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Official Publication Date: June, 2015

Official Expiration Date: Until next release

Document Number: 102-PS242-40

Version 141

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Table of Contents
1 DOCUMENT ..........................................................................................................................................................4
1.1 REVISION HISTORY .....................................................................................................................................4
1.2 SCOPE..............................................................................................................................................................6
2 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................................8
2.1 FLIR WEBSITE / CONTACT INFORMATION ............................................................................................8
2.2 FLIR SYSTEMS DOCUMENTS .....................................................................................................................8
2.3 EXTERNAL DOCUMENTS ...........................................................................................................................8
2.4 ABBREVIATIONS / ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................9
3 REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................................................10
3.1 INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................................................10
3.1.1 MECHANICAL INTERFACE ...............................................................................................................10
3.1.1.1 SIZE / WEIGHT ...........................................................................................................................10
3.1.1.2 MOUNTING ................................................................................................................................10
3.1.2 ELECTRICAL INTERFACE ..................................................................................................................10
3.1.2.1 CONNECTOR ..............................................................................................................................10
3.1.2.2 INPUT POWER ...........................................................................................................................11
3.1.2.3 ANALOG CHANNEL .................................................................................................................11
3.1.2.4 DIGITAL CHANNELS ................................................................................................................12
3.1.2.5 COMMAND / CONTROL INTERFACE ....................................................................................12
3.1.2.6 DISCRETE I/O .............................................................................................................................13
3.1.2.7 EXTERNAL SYNC .....................................................................................................................13
3.2 IMAGING REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................................................................14
3.2.1 OUTPUT RESOLUTION .......................................................................................................................14
3.2.2 FRAME RATE ........................................................................................................................................16
3.2.3 OPTICAL PERFORMANCE..................................................................................................................17
3.2.4 SENSITIVITY.........................................................................................................................................17
3.2.5 INTRASCENE RANGE .........................................................................................................................17
3.2.6 OPERABILITY .......................................................................................................................................17
3.3 FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS ...............................................................................................................17
3.3.1 START-UP FEATURES .........................................................................................................................17
3.3.1.1 SPLASH SCREEN .......................................................................................................................17
3.3.1.2 READINESS TIME .....................................................................................................................18
3.3.1.3 POWER-ON DEFAULTS ............................................................................................................18
3.3.1.4 FAULT-TOLERANT UPGRADEABILITY ...............................................................................18
3.3.1.5 BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY ...............................................................................................19
3.3.2 IMAGE PROCESSING FEATURES .....................................................................................................19
3.3.2.1 FFC ...............................................................................................................................................19
3.3.2.2 GAIN STATE ...............................................................................................................................21
3.3.2.3 IMAGE ORIENTATION .............................................................................................................22
3.3.2.4 ZOOM ..........................................................................................................................................22
3.3.2.5 DIGITAL DATA ENHANCEMENT (DDE) ...............................................................................24
3.3.2.6 AUTOMATIC GAIN CORRECTION (AGC) .............................................................................26
3.3.2.7 PALETTE .....................................................................................................................................37
3.3.2.8 SYMBOL OVERLAY .................................................................................................................38
3.3.2.9 SNAPSHOT .................................................................................................................................38
3.3.2.10 GAIN CALIBRATION ............................................................................................................39
3.3.2.11 SUPPLEMENTAL FFC ...........................................................................................................39
3.3.2.12 SILENT SHUTTERLESS NUC (SSN) ™ ...............................................................................39
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3.3.3 RADIOMETRIC FEATURES ................................................................................................................39
3.3.3.1 ISOTHERM ..................................................................................................................................39
3.3.3.2 SPOT METER ..............................................................................................................................40
3.3.3.3 ADVANCED RADIOMETRY AND TLINEAR ........................................................................40
3.3.4 DIAGNOSTIC / STATUS FEATURES .................................................................................................40
3.3.4.1 SCRATCH PAD ...........................................................................................................................40
3.3.4.2 TEST PATTERNS .......................................................................................................................41
3.3.4.3 TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT ..........................................................................................41
3.3.4.4 OVERTEMP INDICATOR ..........................................................................................................41
3.3.4.5 STATUS INDICATORS ..............................................................................................................41
3.4 ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................................42
3.4.1 OPERATING TEMPERATURE ............................................................................................................42
3.4.2 STORAGE TEMPERATURE ................................................................................................................42
3.4.3 RELATIVE HUMIDITY ........................................................................................................................42
3.4.4 THERMAL SHOCK ...............................................................................................................................42
3.4.5 MECHANICAL SHOCK ........................................................................................................................42
3.4.6 VIBRATION ...........................................................................................................................................43
3.4.7 ALTITUDE .............................................................................................................................................44
3.4.8 BLOWING SAND ..................................................................................................................................44
3.4.9 IP RATING .............................................................................................................................................44
3.4.10 SALT SPRAY / SALT FOG .................................................................................................................44
3.4.11 EMC ......................................................................................................................................................45
3.5 DESIGN AND ASSEMBLY REQUIREMENTS ..........................................................................................45
3.5.1 RELIABILITY / DESIGN LIFE .............................................................................................................45
3.5.2 ROHS ......................................................................................................................................................45

List of Figures
Figure 1: Illustration of Image-Orientation Modes.................................................................................................22
Figure 2: Illustration of ROI for Tau 2.1 and 2.2. ....................................................................................................24
Figure 3: Illustration of Noise Suppression with DDE .............................................................................................24
Figure 4: Illustration of Detail Enhancement with DDE ..........................................................................................25
Figure 5: Illustration of Plateau Value ....................................................................................................................28
Figure 6: Illustration of Maximum Gain in a Bland Image ......................................................................................29
Figure 7: Illustration of ITT Midpoint ......................................................................................................................30
Figure 8: Illustration of Active Contrast Enhancement (ACE)...................................................................................31
Figure 9: Illustration of Smart Scene Optimization (SSO) .........................................................................................32
Figure 10: Illustration of ROI ...................................................................................................................................33
Figure 11: Illustration of the difference between Plateau Equalization, Information-based, and Information-
based Equalization algorithms .........................................................................................................................34
Figure 12: Illustration of Information Threshold ......................................................................................................35
Figure 13: Illustration of the Linear-Histogram Mapping Function ........................................................................36
Figure 14: Illustration of Bayer pattern ...................................................................................................................37
Figure 15: Random Vibration Profile ......................................................................................................................43

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List of Tables
Table 1: Tau 2 Release Summary ...............................................................................................................................7
Table 2: Signals Available for Discrete I/O Pin Assignment .....................................................................................13
Table 3: Output Resolution by Configuration & Video Setting for Normal Mode ...................................................14
Table 4: Output Resolution by Configuration & Video Setting for Digital eZoom Enabled Mode ...........................15
Table 5: Field of View by Configuration / Lens Focal Length....................................................................................15
Table 6: Frame Rate by Configuration & Video Setting for Tau 2 in Normal Mode .................................................16
Table 7: 8-bit Double-Clocked YCbCr output based on configuration .....................................................................38
Table 8: Random Vibration Profile ..........................................................................................................................43
Table 9: Tau Camera Reliability Prediction...............................................................................................................45

1 DOCUMENT
1.1 REVISION HISTORY

Version Date Comments

100 11/07/2011 Initial release.

110 9/13/2012 Updated for Tau 2.1 release. Specific changes include:
 3.2.1: Addition of new resolution options
 3.3.2.4: Description of new continuous Ezoom feature
 3.3.2.8: Description of new variable symbol resolution
 3.3.2.6: Reiterated the changes to the ROI between Tau 2.0 and Tau 2.1.
 3.3.2.9: Description of new 8-bit snapshot feature.
 3.3.3.3: New advanced radiometric requirements.
 3.3.4.4: Description of new overtemp feature.
 3.4.9: Added clarification on IP67 typical validation procedure.
111 11/21/2012 3.4.1: Added operating-temperature-range requirement for commercial-grade configuration.

112 02/04/2013 3.3.2.11 Added the supplemental FFC capability for the Tau 2.1.1 release

120 02/04/2013 Updated for Tau 2.2 release. Specific changes include:
 3.1.2.4: Added a note about BT.656 unavailability for Tau 2.2
 3.2.1: Specified 8-bit CMOS resolution due to eZoom
 3.2.2: Added a note about frame rate for 8-bit CMOS output
 3.3.2.4: Added notes about eZoom in 8-bit CMOS
 3.3.2.7: Added information about Bayer encoding
 3.3.2.11: Updated supplemental FFC information for this release
130 05/20/2013 Updated for Tau 2.4 release. Specific changes include:
 1.2: Updated part number figure to include the advanced radiometry option “R”
 3.1.2.4: Added a note about colorization and eZoom being SW selectable in 8-bit digital output
 3.2.1: Specified 8-bit digital resolution due to Digital eZoom Mode
 3.2.2: Added a note about frame rate for 8-bit digital output with Digital eZoom Mode
enabled
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 3.3.2 Added variable FFC number of frames feature
 3.3.2.2 Added note about low gain for all configurations
 3.3.2.4: Added notes about eZoom in 8-bit CMOS/LVDS
 3.3.2.7: Added information about Bayer encoding patterns
 3.3.1.5: Added Tau 2.1 to Tau 2.4 upgrade notes
 3.3.3.3: Added TLinear feature
 3.4.1 Adjusted Commercial temp range (max 65C)
 3.5.1 Added vacuum life statement
 3.5.2 Updated ROHS directive number and removed REACH/WEEE
131 10/22/2013  3.2.1 Added a note for BT.656 resolution clarification
 3.5.1 Updated reliability specifications
 3.3.3.3 Updated radiometric accuracy to include % also
140 04/28/2014 Updated for Tau 2.7 release. Specific changes include:
 3.1.2.3 Added a note about analog being interleaved
 3.1.2.4 Added additional digital output options
 3.1.2.6 Removed zoom increment/decrement discrete options and added (4) new discrete
options
 3.1.2.7 External sync available in 60Hz/50Hz mode
 3.2.2 Included 640, 60Hz frame rates
 3.3.1.1 Added note about splash dependency on symbols
 3.3.2.1 Added variable FFC frame number feature
 3.3.2.2 Added shutter-less gain mode switching feature
 3.3.2.5 Updated images and notes for DDE
 3.3.2.6 Added new Plateau equalization features ACE, SSO, and Tail Rejection
 3.3.2.6.1 Updated IIR filter parameter meaning for current release and past releases and
renamed to AGC filter for alignment with SW IDD
 3.3.2.6.2 Added new Information-based algorithm descriptions
 3.3.2.6.2 Updated Linear Histogram for tail rejection
 3.3.2.7.1 YCbYCr output additions
 3.3.2.8 Added user-selectable symbology in analog and digital
 3.3.2.10/11 Removed calibration dependency on configuration
 3.3.2.12 Added SSN feature
 3.3.3.1 Isotherm additions for saturation threshold
 3.3.4.5 Status Flag section additions
 3.5.1 Updated reliability specifications
141 06/18/2015  3.1.2.4 Added note about Bayer encoding
 3.3.1.1 Added information on the default splash screen size
 3.3.1.2 Added note about readiness time
 3.3.2.2 Added note about AGC ROI being the region of interest for the auto gain algorithm
 3.3.2.3 Added note about operating inverted
 3.3.3.2 Clarified spot meter operation on advanced radiometry cameras.
 3.4.5 Added note about ruggedization

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1.2 SCOPE
Tau ™ is a family of miniature infrared imaging cores from FLIR Systems®, offered in various
configurations. This product specification specifically applies to the Tau 2 configuration, available in
multiple array sizes. Part numbering is as shown below.

