Lepton Engineering Datasheet Without Radiometry

FLIR LEPTON® Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) Datasheet
General Description
Lepton® is a complete long-wave infrared (LWIR)
camera module designed to interface easily into
native mobile-device interfaces and other consumer
electronics. It captures infrared radiation input in its
nominal response wavelength band (from 8 to 14
microns) and outputs a uniform thermal image.
Features
■ Two separate configurations: with and
without integral shutter
■ Shutterless configuration:
8.5 x 11.7 x 5.6 mm (without socket),

10.6 x 11.7 x 5.9 mm (including socket)
■ Low operating power, nominally 150 mW
■ Integral shutter configuration: (< 160 mW over full temperature range)
10.5 x 11.7 x 6.4 mm (without socket) ■ Low power shutdown mode
10.8 x 11.7 x 6.7 mm (including socket) ■ RoHS compliant
■ 32-pin socket interface to standard Molex or
■ Two lens options (f/1.1 Si doublet):
similar side-contact connector
■ 51-deg HFOV, 63.5-deg diagonal
Applications
■ 25-deg HFOV, 31-deg diagonal
■ Mobile phones
■ LWIR sensor, wavelength 8 to 14 μm
■ Gesture recognition
■ 80 (h) × 60 (v) active pixels
■ Building automation
■ Thermal sensitivity <50 mK
■ Thermal imaging
■ Integrated digital thermal image processing
functions, including automatic thermal ■ Night vision
environment compensation, noise filters,
non-uniformity correction, and gain control
■ Optional temperature-stable output to
support radiometric processing
■ Export compliant frame rate (< 9 Hz)
■ SPI video interface
■ Two-wire I2C-like serial-control interface
■ Uses standard cell-phone-compatible power
supplies: 2.8V to sensor, 1.2V to digital core,
and flexible IO from 2.5V to 3.1V (2.8V to
3.1V for integral-shutter configuration)
■ Fast time to image (< 0.5 sec)
Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

FLIR Proprietary-Confidential, and approved for distribution to authorized FLIR dealers only.
Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 1

Simplified Block Diagram

Integrated Camera Module
CCI comm interface
Thermal image VoSPI

LWIR
sensor processing engine
2.8V, 1.2V, 2.5V to 3.1V IO
CLKin
This documentation contains proprietary information to FLIR Systems,

Inc. This information must be maintained in confidence and used only in
a manner consistent with the documentation and any executed Non
Disclosure Agreement, and may not be disclosed to any third parties
without FLIR's written consent.
Note: All specifications subject to change without notice

2 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Contents
1.0 Device Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.0 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.0 Key Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.0 Lepton Camera Module Pinout Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.0 Pin Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
6.0 System Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
7.0 Functional Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.1 FPA Interface Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.2 System Control (Sys Ctrl) Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.3 Power Management Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7.4 Software-based Video Processing (SVP Core) Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.5 Memory System (Memory Sys) Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.6 General Purpose Processor (GPP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.7 Video Interface Module (Video IF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.8 One-Time Programmable Memory (OTP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.9 Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.10 GPIO Interface Module (GPIO IF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.11 Video Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7.11.1 NUC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7.11.2 Defect Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7.11.3 Spatial / Temporal Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7.11.4 AGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
7.11.5 Colorize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
7.12 Master Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
8.0 Operating States and Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
8.1 Power States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
8.2 FFC States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
8.3 Telemetry Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8.4 Radiometry Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
8.4.1 Radiometry Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
8.4.2 Radiometry Enabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.5 AGC Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
8.6 Video Output Format Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
8.7 GPIO Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
9.0 Interface Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
9.1 Command and Control Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
9.2 VoSPI Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
9.2.1 VoSPI Physical Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
9.2.2 VoSPI Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
9.2.3 Frame Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
10.0 Thermal Camera Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
11.0 Mounting Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
11.1 Socket Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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11.2 Mechanical Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
11.3 Thermal Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
11.4 Optical Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
12.0 Image Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
13.0 Spectral Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
14.0 Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
14.1 DC and Logic Level Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
14.2 AC Electrical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
15.0 Absolute Maximum Ratings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
16.0 Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
16.1 Compliance with Environmental Directives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
17.0 Abbreviations and Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Revision History
Revision Date Description of Change
1.0 5/1/2014 Initial release
1.1 7/7/2014 Updated to cover both shutterless and integral-shutter

configurations and other new features of the Lepton 2.0 release.
1.2 9/23/2014 Minor corrections
1.2.4 10/15/2014 Accumulated updates
1.2.6 3/17/2016 Accumulated updates
Contact Us
email: SBA-CORES@FLIR.COM
http://www.FLIR.com
References
Lepton Software Interface Description Document (IDD) - OEM. Document #110-0144-04.

4 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

1.0 Device Overview
Lepton is an infrared camera system that integrates a fixed-focus lens assembly, an 80x60 long-wave infrared
(LWIR) microbolometer sensor array, and signal-processing electronics. A configuration is also provided with
an integral shutter assembly that is used to automatically optimize image uniformity on a periodic basis. Easy
to integrate and operate, Lepton is intended for mobile devices as well as any other application requiring very
small footprint, very low power, and instant-on operation. Lepton can be operated in its default mode or
configured into other modes through a command and control interface (CCI).
Figure 1 shows a view of the Lepton camera (shutterless configuration and integral shutter configuration),
both as standalone and mounted in a socket.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 5

Figure 1 Lepton Camera (with and without socket) (50-degree version shown)
(b) shutterless configuration without and with socket
(a) shuttered configuration without and with socket

6 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

2.0 Applications
A typical application using the Lepton camera module is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Typical Application
Camera Module
Camera Supply Inputs VDD (2.8V)
VDDIO (2. 5 to 3.1V)
VDDC (1.2V)
PWR DWN L
Camera Shut Down
Camera Reset RESET L
Camera Clock Generation MASTER CLK
Control Interface
VDDIO (2. 5 to 3.1V)
Camera Control Interface (CCI) SCL

