FLIR PathFindIR II User Manual

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User Manual

PathFindIR II

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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 ....................4

2.2.1 PathFindIR II Camera Kit .......................................................5

2.2.2 Installation Kit ........................................................................6

2.3 What is Thermal Imaging? ..............................................................7

2.4 Vehicles that use PathFindIR II .......................................................7

2.5 PathFindIR II Part Numbers .............................................................8

3 Installation

3.1 PathFindIR II Installation .................................................................9

3.2 Preparation and Installation Considerations ....................................9

3.3 Installation Guidelines and Precautions ........................................10

3.4 PathFindIR II Installation ...............................................................12

3.5 ECU Installation ............................................................................14

3.6 Cable Connections ........................................................................15

3.7 Mounting Assistance .....................................................................16

4 Getting Started

4.1 Using your PathFindIR II ...............................................................17

4.2 Initial System Startup ....................................................................17

4.3 Automatic Shutter .........................................................................18

4.4 Heater Element .............................................................................18

4.5 Pedestrian and Animal Detection ..................................................18

4.5.1 Animal Detection .................................................................18

4.5.2 Pedestrian Detection ...........................................................19

4.6 In Case of Difficulty .......................................................................20

4.7 Troubleshooting ............................................................................21

5 Caring for your PathFindIR II

5.1 Product Cleaning ..........................................................................23

5.2 Temperature .................................................................................24

5.3 Maintenance .................................................................................24

6 Technical Data

6.1 Performance Specifications ........................................................25

6.1.1 Side View .............................................................................26

6.1.2 Rear View ............................................................................27

6.1.3 Front View ...........................................................................28

6.1.4 ECU Dimensions .................................................................29

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1 Warnings and Cautions

1.1 Cautions

Caution! 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 II, or other property damage.

Caution! The PathFindIR II thermal imaging system will automatically
detect some, but not all, animals and pedestrians. The system is
intended as an early warning for hazards, but it should not be used as the
primary navigation method.

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 viewing of the thermal image display while driving.

The PathFindIR II image is intended for occasional viewing, similar to a standard rear view mirror.
Viewing the display may distract the driver from looking ahead and may result in an accident. The
PathFindIR II thermal imaging system should not be used as a substitution for head lamps or head
lamp assisted human vision during vehicle operation.

The PathFindIR II 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 II system can be
utilized with satisfactory results.

When installing the PathFindIR II, do not block the vehicle’s vents or radiator panels.

Doing so may result in heat buildup, equipment breakage, and/or fire.

Do not partake in any activity that takes your attention away from safely driving your
vehicle.

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1 – Warnings and Cautions

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.

1.2 General Information

Caution! The PathFindIR II thermal imaging system is not intended to be

used as the primary navigation system. The PathFindIR II should not to
be used as a substitution for head lamps or head lamp assisted human
vision during vehicle operation. It should be used only as an aid to
cautious night-time driving.

Do not open the camera body or the ECU for any reason. Disassembly (including removal of the
cover) can cause permanent damage and will void the warranty.

Operating the camera and ECU 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 6.1 “Performance Specifications ” 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 5 “Caring for your PathFindIR II” on page 23.

All thermal imaging systems are subject to export control. Standard NTSC (30Hz) 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.

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2Introduction

Figure 2-1: PathFindIR II Makes the Difference

2.1 Overview

The FLIR ThermoVision®PathFindIR II 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 II system is designed for simple, intuitive operation and uses sophisticated video
processing algorithms to provide pedestrian and animal detection. The camera is an advanced
thermal sensor that converts thermal content (heat) of a scene into an image for display on a video
monitor inside your vehicle.

The above images show a comparison of typical night time driving compared to using the
PathFindIR II thermal imager. The image on the left is from an ordinary camera and shows the
amount of visible light as illuminated by headlights; the image on the right is a thermal image
created by the PathFindIR II thermal imaging camera. The PathFindIR II camera is sensitive to warm
objects, such as the deer, 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 II and clearly
stand out in the video image. The system automatically highlights detected pedestrians and animals
with yellow boxes to indicate potential hazards.

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 II directly addresses this problem, allowing
drivers to see farther ahead on nighttime roadways and identify potential problems earlier. The

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2 – Introduction

majority of trucking accidents occur in rural areas, where visibility is severely reduced at night.
Humans and other warm blooded animals offer significant thermal contrast to driving backgrounds
and are easy to spot with the PathFindIR II. 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 II camera 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. Furthermore, 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.

2.2 Thermal Imaging Driver Vision Enhancement System

The FLIR Systems, Inc. PathFindIR II system is a high performance, rugged, thermal imaging
camera designed to provide driver vision enhancement in adverse weather conditions and better
situational awareness than with traditional head lamps. The system is comprised of two primary
components: the PathFindIR II camera (or imager), and the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). These
two matched components are the heart of the system. Most installations will also include a video
display (also called monitor), various cables, mounting brackets and mounting hardware.