While Tau 2 resembles the Tau 1.5 (324x256) and Tau 1.7 (640x512) configurations in size and shape, it
is a different product providing more capabilities not possible with the older hardware platform.
Furthermore it is intended to be field-upgradeable with feature improvements over time.
Consequently this product specification will be updated to reflect the new features of each upgrade.
These are summarized in Table 1.
Note: A number of expansion cards intended for specific applications are available for the Tau 2 core.
In most cases, these expansion cards modify or augment the standard core functionality. This
specification only applies to the standalone core.

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Table 1: Tau 2 Release Summary

Release Release New Features

Version Date
2.0 Oct. 2011 New features shown below are relative to Tau 1.X:
 New baud rate options are provided (see 3.1.2.5)
 60Hz frame rate is available for array sizes 336x256 and smaller (see 3.2.1)
 Splash screen display time is adjustable via command (see 3.3.1.1)
 FW / SW upgrade is fault tolerant (see 3.3.1.4)
 Revert applies to all digital output channels (see 3.3.2.3)
 All configurations, regardless of number of pixels, provide 640x512 symbol resolution (see
3.3.2.8)
 Isotherms provide three color ranges rather than two (see 3.3.3.1)
2.1 August New features shown below are relative to Tau 2.0:
2012  Newly available resolutions (see 3.2.1)
 New continuous electronic zoom feature (see 3.3.2.4)
 Selectable symbol resolution (see 3.3.2.8)
 New 8-bit snapshot / playback feature (see 3.3.2.9)
 Advanced radiometric features (see 3.3.3.3)
 New overtemp indicator (see 3.3.4.4)
2.2 February New features or changes shown below are relative to Tau 2.1:
2013  E-zoom in 8-bit CMOS digital output (see 3.2.1, 3.2.2, and 3.3.2.4)
 Bayer encoding for colorization in 8-bit CMOS digital output (see 3.3.2.7)
 BT.656 output is disabled for Tau 2.2 only (see 3.1.2.4)
 Supplemental FFC feature is available in Tau 2.1.1 and later (see 3.3.2.11)
2.4 May 2013 New features or changes shown below are relative to Tau 2.2. (Each of these items are shown in blue
font for emphasis in the current revision of this document.):
 E-zoom SW selectable in 8-bit CMOS/LVDS digital output (see 3.2.1, 3.2.2, and 3.3.2.4)
 Bayer encoding for colorization SW selectable in 8-bit CMOS/LVDS digital output (see 3.3.2.7)
 TLinear feature for advanced radiometric customers (see 3.3.3.3)
 Low gain available for all configurations (see 3.3.2.2)
2.7 May 2014 New features or changes shown below are relative to Tau 2.4. (Each of these items are shown in blue
font for emphasis in the current revision of this document.):
 640 resolution, 60Hz configuration offered (3.2.2)
 Improved AGC/DDE with new features and additional Information-based algorithms (3.3.2.6)
 YCbYCr colorization SW selectable in 8-bit and 16-bit CMOS digital output (3.1.2.4, 3.3.2.7)
 SSN (silent shutterless NUC) feature, allows for shutterless operation and reduces noise with or
without shutter (3.3.2.12)
 Variable frames for FFC feature (3.3.2.1)
 Shutterless gain mode switch features (3.3.2.5)
 Isotherm update for saturation threshold (3.3.1)
 Reduced resolution, lens-less configurations offered (field lens calibrations available) (3.3.2.10,
3.3.2.11)
 Four additional discrete I/O and status flags offered (3.1.2.6, 3.3.4.5)
 External sync available in 60Hz/50Hz modes (3.1.2.7)

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2 REFERENCES
The following documents form a part of this specification to the extent specified herein.

2.1 FLIR WEBSITE / CONTACT INFORMATION

In multiple locations throughout this document, FLIR’s Tau website is referenced as a source of
additional information. This website can be accessed via the following URL:

www.flir.com/cvs/cores/uncooled/products/tau/

The website also contains Frequently Asked Questions and a knowledge base:

http://www.flir.com/cvs/cores/knowledgebase/

Additionally, FLIR’s Applications Engineering Department is referenced as a resource for obtaining

additional help or information. The department can be accessed via the following phone number: +1-
805-964-9797 (or toll-free within the United States at 888-747-FLIR (888-747-3547).) Email requests
can be addressed to [email protected].

2.2 FLIR SYSTEMS DOCUMENTS

Document Number Document Title
102-PS242-01 Tau 2 Quick-Start Guide

102-PS242-41 Tau 2 Electrical Interface Description Document (IDD)

102-PS242-43 Tau2.0/Quark Software IDD

Various Mechanical Interface Description Drawing (varies by part number)

2.3 EXTERNAL DOCUMENTS

Document Number Document Title

IEC 60529 Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)

IEC 61000 Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

Directive 2002/95/EC Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS)

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2.4 ABBREVIATIONS / ACRONYMS
Abbreviation/ Components
Acronym
CMOS Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor
DDE Digital Detail Enhancement
EMC Electromagnetic Compatibility
ESD Electrostatic Damage
FFC Flat Field Correction
FOV Field of View
GUI Graphical User Interface
I/O Input / Output
ICD Interface Control Drawing / Document
IDD Interface Description Drawing / Document
IIR Infinite Impulse Response
IP Ingress Protection
LUT Look-Up Table
LVDS Low-Voltage Differential Signaling
MTBF Mean Time Between Failure
NETD Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference
NFOV Narrow Field of View
NTSC National Television System Committee
PAL Phase Alternating Line
RoHS Reduction of Hazardous Substances
ROI Region of Interest
SDK Software Developers’ Kit
TBD To Be Determined
URL Uniform Resource Locator
NVFFC Non-volatile FFC
WFOV Wide Field of View

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3 REQUIREMENTS
3.1 INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS
3.1.1 MECHANICAL INTERFACE

3.1.1.1 SIZE / WEIGHT

There are three body types for the Tau 2 core denoted by the first two digits of the part number (see
1.2): standard, shutterless, and iris-style shutter. There are a large number of lens options for Tau 2,
also denoted in the part number. Size and weight of the product varies by both body type and lens
type. Because new lens types are being added to the product list on a regular basis, this product
specification does not list size and weight requirements for all configurations. Instead these
requirements are specified in separate Mechanical Interface Description Drawings (IDDs) unique to
each configuration.
Note: Current lens offerings are shown on FLIR’s Tau website under the Optics tab. IDD STEP files and
PDF drawings are available for download from the Tau website under the Drawings / Models tab.

3.1.1.2 MOUNTING
The Tau 2 core provides precision mounting features on both sides and on the bottom surface.
Additionally, the WFOV configuration of the core (lens focal length < 19mm) can be bulkhead-mounted
via a thread (M29X1.0-6h) on the lens barrel. See the relevant Mechanical IDD for more detailed
information.
Note: Only a FLIR-specified plastic nut should be used for bulkhead mounting. The WFOV lens flange is
made of Magnesium and the protective coatings can be damaged with the use of a metal nut.

3.1.2 ELECTRICAL INTERFACE

Note: The paragraphs that follow describe high-level electrical-interface requirements. See the Tau 2
Electrical IDD for detailed requirements.

3.1.2.1 CONNECTOR
The primary electrical interface to the Tau 2 core is the same single high-density 50-pin connector used
on Tau 1.X configurations, Hirose #DF12-50DS-0.5V(86). The recommended mating connector is Hirose
#DF12(5.0)-50DP-0.5V(86) for a mating stack height of 5mm. The pin-out is backwards compatible
with Tau 1.X configurations. (In other words, a Tau 2.X can be plugged into the same socket as a Tau
1.X core.) Some of the pin assignments are field-configurable as described in detail in the Tau 2
electrical IDD.

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3.1.2.2 INPUT POWER

The input-voltage range for the Tau 2 core is 4.0V – 6.0V (same as Tau 1.X configurations). The iris-
shutter configurations (i.e., type 48) are an exception, requiring a minimum input voltage of 4.4V.

Nominal power dissipation is approximately equal to 1.0W at room temperature for 336 and lower
resolutions and approximately 20% higher for the 640 configuration. See the Tau 2 Electrical IDD for
detailed requirements regarding the power interface. Power consumption may be reduced by
approximately 75 mW by disabling the analog video channel.
Note: Voltage range can be extended to 6.0V – 28.0V via the “Photon Replicator” expansion board.

3.1.2.3 ANALOG CHANNEL

The Tau 2 core provides an analog channel that can be field-configured to any of the following options:
1. NTSC
2. PAL
3. NTSC, monochrome
4. PAL, monochrome
5. Disabled (saves approximately 75 mW)

The analog output is interlaced for all configurations and frame rates. See the Tau 2 Electrical IDD for
detailed requirements regarding the analog channel.
Notes:
1. To comply with the frame-rate requirements of the NTSC and PAL standards, “slow” (export-
compliant) configurations duplicate each analog frame multiple times. For example, in PAL
mode, the digital output frame rate of a slow configuration is nominally 8.33Hz whereas each
analog frame is duplicated (total of 3 copies) to produce a 25Hz rate.
2. In the monochrome modes, color encoding is not used and video low-pass filtering is disabled,
which results in slightly higher bandwidth data to the display system. This mode can be used to
improve image sharpness when color palettes and color symbols are not required. The
monochrome option applies only to analog output.

