protective housing
• USB Server Gigabit HT
• Air purge collar
• Software package optris PIX Connect
• Outdoor Protective Housing Manual