Similar to I2C SDA
Optional Video Interface SPI MOSI

SPI MISO
Video Over SPI SPI CS L
SPI_ CLK
Optional Multiplexed Interface
Select
GPIO [3:0]
I2C , SPI , GPIO
Note :
(1) The CCI pullup resistors are required and must be handled
outside the camera module by a host controller
.
(2 ) For the shuttered configuration , VDDIO must be greater than or equal to 2. 8 V

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 7

3.0 Key Specifications
The key specifications of the Lepton camera module are listed in Table 1. See Figure 3 on page 10 for the
corresponding package pinout diagram.
Table 1 Key Specifications
Specification Description
Overview
Function Passive thermal imaging module for mobile equipment
Sensor technology Uncooled VOx microbolometer
Spectral range Longwave infrared, 8 μm to 14 μm
Array format 80 × 60, progressive scan
Pixel size 17 μm
Effective frame rate 8.6 Hz (exportable)
Thermal sensitivity <50 mK (0.050° C)
Temperature compensation Automatic. Output image independent of camera temperature
(optional mode - see Radiometry Modes, page 28).
Non-uniformity corrections Shutterless, automatic (with scene motion)
Shuttered configuration (for stationary applications)
FOV - horizontal 51° or 25° on Lepton 1.6
FOV - diagonal 63.5° or 31° on Lepton 1.6
Depth of field 10 cm to infinity
Lens type f/1.1 silicon doublet
Output format User-selectable 14-bit, 8-bit (AGC applied), or
24-bit RGB (AGC and colorization applied)
Solar protection Integral
Electrical
Input clock 25-MHz nominal, CMOS IO Voltage Levels
(see Master Clock, page 17)
Video data interface Video over SPI (see VoSPI Channel, page 36)
Control port CCI (I2C-like), CMOS IO Voltage Levels
(see Command and Control Interface, page 35)
Input supply voltage (nominal) 2.8 V, 1.2 V, 2.8 V to 3.1 V IO
(see DC and Logic Level Specifications, page 55)
Power dissipation Nominally 150 mW at room temperature (operating),
4 mW (standby)
Mechanical
Package dimensions – socket version Shutterless: 8.5 × 11.7 × 5.6 mm (w × l × h)
Integral shutter: 10.6 x 11.7 x 5.9 mm (w × l × h)
Weight Shutterless: 0.55 grams (typ)
Shuttered configuration: 0.90 grams (typ)

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Table 1 Key Specifications (continued)
Specification Description
Environmental
Optimum operating temperature -10 °C to +65 °C
range
Non-operating temperature range -40 °C to +80 °C
Shock 1500 G @ 0.4 ms

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4.0 Lepton Camera Module Pinout Diagram
Figure 3 Pinout Diagram (viewed from back of camera module)
29 RESERVED
28 RESERVED
26 MASTER CLK
32 RESERVED
31 RESERVED
27 GND
30 GND
25 GND
24 RESET L 1 GND
23 PWR DWN L 2 GPIO3
22 SDA 3 GPIO2
21 SCL 4 GPIO1
20 GND 5 GPIO0
19 VDD 6 GND
18 GND 7 VDDC
17 NC 8 GND
13 SPI CLK
14 SPI CS L
12 SPI MISO
11 SPI MOSI
16 VDDIO
15 GND
10 GND
9 GND

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5.0 Pin Descriptions
The Lepton camera module pin descriptions are shown in Table 2.
Table 2 Lepton Camera Module Pin Descriptions
Signal
Pin # Pin Name Signal Level Description
Type
1, 6, 8, GND Power GND Common Ground

9, 10,
15, 18,
20, 25,
27, 30
2 GPIO3 IN/OUT VDDIO The GPIO1 multiplexed functions are optional

and configurable. For details, see GPIO
3 GPIO2 IN/OUT VDDIO Modes, page 34
4 GPIO1 IN/OUT VDDIO
5 GPIO0 IN/OUT VDDIO
7 VDDC Power 1.2V Supply for PLL, ASIC Core (1.2V +/- 5%)
11 SPI_MOSI IN VDDIO Video Over SPI Slave Data In (see VoSPI

Channel, page 36)
12 SPI_MISO OUT VDDIO Video Over SPI Slave Data Out (see VoSPI
Channel, page 36)
13 SPI_CLK IN VDDIO Video Over SPI Slave Clock (see VoSPI

Channel, page 36)
14 SPI_CS_L IN VDDIO Video Over SPI Slave Chip Select, active low
(see VoSPI Channel, page 36)
16 VDDIO Power Shutterless: Supply used for System IO

2.5 V — 3.1 V
Shuttered
configuration:
2.8 V — 3.1 V
17 No connection — — —
19 VDD Power 2.8V Supply for Sensor (2.8V +/- 3%).

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Table 2 Lepton Camera Module Pin Descriptions (continued)
Signal
Pin # Pin Name Signal Level Description
Type
21 SCL IN VDDIO Camera Control Interface Clock, I2C

compatible (see Command and Control
Interface, page 35)
22 SDA IN/OUT VDDIO Camera Control Interface Data, I2C

compatible (see Command and Control
Interface, page 35)
23 PWR_DWN_L IN VDDIO This active low signal shuts down the camera
24 RESET_L IN VDDIO This active low signal resets the camera
26 MASTER_CLK IN VDDIO ASIC Master Clock Input (see Master Clock,

page 17)
28 RESERVED
29 RESERVED
31 RESERVED
32 RESERVED
Note(s)
1. For the shuttered configuration, GPIO0, GPIO1, and GPIO2 should not be connected.

