In this Voltlog review, we take an in-depth look at the TOPDON TC002 Thermal Camera, a versatile device that connects to iOS devices via a Lightning connector. This camera boasts impressive features, including a 256×192 pixel resolution, a high refresh rate of 25Hz, and a temperature range of -20°C to 550°C, making it a powerful tool for various applications.
One of the standout aspects of the TOPDON TC002 is its intuitive app, which offers a range of useful functions. The app allows you to overlay the thermal image with the phone’s camera feed, providing a seamless blend of real-world and thermal imagery. Additionally, it offers temperature monitoring capabilities, allowing you to log and graph temperature data over time – a feature not commonly found in other thermal cameras.
While the TOPDON TC002 excels in general-purpose inspections, such as HVAC systems, electrical panels, and temperature monitoring, it may not be the ideal choice for detailed PCB or electronics inspections. For those applications, cameras with fixed or adjustable macro lenses would provide better component-level detail.
Overall, the TOPDON TC002 Thermal Camera presents an excellent package, combining a high-quality Infiray thermal sensor with an included EVA carry case and a well-designed app. With its iOS Lightning connector, it’s a perfect choice for those looking to integrate thermal imaging capabilities with their existing Apple devices.
Thermal imaging has become increasingly accessible, thanks to companies like Infiray disrupting the market with high-quality, affordable solutions. In this Voltlog, we explore the Infiray T2S Plus Thermal Camera, a versatile and feature-packed device compatible with iOS devices via a Lightning connector.
Unlike its predecessor, the T2S Plus reviewed in Voltlog #442, this model boasts an adjustable 8mm lens and a convenient handle mount, making it a compact, single-hand usage package. The mount’s sturdy build quality, ergonomic design, and multiple tripod mounting points add to its appeal. Upon connecting the camera to an iPhone, it prompts the installation of the required app, streamlining the setup process.
The live feed immediately impresses with its high resolution and refresh rate, delivering fluid, detailed thermal images that almost resemble visible light. The user-friendly app offers various color palettes, video and image capture modes, and temperature measurement tools like point, rectangle, and line markers.
Adjustable settings like emissivity, distance, and temperature units further enhance the camera’s accuracy. While the app’s simplicity is appreciated, more advanced users may desire additional options like image flipping or mirroring for better cable management and positioning flexibility. In practical tests, the T2S Plus excels in electrical panel and HVAC inspections, allowing precise focus adjustment and temperature measurements within defined areas.
Remarkably, it can also handle up-close PCB inspections, clearly displaying 0402-sized components and 0.3mm traces, although not as optimized as the dedicated macro lens model. Priced at just $30 more than the T2S Plus, the adjustable lens and included mount make the T2S Plus iOS version a compelling choice for its versatility and value.
Infiray’s high-resolution, high-refresh-rate thermal sensors outperform similarly priced FLIR models, disrupting the market and driving innovation.
In the latest Voltlog video, the host showcases the ease of getting custom CNC parts manufactured these days, thanks to companies like PCBWAY.com. While the use case might seem unconventional – designing custom aluminum feet for a couch to prevent floor dents and sliding – it effectively demonstrates the process and accessibility of such services.
The host walks through the entire journey, from taking precise measurements and designing the part in Fusion 360 to uploading the file on PCBWAY.com’s website. He opted for CNC manufacturing in Aluminum 7075 with an anodized black finish, ordering five pieces for $157 – a reasonable cost for a custom, anodized CNC part.
Receiving the well-packaged parts a few weeks later, the host marvels at the accurate manufacturing based on his design. To prevent sliding, he adds an adhesive rubber backing, highlighting how PCBWAY could potentially handle such customizations for larger orders. The video concludes with the successful installation of the couch feet, effectively distributing the weight and preventing sliding.
While admittedly an overkill solution, the host emphasizes the video’s purpose – showcasing the accessibility of such services for engineers and hobbyists alike, enabling custom CNC parts for various projects.
Apple’s AirTag has been a game-changer in the world of tracking devices, allowing users to keep tabs on their belongings with precision and ease. However, one feature that has proven to be a double-edged sword is the AirTag’s speaker, which emits sounds to alert users of its presence. While this feature is designed to prevent illegal tracking, it can also be a nuisance for those using AirTags for legitimate purposes.
