Users Guide

436-0013-10, Rev 100

www.flir.com/vuepro

Thermal Imaging Overview

The FLIR Vue Pro camera is a state-of-the-art thermal imaging system. The system is easy to use,
but it is useful to understand how to interpret what is displayed on the monitor.
The FLIR Vue Pro camera does not produce images from visible light like the human eye does. The
camera relies on the fact that all objects, even very cold objects like ice, emit thermal (heat) energy
in the portion of the spectrum that the camera can see, the long wave infrared (LWIR). Unlike a
visible-light camera, the FLIR Vue Pro camera produces images based on radiated rather than
reflected energy.
Because there is no color in heat images, these temperatures are processed by Automatic Gain
Control (AGC) into a maximum of 256 shades of gray to display as a thermal video image and a
still image JPEG. Since the imaging system is sensitive enough to distinguish many more than 256
different temperatures, each shade of gray represents a range of temperatures. The AGC settings
provide control over how the original thermal image is processed. See Automatic Gain Control.
Raw scene data, which is not processed by the AGC, is available as still imagesTIFF and FLIR
File Format (FFF)for post processing using image processing software. See File Formats.
FLIR offers a selection of training courses to help you to get the best performance and value from
your FLIR Vue Pro camera. You can find out more at the FLIR training Web page:
http://www.infraredtraining.com.
This guide shows how easy it is to get the plug-and-play FLIR Vue Pro connected, running, and
mounted. The camera does not have an on or off switch. When power is applied, IR video will be
shown in less than five seconds and the Bluetooth radio is enabled in about 30 seconds (three
beeps are sounded and the Bluetooth LED is lit blue).

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Whats in the Box?

FLIR Vue Pro comes with the following components:

FLIR Vue Pro thermal camera with Camera Mount

7-pin Accessory Port
Lens Barrel

Lens

MicroSD Card

Camera Mount

-20 Threaded
Mounting Hole

10-pin mini-USB
Port

M2X0.4 threaded mounting holes on

the cameras left side, right side, and
bottom (mounting screws not included)

Bench Cablefor connecting FLIR Vue Pro to a computer USB port for power and file transfer;
and to a video monitor for testing.
Connect to
Video Monitor

Connect to Camera
10-pin mini-USB port

Connect to
Computer USB port
PN 4142005

MicroSD Card (32 GB maximum)for storing images/video and upgrading camera firmware.

Accessory Cablefor connecting FLIR Vue Pro to a MAVLink compatible Autopilot.

See Accessory Cable Pinout Definition.
Connect to Camera
7-pin port

MAVLink
PWM 3
PWM 4
PN 4142156

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A Quick Tour
System Status/Bluetooth
button/LED

Status LED at power upred blinking

Record LED at power upoff
Status LED at readyblue, Bluetooth is enabled
Record LED at readysolid green
Record LED recording alertblinks yellow
(for example, no microSD present, microSD full, microSD in use by PC)
Status LED firmware upgradeblinks purple

Record Status
button/LED

Press record button to start recording.

Record LED blinks red when recording video
Record LED blinks yellow when a still image is captured
Use the FLIR Vue Pro Mobile App to configure camera.
Press Status/Bluetooth buttonsolid blue

Power up
Status LED blinks red for approximately 30 seconds, then changes to solid blue. Bluetooth is
now enabled. FLIR Vue Pro beeps three times and the Record LED goes from off to solid green.
(If the FLIR Vue Pro is connected to a computer, the Record LED blinks green.)
Start the App on the mobile device. Use the App to configure camera settings, if required, and
then to disable the Bluetooth radio in preparation for flight.
FLIR Vue Pro is ready. Press the Record button on the camera or in the App to start recording
or use PWM signals setup on the Autopilot. Record LED blinks green while recording video, or
flashes yellow each time it captures a still image.
See The FLIR Vue Pro App for instructions on camera modes, video/still image formats, PWM
settings, and other configuration options.

Mounting FLIR Vue Pro

FLIR Vue Pro has a variety of mounting options.

-20 Insert

Screw a standard tripod -20 bolt into the threaded insert

located on the top surface of the camera. Do not exceed
6.35 mm [0.25 in] maximum depth or warranty is void.
FLIR Vue Pro has two threaded mounting holes on each side,
as well as on the camera bottom.
These threaded holes, 24 mm (0.945 in) apart accept M2x0.4
screws (not included). Do not exceed 4.0 mm [0.157 in]
maximum depth or warranty is void.
Refer to the FLIR Vue Pro Technical Drawing for additional
information.

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Side and Bottom

Mounting Holes

Camera Mount
The included Camera Mount allows using standard action camera mounts. If a different mounting
option will be used, it can be removed using the following steps:

Unscrew the Lens Nut

Slide the Camera Mount off

Screw the Lens Nut back on

When installing the Camera Mount, be sure to engage the two alignment pins with the
corresponding holes on the camera body.