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3.1.2.4 DIGITAL CHANNELS
The Tau 2 core provides two simultaneous digital channels, one parallel and one serial. The parallel
channel can be configured to one of the following options:

1. BT.656 (post-AGC with color palettes applied (see 3.3.2.7) and symbols overlaid (see 3.3.2.8)) Note: Tau
2.2 does not include BT.656 output
2. CMOS 8-bit (post-AGC)
3. CMOS 8-bit (post-AGC, Bayer colorization, user selectable eZoom/symbol overlay)*
4. CMOS 8-bit (post-AGC, double-clocked YCbYCr colorization, user selectable eZoom/symbol overlay)
5. CMOS 14-bit (pre-AGC)
6. CMOS 16-bit (post-AGC, YCbYCr colorization, user selectable eZoom/symbol overlay)
7. Disabled

Similarly, the serial channel can be configured to one of the following options:
1. LVDS 8-bit (post-AGC)
2. LVDS 8-bit (post-AGC, Bayer colorization, user selectable eZoom/symbol overlay)*
3. LVDS 14-bit (pre-AGC)
4. Disabled
*Bayer colorization is not recommended when YCbYCr is available as an option. YCbYCr allows for per
pixel colorization while Bayer color encoding reduces the resolution to achieve the same colorization.

Note: All configurations of Tau 2 utilize a 4-pair LVDS interface (clock, sync, two data lines). In Tau 1.X,
the 320 configuration utilized a 3-pair LVDS interface (clock, sync, single data line).

See the Tau 2 Electrical IDD for detailed requirements regarding each option. Note that it is possible to
enable both the parallel and serial digital output as well as the analog channel simultaneously, though
it is assumed that unused channels will be disabled for power savings.

3.1.2.5 COMMAND / CONTROL INTERFACE

The Tau 2 core provides an RS-232 channel for command / control. Tau 1.5/1.7 provided an auto-
baud-rate selection between 57.6k and 921.6k. Tau 2 supports this auto-baud mode and additionally
provides the ability to set several other fixed baud rates as low as 9.6k. See the Tau 2 Electrical IDD for
detailed requirements regarding the physical interface and the Tau 2 Software IDD for detailed
requirements regarding the protocol and commands associated with the interface.

A graphical user interface (GUI) is provided to facilitate configuration of core settings. This GUI is
available for download on FLIR’s Tau website (see 2.1).

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3.1.2.6 DISCRETE I/O
The Tau 2 core provides the option of user-configured discrete I/O pins that can be used as either input
signals to the core (for example, to signal the core to toggle between white hot and black hot) or as
output signals from the core (for example, to signal imminent FFC). Depending upon the selected
digital mode (see 3.1.2.4), there are between 1 and 8 pins available as discrete I/O. The function
assigned to each discrete I/O pin is defined by a control file. No file is loaded by factory default. See
FLIR’s Tau website for an Application note further describing discrete I/O files. Table 2 lists potential
signals that can be assigned to discrete I/O pins.

Table 2: Signals Available for Discrete I/O Pin Assignment

Function Input or Detail

Output
White Input The voltage level of this pin controls the palette applied to the analog image (see 3.3.2.7). The pin
hot/black hot has a pull-up so that the no-connection state is High (3.3V). When this pin is high (3.3V) the analog
image will use the White Hot palette (palette 1 in the standard palette file). When this pin is low
(0V) the analog image will use the Black Hot palette (palette 2 in the standard palette file). The
camera will power up in the saved default state and switch to the discrete input defined state when
the pin state is changed.
Do FFC Input The application of Positive going edge to this pin will perform the “Do FFC” function.

FFC imminent Output This pin is normally at 0V and changes to 3.3V when the FFC Imminent Icon is present on the analog
display. The “FFC Warn Time” command controls both the analog icon and this output signal.
FFC Mode Input The voltage level of this pin controls the FFC mode. When the pin is high (also the non-connection
state), the core operates in “automatic” FFC mode (see 3.3.2.1). When the signal is pulled low, the
core will switch to “manual” mode. The camera will power up in the saved default state and switch
to the discrete input defined state when the pin state is changed.
Palette Toggle Input This function will change the color palette from the current value to the next palette in the loaded
LUT table when the discrete pin transitions from the no-connection state to the low state. No LUT
change happens on the transition from low to no-connection. The LUT state after LUT14 will be
LUT1.
Zoom (2X) Input The voltage level of this pin controls the applied zoom. When high (the no-connection state), 1X
zoom is selected. When low, 2X zoom is selected.
Zoom toggle Input This function will change the current zoom state from 1X to 2X to 4X to 8X zoom (if applicable)
whenever the discrete pin changes from the float state to the ground state
FFC Desired Output This output signal is normally in low state and will transition to high state when an FFC is desired in
Manual/External FFC modes. The FFC_PERIOD and FFC_TEMP_DELTA commands control the timing
of when a FFC is desired.
Gain-State Output This output signal is normally in low state and will transition to high state when a gain state
Change transition is desired in Manual/External FFC mode and Auto gain mode. The
Desired GAIN_SWITCH_PARAMS command controls gain switching thresholds.
Table Change Output This output signal is normally in low state and will transition to high state when a calibration table
Desired switch is desired in Manual FFC mode and High/Auto gain mode. The calibration data specific to
each camera controls the camera temperatures defining the table boundaries.
FFC In Output This output signal is normally in low state and will transition to high state when an FFC is in
Progress progress.

3.1.2.7 EXTERNAL SYNC

The Tau 2 core provides an external sync channel that can be used to synchronize frame start between
two Tau cores, one configured as master and the other configured as slave. It can also be used to
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synchronize the frame start of a Tau 2 core with that of another product. The Tau 2.7 release
introduces the external sync capability in both 60Hz/50Hz averager disabled and 30Hz/25Hz averager
enabled modes for applicable configurations. See the Tau 2 Electrical IDD for more detailed
requirements regarding the interface. Each Tau can be configured into one of three external-sync
modes:
 Disabled: In “disabled” external-sync mode, the core relies on internal timing, and the external-sync
channel is used as neither input nor output.
 Master: In “master” mode, the core relies on internal timing to control its own frame start but also
outputs a synchronization pulse on the external-sync channel.
 Slave: In “slave” mode, the core synchronizes its frame start to a pulse received on the external-sync
channel.
Note: The external-sync feature is not recommended for “slow” configurations of Tau 2, and correct
operation is not guaranteed. See the Tau 2 electrical ICD for more information.

3.2 IMAGING REQUIREMENTS

3.2.1 OUTPUT RESOLUTION

Output resolution (i.e., number of pixels) varies by configuration as well as user-specified runtime
settings, as shown in Table 3 and Table 4. The resolution of the configuration is encoded in the part
number (see 1.2). For reference, Table 5 compares field of view of each configuration for a number of
available lens options.
Table 3: Output Resolution by Configuration & Video Setting for Normal Mode
Configuration, Video Setting Output Resolution, Output Resolution,
Resolution (runtime selectable) analog and BT.6561 LVDS & CMOS
640 NTSC 640x480 640x512

640 PAL 640x512 640x512

336 NTSC 320x240 336x256

336 PAL 320x256 336x256

324 NTSC 320x240 324x256

324 PAL 320x256 324x256

168 NTSC 160x120 168x128

168 PAL 160x128 168x128

162 NTSC 160x120 162x128

162 PAL 160x128 162x128

160 NTSC 160x120 160x128

160 PAL 160x128 160x128

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Table 4: Output Resolution by Configuration & Video Setting for Digital eZoom Enabled Mode
(Tau 2.4 and later releases)

Configuration, Video Setting Output Resolution, Output Resolution, 14- Output Resolution, 8-
Resolution (runtime selectable) analog and BT.6561 bit CMOS & LVDS bit CMOS & LVDS
640 NTSC 640x480 640x512 640x512

640 PAL 640x512 640x512 640x512

336 NTSC 320x240 336x256 640x512

336 PAL 320x256 336x256 640x512

324 NTSC 320x240 324x256 640x512

324 PAL 320x256 324x256 640x512

168 NTSC 160x120 168x128 640x512

168 PAL 160x128 168x128 640x512

162 NTSC 160x120 162x128 640x512

162 PAL 160x128 162x128 640x512

160 NTSC 160x120 160x128 640x512

160 PAL 160x128 160x128 640x512

Note 1: BT.656 format requires 720 pixels per line; to meet this requirement the 640 and 320 resolution
outputs are interpolated (not duplicated) up to 720 via a linear weighted average algorithm.
Table 5: Field of View by Configuration / Lens Focal Length
(Values are approximate; see the mechanical IDD for each configuration)

Configuration, 005 007 009 013 019 025 W35 035 050 060 100
Resolution 5.0 mm 7.5 9 mm 13 mm 19 mm 25 mm 35 mm 35 mm 50 mm 60 mm 100
(f/1.25) mm (f/1.4) (f1/.25) (f/1.25) (f/1.1) (f/1.5) (f/1.2) (f/1.2) (f/1.25) mm
(f/1.4) (f/1.6)
o o o o o o o o o o
640 (17u) n/a 90 x 69 x 45 x 32 x 25 x 18 x 18 x 12 x 10 x 6.2 x
o o o o o o o o o o
69 56 37 26 20 14 14 9.9 8.3 5.0
o o o o o o o o o o
336 (17u) n/a 45 x 35 x 25 x 17 x 13 x 9.3 x 9.3 x 6.5 x 5.5 x 3.3 x
o o o o o o o o o o
35 27 19 13 10 7.1 7.1 5.0 4.2 2.5
o o o o o o o o o o
324 (25u) n/a 63 x 48 x 34 x 24 x 18 x 13 x 13 x 9.1 x 7.6 x 4.6 x
o o o o o o o o o o
50 37 26 18 14 10 10 6.9 5.7 3.4
o o o o o o o o o o
168 (34u*) n/a 45 x 35 x 25 x 17 x 13 x 9.3 x 9.3 x 6.5 x 5.5 x 3.3 x
o o o o o o o o o o
35 27 19 13 10 7.1 7.1 5.0 4.2 2.5
o o o o o o o o o o
162 (50u*) n/a 63 x 48 x 34 x 24 x 18 x 13 x 13 x 9.1 x 7.6 x 4.6 x
o o o o o o o o o o
50 37 26 18 14 10 10 6.9 5.7 3.4
o o o o o o o o o o o
160 (25u) 43 x 30 x 25 x 17 x 12 x 9.1 x 6.5 x 6.5 x 4.6 x 3.8 x 2.3 x
o o o o o o o o o o o
35 24 20 14 9.6 7.3 5.2 5.2 3.7 3.1 1.8

* Not actual FPA pixel pitch but rather effective pixel pitch obtained by interpolation

Note: The W35 fits inside the WFOV lens flange whereas the 035 lens utilizes the NFOV lens flange.

