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m5stack-t-lite

M5 Stack T-Lite Thermal Camera

The M5Stack T-Lite is a compact and easy-to-use WiFi thermal camera that provides access to real-time thermal images from anywhere.

When I was working in construction, I had the opportunity to “play” with thermal cameras. Apart from their utility, I must say they are one of the most fun machines we can use.

However, traditional equipment is extremely expensive and out of reach for the domestic sector. However, recently, several DIY devices for thermography have appeared.

This time M5Stack presents us with their thermal camera. For this, in my opinion intelligently, they have decided to base it on their M5 Stick Plus device. As you know, at the moment, the M5 Stick Plus is my favorite device for #maker projects.

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As we saw, the M5 Stick Plus is a device that mounts a dual-core ESP32-PICO at 240Mhz, 600 DMIPS, 520KB SRAM. It incorporates a 1.14” TFT screen with 135x240 pixels.

In addition, it has a built-in 160mAh 3.7V battery. The power is supplied through the USB-C port, and it has an internal chip to manage the charging.

As for other peripherals, the M5Stack T-Lite has a SPM1423 microphone and passive speaker. However, it does not include the 9-axis IMU that the normal M5 Stick Plus has.

As for the thermal camera, the T-Lite mounts a Melexis MLX90640-BAA sensor with a resolution of 32x24 pixels and a 110º FOV. The measurement range is -40°C to 300°C, with a resolution of +/-1.5°C.

Both devices, M5 Stick Plus and the thermal sensor, are presented in a single housing with a compact and lightweight design of only 69 x 26.6 x 6.35 mm and 30.1 grams, making it easy to carry. m5stack-tlite-2

We can visualize the thermal sensor on the device’s TFT screen, as well as real-time streaming to a computer or mobile device.

Obviously, we are dealing with a domestic thermal camera, which we cannot expect to perform like an industrial camera that costs several hundred (or even thousands) of euros.

However, it is a very fun and interesting device that we can use in projects such as non-contact temperature measurements, monitoring of temperature anomalies, detection of intrusions/movements, or checking electronic circuits.

The price is $79, not including shipping costs. All the information and code examples on the product page at m5-docs