PCE Instruments PCE-TC 9 User manual

PCE Americas Inc.
711 Commerce Way
Suite 8
Jupiter
FL-33458
USA
From outside US: +1
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
PCE Instruments UK Ltd.
Units 12/13
South Point Business Park
Ensign way
Hampshire / Southampton
United Kingdom, SO31 4RF
From outside UK: +44
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.pce-instruments.com/english
www.pce-instruments.com
Manual
Thermometer PCE-TC 9
Version 1.0
Date of creation: 11.11.2015
Date of last change: 13.11.2015

Contents
1Introduction ............................................................................................................. 4
2Safety notes ............................................................................................................. 4
3Specification ............................................................................................................ 5
4System description ................................................................................................. 7
4.1 Battery and charger.................................................................................................................... 7
4.1.1 Charge battery ............................................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Direct charging ........................................................................................................................... 7
4.3 Controls ...................................................................................................................................... 7
4.4 Inserting the battery.................................................................................................................. 10
4.5 Quick operation ........................................................................................................................ 11
4.6 Measure the temperature of the desired object........................................................................ 11
4.7 Infrared pictures and audio comment....................................................................................... 11
4.8 Show infrared picture................................................................................................................ 11
4.9 Wide-angle- and tele-lens......................................................................................................... 11
4.10 Connect the instrument to a computer ..................................................................................... 11
4.11 Video and audio output............................................................................................................. 11
4.12 Display description ................................................................................................................... 12
4.13 Main menu and submenus....................................................................................................... 13
4.13.1 The main menu:........................................................................................................................... 13
4.14 Submenus................................................................................................................................. 14
4.14.1 File................................................................................................................................................ 14
4.14.2 Manage ........................................................................................................................................ 14
4.14.3 Save............................................................................................................................................. 15
4.14.4 Voice ............................................................................................................................................ 15
4.14.5 Delete........................................................................................................................................... 16
4.14.6 Format.......................................................................................................................................... 16
4.15 Measure.................................................................................................................................... 16
4.15.1 Spot measurement....................................................................................................................... 17
4.15.2 Characteristics of spot measurement .......................................................................................... 17
4.15.3 Line measurement ....................................................................................................................... 17
4.15.4 Area measurement (Rect)............................................................................................................ 20
4.15.5 Characteristics of the line measurement ..................................................................................... 20
4.15.6 Parameters................................................................................................................................... 21
4.15.7 Save settings................................................................................................................................ 22
4.16 Image........................................................................................................................................ 22
4.16.1 Image settings.............................................................................................................................. 22
4.16.2 Analysis setup.............................................................................................................................. 27
4.16.3 Invert palette ................................................................................................................................ 27
4.16.4 Delete display............................................................................................................................... 27
4.16.5 L&S (Auto/Manual mode)............................................................................................................. 28
4.17 Settings..................................................................................................................................... 28
4.17.1 System setup ............................................................................................................................... 28
4.17.2 Time & Date ................................................................................................................................. 29
4.17.3 Factory settings............................................................................................................................ 30
4.17.4 System information ...................................................................................................................... 30
4.17.5 Disc information ........................................................................................................................... 31
5Troubleshooting .................................................................................................... 31

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6Emissivity of different materials .......................................................................... 32
7Contact ................................................................................................................... 33
7.1 PCE Instruments UK ................................................................................................................ 33
7.2 PCE Americas .......................................................................................................................... 33

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1 Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a PCE-TC 9 thermal camera from PCE Instruments.
The lightweight thermal camera PCE-TC 9 (393g), with a sensitive infrared microbolometer (NETD <65
mK) and an ergonomic design, is the ideal choice for professional thermographs. The thermal camera
PCE-TC 9 convinces with an easy handling, high performance and acceptable acquisition costs. The
integrated 3.0 megapixel camera simplifies documentation and reporting. The IR- and real-images are
taken from a safe distance and can then be stored on the SD card in JPEG format. The included 2 GB
memory card is capable for storing 5000 images taken by the thermal camera PCE-TC 9. Then, these
images can be analyzed on a PC by means of the software package which is also included. The 3.5-inch
color LCD of the thermal camera can be rotated by 270 °. The LCD of the thermal camera shows the
min., max., and average temperature, 3 selectable measuring ranges (each with min., max. and average
value) and 4 measuring points. With these features, the thermal camera is suitable for performing
thermography. Additional functions such as setting isotherms, or the point-, line-, and area-functions
facilitate image analysis and increase the flexibility of the thermal camera PCE-TC 9.
2 Safety notes
Please read this manual carefully and completely before you use the device for the first time. The device
may only be used by qualified personnel and repaired by PCE Instruments personnel. There is no
warranty of damages or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual.
- The device may only be used in the approved temperature range.
- The case should only be opened by qualified personnel of PCE Instruments.
- You must not make any technical changes to the device.
- The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth / Use only pH-neutral cleaner.
- Do not drop the device.
This user's handbook is published by PCE Instruments without any guarantee.
We expressly refer to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our general terms of business.
If you have any questions please contact PCE Instruments.