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3.2.2 FRAME RATE
Table 6 shows digital frame rate as a function of configuration as well as two user-specified runtime
settings: video setting and averager mode. (The analog frame rate is consistent with NTSC and PAL
respective frame rate standards) In averager-enabled mode, the Tau 2 core performs automatic
“smart” averaging of pairs of frames from the detector array.
Note1: The averager operation is designed to reduce blur by only averaging a given pixel’s output if the
difference from one frame to the next is small enough to be considered noise. The 640, 30Hz
configuration does not provide an averager option (because the native sensor output is 30Hz).
Note2: For Tau 2.4 and later releases, the optional “Digital eZoom Mode” affects the frame rate for 8-
bit CMOS and LVDS digital output when enabled – the frame rate will be 25/50Hz or 29.97/59.94Hz
depending on the video setting, but regardless of the averager and video speed. For slow
configurations, the 8-bit CMOS and LVDS output is also 25Hz or 29.97Hz, but frames are replicated to
give a true data update of only 7.49Hz or 8.33Hz.

Table 6: Frame Rate by Configuration & Video Setting for Tau 2 in Normal Mode

Configuration, Configuration, Video Setting Averager Mode Frame Rate (Hz) Frame Rate (Hz) 8-bit Digital eZoom
Video Speed Resolution Enabled Mode
Fast all except 640 NTSC Disabled 59.94 Hz 29.97 Hz

Fast all except 640 PAL Disabled 50.00 Hz 25.00 Hz

Fast all except 640 NTSC Enabled 29.97 Hz 29.97 Hz

Fast all except 640 PAL Enabled 25.00 Hz 25.00 Hz

Fast 640, 30Hz NTSC not applicable 29.97 Hz 29.97 Hz

Fast 640, 30Hz PAL not applicable 25.00 Hz 25.00 Hz

Fast 640, 60Hz NTSC Disabled 59.94 Hz 59.94 Hz

Fast 640, 60Hz PAL Disabled 50.00 Hz 50.00 Hz

Fast 640, 60Hz NTSC Enabled 29.97 Hz 29.97 Hz

Fast 640, 60Hz PAL Enabled 25.00 Hz 25.00 Hz

Slow all except 640 NTSC Disabled 8.56 Hz 29.97 Hz

Slow all except 640 PAL Disabled 8.33 Hz 25.00 Hz

Slow all except 640 NTSC Enabled 7.49 Hz 29.97 Hz

Slow all except 640 PAL Enabled 8.33 Hz 25.00 Hz

Slow 640, 30Hz NTSC not applicable 7.49 Hz 29.97 Hz

Slow 640, 30Hz PAL not applicable 8.33 Hz 25.00 Hz

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3.2.3 OPTICAL PERFORMANCE
Because new lens types are being added to the product list on a regular basis, this product
specification does not list optical requirements for all configurations. Instead the FOV for each
configuration are specified in separate Mechanical IDDs unique to each configuration. See Table 5 for
approximate FOVs for a number of available configurations.
Note: Current lens offerings are shown on FLIR’s Tau website under the Optics tab.

3.2.4 SENSITIVITY
See Appendix A. (This appendix contains proprietary performance specifications and is available to
parties having a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) on file with FLIR Systems. Please contact FLIR
Systems to obtain this appendix.)

3.2.5 INTRASCENE RANGE

See Appendix A.

3.2.6 OPERABILITY
See Appendix A.

3.3 FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

3.3.1 START-UP FEATURES

3.3.1.1 SPLASH SCREEN

At start-up, the Tau 2 core presents a splash screen (or optionally 2 splash screens, displayed one after
the other) in the analog and BT.656 channel (Note: Tau 2.2 does not include the BT.656 channel). The
default splash screen is a solid black splash screen. It is possible to customize the splash screen in the
field. (See FLIR’s Tau website for an Application note describing this capability.) The default splash
screen is 640x512 for all FPA sizes. The timing of each splash screen (i.e., how long each is displayed)
can also be adjusted via serial command or GUI.

Note: To maintain proper symbology scaling any splash screen loaded after the factory should also be
drawn on a 640x512 canvas.

For Tau 2.7 and later releases, the splash screen is also presented in the colorized/eZoom enabled
digital channels. Similar to the analog channels, digital symbols are user selectable and must be
enabled if a splash screen is desired in the digital channel; the default mode is digital symbols disabled.
For Tau 2.7 and later releases, analog symbols are user selectable and must be enabled if a splash
screen is desired; the default mode is analog symbols enabled.

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3.3.1.2 READINESS TIME
Elapsed time from application of power to output of IR video is approximately 2 to 3 sec for the 324 /
336 configurations and approximately 4 to 5 sec for the 640 configurations. (This requirement only
applies if splash-screen display time is set to “minimum”.)
Note: Serial commands should not be sent to the core prior to the readiness time. Delayed startup time
and poor image quality may result if commands are sent too early.

3.3.1.3 POWER-ON DEFAULTS

The Tau 2 core presents capability to specify default setting to be applied at start-up. Additionally, it is
possible to reset the core to factory-specified defaults. See the Tau 2 / Quark Software IDD for a list of
applicable settings and factory default values.

3.3.1.4 FAULT-TOLERANT UPGRADEABILITY

The Tau 2 core provides the capability to safely upgrade firmware / software. In the event of power
loss or data corruption during the upgrade process, the core will continue to provide at least the
minimum functionality required for the upgrade process to be repeated.
Note: The Tau 2 core reserves a portion of non-volatile memory referred to as the “upgrade” block.
FLIR recommends writing only to the upgrade block and not to the “factory” block when upgrading
firmware. Fault-tolerant upgrade is not ensured when writing the factory block. When the upgrade
block is written, boot-up time increases by approximately 300 msec.

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3.3.1.5 BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY
All future releases of Tau 2 firmware / software will be backwards compatible with all fielded versions
of Tau 2. In other words, upgrading the core in the field with an authorized firmware / software
release will not result in a loss of function or performance.
Note 1: Tau 2 hardware is different than Tau 1.X and the firmware / software. Attempting to upgrade
a Tau 1.X core with Tau 2 code releases will result in part failure.
Note 2: Not all feature improvements planned for later releases will necessarily work when a fielded
Tau 2 core is upgraded because some may require factory calibration to function properly. However, in
those cases, the new feature will simply not function rather than causing the upgraded core to behave
erroneously.
Note 3: For Tau 2.0 cores that are upgraded to 2.1 or later:
 If radiometric features (e.g., spotmeter and/or isotherms) were active prior to upgrade, they will continue to
function after upgrade as they did previously. See 3.3.3.
 As described in 3.3.2.4, the coordinates for AGC ROI are no longer specified in pixels but rather as a
percentage of the zoom window size. This change precludes the user from having to change the ROI as the
zoom window size is varied. As a result of this change, there is no need for separate zoom ROI (for 2X, 4X,
and 8X zoom), and the coordinates for these are ignored in Tau 2.1. A Tau 2.0 core that is field-upgraded to
Tau 2.1 will default to having the AGC ROI subtend 100% of the displayed image.
Note 4: For Tau 2.1 cores that are upgraded to Tau 2.4 or later:
 The TLinear feature will only be available if the Tau 2.1 camera had advanced radiometry features
enabled when originally received (see 3.3.3).
 The low gain feature will not be made available with a field upgrade alone. Factory calibration must be
performed to allow the low gain capability for configurations other than the 324 (see 3.3.2.2).
Note5: OEM part numbers currently shipped with older software/firmware revisions need to be
assessed to determine if a field upgrade is compatible or if a demonstration camera should be provided
to evaluate the features for each new release. Contact FLIR Application Engineering for further
information.

3.3.2 IMAGE PROCESSING FEATURES

3.3.2.1 FFC
Flat field correction (FFC) is a process whereby offset terms are updated to improve image quality.
Output data is frozen throughout the FFC event (nominally 0.4 sec), and a warning symbol consisting of
a square in the upper-right corner is displayed before/during FFC. (The time prior to the FFC event that
the warning symbol is displayed is user-selectable.)

All configurations of the Tau 2 core provide three user-selectable FFC modes:

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 Automatic: FFC is performed automatically at start-up and periodically thereafter as triggered
by elapsed time or temperature change or both. (Both parameters may be modified by the
user.) FFC is also performed upon command. For cores with an internal shutter, the shutter is
automatically moved in and out of the FOV when FFC takes place. Automatic mode is not
recommended for shutterless configurations because there is no assurance that the core will be
imaging a uniform source when it initiates an automatic FFC.
 Manual: FFC is performed automatically at start-up and only upon command thereafter. For
those configurations that include an internal shutter, the shutter is automatically moved in and
out of the FOV when FFC takes place. This mode is recommended when it is desirable that an
FFC event not take place at any arbitrary time (for example, when tracking a target). Repeated
FFC events are necessary to correct for temperature drift in the camera. For this reason, it may
be necessary to command FFC more frequently during startup or when the camera
temperature changes quickly.
 External: FFC is performed only upon command. The shutter control signals are not exercised even if
the core includes an internal shutter. That is, offset terms are generated based upon whatever the core
is imaging at the time FFC is commanded. (It is recommended to subtend the entire FOV with a uniform
scene prior to commanding external FFC.) For configurations that contain no internal shutter, external
FFC mode is the preferred mode.

After any FFC event, it is possible to store the currently-applied map to non-volatile memory via
command, in which case that map will be applied automatically at the next power-up. This feature is
particularly useful for shutterless configurations. If a non-volatile FFC (NVFFC) map has been saved,
the behavior of the automatic and manual FFC modes differs slightly from that described above:

 Automatic: FFC is not automatically performed at start-up. Instead the stored NVFFC map is
applied for the first 5 seconds after power-up, after which time an automatic FFC event takes
place.
 Manual mode: FFC is not automatically performed at start-up. Instead the stored NVFFC map is
applied until another FFC operation is commanded.
 External: No change to the behavior of external FFC mode described above. (That is, FFC is only
performed upon command regardless of whether or not NVFFC is stored.)

When operating in high-gain state (see 3.3.2.2), the Tau 2 core requires a “long” FFC operation
whenever if heats or cools through approximately 0C, 40C or 65C. For example, long FFC is required if
the core is powered on at -10C and then is heated to +10C. The long FFC operation takes
approximately 0.1 sec longer than the normal “short” FFC operation and allows the core to
automatically load calibration terms that are appropriate for the current operating temperature range.

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When operating in automatic FFC mode, long FFC operations take place automatically. When
operating in external FFC mode, calibration terms are loaded automatically without requiring an FFC.
(Image quality may appear slightly worse until FFC is commanded.) When operating in manual FFC
mode, the core awaits a long FFC command before loading new calibration terms.