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6.0 System Architecture
A simplified architectural diagram of the Lepton camera module is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 Lepton Architecture

Bias,
Housing timing,
&
ctrl VoSPI
Shutter assembly
OTP I2C
Focal-
(optional)
( comm)
Lens Focused plane GPIO
Assy. IR image
array SoC (optional)
(FPA) Discrete controls

Image
Digital Pipeline Clk
data
stream VDD, VDDC, VDDIO
Thermistor
The lens assembly focuses infrared radiation from the scene onto an 80x60 array of thermal detectors with
17-micron pitch. Each detector element is a vanadium-oxide (VOx) microbolometer whose temperature
fluctuates in response to incident flux. The change in temperature causes a proportional change in each
microbolometer’s resistance. VOx provides a high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and low 1/f
noise, resulting in excellent thermal sensitivity and stable uniformity. The microbolometer array is grown
monolithically on top of a readout integrated circuit (ROIC) to comprise the complete focal plane array (FPA).
Once per frame, the ROIC senses the resistance of each detector by applying a bias voltage and integrating
the resulting current for a finite period of time called the integration period.
The optional shutter assembly periodically blocks radiation from the scene and presents a uniform thermal
signal to the sensor array, allowing an update to internal correction terms used to improve image quality. For
applications in which there is little to no movement of the Lepton camera relative to the scene (for example,
fixed-mount security applications), the shutter assembly is recommended. For applications in which there is
ample movement (for example, handheld applications), the shutter assembly is less essential although still
capable of providing slight improvement to image quality, particularly at start-up and when the ambient
temperature varies rapidly.
The serial stream from the FPA is received by a system on a chip (SoC) device, which provides signal
processing and output formatting. This device is more fully defined in Functional Description, page 14.

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7.0 Functional Description
A detailed block diagram of the Lepton camera module is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5 Lepton Detailed Block Diagram
FPA
FPA IF SVP Core
160x120
Video IF SPI_MOSI
PWR_DWN_L SPI_MISO
RESET_L SPI_CLK
MASTER_CLK Sys Ctrl Memory Sys
SPI_CS_L
SCL GPIO IF
GPIO[0-3]
SDA
VDDC
SRAM
VDD Power OTP
VDDIO Management
GPP
ASIC
7.1 FPA Interface Module

The FPA Interface module generates timing and control signals to the FPA. It also receives and deserializes
the digital data stream from the FPA. The output values of on-board temperature sensors are multiplexed into
the pixel data stream, and the FPA Interface module strips these out and accumulates them (to improve SNR).
7.2 System Control (Sys Ctrl) Module

The System Control module provides the phase-lock-loop (PLL) and generates all clocks and resets required
for other modules. It also generates other timing events including syncs and the internal watchdog timer.
Additionally, it provides the boot controller, random-number generator, and command and control interface
(CCI) decode logic.
7.3 Power Management Module

The Power Management module controls the power switches, under direction from the System Control
Module.

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7.4 Software-based Video Processing (SVP Core) Module
The SVP Core module is an asymmetric multi-core digital signal processor (DSP) engine that provides the full
video pipeline, further described in Video Pipeline, page 16.
7.5 Memory System (Memory Sys) Module

The Memory System module provides the memory interface to all of the other modules that require access to
SRAM and/or OTP.
7.6 General Purpose Processor (GPP)

The GPP is a central processing unit (CPU) that provides the following functionality:
■ Servicing of CCI commands

■ Initialization and configuration of the video pipeline
■ Power management
■ Other housekeeping functions
7.7 Video Interface Module (Video IF)

The Video Interface module receives video data and formats it for VoSPI.
7.8 One-Time Programmable Memory (OTP)

The OTP memory, 384 kBytes total, contains all the non-volatile data for the camera, including the software
programs for the SVP Core and GPP as well as calibration data and camera-unique data (such as serial
number). There are no requirements and no provisions for writing OTP memory outside of the Lepton factory.
7.9 Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM)

SRAM is the primary volatile memory utilized by all other modules.
7.10 GPIO Interface Module (GPIO IF)

The General-Purpose Input / Output (GPIO) Interface module implements the GPIO pins, which can be
runtime configured (see GPIO Modes, page 34).

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7.11 Video Pipeline
A block diagram of the video pipeline is shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6 Lepton Video Pipeline Block Diagram
Image Pipeline
raw data in AGC disabled
Non-uniformity Defect Spatial / Temporal
correction (NUC) Replacement Filtering
AGC enabled
AGC / Colorization enabled

AGC Colorize
The video pipeline includes non-uniformity correction (NUC), defect replacement, spatial and temporal
filtering, automatic gain correction (AGC), and colorization.
7.11.1 NUC
The non-uniformity correction (NUC) block applies correction terms to ensure that the camera produces a
uniform output for each pixel when imaging a uniform thermal scene. Factory-calibrated terms are applied to
compensate for temperature effects, pixel response variations, and lens-illumination roll-off. To compensate
for temporal drift, the NUC block also applies an offset term that can be periodically updated at runtime via a
process called flat-field correction (FFC). The FFC process is further described in FFC States, page 21.
7.11.2 Defect Replacement

The defect-replacement block substitutes for any pixels identified as defective during factory calibration or
during runtime. The replacement algorithm assesses the values of neighboring pixels and calculates an
optimum replacement value. The typical number of defective pixels is ≤1.
7.11.3 Spatial / Temporal Filtering

The image pipeline includes a number of sophisticated image filters designed to enhance signal-to-noise ratio
(SNR) by eliminating temporal noise and residual non-uniformity. The filtering suite includes a scene-based
non-uniformity correction (SBNUC) algorithm which relies on motion within the scene to isolate fixed pattern
noise (FPN) from image content.

16 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

7.11.4 AGC
The AGC algorithm for converting the full-resolution (14-bit) thermal image into a contrast-enhanced image
suitable for display is a histogram-based non-linear mapping function. See AGC Modes, page 30.
7.11.5 Colorize
The colorize block takes the contrast-enhanced thermal image as input and generates a 24-bit RGB color
output. See Video Output Format Modes, page 32.
7.12 Master Clock

In the current Lepton release, the master clock (MASTER_CLOCK) frequency is 25 MHz.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 17

8.0 Operating States and Modes
Lepton provides a number of operating states and modes, more completely defined in the sections that follow:
■ Power States, page 18

■ FFC States, page 21
■ Telemetry Modes, page 25
■ Radiometry Modes, page 28
■ AGC Modes, page 30
■ Video Output Format Modes, page 32
■ GPIO Modes, page 34
8.1 Power States