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2.2.1 PathFindIR II Camera Kit

The standard camera kit includes these components:

• PathFindIR II thermal imager and mounting screws

•ECU

• PathFindIR II to ECU Cable

• Power/Video Cable (Vehicle Power to ECU, ECU video to Display)

PathFindIR Camera

PathFindIR to ECU Cable

Table 2-1: Standard Camera Kit components

The ECU connects to the vehicle power and interconnects the PathFindIR II to a video display. The
ECU provides power to the camera, controls the camera operation and performs the image
processing for pedestrian and animal detection functions. The ECU outputs the processed image as
analog video so it can be viewed on a display system.

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ECU

Power/Video Cable

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2 – Introduction

2.2.2 Installation Kit

The optional Installation Kit includes these components:

• SafetyVision Video Monitor, cables, adapters and mounting hardware

• ECU mounting bracket and mounting screws

• Camera mounting bracket and mounting screws

Video Monitor

PathFinder Mounting Bracket

Table 2-2: Optional Installation Kit components

The Power/Video Cable is 20’ (6m) long and provides flying leads for power and video. It may be
necessary to extend the video cable with an additional video cable to connect to the video display. It
may also be necessary to provide additional power cable to extend to the power source. Refer to
Chapter 3 “Installation” on page 9 for more information.

It is recommended the installer should provide a system On/Off switch and in-line fuse protection.

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ECU Bracket (with ECU installed)

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2.3 What is Thermal Imaging?

With our eyes, we see visible light. With a thermal imager, we can see infrared thermal energy - a
form of light just beyond the visible spectrum. Thermal imagers show subtle differences in
temperature; warm objects appear white and cooler objects appear black.

In addition to driver vision enhancement, FLIR's thermal imaging cameras are used in a wide variety
of applications, including fire fighting, security, maritime, traffic safety, 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.

Although adverse conditions such as heavy fog will affect any driver vision enhancement system,
thermal imaging cameras such as the PathFindIR II have been shown to continue to provide useful
information in conditions of reduced visibility, such as haze and smoke. While the PathFindIR II 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 II is specifically designed to withstand a harsh 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 II to maintain high performance in severe
weather conditions.

2.4 Vehicles that use PathFindIR II

Passenger Vehicles, Commercial Trucks, Buses, and Recreational Vehicles - PathFindIR II can
reduce the detection time for hazards and reduce the probability of an accident - saving lives,
property, and profits.

Emergency Vehicles - Emergency vehicles' high speeds and degraded stopping distances increase
the chance of an accident - PathFindIR II improves hazard detection at high speeds.

Commuter and Freight Trains - PathFindIR II can reveal railway obstructions at long ranges in
complete darkness. This early detection capability can significantly increase reaction time
depending on the size of the obstruction.

Heavy Construction Vehicles - For heavy equipment navigation, PathFindIR II improves awareness
in conditions that render eyesight and daylight cameras useless. The PathFindIR II can see clearly
through dust and smoke, increasing safety for everyone on the job site.

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2.5 PathFindIR II Part Numbers

The Pedestrian Detection and Animal Detection (PD/AD) algorithms may be effected by the
mounting height of the camera relative to the ground. For vehicles that require the imager to be
mounted outside the acceptable range, FLIR recommends a version of the system without the PD/
AD processing. The following systems and accessories are available:

Part Number Description

334-0050-07 PathFindIR II 30Hz, NTSC

334-0054-07 PathFindIR II 7.5Hz, NTSC

334-0052-00 PathFindIR II 30Hz, NTSC, No PD/AD

334-0056-00 PathFindIR II 7.5Hz, NTSC, No PD/AD

421-0053-00 PathFindIR IIInstallation Kit (See “Installation Kit” on page 6)

308-0240-00 PathFindIR II 20 Foot Wiring Harness, Power/Video

261-2319-00 PathFindIR II Camera Mounting Bracket

261-2270-00 PathFindIR II ECU Mounting Bracket

PathFindIR II Replacement Window

Uncooled thermal imaging cameras operating at 30Hz (NTSC) with a resolution of 336x256 and
lower-resolution are export-controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Validated export
licenses must be obtained from the U.S. Department of Commerce prior to export or re-export of
such devices outside of the United States. These restrictions do not control imaging cameras having
a maximum frame rate equal to or less than 9 Hz. This means that thermal imaging cameras with
frame rates of less than 9Hz may be exported outside of the United States without an export license

FLIR employs a team of trade compliance professionals that understand the export rules and
regulations, and can assist customers with their export questions and issues. When FLIR delivers a
camera to a customer in the U.S. who intends to export or re-export the FLIR camera outside of the
United States, whether or not the camera is integrated into another product, it is the customer’s
responsibility to apply for the required export license from the appropriate department of the U.S.
government. Diversion contrary to U.S. law is prohibited.

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