The option to specify the number of frames averaged for an FFC correction is available in the Tau 2.7
release and later releases. Increasing the number of frames can aid in reducing spatial noise. FLIR
recommends a setting of 4 with the averager enabled (if applicable) and 8 with the averager disabled.
See the Tau 2 SW IDD for further details.

3.3.2.2 GAIN STATE

Note: In the Tau 2.0, Tau 2.1, and Tau 2.2 release, only the 324 configurations provide low-gain state.
In the Tau 2.4 and later releases, all configurations provide the low-gain state (with the exception of
commercial part numbers); this feature is not field-upgradeable.
The Tau 2 core provides a high-gain state (lower NEDT, lower intrascene range), and some
configurations also provide a low-gain state (higher NEDT, higher intrascene range). There are three
gain-selection modes (of which only the first is applicable for those configurations without the low-gain
state):
 High: Core operates in high-gain state only

 Low: Core operates in low-gain state only

 Automatic: Core automatically selects between high and low-gain state based on scene
conditions within the AGC ROI and the following user-selectable parameters:

o High-to-low temperature / high-to-low population: The core transitions to low gain

when a sufficient percentage of the pixel population is imaging sufficiently hot scene
temperature

o Low-to-high temperature / low-to-high population: The core transitions to high gain

when a sufficient percentage of the pixel population is imaging sufficiently cold scene
temperature

Note: When operating in manual FFC mode (see 3.3.2.1), automatic gain-state switching logic is
suspended until long FFC is commanded. See the Tau 2 software IDD for more information
regarding the status flag indicating a gain mode switch is desired.

Shutterless gain mode switching in external FFC mode is supported in Tau 2.7 and later releases.
Accurate radiometry is required for proper gain mode switching behaviour; therefore a relatively
accurate FFC is required. The capability to calibrate and store two NVFFC maps, one for each gain
mode, is included to accomplish this. With the feature enabled and the NVFFC maps calibrated, it is

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possible to operate in Auto gain mode and external FFC mode without the requirement of a run-time
FFC.

3.3.2.3 IMAGE ORIENTATION

The Tau 2 core provides four image-orientation modes, described below and illustrated in Figure 1:
 Normal
 Invert + revert: flips image vertically and horizontally. This is the recommended mode when the core is
mounted upside-down.
 Invert: flips image vertically. This is the recommended mode when the core images the scene via a
vertical fold mirror.
 Revert: flips image horizontally. This is the recommended mode when the core images the scene via a
horizontal fold mirror or when used in a rear-facing application intended to simulate the view through a
rear-view mirror.
Unlike Tau 1.X, both invert and revert settings apply to all channels in Tau 2. (For Tau 1.X, revert only
applied to analog and BT.656 output and not to CMOS or LVDS.)
Note: New bad pixels may appear when operating the camera inverted. If possible the host system
should be oriented to accommodate the core in the normal or revert-only orientation.

Image on Display
pix(0,0)
pix(0,0)

pix(0,0) pix(0,0)

normal invert+revert invert revert

Figure 1: Illustration of Image-Orientation Modes

3.3.2.4 ZOOM
The Tau 2 core provides an optional zoom capability. For Tau 2.0 and Tau 2.1, the zoom algorithm
applies to the analog and BT.656 output data (not to the CMOS or LVDS output data). For Tau 2.4 and
later releases, the zoom algorithm is also user selectable for application to the 8-bit CMOS and LVDS
output data (excludes application to the14-bit CMOS and LVDS data).

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For the Tau 2.0 release, zoom is in discrete steps of 2X, or 4X, (or 8X for the 640 config. only). A zoom
symbol indicating the zoom factor is displayed (in the analog and BT.656 channels) when in the zoom
mode. Note that for Tau 2.0, zoom is always relative to the center of the field of view.

The Tau 2.1 release and later Tau 2 releases provide improved zoom capability as follows:
 Zoom factor is continuously variable. The user specifies the width of the zoom window, ranging from a
minimum value of 80 pixels to a maximum value equal to the maximum horizontal dimension shown in
the “Analog Video” column of Table 3. For example, for the 640 configuration, it is possible to specify a
zoom width of 240, meaning that a 240x192 portion of the array will be stretched to the 640x512
analog video output size in PAL mode (or a 240x180 portion in NTSC mode). This represents a 2.67X
zoom.
Note: Continuous zoom is specified via a new software command, EZOOM_CONTROL.
However, the Tau 2.0 command VIDEO_MODE for selecting discrete zoom states (2X, 4X, and
8X) remains valid in Tau 2.1 and later releases. The on-screen zoom symbol is only displayed
when zoom is selected via VIDEO_MODE. See the software IDD for more detail.

 The zoom window need not be centered with the field of view. It is possible to pan the zoom window
horizontally and tilt it vertically up to +40 columns / rows. Figure 10c illustrates a case in which the
zoom window is not centered with the field of view. (In the figure, the full array dimension is illustrated
as the cross-hatched rectangle and the zoom window by the thick black outline. The ROI is illustrated
by the blue dashed outline.)

 The coordinates of the AGC region of interest (ROI) are specified as a percentage of the zoom window
size (relative to the center of the zoom window), and the ROI is automatically sized / located relative to
the zoom window. This feature precludes the user from having to change size and/or location of the
ROI as the zoom window size or location is modified. Figure 10 illustrates ROI for the following
coordinates:
o Left: -40%
o Top: 0%
o Right: +40%
o Bottom: +50%

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Zoom width = 640 Zoom width = 240 Zoom width = 240

Pan = 0, tilt = 0 Pan = 0, tilt = 0 Pan = +40, tilt = -40
(a) (b) (c)
Figure 2: Illustration of ROI for Tau 2.1 and 2.2.
(Dark gray rectangle illustrates the displayed image (i.e., the zoom window) within the total FOV. The light gray rectangle
with dash outline illustrates the ROI.)

3.3.2.5 DIGITAL DATA ENHANCEMENT (DDE)

The Tau 2 core provides an optional “digital-data-enhancement” (DDE) algorithm which can be used to enhance
image details and/or suppress fixed pattern noise. Two modes are available, “manual” and “dynamic”. The
descriptions of each mode are as follows:
 Dynamic mode: DDE parameters are computed automatically based on scene contents. DDE index
(which supplants the spatial-threshold parameter used in the manual algorithm) is the only controlling
parameter and ranges from -20 to 100 for Tau 2.7 and later releases, with higher values representing
higher degrees of detail enhancement. If no enhancement is desired, the value should be set to 0.
Values less than 0 soften the image and filter fixed pattern noise, as exemplified in Figure 3. Values
greater than 0 sharpen the details in the image, as shown in Figure 4. For previous Tau 1 and Tau 2
releases, the DDE index ranged from 0 to 63, where 0 to 16 softened the image, 17 was neutral, and 18
to 63 sharpened detail.

(a) DDE index = 0 (b) DDE index = -10

Figure 3: Illustration of Noise Suppression with DDE

(Notice fixed pattern noise is reduced in the image on the right.)

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(a) DDE index = 0 (b) DDE index = 70

Figure 4: Illustration of Detail Enhancement with DDE

Note: The recommended DDE mode is “dynamic”. “Manual” is provided for customers of previous FLIR
cores that have familiarly with the manual DDE mode.

 Manual mode: The following three parameters are user-specified:

o DDE Gain: ranges from 0 to 65535 for Tau 2.7 and later releases and represents the magnitude
of high-frequency boost
 For gain = 0, DDE is disabled
 For gain > 0, details are enhanced by gain/2048. In other words, a value of 1 represents
a 1/2048 attenuation of details whereas a value of 8192 represents a 4X enhancement
of details. Note that gain is also applied globally and locally to the low frequency portion
of the image, and therefore the DDE gain is relative (therefore users are strongly
discouraged from using manual DDE mode).
o DDE threshold: ranges from 0 to 255 and represents the maximum detail magnitude that is
boosted. Details with variance exceeding the threshold are not enhanced. Details with variance
less than the thresholds are enhanced. Values greater than 255 will place the camera in Dynamic
DDE mode with a DDE index of x-255. In this case, DDE Gain and DDE spatial threshold are
adjusted dynamically.
o DDE spatial threshold: ranges from 0 to 15, and represents the threshold of the pre-filter
(smoothing filter) applied to the signal prior to high-frequency boost. The pre-filter prevents
low-magnitude fixed-pattern noise from being amplified. Note that the DDE spatial threshold
also represents the DDE index when in automatic DDE mode.

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3.3.2.6 AUTOMATIC GAIN CORRECTION (AGC)
The Tau 2 core provides multiple AGC algorithms used to transform 14-bit data to 8-bit. These options include
the following, with associated parameters shown below each algorithm:
 Plateau equalization (see 3.3.2.6.1)
o Plateau value
o Maximum gain
o ITT midpoint
o ACE threshold
o SSO value
o Tail rejection
o Region of Interest (ROI)
o IIR filter
 Information-based and Information-based equalization (see 3.3.2.6.1)
o Information-based Threshold
 Linear histogram (see 3.3.2.6.3)
o ITT midpoint
o ROI
o IIR filter
 Manual (see 3.3.2.6.4)
o Brightness
o Contrast
o IIR filter
 Auto-bright (see 3.3.2.6.5)
o Brightness
o Contrast
o IIR filter
 Once-bright (see 3.3.2.6.6)
o Brightness bias
o Contrast
o IIR filter
Note: FLIR highly recommends that each customer optimize AGC settings for each particular application.
“Preferred” AGC settings are highly subjective and vary considerably depending upon scene content and user
preferences. Generally speaking, FLIR recommends the plateau equalization algorithm, but there are
scenarios where each of the other algorithms may be better suited.

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3.3.2.6.1 Plateau Equalization
The plateau equalization algorithm performs a non-linear transformation from 14-bit to 8-bit based on image
histogram. It is a variant of classic histogram equalization, an algorithm that maps 14-bit to 8-bit using the
cumulative histogram of the 14-bit image as the mapping function. In classic histogram equalization, an image
comprised of 60% sky will devote 60% of the available 8-bit shades to the sky, leaving only 40% for the
remainder of the image. Plateau equalization limits the maximum number of gray shades devoted to any
particular portion of the scene by clipping the histogram (via the plateau value) and limiting the maximum slope
of the mapping function (via the maximum gain value). It also provides an ITT midpoint value that allows mean
brightness of the8-bit image to be specified. The Tau 2.7 release includes the ability to allot a linear portion to
the histogram (via Smart Scene Optimization), include an irradiance dependent contrast adjustment (via Active
Contrast Enhancement), and specify outlier rejection (via Tail Rejection). The description below provides
explanations of each of these parameters.