Lepton currently provides five power states. As depicted in the state diagram shown in Figure 7, most of the
transitions among the power states are the result of explicit action from the host. The automatic transition to
and from the overtemp state is an exception. In the figure, transitions that require specific host-side action are
shown in bold. Automatic transitions are not bolded.
Figure 7 State Diagram Showing Transitions among the Five Power States
Note: Transition to “off” from every other
state occurs by removing VDD, VDDC, and VDDIO.
For simplicity, these transitions are not shown below
Off Apply VDD, VDDC, and

VDDIO
10-sec counter Shutdown

times out
Reset Uninitialized
Start-up Shutdown
sequence sequence
Lepton > 80C
Overtemp On
Start-up sequence
Lepton < 80C

18 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

The power states are listed here:
■ Off: When no voltage is applied, Lepton is in the off state. In the off state, no camera functions are
available.
■ Uninitialized: In the uninitialized state, all voltage forms are applied, but Lepton has not yet been
booted and is in an indeterminate state. It is not recommended to leave Lepton in this state as power is
not optimized; it should instead be booted to the on-state (and then transitioned back to standby if
imaging is not required).
■ On: In the on state, all functions and interfaces are fully available.
■ Shutdown: In the shutdown state, all voltage forms are applied, but power consumption is
approximately 4 mW. In the shutdown state, no functions are available, but it is possible to transition to
the on state via the start-up sequence defined in Figure 8 on page 20. The shutdown sequence
shown in Figure 8 on page 20 is the recommended transition back to the shutdown state. It is also
possible to transition between shutdown and on states via software commands, as further defined in
the software IDD.
■ Overtemp: The overtemp state is automatically entered when the Lepton senses that its temperature
has exceeded approximately 80 °C. Upon entering the overtemp state, Lepton enables a “shutdown
imminent” status bit in the telemetry line and starts a 10-second counter. If the temperature of the
Lepton falls below 80 °C before the counter times out, the “shutdown imminent” bit is cleared and the
system transitions back to the on state. If the counter does time out, Lepton automatically transitions to
the standby state.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 19

Power sequencing is as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 8 Power Sequencing

Start-up Sequence (from uninitialized to on Shutdown Sequence
and shutdown to on) (from on to shutdown)
De-assert PWR_DWN_L
(should be high) Assert PWR_DWN_L
Assert RESET_L
(should be low)
Enable MASTER_CLK Wait > 100 ms
Wait > 5000 clk periods
De-assert RESET_L Disable MASTER_CLK

20 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

8.2 FFC States
Lepton is factory calibrated to produce an output image that is highly uniform, such as shown in Figure 9 (a),
when viewing a uniform-temperature scene. However, drift effects over long periods of time degrade
uniformity, resulting in imagery which appears more grainy (Figure 9 (b)) and/or blotchy (Figure 9 (c)).
Columns and other pixel combinations may drift as a group. These drift effects may occur even while the
camera is powered off. Operation over a wide temperature range (for example, powering on at -10 °C and
heating to 65 °C) will also have a detrimental effect on image quality.
For scenarios in which there is ample scene movement, such as most handheld applications, Lepton is
capable of automatically compensating for drift effects using an internal algorithm called scene-based
non-uniformity correction (scene-based NUC or SBNUC). However, for use cases in which the scene is
essentially stationary, such as fixed-mount applications, scene-based NUC is less effective. In stationary
applications and those which need highest quality or quickly available video, it is recommended to periodically
perform a flat-field correction (FFC). FFC is a process whereby the NUC terms applied by the camera's signal
processing engine are automatically recalibrated to produce the most optimal image quality. The sensor is
briefly exposed to a uniform thermal scene, and the camera updates the NUC terms to ensure uniform output.
The entire FFC process takes less than a second.
Figure 9 Examples of Good Uniformity, Graininess, and Blotchiness
(a) Highly uniform image (b) Grainy image (c) Blotchy image
(high-spatial frequency noise) (low-spatial frequency noise)
Lepton provides three different FFC modes:
■ External
■ Manual
■ Automatic (default for integral-shutter configuration)
In external FFC mode, FFC is only executed upon command, and it should only be commanded when the
camera is imaging an external uniform source, such as a wall. Manual FFC mode is identical to external mode
except that when FFC is commanded, Lepton closes its integral shutter throughout the process. In other

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 21

words, it is not necessary to ensure a uniform external scene before commanding FFC in manual FFC mode
because the shutter serves as the uniform source.
NOTE: While it is possible to configure a shutterless camera into manual mode, there
is no benefit to doing so because a camera without a shutter will behave identically in
both external FFC and manual FFC modes.
In automatic FFC, the Lepton camera will automatically perform FFC under the following conditions:
■ At start-up
■ After a specified period of time (default of 3 minutes) has elapsed since the last FFC
■ If the camera temperature has changed by more than a specified value (default of 3 Celsius degrees)
since the last FFC
The time trigger and the temperature-change trigger described above are both adjustable parameters via the
CCI; however, the default values are recommended under most operating conditions.
Note that while it is possible to configure a shutterless Lepton into automatic FFC mode, it is not
recommended. Without an integral shutter, there is no possibility to ensure the Lepton is viewing a uniform
scene prior to each automatic FFC. If FFC is performed while imaging a non-uniform scene, severe image
artifacts will result.
The current FFC state is provided through the telemetry line. There are four FFC states, as illustrated in
Figure 10 on page 23:
1. FFC not commanded (default): In this state, Lepton applies by default a set of factory-generated
FFC terms. In automatic FFC mode, this state is generally not seen because Lepton performs
automatic FFC at start-up.
2. FFC imminent: The camera only enters this state when it is operating in automatic FFC mode. The
camera enters “FFC imminent” state at a specified number of frames (default of 54 frames, or
approximately 2 seconds) prior to initiating an automatic FFC. The intent of this status is to warn the
host that an FFC is about to occur.
3. FFC in progress: Lepton enters this state when FFC is commanded from the CCI or when
automatic FFC is initiated. The default FFC duration is nominally 23 frames, in which case the
camera integrates 8 frames of output as the basis for the correction (the additional frames are
overhead). It is possible to configure the FFC to integrate fewer or more frames (from 1 to 128 in
powers of 2). Utilizing fewer frames obviously decreases the FFC period (with diminishing returns
due to overhead) whereas utilizing more frames provides greater reduction of spatial noise (also
with diminishing returns due to 1/f noise). Figure 11 on page 24 quantifies the benefit.