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3 Specification
Lens of the thermal camera
Field of view (FOV)
21 ° x 16 ° / 0,4 m
38 ° x 28 ° / 0.3 m (optional available)
11 ° x 8.5 ° / 1.2 m (optional available)
Microbolometer of the thermal camera
IR resolution of the thermal camera
384 x 288 Pixel
Geometrical resolution /IFOV
1.2 mRad
Spectral range
8 ... 14 µm
Thermal sensitivity
<0.65 mK at 30 °C
Pixel pitch
25 µm
Focal Plane Array (FPA)
uncooled microbolometer
Image representation of the thermal camera
Modes
IR image, real-image, thermal Fusion, picture-in-
picture
Display
3.5 " color LCD, 270 º, rotatable
Zoom
digital, 1 ... 8 x (continuously variable)
Digital camera
3.0 MP (permanently installed in thermal
camera)
Focus
auto / motorised
Refresh rate
50 Hz (PAL) / 60 Hz (NTSC)
Measurement with the thermal camera
Object temperature range
-20 ... +250 °C
Accuracy
±2 °C oder ±2 %
Measuring spot
4 adjustable measuring spots
Measuring area
3 adjustable measuring areas (max., min., avg.)
Line profile
horizontal / vertical
Hot / cold spot
max., min. and avg. temperature
Emissivity
0.01 ... 1.0
Quantity of color palettes
6
Image storage of the thermal camera
Storage medium
SD card, attached flash memory
Storage capacity
2 GB SD card (5000 images)
Flash (600 images)
Storage format
JPEG
Laser pointer of the thermal camera
Type
class II, 1 mW / 35 nm
Power supply of the thermal camera
Battery type
Li-Ion rechargeable battery
Battery life
more than 3 hours of continuous use
AC power supply
110 ... 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz, output 5 V DC
Power off
adjustable

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Environmental conditions of the thermal camera
Operating temperature range
-20 ... +50 °C
Storage temperature range
-40 ... +70 °C
Protection class (case)
IP 50
Humidity
<90 %
Shock
25 G, IEC60068-2-29
Vibration
2 G, IEC60068-2-6
Physical data of the thermal camera
Dimensions
126 x 62 x 154 mm
Weight
393 g including battery
Data communication of the thermal camera
USB
thermal camera <--> PC
Video output
PAL / NTSC
Audio output
2.5 mm jack

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4 System description
The thermal camera makes good thermal pictures and allows determination of temperatures so that it can
be used in multiple areas and industries. The efficiency in industrial fields can also be optimised by using
this camera.
4.1 Battery and charger
It is recommended to charge the instrument immediately when the battery symbol is displayed on the
screen. Delivery content includes two sets of batteries and one charger. The instrument may only be used
with the delivered batteries.
4.1.1 Charge battery
- Insert the batteries into the device correctly.
- Connect the charger to the power socket. When in charging mode, a red LED will flash. When the
instrument is fully charged, the LED will be green.
- Charging takes approximately 4 hours.
4.2 Direct charging
It is possible to charge the batteries with the delivered adaptor directly. This will take about 5 hours.
During that time, an orange LED will flash and it will turn green when the instrument is fully charged.
4.3 Controls
1. Power LED
2. Hot key 1:
Press for auto focus. Press and hold to activate / deactivate LED.
3. Hot key 2:
Press to switch between objects to be measured (spot, line, area) and fusion zones and also to
set the overlay temperature, the colour code and the upper and lower temperature limits.
Press and hold the key to activate / deactivate the laser pointer.
4. 5., 6., 7: direction keys
˂,˃,˄,˅ have different functions in the different modes. In main menu the keys have the function
of scrolling through the menu and to adjust the slide-bar value. In real-time-mode the keys allow
direct access.

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In fusion mode and overlay mode:
- press ˃ to optimize the overlay and infrared picture
- press ˂ and ˃ to view the pictures
- press ˂ to freeze the infrared picture and press again to cancel
- press ˅ and ˄ to zoom in and out
After pressing hot key 2, the instrument is in area measurement mode (LED flashes yellow):
- to choose the measuring spots:
press the arrow keys to move the measuring spot in the desired direction.
- to choose measurement and scan line:
press arrow keys to move measurement and scan line in the desired direction
- to choose the area:
use arrow keys to set the area (move area). Use arrow keys to set the size of the area (size of
area).
- to choose and set the thermal overlay area:
use left and right arrow keys to set the limit of the temperature overlay. Use up and down arrow
keys to set the slide bar of the thermal image.
- to choose the colour palette or temperature limit:
press left / right to set the colour palette and up / down to set the temperature limit.
8. Menu / Enter key:
The key has different functions in different modes:
oreal-time infrared mode: opens the main menu
omenu-mode: confirms a function
oreal-time infrared mode: press and hold to correct a measurement value manually
oimage mode: press and hold to leave the mode
9. and 10.: manual focus: (T/W) key:
Press to get a better picture if the auto focus function is not sufficient.
11. and 12. CW /CCW picture mode:
Press to choose between different modes.
13. Shutter key:
Save current picture.

