Flir ThermovisionPathFindIR Manual

							PathFindIR®
Aftermarket User Manual
334-0001-00-10, Version 130
October 2009 
						

							© 2009 FLIR Commercial Vision Systems, Inc.. All rights reserved worldwide. 
No parts of this manual, in whole or in part, may be copied, photocopied, 
translated, or transmitted to any electronic medium or machine readable form 
without the prior written permission of FLIR Commercial Vision Systems, Inc.
Names and marks appearing on the products herein are either registered 
trademarks or trademarks of FLIR Commercial Vision Systems, Inc. and/or its 
subsidiaries. All other trademarks, trade names, or company names 
referenced herein are used for identification only and are the property of their 
respective owners.
This product is protected by patents, design patents, patents pending, or 
design patents pending.
This equipment must be disposed of as electronic waste. Contact your 
nearest FLIR Commercial Vision Systems, Inc. representative for 
instructions on how to return the product to FLIR for proper disposal.
This document is controlled to FLIR Technology Level EAR 1. The information 
contained in this document is proprietary and/or restricted and pertains to a 
dual use product controlled for export by the Export Administration 
Regulations (EAR). This document and data disclosed herein or herewith is not 
to be reproduced, used, or disclosed in whole or in part to anyone without the 
written permission of FLIR Systems, Inc. Diversion contrary to US law is 
prohibited. US Department of Commerce authorization is not required prior to 
export or transfer to foreign persons, parties, or uses otherwise prohibited.
FLIR Commercial Vision Systems, Inc.
70 Castilian Drive
Goleta, CA 93117
Phone: 1-888-747-FLIR (3547)
 www.flir.com 
						

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Table of Contents
1 Warnings and Cautions
1.1 Cautions ................................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 General Information  ......................................................................................................... 2
2 Introduction
2.1 Overview  ................................................................................................................................ 3
2.2 Thermal Imaging Driver Vision Enhancement System .................................... 3
2.3 What is Thermal Imaging?  ........................................................................................... 5
2.4 Vehicles that use PathFindIR Systems  ................................................................... 5
2.5 PathFindIR Camera Model Numbers  ...................................................................... 6
2.6 Full Feature PathFindIR Camera ................................................................................ 7
3 Getting Started
3.1 Using your PathFindIR Camera  .................................................................................. 9
3.2 Initial System Startup  ...................................................................................................... 9
3.3 Heater Element  ............................................................................................................... 10
3.4 Automatic Shutter  .........................................................................................................10
3.5 In Case of Difficulty  ........................................................................................................ 10
3.6 Troubleshooting  .............................................................................................................. 11
4 Caring for your PathFindIR System
4.1 Product Cleaning ............................................................................................................ 13
4.2 Temperature  .................................................................................................................... 13
4.3 Maintenance  .................................................................................................................... 14
5 Options and Accessories
5.1 Accessories  ...................................................................................................................... 15
5.2 Aftermarket Installation Kit  ....................................................................................... 17
5.3 Bench Top Kit  .................................................................................................................. 19
6 Installation
6.1 PathFindIR System Installation  ................................................................................ 21
6.2 Preparation  ....................................................................................................................... 21
6.3 Installation  ......................................................................................................................... 22
6.4 Installation Guidelines and Precautions .............................................................. 22
6.5 Installation Assistance ................................................................................................. 24
6.6 Mounting Assistance  ................................................................................................... 24
7 Technical Data
7.1 Performance Specification  ........................................................................................ 25
7.2 Side Views  ......................................................................................................................... 26
7.3 Front View  ......................................................................................................................... 27 
						