In this blog post, we’ll explore a simple and effective way to disable the AirTag’s speaker, giving you the freedom to track your belongings without unwanted audible alerts. By following a few straightforward steps, you can safely disassemble the AirTag and remove the magnet from the speaker, effectively silencing it.
The process involves carefully prying open the AirTag’s enclosure with a utility knife, taking care not to damage the retaining clips. Once opened, you’ll have access to the speaker assembly, where you can gently remove the magnet using the knife blade. This simple modification will prevent the AirTag from emitting sounds, allowing you to track your items discreetly.
It’s important to note that this modification should only be performed on AirTags you own and for legitimate tracking purposes. Misusing AirTags for illegal tracking activities is strictly prohibited and can have serious legal consequences. By disabling the AirTag’s speaker, you’ll be able to take full advantage of its tracking capabilities without the risk of unwanted audible alerts, ensuring a seamless and discreet experience.
Whether you’re tracking your bicycle, luggage, or any other valuable possession, this simple hack will give you peace of mind and control over your AirTag’s functionality.
If you’re an electronics hobbyist or a professional working with intricate setups like trinocular microscopes, you know the struggle of dealing with a mess of wires and multiple power adapters. Voltlog’s latest project, the “Microscope Power Distribution Unit,” offers an ingenious solution to this common issue.
In this project, Voltlog designed a compact PCB that takes a single 12V DC input and distributes power to three individual channels, each with its own protection and voltage regulation. One channel is configured to output 5V for powering LED lights, while the other two channels provide 12V outputs for the monitor and camera.
The beauty of this design lies in its simplicity and versatility. By consolidating multiple power adapters into a single unit, Voltlog has effectively decluttered their workstation and reduced the tangle of wires. Additionally, the open-source nature of the project allows others to replicate or modify the design to suit their specific needs.
Voltlog’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in the choice of components, such as the use of PTCs for overcurrent protection and the inclusion of filtering capacitors for clean power delivery. The sleek green soldermask and ENIG gold plating on the PCBs add a touch of elegance to the functional design.
But the project’s true value extends beyond its practical application. It serves as a testament to the ingenuity and problem-solving skills of the maker community. By identifying a common pain point and developing a tailored solution, Voltlog has demonstrated the power of DIY electronics and the potential for streamlining complex setups.
In this comprehensive review, we take an in-depth look at the Andonstar AD409 digital microscope, a versatile tool designed for PCB inspection and rework tasks on the electronics workbench. With its compact and ergonomic design, this microscope offers a convenient alternative to traditional trinocular microscopes, while still providing high-quality imaging capabilities.
The AD409 comes well-packaged and assembling it is a straightforward process, requiring no user manual. The build quality is decent, with a sliding mechanism that allows for height adjustment, although not as smooth as one might desire. The wiring setup is optimized, with a combo power cable that powers both the LED lights and the monitor/camera system, reducing cable clutter.
One notable feature is the 10.1-inch monitor with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels, delivering a crisp and clear image. The 4MP camera captures high-resolution images and videos, and the inclusion of a UV filter helps protect the lens from scratches and dust. The working distance of around 7cm (2.5 inches) may be a bit tight for some soldering tasks, but a clever trick allows you to increase the working distance by sliding the camera up, providing a more comfortable working space.
The included remote control, while not as responsive as one might hope, is a handy addition, allowing you to capture images and videos without disturbing the camera’s position. Image and video recording is facilitated by a micro SD card slot (up to 32GB supported), and the on-screen display menu provides access to various camera settings and adjustments.
One intriguing feature is the experimental Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows you to connect the microscope to a mobile app (available for iOS and Android) for live viewing and image/video transfer. While not fully implemented yet, this could be a useful addition for those who need to incorporate captured media into their workflows.
In conclusion, the Andonstar AD409 digital microscope is a highly recommended choice for those seeking an ergonomic and space-saving solution for PCB inspection and rework tasks. While it may not match the stereoscopic depth perception of a trinocular microscope, its compact design, clear imaging, and convenient features make it an excellent option for hobbyists and professionals alike.
When it comes to crimping small connectors like JST, Molex, or Tyco, having the right tools can make a world of difference. In his latest video, Voltlog takes a closer look at the IWISS IWS-3220M ratcheting crimp tool, which promises an easier and more consistent crimping experience compared to traditional non-ratcheting tools.