Connecting and Powering the FLIR Vue Pro

FLIR Vue Pro is compatible with common 10-pin mini-USB cables that are used to provide power to,
and get video from, action cameras commonly mounted on a small unmanned aerial system
(sUAS). Refer to the camera Interface FLIR Vue Pro Technical Drawing located on the FLIR web
page for information for constructing cables or changing cable connectors.
A number of vendors sell cables that are compatible with video transmitters which supply the 5 Vdc,
750 mA power the FLIR Vue Pro needs. Connect the video transmitter per the manufacturers
instructions.
10-pin Mini USB plug
Pin 2 5Vdc power in
Pin 5 Video GND
Pin 7 Video Out
Pin 10 ground

Pin 2
Pin 5
Pin 7
Pin 10

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Video Transmitter cable:

White not used
Yellow Video Out
Black ground
Red 5Vdc power in

Another example of a compatible cable which provides discrete connectors for power and video is
shown below.
Discrete Power/Video connectors

Video Out
Video GND

Pin 2
Pin 5

5Vdc power in
Power ground

Pin 7
Pin 10

Simply plug the chosen cable into the mini-USB port on the FLIR Vue Pro, connect the power plug
to an appropriate regulated power supply, and the video plug to the video transmitter.
Caution on powering FLIR Vue Pro:
FLIR Vue Pro does not have over-voltage or reverse polarity protection. Only use a filtered,
regulated 5Vdc power source with the FLIR Vue Pro! Applying more than 6Vdc or reversing
polarity will damage the camera and void the warranty.

Connecting to a Pixhawk Flight Controller

The FLIR Vue Pro Accessory cable is software and connector compatible with the Pixhawk
Autopilot. Other flight controllers or I/O modules may require different cables or connectors. Refer to
the FLIR Vue Pro Technical Drawing located on the FLIR web page for detailed information.
To Pixhawk TELEM 1
Pin 1

P1

Red 5Vdc power in

Black ground To Pixhawk AUX out (1-6)
Yellow video out
White not used

Hirose Plug Part Number

P1 - DF13-7S-1.25C
P2 - DF13-6S-1.25C
P3, P4 - M20-1060300

P2

P3

To Pixhawk AUX out (1-6)

P4

TELEM 1

P3 and P4 to Aux Out

programmed ports

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Table 1: Accessory Cable Pinout Definition

P1 - Accessory Port
(DF13-7S-1.25Ca)
PWM_1
1
PWM_2
2
GND
3
PWM_3
4
GND
5
PWM_4
6
GND
7

Wire
color
green
white
black
orange
black
blue
black

P2 - MAVLink
(DF13-6S-1.25Ca)
RX in
3
TX out
2
GND
6

P3 - AUX Out
(M20-1060300a)

PWM_3
GND

P4 - AUX Out
(M20-1060300a)

1
3
PWM_4
GND

a. All cable plug part numbers are Hirose.

The FLIR Vue Pro App

Use the App to make changes to video format, image orientation, scene
or color palette, and communication options. Download and install the
FLIR Vue Pro App from Google Play or Apple App Store.
1. If required, press the Bluetooth button on the camera.
LED will be lit blue to indicate Bluetooth is active.
2. Start the App.
3. Wait while the App connects.

4. When connected, the Home screen appears.

(The last screen accessed will be shown.)
The Home screen shows camera status and allows
choosing the Color Palette, Scene Presets, AGC
Settings, and image output (video or still).

Go to Settings Screen

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1
3

Automatic Gain Control

Color Palette
WhiteHot and BlackHot are the primary palettes
used in thermal imaging. The image has been
described as containing 256 shades of gray each
representing a different temperature range present
in the scene. A variety of color palettes may provide
better contrast when viewed with the naked eye,
under certain conditions. Different color palettes can
provide very different results in the image. Their
appeal is based on personal preference.

Scene Presets
Each Scene Preset provides a combination of
automatic gain control (AGC) settings which have been
optimized by FLIR Systems to provide the best image
for each particular application. In most cases these
Scene Presets will be all the camera setup required.
Individual settings may be optimized depending upon
scene content and viewing or recording preferences.

Sharpness (DDE), higher values increase Sharpness,

while lower values soften (blur) the image and filter fixed pattern noise.

Active Contrast Enhancement (ACE), provides a contrast adjustment based on the relative
scene temperature. Values greater than 0 give more contrast to the hotter content and decrease
contrast for the colder content. Values less than 0 do the opposite by decreasing the contrast for
hotter content and leaving more of the shades of gray to represent the colder content.

Smart Scene (SSO), determines the percentage of the scene that will be allotted a linear
mapping. When enabled, the difference in gray shades between two objects is more
representative of the difference in temperature, although the optimization in local contrast can
be lost.

Recalibrate, manually initiates a flat field correction (FFC) that updates the pixel calibration to
improve image quality. An internal shutter is closed (a click can be heard) behind the lens to
provide a uniform temperature to all pixels. FFC is also performed automatically, based on
elapsed time and during changes in temperature.