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1 Warnings and Cautions
1.1 Cautions
Caution!
Caution!
Do not operate any function that takes your attention away from safely 
driving your vehicle.
Any function that requires your prolonged attention should only be performed 
after coming to a complete stop. Always stop the vehicle in a safe location 
before performing these functions. Failure to do so may result in an accident.
Consult your local and state driving regulations prior to installation.
In many states using active monitors in view of the driver is prohibited. Consult 
your local and state driving regulations for laws and guidelines. User assumes 
all risks and indemnifies the manufacturer from any liability.
Minimize display viewing while driving.
Viewing the display may distract you from looking ahead and may result in an 
accident. Do not use the PathFindIR thermal imaging system as a substitute 
for headlights or headlight assisted human vision during vehicle operation.
Use this product for mobile 12v applications.
The PathFindIR system is designed for the automotive 12 VDC power 
environment and conforms to ISO 7637-2 requirements for transients and 
disturbances on the typical automotive power system. If the PathFindIR system 
is installed in applications other than commercial automobiles, additional 
power conditioning or protection may be required.
When installing the PathFindIR camera, do not block the vehicle’s vents or 
radiator panels.
Doing so may result in heat buildup, equipment breakage, and/or fire. This guide uses the term Caution to indicate a potentially hazardous situation, 
which, if not avoided, may result in injury, damage to the vehicle or PathFindIR 
system, or other property damage.
The PathFindIR thermal imaging system is designed for commercial, over the 
road, automotive applications. While many other applications are possible, you 
must carefully consider additional protection and installation methods that 
might be required for any given application. Mechanical, environmental and 
electrical requirements should be evaluated to assure that the PathFindIR 
system can be utilized with satisfactory results. 
						

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1.2 General Information
Caution!
Do not open the camera body for any reason. Disassembly of the camera 
(including removal of the cover) can cause permanent damage and will void the 
warranty.
Operating the camera outside of the specified input voltage range or the 
specified operating temperature range can cause permanent damage. 
Do not image extremely high intensity radiation sources, such as the sun, 
lasers, arc welders, etc.
The camera is a precision optical instrument and should not be exposed to 
excessive shock and/or vibration. Refer to paragraph 7.1 “Performance 
Specification” on page 25 for detailed environmental requirements.
Great care should be used with your camera optics. They are delicate and can 
be damaged by improper cleaning. Refer to Chapter 4 “Caring for your 
PathFindIR System” on page 13. Normal wear can be expected and scratches 
and small pits in the window from normal wear will not usually adversely affect 
the image displayed on the monitor.
NoteThe PathFindIR thermal imaging system is not intended to be used as the 
primary navigation system. The PathFindIR system should not to be used as a 
substitution for headlights or headlight assisted human vision during vehicle 
operation. It should be used only as an aid to cautious night-time driving. 
All thermal imaging systems are subject to export control. Please contact FLIR 
for export compliance information concerning your application or geographic 
area. 
						

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2Introduction
2.1 Overview
Congratulations! You have purchased one of the most sophisticated and 
important instruments you will have on your vehicle. The FLIR PathFindIR 
camera is a state-of-the-art thermal imaging system that will provide you with 
excellent night visibility and situational awareness, even in absolute darkness. 
The PathFindIR camera system is designed for simple, intuitive operation. The 
PathFindIR camera is a sophisticated thermal sensor that converts thermal 
content (heat) of a scene into a 2-dimensional image for display on a video 
monitor inside your vehicle.
2.2 Thermal Imaging Driver Vision Enhancement System
The PathFindIR camera is designed to provide enhanced vision and better 
situational awareness for the driver during normal night time driving and in 
adverse weather conditions than with traditional headlights alone.
Many serious accidents occur at night because the driver is not able to see the 
cause of the accident in time to prevent the collision. PathFindIR systems 
directly address this problem, allowing drivers to see farther ahead on 
nighttime roadways and identify potential problems earlier. Humans and other 
warm blooded animals offer significant thermal contrast to driving 
backgrounds and are easy to spot with the PathFindIR camera. The system 
allows drivers to see without any additional lighting and provides real-time 
imaging at any speed.
Different than visible light cameras, thermal imagers do not display reflected 
light as seen with human eyes. Rather, thermal imaging cameras only see 
temperature differences which are converted into shades of grey, from black 
to white. The PathFindIR camera in the standard configuration displays cold 
objects as black and hot objects as white.
When using a thermal imager in darkness, the image is created based on 
temperature differences of objects in the field of view, rather than reflected 
light from headlights. 
Because thermal imaging cameras only see heat sources and not reflected 
light, they are ideal to assist with driver vision and situational awareness for 
oncoming obstructions such as animals, people, and other vehicles 
						