22 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

4. FFC complete: Lepton automatically enters this state whenever a commanded or automatic FFC is
completed.
Lepton also provides an “FFC desired” flag in the telemetry line. The “FFC desired” flag is asserted
under the same conditions that cause automatic FFC when in automatic FFC mode. That is, the “FFC
desired” flag is asserted at start-up, when a specified period (default = 3 minutes) has elapsed since
the last FFC, or when the sensor temperature has changed by a specified value (default = 3 Celsius
degrees) since the last FFC. In automatic mode, the camera immediately enters “FFC imminent” state
when “FFC desired” is true. In manual FFC mode and external FFC mode, the “FFC desired” flag is
intended to indicate to the host to command an FFC at the next possible opportunity.
Lepton automatically prohibits the shutter from operating when it detects the temperature to be outside
the range -10° C to +65° C. For example, if the camera is operating at a temperature of 70° C, no
automatic FFC will be performed, and the camera will ignore any commanded FFC if the FFC mode is
“automatic” or “manual.” Normal operation of the shutter will automatically resume when the
temperature is back within the valid range. A status flag is provided in the telemetry line indicating
when shutter lockout is in effect.
Figure 10 FFC States
Lepton powered on
FFC Not FFC Mode = Automatic
FFC Commanded
Commanded
FFC
Imminent
FFC In
Progress FFC imminent counter > specified delay period
FFC Complete
FFC
Commanded
FFC
Complete
FFC Mode = Automatic
&
FFC Desired = True

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 23

Figure 11 Relative Spatial Noise after FFC vs. Number of Integrated Frames (default value is 8)
200%
180%
160%
140%
Relative Spatial Noise
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128
Number of Integrated Frames

24 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

8.3 Telemetry Modes
There are three telemetry modes that affect the video output signal:
■ Telemetry disabled (default)

■ Telemetry as header
■ Telemetry as footer
Explicit commands over the CCI select each mode. The contents and encoding of the telemetry data are
shown in Table 3. Note that the second and third lines (line B and line C) are reserved for future growth and
contain no information at this time.
Table 3 Telemetry Data Content and Encoding
Number
Telemetry Word Word
of 16-bit Name Notes
Row start End
Words
Telemetry Format = major (byte 1), minor rev (byte

A 0 0 1
Revision 0).
32 bit counter in units of msec elapsed

A 1 2 2 Time Counter
since boot-up
A 3 4 2 Status Bits See Table 4 on page 27

A 5 12 8 Module serial #
A 13 16 4 Software revision
A 17 19 3 Reserved
A 20 21 2 Frame Counter 32-bit counter of output frames
A 22 22 1 Frame Mean
A 23 23 1 FPA Temp In counts (prior to conversion to Kelvin)
A 24 24 1 FPA Temp In Kelvin x 100
A 25 25 1 Housing Temp In counts (prior to conversion to Kelvin)

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 25

Table 3 Telemetry Data Content and Encoding (continued)
Number
Telemetry Word Word
of 16-bit Name Notes
Row start End
Words
A 26 26 1 Housing Temp In Kelvin x 100
A 27 28 2 Reserved
FPA Temp at last
A 29 29 1 Updated every FFC. Units are Kelvin x100
FFC
Time Counter at
A 30 31 2 Updated every FFC. Units are msec
last FFC
Housing temp at
A 32 32 1 Updated every FFC. Units are Kelvin x100
last FFC
A 33 33 1 Reserved
A 34 37 4 AGC ROI (top, left, bottom, right)
AGC Clip-Limit
A 38 38 1
High
See AGC, page 17
AGC Clip-Limit
A 39 39 1
Low
A 40 71 32 Reserved
Video Output
A 72 73 2 See Video Output Format Modes, page 32
Format
Log2 of FFC
A 74 74 1 See FFC States, page 21
frames
A 75 79 5 Reserved
B 0 79 80 Reserved
C 0 78 79 Reserved

26 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Table 4 shows the encoding of the status bits (Telemetry Row A, Words 3 and 4).
Table 4 Status Bit Encoding (Telemetry Row A, words 3 and 4)
Number of
Bit start Bit end Name Notes
Bits
0 Reserved
3 3 1 FFC Desired1 0 = FFC not desired
1 = FFC desired
4 5 2 FFC State1 Telemetry Revision 8:

00 = FFC never commanded
01 = FFC in progress
10 = FFC complete
11 = undefined
Telemetry Revision 9:
00 = FFC never commanded
01 = FFC imminent
10 = FFC in progress
11 = FFC complete
6 11 6 Reserved
12 12 1 AGC State 0=Disabled
1=Enabled
13 14 2 Reserved
15 15 1 Shutter lockout1 0 = Shutter not locked out
1 = Shutter locked out
(outside of valid temperature
range, -10° C to 65° C)
16 19 4 Reserved
20 20 1 Overtemp shut down Goes true 10 seconds before
imminent shutdown (see Power States,
page 18)
21 31 11 Reserved
Note(s)
1. See FFC States, page 21.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 27

8.4 Radiometry Modes
There are two radiometry modes that affect the video output signal:
■ Radiometry disabled (default)

■ Radiometry enabled
The radiometric modes affect the transfer function between incident flux (scene temperature) and pixel output.
From an image-quality standpoint, both radiometry modes produce nearly identical performance (no change in
NEDT), and either mode is appropriate for strict imaging applications. However, for applications in which it is
intended to convert the Lepton output signal to one proportional to scene temperature, the radiometry-enabled
mode is preferred because the conversion is constant over the full operating temperature range of the
camera. Note that the following discussion assumes AGC is disabled (see AGC Modes, page 30). If AGC is
enabled, the differences between the two radiometry modes are completely obscured by the AGC algorithm.
In other words, with AGC enabled, any differences in signal output between radiometry-disabled and
radiometry-enabled modes are negligible.
8.4.1 Radiometry Disabled