One of the standout features of the IWS-3220M is its ratcheting mechanism. This not only makes the crimping process more user-friendly but also helps ensure consistent crimps by preventing over-crimping. The tool also features a dual-crimp design, allowing you to crimp both the insulation and the electrical connection in a single action – a significant time-saver.
During his testing, Voltlog found that the IWS-3220M did indeed offer a notable improvement over the non-ratcheting IWISS mini 2820M he had reviewed previously. The ratcheting action made it much easier to position the crimp and wire correctly before crimping, and the dual-crimp action streamlined the process.
However, as with any budget tool, there are some limitations. Voltlog noted that the precision of the crimping die might not match that of more expensive professional tools from brands like Molex or Tyco. Additionally, finding the right die size and ensuring the correct wire insulation thickness is crucial for achieving a good crimp.
Overall, Voltlog recommends the IWS-3220M for hobbyists and those working on smaller projects. While it may not match the performance of high-end crimping tools, it offers a significant improvement over basic non-ratcheting tools at a very reasonable price point.
Welcome to a new InTheMail, the most popular segment hosted here on the channel. Not a lot of time has passed since our previous InTheMail but I have received a bunch of stuff that I would like to start using so I need to do this video.
I’m gonna start with a series of cabling products and the first ones are these higher quality braided USB Type B to various terminations. These two are USB Type-A to USB Type-B printer style cables but in two different lengths, braided finish, higher overall quality and I tend to use these for stuff like an older AVR MKII programmer, for my label printer, for my monitors which have a built-in USB hub, stuff like that.
Then because of modern devices which tend to include less USB Type-A ports but for guys like us who still use a bunch of peripherals, we still need to connect some USB Type-B peripherals to the new USB Type-C ports and it’s nicer when you don’t have to use adapters or USB hubs for that. So I got these USB Type-B to USB Type-C cables for plugging directly into USB Type-C ports, also braided style.
And this guy is just a short, braided style, USB Type-A to USB Type-C which lately I use a lot of these guys because all of the pcb’s that I’m building feature USB Type-C ports and I typically need to connect them to a USB HUB which sits right on my desk so I need a short USB cable. I typically get these from Baseus but this time I tried another company and I quite like what I’m seeing. Nice construction here, lots of room to grab on this connector when inserting into a socket. Same as always there will be links in the description below to all of the items shown in this video.
Also in the cabling department I needed some of this thicker 18AWG UL1015 wire for various wiring jobs working on prototypes on my electronics workbench. Now for 20AWG or 22AWG I typically recycle those out of old ATX power supplies wiring, I feel like I’m doing the planet a service when doing that by preventing them from going to a landfill but for the thicker 18AWG, those are typically not present on an ATX PSU so I ordered a lot of these, 5m per each individual color so these should last me a good while.
This is your standard 2.5×5.5mm dc jack connector with 2m of white cable which has markings that say 2×0.5sq mm which would make it okay up to 3A but just to stay on the safe side I would probably use it only up to 2A in practice. Something like this would be very useful if you are a power adapter with the wrong plug, instead of just replacing the plug you could replace the whole cable if the power adapter can be easily disassembled. And that’s exactly why I got this, to replace the wiring on a 12V power adapter.
Welcome to a new video, in this episode I’m gonna show you how to install frigate stand alone on a single board computer running Ubuntu, how to configure it to start recording on an external usb drive with person detection enabled.
For those of you who haven’t heard about Frigate, it’s an open-source NVR with real-time AI object detection built-in, all recording and processing happens locally on your own hardware so a good thumbs up for being open-source, we love open-source projects on the voltlog channel but another thumbs up is for hosting everything local, so you have security & privacy under your own control.
You can also run Frigate on your Homeassistant server if you wish to do so, but some people might opt to run it independently on another computer for increased processing power and more storage options.
For this tutorial I’m gonna be installing it on the Khadas VIM4 single board computer and this thing is a beast. I’m calling this the Pi Killer for reasons which I will outline in a few moments. This was released this summer, it’s the latest model in Khadas lineup and comes with some stellar specs: This has an 8 core Amlogic A311D2 processor, four of the cores are ARM Cortex-A73, running at 2.2GHz, the other four are Cortex-A53 running at 2GHz and there is an extra 32 bit STM32 microprocessor on here, There is a powerful Mali G52MP8 GPU which supports up to 8K decoding, we get 8GB LPDDR4X RAM on this board, 32GB of eMMC storage, 32MB of SPI flash memory which runs it’s own custom bootloader called OWOW, Bluetooth & Wifi 6 connectivity plus 10 gigabit ethernet, there is an M.2 slot for SSD on the back and the list goes on and on, they practically jammed everything that’s nice on this board and out of the box it can run Ubuntu & Android.
