SeeedStudio Grove Thermal Imaging Camera – MLX90641 16×12 IR Array with 110 Degree FOV with cable

SeeedStudio Grove – Thermal Imaging Camera – MLX90641 16×12 IR Array with 110 Degree FOV can not only measure the value of temperature around you but also display the thermal imaging figure. So it must be your best choice to monitor the temperature change from this tiny camera.

This IR thermal camera carries a 16×12 array of thermal sensors (MLX90641) and it can detect the temperature of objects from far away with a center area accuracy of ±1℃ and average accuracy of ±1.5℃. In order to obtain the thermal images easily, the I2C protocol is used to get the low-resolution images from the camera. The FOV (Field of View) of this camera is 110°x75°, and the temperature measurement range is -40℃ to 300℃.

This module can be connected to an MCU using the I2C interface. However, it needs an MCU that has over 20000 bytes of RAM to drive the camera. As a matter of fact, Dev boards like Arduino UNO cannot be used with this Sensor camera due to its lower ability of calculation. We recommend you choose Arch Mix as an MCU to control the camera because it really has an excellent performance to process the complex data from the IR sensor camera.

Note: This is an updated version of Grove – Thermal Imaging Camera / IR Array MLX90640 110 degree.

How Does Thermal Imaging Work?

Thermal imaging is a method of night vision that collects the infrared radiation from objects in the scene and creates an electronic image. All objects emit some amount of infrared radiation. A thermographic camera (or infrared camera) detects infrared light (or heat) invisible to the human eye. That characteristic makes these cameras incredibly useful for all sorts of applications, including security, surveillance and military uses, in which bad guys are tracked in dark, smoky, foggy or dusty environs … or even when they’re hidden behind a boat cover.

This IR thermal imaging camera has a sensitive heat sensor. This sensor can detect tiny differences in temperature from the objects in the surrounding. Then it collects this radiation information from the objects and creates an electronic image that is based on the temperature difference information. The hotter an object is, the more infrared radiation it produces. However, this Infrared light is invisible to the naked eye and if the intensity is too high, it can be felt as heat.

Features

• Compact size 16×12 pixel IR thermal sensor array (MLX90641)
• High FOV (field-of-view) of 110°x75° to capture more area
• Wide temperature measurement range (-40℃~300℃)
• I2C Grove interface for easy communication with an MCU
• Fully calibrated IR array for convenient setup

Specifications:

Operating voltage (VDC)	3.3 ~ 5V
Current Consumption (mA)	18
Field of View	110°x 75°
Resolution	±1.5°C
Refresh Rate (Hz)	0.5 – 64
Interface	I2C Grove interface
Length (mm)	43
Width (mm)	24
Height (mm)	10
Weight (gm)	3

Applications

• High precision non-contact temperature measurements
• Microwave ovens
• Intrusion / Movement detection systems 
• Temperature sensing element for residential, commercial and industrial building air conditioning
• Industrial temperature control of moving parts
• Visual IR thermometers

Package Includes:

• 1 x Grove Thermal Imaging Camera / IR Array MLX90641 110 degree.
• 1 x Connecting Cable

Useful Links : 

• MLX90641 Datasheet 
• MLX90641 Visualization