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Plateau value. When plateau value is set high, the algorithm approaches the behavior of classic histogram
equalization – gray shades are distributed proportionally to the cumulative histogram, and more gray shades will
be devoted to large areas of similar temperature in a given scene. On the other hand, when plateau value is set
low, the algorithm behaves more like a linear AGC algorithm – there is little “compression” in the resulting 8-bit
histogram. Figure 5 illustrates both of the cases.

(a) Plateau Value = 1000 (b) Plateau Value = 10

(c) 8bit Histogram for Plateau Value = 1000 (d) 8-bit Histogram for Plateau Value = 10

Figure 5: Illustration of Plateau Value

(Notice details in the sidewalk in the left image whereas more gray shades are available for the
pedestrians in the right image.)

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Maximum Gain. For scenes with high dynamic range (that is, wide 14-bit histogram), the maximum gain
parameter has little effect. For a very bland scene, on the other hand, it can significantly affect the contrast of
the resulting image. Figure 6 provides an example.

(a) Maximum Gain = 6 (b) Maximum Gain = 24

(c) 8bit Histogram for Max. Gain = 6 (d) 8bit Histogram for Max. Gain = 24

Figure 6: Illustration of Maximum Gain in a Bland Image

(Notice more details but also greater fixed-pattern noise in the right image.)

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ITT Midpoint. The ITT Midpoint can be used to shift the 8-bit histogram darker or brighter. The nominal value is
128. A lower value causes a darker image, as shown in Figure 7. A darker image can help improve the perceived
contrast, but it is important to note that more of the displayed image may be railed (8bit value = 0 or 255) by
moving the midpoint away from 128. This can be seen in the histogram of Figure 7d.

(a) ITT Midpoint = 127 (b) ITT Midpoint = 96

(c) 8bit Histogram for ITT Midpoint = 127 (d) 8bit Histogram for ITT Midpoint = 96

Figure 7: Illustration of ITT Midpoint

(Notice image on the right is darker. Notice in the histogram on the right that far more pixels have a value
of 0 and that no pixels have a value between 224 and 255.)

ACE Threshold. The Active Contrast Enhancement (ACE) feature provides a contrast adjustment
dependent on the relative scene temperature. ACE thresholds greater than 0 impart more contrast to
hotter scene content and decrease contrast for colder scene content (e.g. sky or ocean). ACE threshold
less than 0 do the opposite by decreasing contrast for hotter scene content and leaving more of the

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gray-scale shades to represent the colder scene content. Figure 8 illustrates the effects of ACE. FLIR
recommends a conservative setting of 3 for generic use-case scenarios.

(a) ACE threshold = -4 (b) ACE threshold = 0 (neutral) (c) ACE threshold = 8

Figure 8: Illustration of Active Contrast Enhancement (ACE)

SSO Value. The Smart Scene Optimization (SSO) value defines the percentage of the histogram that
will be allotted a linear mapping. Enabling this feature facilitates the avoidance of irradiance level
compression, which is specifically important for bi-modal scenes. With SSO enabled, the linear aspects
of an image are better preserved (i.e. the difference in gray shades between two objects is more
representative of the difference in temperature). While linearity is better preserved with this feature,
the compromise is the optimization in local contrast. Figure 9 illustrates the effects of SSO. In the left
image, SSO is disabled and the hot object and person get mapped to two shades of gray next to one
another causing a “washed out” effect and making it appear as though the person and fire are similar
in temperature. In the right image, SSO is enabled, and the hot object and person are decompressed
with gray shades separating them.

(a) SSO = 0% (disabled) (b) SSO = 30%

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(c) 8bit Histogram of SSO = 0% (disabled) (d) 8bit Histogram of SSO = 30%

Figure 9: Illustration of Smart Scene Optimization (SSO)

Tail Rejection. The tail rejection parameter defines the percentage of the total number of pixels in the
array that will be excluded prior to histogram equalization. The user-selected percentage of pixels will
be removed from both the bottom and top of the 14-bit histogram prior to AGC. This feature is useful
for excluding outliers and the most extreme portions of the scene that may be of less interest. FLIR
recommends tail rejection settings less than 1% to avoid the exclusion of important scene content.

Region of Interest (ROI). In some situations, it is desirable to have the AGC algorithm ignore a portion
of the scene when collecting the histogram. For example, if the Tau 2 core is rigidly mounted such that
the sky will always appear in the upper portion of the image, it may be desirable to leave that portion
of the scene out of the histogram so that the AGC can better optimize the display of the remainder of
the image. This is illustrated in Figure 10. Similarly for a hand-held application, it may be desirable to
optimize the display of the central portion of the image. For those applications, it is possible to specify
a region of interest (ROI) beyond which data is ignored when collecting the image histogram. Any
scene content located outside of the ROI will therefore not affect the AGC algorithm. (Note: this does
not mean the portion outside of the ROI is not displayed, just that the portion outside does not factor
into the optimization of the image.)
Note: The AGC ROI is the region of interest that the auto gain algorithm uses, see section 3.3.2.2.

For Tau 2.0, separate ROI are automatically applied for un-zoom, 2X, 4X, and 8X zoom. Coordinates for
the ROI are as follows:
 Top / Bottom: 0 = center of the display, negative values are above center, positive values are below center, units
are in pixels
 Left / Right: 0 = center of display, negative values are left of center, positive values are right of center, units are in
pixels

For Tau 2.1 and later, a single ROI is specified regardless of zoom (see 3.3.2.4). Coordinates for the ROI
are as follows:
 Top / Bottom: 0 = center of the window, negative values are above center, positive values are below center, units
are percentage of zoom window size (-512 = -50%, +512 = + 50%).
 Left / Right: 0 = center of display, negative values are left of center, positive values are right of center, units are
percentage of zoom window size (-512 = -50%, +512 = + 50%).

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(a) ROI = Full Image (b) Sky excluded from ROI

Figure 10: Illustration of ROI

(Notice the image on the right has more contrast in the portion of the image below the sky.)

AGC Filter. The AGC filter is an IIR filter used to adjust how quickly the AGC algorithm reacts to a
change in scene or parameter value. The filter is of the form

n' = n * /256 + n'-1 * (256-)/256

where:
n' = actual filtered output value for the current frame
n = unfiltered output value for the current frame
n'-1 = actual filtered output value for the previous frame
 = filter coefficient, user-selectable from 0 to 255

If the AGC filter value is set to a low value, then if a hot object enters the field of view, the AGC will adjust more
slowly to the hot object, resulting in a more gradual transition. In some applications, this can be more pleasing
than a sudden change to background brightness. For the Tau 2.7 release, a filter coefficient of 255 is a special
case for immediate updates, a value of 1 provides the most filtering or slowest refresh rate, and a value of 0
indicates no further updates to AGC. For previous releases of Tau 2, a filter coefficient of 0 was a special case for
immediate updates, a value of 1 was the most filtering or slowest refresh rate, and the case for no AGC updates
was unavailable.

3.3.2.6.2 INFORMATION-BASED AND INFORMATION-BASED EQUALIZATION

The Tau 2.7 release and subsequent releases include the Information-based algorithms which reserve
more shades of gray for areas with more information or scene content by assigning areas with less
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information or scene content lesser gray shades. By assigning lesser gray shades to areas with less
information (e.g. sky, sea, roads) the fixed pattern noise is reduced in these areas also allowing for
more detail to be given to the more interesting portions of the image. Both Information-based
algorithms undergo the plateau equalization process described in the previous section, and therefore
all parameters described also apply.

The differences between the Information-based and Information-based Equalization algorithms are
noteworthy as both have advantages. The Information-based algorithm completely excludes pixels
from histogram equalization if they are below the information threshold (described later in this
section). This is advantageous in that noise is completely removed from areas of the image determined
by the algorithm to not contain information, but scenarios in which the user is attempting to detect
small temperature or emissivity variations are not ideal for this mode because desired information may
be lost depending on the threshold. The Information-based Equalization algorithm includes every pixel
independent of scene information in the histogram equalization process, but simply weights each pixel
based on the information threshold. This mode shows more moderate improvements in scenes with
large areas void of information, but the advantage over the Information-based mode is that scene
content will never be removed. Figure 11 shows the Plateau Equalization algorithm on the left for
reference and the Information-based and Information-based Equalization algorithms center and right
respectively with information threshold set to 40.

(a) Plateau Equalization (b) Information-based (c) Information-based

Equalization

Figure 11: Illustration of the difference between Plateau Equalization, Information-based, and Information-based
Equalization algorithms

Information Threshold. The information threshold parameter defines the difference between
neighboring pixels used to determine whether the local area contains “information” or not. Lower
thresholds result in the algorithm determining that more of the scene contains information, resulting
in more areas included in the Information-based algorithm and given a higher weighting in the
Information-based Equalization algorithm. Decreasing the threshold will result in imagery approaching
the appearance of the Plateau Equalization algorithm. Increasing the threshold will result in a more
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information-dependent image, that is the flat portions of the scene (e.g. sky or sea) are given less
contrast and the pixels exceeding the information threshold will be given more contrast.

(a) Information Threshold = 20 (b) Information Threshold = 80

Figure 12: Illustration of Information Threshold

3.3.2.6.3 LINEAR HISTOGRAM

The linear histogram algorithm performs a linear transformation from 14-bit to 8-bit of the form:

8biti = m * 14biti + b

The slope of the transformation is computed automatically based on the ROI histogram:

m = 255 / (14bit_(100 – Tail Rejection)% - 14bit_(Tail Rejection)%),

where 14bit_(Tail Rejection)% is the 14-bit value corresponding to the user selectable tail rejection percentage
point on the cumulative ROI histogram and 14bit_(100 – Tail Rejection)% is the value corresponding to the
difference between 100% and the user selectable tail rejection percentage point.

The offset is then computed as

b = ITT midpoint - avg(14bit_(100 – Tail Rejection)%, 14bit_(Tail Rejection)%),* m

In other words, the algorithm attempts to map the midway point between the top and bottom tail rejection
points on the cumulative histogram to the specified ITT midpoint, as shown in Figure 13 for the case in which the
tail rejection parameter selected is 5%. The 8-bit values resulting from the above equations are clipped to a
minimum value of 0 and a maximum value of 255.

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specified
ITT Midpoint specified
ITT Midpoint

14bit_5% 14bit_95% 14bit_5% 14bit_95%

Avg(14bit_5%, 14bit_95%) Avg(14bit_5%, 14bit_95%)

(b) ITT Midpoint = 128 (b) ITT Midpoint = 96

Figure 13: Illustration of the Linear-Histogram Mapping Function

3.3.2.6.4 MANUAL
The “manual” algorithm performs a linear transformation from 14-bit to 8-bit, with slope based solely on a
specified contrast value and offset based solely on a specified brightness value as shown below:

m = specified contrast / 64

b = 127 – (brightness)*m.