With radiometry disabled, the output of a given pixel is intended to be near the middle of the 14-bit range
(~8192) when viewing a scene with a temperature equal to the temperature of the camera. Furthermore, the
responsivity, which is defined as the change in pixel output value for a change in scene temperature, varies
over the camera's operating temperature range. The resulting output for three different scene temperatures is
illustrated hypothetically in Figure 12 (note that the figure is for illustration purposes and not perfectly
representative).
Figure 12 Hypothetical Illustration of Camera Output vs. Camera Temperature in Radiometry-disabled Mode

28 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

8.4.2 Radiometry Enabled
With radiometry enabled, Lepton performs internal adjustments to the signal level such that in principle the
output is independent of the camera's own temperature. The resulting output for three different scene
temperatures is illustrated hypothetically in Figure 13. Notice in Figure 13 that the output is only a function of
scene temperature, not camera temperature (again, the figure is for illustration purposes only and not
perfectly representative. In practice, there is slight output variation as camera temperature changes,
particularly when the temperature change is rapid). Also notice that responsivity is also independent of
camera temperature; that is, the difference in output between two different scene temperatures is a constant,
as opposed to in Figure 12 on page 28, where it decreases with increasing camera temperature.
Figure 13 Hypothetical Illustration of Camera Output vs. Camera Temperature in Radiometry-enabled Mode

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 29

8.5 AGC Modes
There are two AGC modes:
■ AGC disabled (default)

■ AGC enabled (see AGC HEQ Output Scale Factor and AGC Calculation Enable State in the
Software IDD for additional, related options)
AGC is a process whereby the large dynamic range of the infrared sensor is collapsed to a range more
appropriate for a display system. For Lepton, this is a 14-bit to 8-bit conversion. In its most simplistic form,
AGC can be a linear mapping from 14-bit to 8-bit; however, a simple linear AGC is generally incapable of
providing pleasing imagery in all imaging conditions. For example, when a scene includes both cold and hot
regions (for example, a hot object in front of a cold background as illustrated in Figure 15 on page 31), linear
AGC can produce an output image in which most pixels are mapped to either full black or full white with very
little use of the grayshades (8-bit values) in between. Because of this limitation of linear AGC, a more
sophisticated algorithm is preferred.
Similar to most AGC algorithms that optimize the use of grayshades, Lepton's is histogram-based. Essentially
a histogram counts the number of pixels in each frame that have a given 14-bit value. Figure 14 on page 30
illustrates the concept for a 3x3 pixel area.
Figure 14 Illustration of a Histogram for a 3x3 Pixel Area
Classic histogram equalization uses the cumulative histogram as a mapping function between 14-bit and 8-bit.
The intent is to devote the most grayshades to those portions of the input range occupied by the most pixels.
For example, an image consisting of 60% sky devotes 60% of the available grayshades to the sky, leaving
only 40% for the remainder of the image. By comparison, linear AGC “wastes” grayshades when there are
gaps in the histogram, whereas classic histogram equalization allocates no grayshades to the gaps. This
behavior is in principle an efficient use of the available grayshades, but there are a few drawbacks:

30 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

■ The resulting contrast between an object and a much colder (or hotter) background can be rendered
poor by the fact the algorithm “collapses” the separation between such that the object is only 1
grayshade above the background. This phenomenon is illustrated in Figure 15.
■ Too much emphasis can be placed on background clutter, particularly when a mostly isothermal
background comprises a large fraction of the total image area. This is also illustrated in Figure 15.
■ For scenes with low dynamic range or less content, both the Linear AGC and Classic HEQ algorithms
allow the application of a high amount of gain to the histogram, resulting in more contrast but
increasing noise.
The Lepton AGC algorithm is a modified version of classic histogram equalization that mitigates these
shortcomings. One such modification is a parameter called “clip limit high.” It clips the maximum population of
any single bin, limiting the influence of heavily populated bins on the mapping function. Another parameter
utilized by the Lepton algorithm is called “clip limit low.” It adds a constant value to every non-zero bin in the
histogram, resulting in additional contrast between portions of the histogram separated by gaps. Figure 15 is
an example showing the benefit of the Lepton clip parameters.
Figure 15 Comparison of Linear AGC and Classic/Lepton Variant of Histogram Equalization
(a) Linear AGC (b) Classic Histogram Equalization (c) Lepton’s Variant of Histogram
Equalization
A high value of clip limit high results in a mapping more like classic histogram equalization, whereas a low
value results in mapping more like linear AGC. For clip limit low, the opposite is true: a high value results in a
mapping more like linear AGC, whereas a low value results in a mapping more like classic histogram
equalization. There may be some overlap between the two parameters, but the difference between the two is
that lowering the clip limit high linearizes the brightness levels of the objects in the scene, while raising the clip
limit low makes the brightness of objects in the scene more representative of their temperature differences.
The default values of both parameters produce a good compromise between the two; however, because
optimum AGC is highly subjective and often application dependent, customers are encouraged to experiment
to find settings most appropriate for the target application.
By default, the histogram used to generate Lepton's 14-bit to 8-bit mapping function is collected from the full
array. In some applications, it is desirable to have the AGC algorithm ignore a portion of the scene when
collecting the histogram. For example, in some applications it may be beneficial to optimize the display to a
region of interest (ROI) in the central portion of the image. When the AGC ROI is set to a subset of the full

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 31

image, any scene content located outside of the ROI is not included in the histogram and therefore does not
affect the mapping function (note: this does not mean the portion outside of the ROI is not displayed or that
AGC is not applied there, only that those portions outside the AGC ROI do not influence the mapping
function).
8.6 Video Output Format Modes

There are two video-output format modes:
■ Raw14 (default)
■ RGB888
The first mode is appropriate for viewing 14-bit data (AGC disabled) or 8-bit data without colorization. The
second mode is for viewing data after application of the colorization look-up table (LUT) to generate 24-bit
RGB data. This capability is further described below. Note that the two output format modes results in different
packet sizes for the VoSPI output data (see VoSPI Protocol, page 38). To properly view RGB888 data, the
following order of operations should be followed:
1. Disable telemetry if required (telemetry is not valid in RGB888 mode)
2. Enable AGC (colorization without AGC is not a valid permutation)
3. Select RGB888 mode
4. Synchronize or re-synchronize the VoSPI channel (see Establishing/Re-Establishing Sync, page 42)
5. Optional: Select a desired built-in LUT or upload a custom LUT.
The purpose of RGB888 mode is to generate a “false color” RGB image in which each grayscale value is
converted by means of a user-specified look-up table (typically called a color palette) to a particular color.
Figure 16 on page 33 shows the 8 built-in color palettes provided in the current release of Lepton, and
Figure 17 on page 34 shows an example image with a color palette applied. The built-in color palettes are
selectable by means of the command and control interface (see the Lepton software Interface Description
Document for more information on the palette format). Additionally, a user-specified palette can be uploaded
through the command and control interface.