Now you’re probably asking yourself how does this stackup against the Raspberry Pi4 so here is a simple comparison just based on specs, if we look at processor power, ram memory, storage options, connectivity the VIM4 clearly has more options and more horsepower than a Pi4, the only place where the PI4 has more options is with USB connectivity. But having all of this extra horse power does come at a cost and the VIM4 can get pricey especially if you order it with an active cooling kit which is not included by default but you will need if you plan to benefit from that processing power. For the latest price information please check out the links I’ve placed in the description of the video. We could also talk about availability with the VIM4 being available for order right now, while the Pi4 being harder to find. Due to the VIM4 processor being manufactured on a 12nm process we can also expect better power efficiency, providing more performance per watt over the Pi4.
Another impressive feature of the Amlogic processor is the built-in Neural Processing Unit which is rated for 5 TOPS. By comparison a google coral is only rated for 4 TOPS but as we all know a google coral is well supported over many different interfaces while the new NPU inside the Amlogic processor is there but not actually supported in the software due to license requirements which are not yet sorted.
List of CLI commands used for this setup
#Update the apt package index and install packages to allow apt to use a repository over HTTPS:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install \
ca-certificates \
curl \
gnupg \
lsb-release
Welcome to a new InTheMail, the most popular segment hosted here on the channel. Lots of interesting good and equally bad products have been piling up in my special mailbag bin so let’s take a look at them.
I’m gonna start with an absolute garbage product, this smartphone telephoto lens which I thought is going to be great for attaching to my iPhone and shooting videos at let’s say a meter away from the subject but be really zoomed in, like when soldering on a PCB, I don’t want the tripod and the phone to be in my way. I got the 8X variant, because there is also a 12X I believe, I paid like $5 shipped for this and this was probably the worst spent $5 in recent times, this is absolute garbage. All I can get is a blurry image, I’ve tried removing the protective case on my phone thinking this might not be the correct focal length because of that but nope it doesn’t make any difference. Other users report similar things in the product review.. So please don’t order this crap.
I seriously don’t understand what were they thinking? Why did they make this and package it?
Next up I got one of the newer GPS modules from China, this is the ATGM336H which presumably is the part number for the original module Zhongke Micro electronics, but this particular one is rebranded as AiThinker GP-02. Comes with a ceramic GPS antenna so it’s good to go. The SoC used inside this module is the AT6558 and it supports a variety of satellite navigation systems, including China’s BDS (Beidou Satellite) GPS in the US, GLONASS in Russia, GALILEO in the EU, QZSS in Japan and I think their main target is to replace ublox max series with something that is the same size, possibly same package but lower cost. I thought I’d give this module a try, keep it in my GPS modules bag waiting to be used in a GPS project. One mention though is that it doesn’t necessarily mean this particular module that I got from Aliexpress supports all of the functions.. This depends on the variant of the chip used inside the module because as the datasheets shows in this table it can have different config levels. A link for this will be provided in the description of the video.
Next up I have a few different types of insulating washers. These red ones are M3 and M4 size paper type insulating washers, while the black ones are just plastic nylon insulating washers. Both of these can be great when you want to achieve some level of mechanical and electrical insulation when you have screws holding down a pcb and you might have some PCB tracks going too close to the screw hole for example. If possible such a thing should be avoided from the PCB layout stage as mounting hole footprints should have keepout areas corresponding to the size of screw to be used but if you end up with tracks in that space, a small insulating washer like this will save the day.
Next up I got one more set of these Adhesive cable tie mounts, I’ve shown these before, they have some adhesive backing and then they are theoretically reusable because you can clip and unclip this plastic belt. Because of that they can be really handy for cable management. Not sure if this adhesive backing is really 3M, it might not be and the effect of that is that these might come off at some point. Not that 3M is bulletproof, I’ve had genuine 3M cable management mounts that come off after a couple of months so it really depends on the surface type, how clean the surface was and the actual strength of the adhesive.