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The above images show comparisons of typical night time driving compared to 
using the PathFindIR thermal imager. The image on the left is from an ordinary 
digital camera and shows the amount of visible light; the image on the right is a 
thermal image created by the PathFindIR thermal imaging camera. Note the 
PathFindIR camera is sensitive to warm objects, such as pedestrians, and 
provides visibility over a much greater distance.
Some of the objects that are most critical for a driver to avoid are people and 
animals. Because these objects are naturally warm, they are particularly easy 
to see with the PathFindIR system and clearly stand out in the video image. 
Although adverse conditions such as heavy fog will affect any driver vision 
enhancement system, thermal imaging cameras such as the PathFindIR 
camera have been shown to continue to provide useful information in 
conditions of reduced visibility, such as haze and smoke. While the PathFindIR  
						

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2 – Introduction
camera can assist drivers with detection of obstructions in the vehicle’s path, 
thermal imagers should not be used as the sole vision method of the driver.
PathFindIR cameras are specifically designed for the harsh automotive 
environment, with a hermetically-sealed external housing resistant to rocks, 
sand, salt, and under-hood contaminants. Additionally, the wide operating 
temperature range allows the PathFindIR camera to maintain high 
performance in severe weather conditions.
2.3 What is Thermal Imaging?
With our eyes, we see visible light. With a thermal imager, we can see 
infrared—a form of light just beyond the visible spectrum. Thermal imagers 
show subtle differences in temperature; with a PathFindIR camera in the 
standard configuration, warm objects appear white and cooler objects appear 
black. 
In addition to driver vision enhancement, FLIRs thermal imaging cameras are 
used in a wide variety of applications—fire fighting, security, maritime, industrial, 
and medical applications. They continue to be used by militaries worldwide to 
navigate at night and in battlefield conditions. Over the last few years, volume 
production of these systems has allowed FLIR to offer the same high 
performance cameras designed for military use to the commercial market.
2.4 Vehicles that use PathFindIR Systems
Passenger Vehicles, Commercial Trucks, Buses, Construction, Mining, and 
Recreational Vehicles - PathFindIR systems can increase the detection time 
for hazards and reduce the probability of an accident—saving lives, property, 
and profits.
Emergency Vehicles - The high speeds and degraded stopping distances of 
Emergency vehicles increase the chance of an accident. PathFindIR systems 
improve hazard detection at high speeds.
Commuter and Freight Trains - PathFindIR systems can reveal railway 
obstructions at long ranges in complete darkness. This early detection 
capability can significantly increase the warning time depending on the size of 
the obstruction.
Heavy Construction and Mining Vehicles - For heavy equipment navigation, 
PathFindIR systems improve awareness in conditions that render eyesight and 
daylight cameras useless. The PathFindIR camera can see clearly through dust 
and smoke, increasing safety for everyone on the job site. 
						

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2.5 PathFindIR Camera Model Numbers
Note
Standard PathFindIR Camera 
334-0001-00 PathFindIR, 30Hz, NTSC
334-0001-00S PathFindIR, 7.5Hz, NTSC
334-0001-00P PathFindIR, 25Hz, PAL
334-0001-00PS PathFindIR, 8.3Hz, PAL
Full Feature PathFindIR Camera
334-0008-00 PathFindIR FF, 30Hz, NTSC
334-0008-00S PathFindIR FF, 7.5Hz, NTSC
334-0008-00P PathFindIR FF, 25Hz, PAL
334-0008-00PS PathFindIR FF, 8.3Hz, PAL
All thermal imaging systems are subject to export control. Standard NTSC 
(30Hz) and PAL (25Hz) units are subject to export restrictions and licensing 
by the United States Government. Models with video frame rates at or below 
9Hz do not require licensing but do require compliance with other export 
requirements. Please contact FLIR for details concerning export compliance 
for your application or geographic area.