The AMG8833 infrared thermopile array is a 64-pixel (8x8) detector that approximates temperature from radiative bodies. The module is wired to a Raspberry Pi 4 computer and communicates over the I2C bus at 400kHz to send temperature from all 64 pixels at a selectable rate of 1-10 samples per second. The temperature approximation is outputted at a resolution of 0.25°C over a range of 0°C to 80°C. A real-time infrared camera (IR camera) was introduced as a way of monitoring temperature for applications in person counting, heat transfer of electronics, indoor comfort monitoring, industrial non-contact temperature measurement, and other applications where multi-point temperature monitoring may be useful. The approximate error of the sensor over its operable range is 2.5°C, making is particularly useful for applications with larger temperature fluctuations. This tutorial is meant as the first in a series of heat transfer analyses in electronics thermal management using the AMG8833.

In this tutorial, the RPi is used to demonstrate pulse-width modulation (PWM) and apply it to servo motor control. Then, the servo is used to control the panning of a camera - which is also controlled by the native camera port on the Raspberry Pi. This tutorial is a simple introduction that can be expanded into a full 360° controllable camera project, or a project involving a robotic arm, or any project involving servo motors or PWM-controlled devices.