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Main Settings

Analog Video Format

Select NTSC or PAL as the format of the video that is output to
the 10-pin mini USB port. This setting does not affect the format
of the video that is saved to the microSD card.

File Type
Select formats for still images and video saved to the microSD
card.

Flip Horizontal/Vertical
To mount the camera upside down, flip both Horizontal and
Vertical.

Speaker and LED On/Off

Even when turned off, the Status/Bluetooth LED will blink during
power up and the speaker will beep three times when the
camera is ready.

Disable Bluetooth
Powers down the Bluetooth radio on the camera. The camera will normally disable the
Bluetooth after two minutes of inactivity. See Persistent Bluetooth.

PWM Settings
With the accessory port and accessory cable, functions can be controlled directly from the sUAS
flight controller via PWM signals (refer to the controller manual for instructions, as every brand of
controller is a little different).
Any function can be assigned to any Channel, but no two channels can be assigned to the same
function. PWM 3 and PWM 4 are the signals available with the standard accessory cable.
1. Select a channel to configure an action.

Select a
Channel

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2. Select Number of States. Either a two- or three-position

switch is located on the controller.
3. Assign functions to the available states for each signal.
4. Program the radio to provide signals to the Aux Out ports
for accessory cable P3 and P4.

About Settings
The About screen provides information about the current
software and FLIR Vue Pro.

Persistent Bluetooth
Normally, the camera will disable the Bluetooth radio after
two minutes of inactivity to ensure that the camera radio will
not interfere with any flight control communications.
Turn ON Persistent Bluetooth to keep the camera connected
while working in the App. Once the App is disconnected, the
Bluetooth radio will be disabled after two minutes.

Available Upgrade
When the camera detects a new firmware upgrade file on
the microSD card, the Upgrade Available dialog will start.
Chose YES to upgrade the firmware. The dialog will start
any time the camera or the App is started.

File Formats
The Vue Pro can save image data in a number of file formats, each with unique characteristics.

JPEG is a compressed 8-bit image with Scene and Palette processing applied.

TIFF is uncompressed 14-bit raw sensor data with no post processing.

The following links provide information on viewing 14-bit TIFF images.
ImageJ, Matlab, Pix4Dmapper Discovery.

FFF has both the compressed 8-bit processed JPG image and 14-bit raw
sensor data in a single file. This format is exclusively for use with FLIR software.
FLIR Tools & Reporter, ResearchIR.

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Table 2: Image Formats Recorded on microSD Card

Feature
File Format
8-bit

14-bit

Scene/AGC

Palette

Still Image Files

JPEG

TIFF
FFF

Video Files

MJPEG

H264

FLIR Vue Pro Specifications

Overview
Thermal Imager

Uncooled VOx Microbolometer

Resolution
Lens Options

640x512

336x256

9 mm; 69 x 56
13 mm; 45 x 37
19 mm; 32 x 26

6.8 mm; 45 x 35
9 mm; 35 x 27
13 mm; 25 x 19

Spectral Band

7.5 m - 13.5 m

Full Frame Rates

30 Hz (NTSC); 25 Hz (PAL) US only, not for Export

Exportable Frame Rates

7.5 Hz (NTSC); 8.3 Hz (PAL)

On-board Storage

microSDHC
Minimum speed, Class 4
Maximum size, 32GB
Physical Attributes

Size

2.47" x 1.75" (62.7 mm x 44.5 mm) (including lens)

Weight

3.56 oz to 4.30 oz (101 g to 122 g) (configuration

dependent)

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10

Image Processing & Display Controls

Image Optimization for sUAS

Yes

Digital Detail Enhancement

Yes - Adjustable in App

Invertable Image

Yes - Adjustable in App

Polarity Control (BlackHot/WhiteHot) and Color Palettes

Yes - Adjustable in App

Power
Input Supply Voltage

4.0 Vdc to 6.0 Vdc

Power Dissipation, steady state (max 3.9 W during

shutter event of approximately 0.5 seconds)

<2.6 W

<2.6 W

Environmental
Operating Temperature Range

-20 C to +50 C

Non-Operating Temperature Range

-55 C to +95 C

Operational Altitude

+40,000 feet

Care of FLIR Vue Pro

Only power FLIR Vue Pro with a regulated 5 Vdc power source. Using more than 6 Vdc will
damage the camera and void the warranty.

Do not touch the lens. If the lens gets dirty, a light dusting of air should dislodge any dust
particles. If the lens is still noticeably dirty, use 75% Isopropyl alcohol and lens tissue. Use a
light wiping motions with a fresh section of lens tissue with each swipe so as not to drag dust or
dirt particles back over the lens surface

FLIR Vue Pro is neither water nor dust resistant. Care for it as you would any valuable piece of
electronics equipment.

www.flir.com/vuepro
1.866.667.7732
436-0013-10, Rev 100