3.3.2.6.5 AUTO BRIGHT

The auto-bright algorithm is identical to the “manual” algorithm except that brightness value is automatically
and dynamically updated to equal array mean. In other words, the array mean is automatically mapped to an 8-
bit value of 127.

3.3.2.6.6 ONCE BRIGHT

The “once bright” algorithm is identical to the “auto-bright” algorithm except that the offset of the linear
transformation, b, is computed only at the time the algorithm is selected and is not dynamically updated. It is
computed as
b = 127 – (frame mean – brightness bias)*m,

where brightness bias is a user-specified parameter.

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3.3.2.7 PALETTE
The Tau 2 core provides up to 15 user-selectable palettes (also referred to as look-up tables or LUTs).
For the Tau 2.0 and 2.1 releases, the palette selection applies to the analog and BT.656 output data.
For the Tau 2.4 release, the palette selection applies to the analog and BT.656 output data and in
addition, is user selectable in the 8-bit CMOS and LVDS digital output data. With the digital colorization
mode enabled, the 8-bit digital data is colorized via Bayer encoding or YCbYCr.

3.3.2.7.1 BAYER ENCODING

Bayer encoding allows colors to be produced with 8-bit resolution, instead of the traditional 24-bit
(RGB) representation. Bayer encoding is available on both CMOS and LVDS 8-bit outputs. By assigning
each pixel a red, green, or blue value and averaging the neighboring pixel values, the color components
of the specified pixel can be decoded. Multiple filter arrays can be applied to create the encoding;
Figure 14 describes one filter array option for the four upper-left corner pixels of the image. The Bayer
order is user selectable with the following options: ‘GR’, ‘GB’, ‘BG’, and ‘RG’. The order is defined by
the top two pixels from left to right in the pattern, such that Figure 14 is an example of the ‘GB’ option.

Green Blue

Red Green

Figure 14: Illustration of Bayer pattern

3.3.2.7.2 YCBCR ENCODING

YCbCr is a common method of encoding RGB information for digital outputs. Y represents the
luminance component and Cb and Cr represent the blue-difference and red-difference chrominance
components.

The Y, Cb, and Cr components are calculated as follows:

The YCbCr output allows digital colorization for two different CMOS output options: 16-bit and 8-bit
double-clocked. The 16-bit option encodes the YCbCr information in each pixel which contains both the
chrominance (upper bits [15:8]) and luminance (lower bits [7:0]) components. The 8-bit double-clocked
option doubles the output resolution width, and each pixel either contains the chrominance or the
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luminance components. Two different sub-sampling options for the chrominance are available: 4:2:2
centered and 4:2:2 cosited. The 4:2:2 centered option uses the average of two neighboring pixels for
the chrominance values, while the 4:2:2 cosited option uses every other pixel for the chrominance
values. The YCbCr order is also user-selectable with two options for the 8-bit double-clocked mode:
YCbYCr and CbYCrY. Table 7 illustrates the expected output of the first row and first ten pixels for each
sub-sampling and order configuration possible for the 8-bit double-clocked mode.

Configuration Col0 Col1 Col2 Col3 Col4 Col5 Col6 Col7 Col8 Col9

4:2:2 Centered Y0 (Cb0+Cb1)/2 Y1 (Cr0+Cr1)/2 Y2 (Cb2+Cb3)/2 Y3 (Cr2+Cr3)/2 Y4 (Cb4+Cb5)/2

YCbYCr
4:2:2 Centered (Cb0+Cb1)/2 Y0 (Cr0+Cr1)/2 Y1 (Cb2+Cb3)/2 Y2 (Cr2+Cr3)/2 Y3 (Cb4+Cb5)/2 Y4
CbYCrY
4:2:2 Cosited YCbYCr Y0 Cb0 Y1 Cr 0 Y2 Cb2 Y3 Cr 2 Y4 Cb4

4:2:2 Cosited CbYCrY Cb0 Y0 Cr 0 Y1 Cb2 Y2 Cr 2 Y3 Cb4 Y4

Table 7: 8-bit Double-Clocked YCbCr output based on configuration

3.3.2.8 SYMBOL OVERLAY

The Tau 2 core provides symbol-overlay capability in which arbitrary text, rectangles (filled or outline),
or bitmaps may be specified via run-time commands for on-screen display. For Tau 2.0, symbol
resolution (canvas size the symbols are drawn on) was 640x512 for all configurations. For Tau 2.1 and
later releases, symbol resolution is the same as the splash-screen size, either 640x512 or 320x256.
(The primary advantage of lower resolution symbols is the ability to generate larger fonts – see FLIR’s
Tau website for an Application note showing example fonts for both resolutions.) Each symbol may be
displayed in 1 of 18 colors. The symbol overlay capability, including built-in icons such as the FFC
warning indicator (3.3.2.1), zoom symbol (see 3.3.2.4), and spot-meter graphics (see 3.3.3.2), apply to
the analog and BT.656 output data. The ability to enable/disable symbology in the analog and BT.656
data is user selectable in Tau 2.7 and later releases. The 14-bit and normal 8-bit LVDS and CMOS
channels do not include symbol overlay data. For Tau 2.7 and later releases, the colorized/eZoom LVDS
and CMOS digital data channels provide a user selectable option for enabling symbology. Latency
between transmitting a symbol-draw command and the actual update on the BT.656/analog output
channels in approximately 0.5 sec.

3.3.2.9 SNAPSHOT
The Tau 2 core provides snapshot capability in which 14-bit frames of data can be stored in non-volatile
memory and downloaded via the serial-com. interface. The available capacity is reported upon
command, and also all stored snapshots can be erased upon command.

The Tau 2.1 core provides additional capability to store 8-bit frames of data with playback capability.
The snapshots are stored in BMP format and include colorization. Note that snapshots do not include
symbol overlay. (See FLIR’s Tau website for an Application note describing this capability.)
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3.3.2.10 GAIN CALIBRATION

The Tau 2 core provides capability to field-calibrate gain terms and defective pixels (in case, for
example, the lens is replaced or significantly refocused). Terms for up to 2 lenses can be stored /
selected.
Note: Use of the gain-calibration feature requires the advanced tab in the Tau 2 GUI. This capability is
not typically required unless the lens is changed after delivery from FLIR. Prior to the Tau 2.7 release,
reduced resolution configurations (e.g. 168 and 162) did not allow for in the field gain calibration.

3.3.2.11 SUPPLEMENTAL FFC

The supplemental FFC feature is only supported in the Tau 2.1.1 release and later. A supplemental FFC
field-calibration may be applied to compensate for the non-uniformities introduced by out-of-field
radiation. Terms for up to 2 lenses can be stored / selected.
Note: Use of the supplemental offset feature requires the advanced tab in the Tau 2 GUI. This
capability is not typically required unless the lens is changed after delivery from FLIR to a large lens that
does not have desirable thermal contact with the camera core. Prior to the Tau 2.7 release, reduced
resolution configurations (e.g. 168 and 162) did not allow for in the field supplemental FFC calibration.

3.3.2.12 SILENT SHUTTERLESS NUC (SSN) ™

The silent shutterless non-uniformity correction (SSN) ™ feature introduced in Tau 2.7 allows for noise
reduction without the conventional FFC, specifically intended for cameras without a shutter in
applications with continuous motion. The algorithm can also be useful in reducing noise in cameras
with a shutter. See the SSN Application Note for details regarding the algorithm and associated
parameters.

3.3.3 RADIOMETRIC FEATURES

Note: In the Tau 2.0 release, only the 324 configurations provided the radiometric features defined in
the following sub-paragraphs. In the Tau 2.1 release and later releases, all configurations provide this
capability.

3.3.3.1 ISOTHERM
The Tau 2 core performance configuration provides an “isotherm” feature in which portions of the
scene exceeding a user-selectable threshold are mapped to different portions of the palette. The
isotherm feature is most useful for palettes in which the bottom half is composed of gray shades and
the upper half is composed of color shades (for example, yellow to orange to red). Three user-
specified thresholds are applicable to the isotherm mode, with the option for a fourth threshold in Tau
2.7 and later releases. If the four isotherm mode is enabled, the fourth value represents the saturation
threshold (specified in either degrees Celsius or in percentage of full-scale of the temperature symbol

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bar) above which pixels will be mapped to the top shade of the palette (255). The third is the upper
threshold above which pixels will be mapped to the top shades of the palette (224 to 255). The second
is the middle threshold; pixels with value between the middle and upper threshold are mapped to
shades 176 to 223. The first is the lower threshold; pixels with value between the lower and middle
threshold are mapped to shades 128 to 175.

3.3.3.2 SPOT METER

The Tau 2 core performance configuration provides temperature-measurement capability via a spot
meter in the central 4x4 area. On Tau cameras with the Advanced Radiometry feature, the Spot meter
reports the mean of the resizable spot meter. See paragraph 3.3.3.3. Accuracy of the spot meter is
+20 Co in high-gain state (see 3.3.2.2) and the greater of +20% or +20C in low-gain state. (Typical
performance is on the order of +10 Co in high-gain state.)

The spot meter value is readable via command. Additionally, two user-selectable options for on-screen
display of spot-meter data are provided: a numeric value and/or a thermometer-style gauge. The
numeric indicator and gauge can be shown in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

3.3.3.3 ADVANCED RADIOMETRY AND TLINEAR

For high-volume OEM customers, the Tau 2 core provides the option of the following advanced
radiometric features:
 Improved accuracy: typical performance on the order of +5 Co or 5% in high-gain state (varies slightly
across the full operating temperature range)
 Moveable / resizable spot-meter: coordinates user-selectable to any arbitrary location on the array
 Additional spot-meter data: spot-meter reports average, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum
value
 TLinear: digital data linear in scene temperature, i.e. in real-time operation, the pixel values in the 14-bit
digital data correspond to the temperature of the scene.
In normal mode with TLinear disabled, the Tau camera outputs digital data linear in radiometric flux. In
TLinear mode, the Tau camera outputs digital data linear in scene temperature. The TLinear feature
applies to the 14-bit CMOS and LVDS channels and is user selectable. Two resolution modes are
available and user selectable: high resolution (0.04 Kelvin/count) and low resolution (0.4 Kelvin/count).

3.3.4 DIAGNOSTIC / STATUS FEATURES

3.3.4.1 SCRATCH PAD

The Tau 2 core provides capability to store arbitrary data (up to 128 Kbytes) to non-volatile memory
upon command. (It is envisioned that this scratch pad can be used to log operational data in the field.)

