Teledyne Teledyne FLIR Lepton 3.5 (500-0771-01) Thermal Camera Module, 160x120 LWIR, Radiometric, SPI

The Lepton 3.5 module is compatible with any microcontroller or single-board computer featuring a standard SPI master interface. This includes popular platforms like Arduino (using compatible libraries), Raspberry Pi (via its SPI pins), ESP32 and ESP8266 boards, STM32 Nucleo, and Teensy. You will need to connect the module's SPI pins (CLK, MOSI, MISO, CS) and power lines to the host, and typically use a vendor-provided SDK or open-source library to handle communication and image data processing.

The radiometric temperature data is accessed through the Lepton's SPI command set. After initializing the SPI communication, you send specific commands to read the telemetry rows embedded within the image data stream. These rows contain calibrated temperature values for each pixel. Most development libraries, such as Teledyne FLIR's Lepton SDK or community-driven Arduino libraries, provide functions to extract and convert this raw data into Celsius or Fahrenheit values, enabling precise thermal measurement for your application.

The Lepton 3.5 module typically operates from a 2.8V to 3.1V supply (VDD) and a separate 1.8V digital I/O voltage (VDDIO). Consult the official datasheet for exact specifications. The average operating current is low, often in the range of 150-200 mA during active imaging, making it suitable for battery-powered projects. Ensure your power supply can provide sufficient current and that voltage levels are regulated and stable to prevent damage to the sensitive microbolometer sensor.

While the Lepton 3.5 module itself is an industrial-grade component, it is not inherently weatherproof. For outdoor or harsh environment use, you must provide appropriate mechanical protection. This includes a sealed enclosure, a protective window made of material transparent to long-wave infrared radiation (such as germanium or zinc selenide), and proper thermal management to prevent condensation. The module's operating temperature range is specified in its datasheet and must be adhered to for reliable performance.