32 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Figure 16 Built-in Color Palette
The upper left corner repre-

sents the color associated
with an 8-bit input value of 0.
The lower right corner repre-
sents the color associated
with an input value of 255.
(a) Wheel 6 (b) Fusion (default) (c) Rainbow
(d) Globow (e) Sepia (f) Color
(g) Ice Fire (h) Rain

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 33

Figure 17 Comparison of an Identical Image with Grayscale and a False-color Palette
(a) Grayscale (b) False Color
8.7 GPIO Modes

There are two supported GPIO modes:
■ Disabled (default)
■ VSYNC enabled
In disabled mode, no signals are provided as input or output on the GPIO pins. In VSYNC mode, a video sync
signal is provided as an output on GPIO3. The purpose of this signal is more fully described in Frame
Synchronization, page 44.
NOTE: For the shuttered configuration of Lepton, GPIO0, GPIO1, and GPIO2 should
not be connected, regardless of the selected GPIO mode.

34 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

9.0 Interface Descriptions
9.1 Command and Control Interface

Lepton provides a command and control interface (CCI) via a two-wire interface similar to I2C (the only
difference relative to the true I2C standard is that all Lepton registers are 16 bits wide and consequently, only
16-bit transfers are allowed). The CCI address is 0x2A. The interface is described in detail in a separate
document, the Lepton Software Interface Description Document (IDD), FLIR document #110-0144-04.
Generally speaking, all commands issued through the CCI take the form of a “get” (reading data), a “set”
(writing data), or a “run” (executing a function). Table 5 shows a partial list of parameters / features
controllable through the CCI.
Table 5 Partial List of Parameters Controllable through the CCI
Power-On Telemetry Line

Parameter Section in this document
Default Location
AGC Mode Disabled AGC Modes, page 30 A3-4
AGC ROI (0,0,79,59) AGC Modes, page 30 A34-A37
AGC Dampening Factor 64 AGC Modes, page 30 A42
AGC Clip Limit High 4800 AGC Modes, page 30 A38
AGC Clip Limit Low 512 AGC Modes, page 30 A39
SYS Telemetry Mode Disabled Telemetry Modes, page 25 n/a
SYS Telemetry Location Footer Telemetry Modes, page 25 n/a
SYS Number of Frames to 8 FFC States, page 21 A74

Average
VID Color LUT Select Fusion Video Output Format Modes, page 32 n/a
VID User Color LUT n/a Video Output Format Modes, page 32 n/a
Upload/Download
OEM FFC n/a FFC States, page 21 A3-4
OEM Video Output Format Raw14 Video Output Format Modes, page 32 A3-4
OEM GPIO Mode Disabled GPIO Modes, page 34 n/a
OEM GPIO VSYNC Phase 0 lines Frame Synchronization, page 44 n/a

Delay

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 35

9.2 VoSPI Channel
The Lepton VoSPI protocol allows efficient and verifiable transfer of video over a SPI channel. The protocol is
packet-based with no embedded timing signals and no requirement for flow control. The host (master) initiates
all transactions and controls the clock speed. Data can be pulled from the Lepton (the slave) at a flexible rate.
This flexibility is depicted in Figure 18, which shows the use of a relatively slow clock utilizing most of the
available frame period as well as the use of a fast clock that bursts frame data. Once all data for a given frame
is read, the master has the option to stop the clock and/or deassert the chip select until the next available
frame. Alternatively, the master can simply leave the clock and chip select enabled, in which case Lepton
transmits discard packets until the next valid video data is available.
Figure 18 VoSPI Flexible Clock Rate

1/27 sec
1 frame video data

(a) FSCLK ~2.2 MHz
(a) FSCLK ~20 MHz

36 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

9.2.1 VoSPI Physical Interface
As illustrated in Figure 19, VoSPI utilizes 3 of the 4 lines of a typical SPI channel:
■ SCK (Serial Clock)

■ /CS (Chip Select, active low),
■ MISO (Master In/Slave Out).
Figure 19 VoSPI I/O
The MOSI (Master Out/Slave In) signal is not currently employed and should be grounded. Implementations
are restricted to a single master and single slave. The Lepton uses SPI Mode 3 (CPOL=1, CPHA=1); SCK is
HIGH when idle. Data is set up by the Lepton on the falling edge of SCK and should be sampled by the host
controller on the rising edge. See Figure 20. Data is transferred most-significant byte first and in big-endian
order. Figure 21 provides an example of the transmission of the value 0x8C08.
Figure 20 SPI Mode 3 (CPOL=1, CPHA=1)
Figure 21 SPI Bit Order (transmission of 0x8C08)

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 37

The maximum clock rate is 20 MHz. The minimum clock rate is a function of the number of bits of data per
frame that need to be retrieved. As described in the sections that follow, the number of bits of data varies
depending upon user settings (video format mode, telemetry mode). For default conditions (Raw14 mode,
telemetry disabled), there are 60 video packets per frame, each 1312 bits long, at approximately 25.9 frames
per second. Therefore, the minimum rate is on the order of 2 MHz.
9.2.2 VoSPI Protocol