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3.3.4.2 TEST PATTERNS
The Tau 2 core provides capability to display various test patterns. These are intended primarily to
adjust display properties and/or for diagnostic purposes (for example, to verify the core is providing a
valid output).

3.3.4.3 TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

The Tau 2 core provides capability to report internal core temperature. Accuracy of the measurement
is +5Co.

3.3.4.4 OVERTEMP INDICATOR

The Tau 2 core provides capability to signal when the operating temperature is higher than the
specified range of the core. The overtemp status is available via serial command. For some
configurations, is also possible for the core to display an overtemp indicator when operating outside
the specified temperature range.

3.3.4.5 STATUS INDICATORS

The Tau 2.7 release introduces the capability to signal the user that certain camera operations are in
progress or need to occur for more user control over background operations that normally take place
in the camera. The “FFC in progress” status flag indicates that an FFC is currently in progress; further
commands should not be sent until the FFC operation is complete. The “Table change desired” status
flag indicates to the user operating in Manual FFC mode that a calibration table switch needs to take
place due to the camera’s change in temperature; the user can perform a long FFC to initiate the table
switch. The “FFC desired” status flag indicates to the user operating in Manual FFC mode that an FFC
needs to take place based on the user-selectable time and temperature change intervals. The “Gain-
State Change Desired” status flag indicates to the user operating in Auto gain mode and Manual FFC
mode that the current scene requires a switch between high and low gain states based on the user-
selectable gain switch parameters. The status flags are available via serial command and discrete I/Os.
See the Tau 2 Software IDD for further information.

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3.4 ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

3.4.1 OPERATING TEMPERATURE

The Tau 2 core meets all requirements of this specification when operated in conditions in which the
core frame is within the range shown below. Commercial Grade cameras are available for 640, 336
and 168 configurations.
Configuration, Tau Type Operating
Temperature Range
Commercial Grade o
-20 C to +65 C
o

Performance Grade o
-40 C to +80 C
o

Industrial Grade o
-40 C to +80 C
o

3.4.2 STORAGE TEMPERATURE

The Tau 2 core meets all requirements of this specification and exhibits no damage or permanent
degradation after storage within the range -50oC to +85oC.

3.4.3 RELATIVE HUMIDITY

The Tau 2 core meets all requirements of this specification and exhibits no damage or permanent
degradation when operated in non-condensing humidity in the range 5% to 95%.

3.4.4 THERMAL SHOCK

The Tau 2 core meets all requirements of this specification and exhibits no damage or permanent
degradation after extreme thermal shock from one extreme of the operating temperature range to the
other. Note: During extreme thermal shock, image quality may be temporarily compromised.

3.4.5 MECHANICAL SHOCK

The Tau 2 core meets all requirements of this specification and exhibits no damage or permanent
degradation after exposure to shock pulses along any axis with magnitude / duration as follows:
 250 g (1.5msec half-sine)
 500g (0.8msec half-sine)

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Note: For extreme shock environments it is possible to apply a ruggedization process using an
application note or even request the process to be applied at FLIR using an OEM part number for large
volume customers. Please contact your sales representative to learn more about this option.

Note: Movement of the iris-style shutter into the field of view may occur during exposure to harsh
shock or vibration. FLIR recommends the shutterless or flag-style shutter for applications that may
result in significant shock events.

3.4.6 VIBRATION
The Tau 2 core meets all requirements of this specification and exhibits no damage or permanent
degradation after exposure to random vibration along any axis up to 4.3 grms per the profile specified
in Table 8 (also shown graphically in Figure 10).
Table 8: Random Vibration Profile

Frequency Acceleration
(Hz) density (G2/Hz)
10 0.040
20 0.100
100 0.100
800 0.002
1000 0.002
Figure 15: Random Vibration Profile

10

0.1

0.01

0.001
1 10 100 1000

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3.4.7 ALTITUDE
The Tau 2 core meets all requirements of this specification and exhibits no damage or permanent degradation
after exposure to pressure equivalent to 12 km above sea level.

Note: The Blowing Sand (3.4.8), IP Rating (3.4.9), and Salt-Fog / Salt Spray (3.4.10) requirements that follow
each assume the front face of the Tau 2 core is mounted to a bulkhead via the bulkhead-mounting feature or via
an O-ring seal to the lens barrel. None of these requirements apply to the portion of the core behind the
bulkhead-mounted seal. Exposure of the rearward portion of the core to these environmental conditions will
cause permanent damage.

3.4.8 BLOWING SAND

After sealing the front face of the Tau 2 core to a bulkhead via the bulkhead-mounting feature or via an
O-ring seal to the lens barrel, the protruding portion withstands up to 90 minutes of blowing sand at
normal incidence, rate of 18 m/sec. Following exposure, responsivity of the core will be degraded by
no more than 10%.
Note: This requirement applies only to those configurations of the Tau 2 core with hard-carbon coating
(as denoted in the part number – see 1.2).

3.4.9 IP RATING
After sealing the front face of the Tau 2 core to a bulkhead via the bulkhead mounting feature, the
protruding portion provides ingress protection rating no less than IP 66/67.

Note: IP67 requires a 30 minute dunk under 1 meter of water. FLIR typically validates by subjecting the
core to pressure equivalent to 8.6 meters for 2 minutes, which based on previous experience is an
excellent indicator that it will withstand IP 66/67 exposure.

3.4.10 SALT SPRAY / SALT FOG

The WFOV lenses (forward of O-ring grove) and NFOV lenses (sealed to lens barrel) are resistant to at
least 200 hours of salt spray / salt fog with minimal corrosion of the metal or degradation of the lens
coating. All lens housings are anodized aluminum. The WFOV lens housing is magnesium with
environmental coatings to provide resistance against salt fog.

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3.4.11 EMC
The radiated emissions from the Tau 2 core are compliant to IEC 61000-6-3 (Class B) when a rear cover
is installed and proper cabling / line-termination are provided. Certification has not been formally
completed on the core, but testing has confirmed that radiated emission levels were below CE Class B
with proper grounding and shielding.
Note: Radiated emissions from Tau 2 are comparable to those from Tau 1.X.

3.5 DESIGN AND ASSEMBLY REQUIREMENTS

3.5.1 RELIABILITY / DESIGN LIFE

FLIR also assesses product reliability with reliability predictions, utilizing industry standard
methodology. As shown in Table 9, the predicted MTBF are quite long but are indeed the results of
standard electronics reliability predictions combined with accelerated life testing at FLIR. As this is a
theoretical prediction it is also interesting to assess actual field reliability. For this FLIR has utilized an
on-line calculator found at http://reliabilityanalyticstoolkit.appspot.com/field_mtbf_calculator
(method 2). Assuming a usage duty cycle of 80% across all fielded Taus (actually includes many
environments and use cases) the MTBF is calculated at 12.1 years (operating hours) with a 90%
confidence level. For further information on the Tau reliability prediction and assumptions FLIR can
provide the “Tau Reliability Predictions May 2011” upon request.

Table 9: Tau Camera Reliability Prediction

Tau w/ Flag Shutter

Camera MTBF (years)
Airborne
Ground Ground
Temp, °C Inhabit.
Fixed Mobile
Cargo
30 61.7 20.6 12.3

3.5.2 ROHS
The Tau 2 core complies with the following directives / regulations:
 Directive 2011/65/EU, “Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic
equipment (RoHS)”

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© FLIR Commercial Systems, 2011. All rights reserved worldwide. No parts of this manual, in whole or in part,
may be copied, photocopied, translated, or transmitted to any electronic medium or machine readable form
without the prior written permission of FLIR Commercial Systems

Names and m a r k s appearing on the p r o d u c t s herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
FLIR Commercial Systems and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, trade names, or company names
referenced herein are used for identification only and a r e the property of their respective owners.

Liberation fonts are copyright 2009 by RedHat and a re used under authority of the G N U public license.
Information about these fonts and the GNU public license can be found at:
https://www.redhat.com/promo/fonts/.

This product is protected by patents, design patents, patents pending, or design patents pending.

If you have q u e s t i o n s that are not covered in this ma n ua l , or need service, contact FLIR Commercial Systems
Customer Support at 805.964.9797 for additional information prior t o returning a camera.

This documentation and the requirements specified herein are subject to change without notice.

This equipment must be disposed of as electronic waste.

Contact your nearest FLIR Commercial Systems, Inc. representative for instructions on how to
return the p r o d u c t to FLIR for proper disposal.

FCC Notice. This device is a subassembly designed for incorporation into other products in order to provide an infrared camera
function. It is not an end-product fit for consumer use. When incorporated into a host device, the end-product will generate, use,
and radiate radio frequency energy that may cause radio interference. As such, the end-product incorporating this subassembly
must be tested and approved under the rules of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) before the end-product may be
offered for sale or lease, advertised, imported, sold, or leased in the United States. The FCC regulations are designed to provide
reasonable protection against interference to radio communications. See 47 C.F.R. §§ 2.803 and 15.1 et seq.

Industry Canada Notice. This device is a subassembly designed for incorporation into other products in order to provide an
infrared camera function. It is not an end-product fit for consumer use. When incorporated into a host device, the end-product will
generate, use, and radiate radio frequency energy that may cause radio interference. As such, the end-product incorporating this
subassembly must be tested for compliance with the Interference-Causing Equipment Standard, Digital Apparatus, ICES-003, of
Industry Canada before the product incorporating this device may be: manufactured or offered for sale or lease, imported,
distributed, sold, or leased in Canada.

Avis d’Industrie Canada. Cet appareil est un sous-ensemble conçu pour être intégré à un autre produit afin de fournir une
fonction de caméra infrarouge. Ce n’est pas un produit final destiné aux consommateurs. Une fois intégré à un dispositif hôte, le
produit final va générer, utiliser et émettre de l’énergie radiofréquence qui pourrait provoquer de l’interférence radio. En tant que
tel, le produit final intégrant ce sous-ensemble doit être testé pour en vérifier la conformité avec la Norme sur le matériel
brouilleur pour les appareils numériques (NMB-003) d’Industrie Canada avant que le produit intégrant ce dispositif puisse être
fabriqué, mis en vente ou en location, importé, distribué, vendu ou loué au Canada.

EU Notice. This device is a subassembly or component intended only for product evaluation, development or incorporation into
other products in order to provide an infrared camera function. It is not a finished end-product fit for general consumer use.
Persons handling this device must have appropriate electronics training and observe good engineering practice standards. As such,
this product does not fall within the scope of the European Union (EU) directives regarding electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
Any end-product intended for general consumer use that incorporates this device must be tested in accordance and comply with all
applicable EU EMC and other relevant directives.

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