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14. Power key:
Switch on / off the instrument.
15. Multifunctional interface for audio / video output
Insert the converter cable. Headphones may be inserted to listen to the audio notes. A screen
can also be attached to view the videos.
16. SD card slot
Micro SD cards up to 2 GB can be inserted to increase the storage volume.
17. USB interface
Standard USB interface for data transfer.
18. External DC input
The input requires DC 5 V.

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19. Thread for tripod (¼ “):
20. 270 ° tiltable colour LCD (3.2 “)
4.4 Inserting the battery
Insert the battery.
Remove the battery.

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4.5 Quick operation
- Insert battery properly.
- Press and hold the power key until the LED lights up and wait until the system initialization is
completed.
- Remove the lens cover, point the camera at your desired object and adjust the focus so that you
have a clear picture.
- Hit the Enter key to optimize the picture.
4.6 Measure the temperature of the desired object
- Point the instrument at the object that needs to be measured and hit hot key 1 to activate auto
focus. In the upper right corner of the LCD the measurement result (spot) will be displayed. To
get more exact values, hold the Enter key in order to make manual adjustments.
- Choose area measurement mode to determine the min./max./average-value within the rectangle.
- It is recommended to first press ˂in order to freeze the picture and analyse it then. Press ˂again
to cancel freezing.
- If the measurement values exceed or falls below the measurement range, the display will show ˂
or ˃.
4.7 Infrared pictures and audio comment
For each infrared picture an audio comment of 40 seconds can be saved. The picture and the
comment can be transferred to your PC afterwards using the IRsee software. To save the thermal
pictures hit the Shutter key. After that, your “voice recording” is displayed. Then you can choose
whether you want to make a recording or not. Confirm your selection by using the Enter key.
4.8 Show infrared picture
- Press the Enter key to enter the main menu.
- When in main menu, choose “main menu” –“file” – “manage” and choose the directory and the file
name. The thumbnail will be displayed. Press the Enter key to view the image.
- Press ˃and ˂when the image is displayed to switch between the taken pictures in the directory.
- shows that an audio comment has also been added. Press the Enter key to enter “file”- “voice
recording” and choose “play” to the audio comment.
- Press and hold the Enter key to return to real-time-measurement-mode.
4.9 Wide-angle- and tele-lens
- The instrument can be equipped with a wide-angle- or tele-lens Put on the lens according to the
marked spots and turn the lens clockwise until the marking spots match.
- To choose the lens, press the Enter key, choose “picture”- “analyse settings”- “choose lens” and
press ˂or ˃to choose the desired lens.
4.10 Connect the instrument to a computer
Connect the instrument and your computer using the USB cable. You can now transfer, erase or format
the measured data.
4.11 Video and audio output
Insert the converter cable into the multifunctional interface. After that, connect the monitor to the
converter cable. Choose “enter”- “settings”- “system settings”- “display”. Press ˃ and ˂ to choose the
monitor. The thermal picture will now appear on the monitor.
You can also connect headphones via the converter cable in order to listen to the audio comment.

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4.12 Display description
All objects can be chosen by using the hot key 2. The chosen object will flash yellow. If no action has
been taken after two seconds, the hot key mode will be ended automatically.
1. Auto focus: Press hot key 1 to activate auto focus.
2. Area measurement box: Three areas can be chosen in the area measurement mode.
3. AF area: Objects that are focussed can be limited to a certain area to get the auto focus effect.
4. Horizontal measurement line: Press the Enter key and go to “main menu”–“measurement”–
“line” to choose the function.
5. Linear temperature mode
6. Cursor for spot measurement: 4 measurement spots can be selected. Go to “main menu”–
“measure”–“spot”.
7. Zoom: Shows the set zoom value. When in real-time measurement mode, you can set the zoom
using ˄and ˅.
8. Spot measurement: The reticles show the measurement value of the relevant spot.
9. Picture mode: The different modes can be selected using ˅and ˄.
10. Line measurement: Shows the temperature value of the intersection of the measurement line and
the cursor line.
11. Area measurement: Measurement spots within a certain area can be determined (MAX / MIN /
Average)
12. Upper temperature limit: Displays the upper temperature limit and the upper limit of the colour
code.
13. Storage media: IN means that all data is stored on the internal storage. SD means that the SD
card is used to save the data. To change it, go to the main menu, then select “setup”–“setup
menu”–“USB”and choose between the two options.
14. USB symbol: USB0 means that data is transferred, USB1 means that a video is transferred. To
change it, go to the main menu, then select “setup”–“setup menu”–“USB”and choose between
the options.
15. Colour code: colour palette.
16. Time and date.
17. Battery level indicator.
18. Lower temperature limit: Displays the lower temperature limit and the lower limit of the colour
code.
19. Temperature unit: There are three different units to select from: °C, °F and Kelvin. To choose the
right one, go to the main menu and select “Image” –“analysis setup”–“temperature unit”.
20. Emissivity: see appendix (emissivity of raw materials).

