This pocket-sized, portable thermal camera project combines an AMG8833 IR Thermal Camera FeatherWing with a PyGamer to provide a full-featured thermal imaging camera. CircuitPython will be in charge of reading and displaying the thermal image as well as interacting with operator controls.

A thermal camera can be very useful for finding home heating leaks, looking for electrical circuit hot spots, troubleshooting printed circuit board components, and for knowing when your tea is just right for sipping. The initial reason I built one was to watch the rate of heat buildup along a length of clothes dryer exhaust duct.

The camera displays a thermal image or histogram and sports a shutter button to freeze the image. The focus feature fine-tunes the display's temperature range to match the current image's maximum and maximum measurements. A settable alarm flashes lights and beeps when the camera sees a temperature at or above the threshold. The setup function is used to set the temperature display range and the alarm threshold. An editable configuration file contains the camera's power-up settings.

The heart of the camera is a thermal imaging sensor with an 8 by 8 thermopile array that reads temperatures from 32°F to 176°F (0°C to 80°C) with an absolute accuracy of +- 4.5°F (2.5°C) and resolution of 0.9°F (0.5°C). The sensor array's 64 elements are too few to see a lot of detail, but are sufficient for many uses around the home.

This version of the camera displays numeric temperature values as degrees Fahrenheit. Converting the displayed values to Celsius is possible but is left as an exercise.

CAUTION: The AMG8833 sensor used in this project is not accurate or stable enough to be used for health or safety purposes.

Parts

TFT with thermal camera display, a hand with two fingers slowly passes in front, so the heat map is visible.
A Feather board without ambition is a Feather board without FeatherWings! This is the Thermal Camera FeatherWing: thanks to the Panasonic AMG8833 8x8 GridEYE sensor,...
$44.95
In Stock
Angled shot of Adafruit PyGamer for MakeCode Arcade, CircuitPython or Arduino.
What fits in your pocket, is fully Open Source, and can run CircuitPython, MakeCode Arcade or Arduino games you write yourself? That's right, it's the Adafruit...
Out of Stock
Lithium Ion Polymer Battery 3.7v 350mAh with JST 2-PH connector and short cable
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This...
$5.95
In Stock
Adafruit PyGamer Acrylic Enclosure Kit
You've got your PyGamer, and you're ready to start jammin' on your favorite arcade games. You gaze adoringly at the charming silkscreen designed by Ada-friend...
$12.50
In Stock
Mini Oval Speaker with Short Wires
Hear the good news! This wee speaker is a great addition to any audio project where you need 8 ohm impedance and 1W or less of power. We particularly like...
$1.95
In Stock
Angled shot of 10 plastic button caps colored reddish-orange, yellow, white, and black.
These Reese's Piece's lookin' bits fit perfectly on top of tactile buttons with 2.4mm square tops and give a satisfying 8mm diameter surface area for your fingers to...
$0.95
In Stock

Other than the AMG8833 Thermal Camera FeatherWing, the following kit contains the parts for this project including a nifty carrying case.

Adafruit PyGamer Starter Kit with PCB, enclosure, buttons, and storage bag
Please note: you may get a royal blue or purple case with your starter kit (they're both lovely colors)What fits in your pocket, is fully Open...
Out of Stock

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the CircuitPython community for unfailing support and encouragement. Thanks to Anne Barela for insightful advice and help with the overall guide content/readability.

Special thanks to Melissa LeBlanc-Williams for her expert Displayio tutorial -- it was the catalyst for my initial breakthrough in understanding and applying Displayio. Her techniques also shaped some of the display principles used in this learning guide.

This guide was first published on Jan 29, 2020. It was last updated on Mar 24, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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