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4.13 Main menu and submenus
4.13.1 The main menu:
Press and hold the Enter key (if you are not in hot key mode) to enter the main menu which is displayed
as follows:
Use ˄and ˅to choose the right menu element. The selected one will be highlighted in white. Press ˃to
get to the chosen submenu and use ˂to get back.

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4.14 Submenus
4.14.1 File
Use the file menu to save, view and delete thermal images. Also you can add audio comments or format
the storage.
4.14.2 Manage
Choose “manage submenu” to get an overview of the thermal pictures. Add audio comments or edit them.
Thermal images can also be deleted.
If no directory exists, it will be added automatically during the storage of the images. The directory name
is MYYMMDD where YYMMDD stand for year, month, day. As an example: The 26th September 2012 will
have the file name M120926. All taken pictures will be saved in that directory. The name of the file will be
saved following the scheme PHHMMSS which stands for hours, minutes and seconds. All names refer to
the time set in the system.
In the window where you can manage the files you can use ˄and ˅to select the objects. Use ˂and ˃to
switch between the different directories and files. Chosen objects are highlighted. After you have chosen
a thermal image you need to press the Enter key to view the image. Press Enter again to delete the
image or press Exit to leave the submenu.

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4.14.3 Save
Save an image in real-time measurement. This function equals the Shutter key.
4.14.4 Voice
The submenu for the audio comments may be used to record, play, save and delete the audio comments.
The symbol shows that an audio comment has been added to the thermal image. If an audio comment
has been added already, a new one will be recorded by pressing “Record”. The old one will be
overwritten. By pressing “Cancel” this will be stopped and the new recording will be deleted. When you
press “Save”, the new one will be stored.

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4.14.5 Delete
Enter the submenu “Delete” to get a dialogue box. Choose “OK” and press the Enter key to confirm the
deletion.
Press and hold the Enter key to leave the preview mode.
4.14.6 Format
This function will format the internal storage or the SD card. When in main menu, choose “settings”–
“system settings”–“storage media”–“internal” to delete the internal storage or choose “SD” to format the
SD-card.
Note: If the storage has been formatted, all data will be lost.
4.15 Measure
In this menu you will be able to choose between 5 measurement options: “Spot”, ”Line”, ”Rect” (Area),
”Parameters” and ”Save Setting”.

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4.15.1 Spot measurement
First press the Enter key and then press ˃or ˂to enable or disable a spot. You can choose up to four
points at the same time.
The results are displayed in the top right corner with a reticle.
4.15.2 Characteristics of spot measurement
Press hot key 2 until the spot mark flashes yellow. Use the arrow keys to change the position of the
measurement spot. Press the Enter key to set the attributes emissivity and reference. If you choose this
option, all measured values will be relative to this spot.
4.15.3 Line measurement
There are two types of line measurement: horizontally and vertical.

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4.15.3.1 Horizontal line measurement
The horizontal line is a scan line for the temperature. In the upper right corner the current temperature
value of the horizontal line in intersection with the cursor line is displayed. After pressing hot key 2, you
will get to line measurement mode. You can use ˄ and ˅ to set the scanning position. ˂ and ˃ set the
position of the cursor line. Press the Enter key to choose the settings menu. After two seconds of
inactivity the instrument will return to real-time measurement mode.

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4.15.3.2 Vertical line measurement
The vertical line is a scan line for the temperature. In the upper right corner the current temperature value
of the vertical line in intersection with the cursor line is displayed. After pressing hot key 2, you will get to
line measurement mode. You can use ˂and ˃to set the scanning position. ˄and ˅set the position of the
cursor line. Press the Enter key to choose the settings menu. After two seconds of inactivity the
instrument will return to real-time measurement mode.

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4.15.4 Area measurement (Rect)
First, press the Enter key and then press ˃and ˂ to enable or disable the areas. You can choose up to
three areas at the same time.
The measurement value in the top right corner of the LCD is the temperature value of the chosen
rectangle. There are three types of measurements: MIN / MAX / Average.
4.15.5 Characteristics of the line measurement
Press hot key 2 until the area indicator flashes yellow. Press the Enter key to set the attributes emissivity,
reference, measure type and adjust.