VoSPI is built on a collection of object types as defined hierarchically below.
■ VoSPI Packet: The Lepton VoSPI protocol is based on a single standardized VoSPI packet, the
minimum “transaction” between master and slave. Each video packet contains data for a single video
line or telemetry line. In addition to video packets, the VoSPI protocol includes discard packets that are
provided when no video packets are available.
■ VoSPI Frame: A VoSPI frame is defined as a continuous sequence of VoSPI packets consisting of a
full frame's worth of pixel data.
■ VoSPI Stream: A VoSPI stream is defined as a continuous sequence of VoSPI frames.
As summarized in Table 6 on page 38, the packet length and number of packets per frame vary depending
upon two runtime user selections, telemetry mode and bit resolution.
■ Telemetry mode:
■ Telemetry disabled (default)
■ Telemetry enabled
■ Video Format mode:
■ Raw14 (default)
■ RGB888
Table 6 Packet Length and Number of Video Packets per Frame as a Function of User Settings
Video Format Mode Telemetry Mode

Telemetry Disabled Telemetry Enabled
Raw14 Packet length: 164 bytes Packet length: 164 bytes
Video packets per frame: 60 Video packets per frame: 63
RGB888 Packet length: 244 bytes N/A
Video packets per frame: 60

38 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

9.2.2.1VoSPI Packets
As depicted in Figure 22, each packet contains a 4-byte header followed by either a 160-byte or 240-byte
payload. Note: because the payload size differs between video formats, the setting should be selected before
VoSPI synchronization is established. If the setting is changed while VoSPI is active, it is necessary to
re-synchronize (see VoSPI Stream, page 41).
Figure 22 Generic VoSPI Packet
ID CRC Payload
4 bytes 160 or 240 bytes (depending upon bit resolution setting)
For video packets, the header includes a 2-byte ID and a 2-byte CRC. The ID field is a 12-bit packet number
as shown in Figure 23 (the leading 4 bits of the ID field are reserved and are not part of the packet number).
Note that packet numbering restarts at zero on each new frame. The CRC portion of the packet header
contains a 16-bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC), computed using the following polynomial:
16 12 5 0
x +x +x +x
The CRC is calculated over the entire packet, including the ID and CRC fields. However, the four
most-significant bits of the ID and all sixteen bits of the CRC are set to zero for calculation of the CRC. There
is no requirement for the host to verify the CRC. However, if the host does find a CRC mismatch, it is
recommended to re-synchronize the VoSPI stream to prevent potential misalignment.
Figure 23 Video Packet
ID CRC Payload
xNNN CRC Video pixels for one video line

(16 bits) (16 bits)
At the beginning of SPI video transmission until synchronization is achieved (see VoSPI Stream, page 41)
and also in the idle period between frames, Lepton transmits discard packets until it has a new frame from its
imaging pipeline. As shown in Figure 24, the 2-byte ID field for discard packets is always xFxx (where 'x'
signifies a “don't care” condition). Note that VoSPI-enabled cameras do not have vertical resolution
approaching 3840 lines (0xF00), and therefore it is never possible for the ID field in a discard packet to be
mistaken for a video line.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 39

Figure 24 Discard Packet
ID CRC Payload
xFxx xxxx Discard data (same number of bytes as video packets)
For video packets, the payload contents depend upon the selected bit resolution.
■ For Raw14 mode (the default case), the payload is 160 bytes long. Excluding telemetry lines1, each
packet contains pixel data for all 80 pixels in a single video line (with AGC disabled, the first two bits of
each pixel's two-byte word are always set to 0; if AGC is enabled, the first eight bits are set to 0).
■ For RGB888 mode, the payload is 240 bytes long. Excluding telemetry lines (which are invalid in RGB
mode), each packet consists of pixel data for a single video line (3 bytes per pixel).
Each case is illustrated in the following payload encoding figures.
Figure 25 Raw14 Mode: 1 video line per 160-byte payload

Byte 0 Byte 1 Byte 2 Byte 3 ... Byte 158 Byte 159
Line m Line m ... Line m
Pixel 0 Pixel 1 Pixel 79
Figure 26 RGB888 Mode: 1 video line per 240-byte payload

Byte 0 Byte 1 Byte 2 Byte 3 Byte 4 Byte 5 ... Byte 237 Byte 238 Byte 239
Line m Line m Line m Line m Line m Line m ... Line m Line m Line m
Pixel 0 Pixel 0 Pixel 0 Pixel 1 Pixel 1 Pixel 1 Pixel 79 Pixel 79 Pixel 79
R G B R G B R G B
Note(s)
1. See Telemetry Modes, page 25 for payload contents of the telemetry lines

40 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

9.2.2.2VoSPI Frames
A single Lepton frame contains data from all 60 rows of the sensor. However, the total number of video
packets is not necessarily 60; the exact number depends upon user settings, specifically the telemetry mode
(disabled, as header, or as footer). Table 7 shows the number of packets per frame and the contents of each
packet for all of the various combinations.
Table 7 Video Packet Contents Per Frame as a Function of Video Format and Telemetry-mode Settings
Configuration
Telemetry As header As footer Disabled

Mode
Packet 0 Telemetry line A FPA Row 0 FPA Row 0
Packet 1 Telemetry line B FPA Row 1 FPA Row 1
Packet 2 Telemetry line C FPA Row 2 FPA Row 2
Packet 3 FPA Row 0 FPA Row 3 FPA Row 3
… … … …
... … … …
Packet 60 FPA Row 57 Telemetry line A n/a
Packet 61 FPA Row 58 Telemetry line B n/a
Packet 62 FPA Row 59 Telemetry line C n/a
9.2.2.3VoSPI Stream
A VoSPI stream is simply a continuous sequence of VoSPI frames following a synchronization event. Provided
that synchronization is maintained, a VoSPI stream can continue indefinitely. Note that the frame rate of the
stream is nominally just below 27 Hz, allowing easy interface to a display system without the need for
host-side frame buffering. However, the rate of unique frames is just below 9 Hz to comply with US export
restrictions. For each unique frame, two duplicates follow in the VoSPI stream. This pattern is illustrated in

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 41

Figure 27, with unique frames shown in blue and duplicates shown in gray. In some applications, it might be
beneficial to identify the first of the three identical frames (the frame with the least latency). The 32-bit frame
counter provided in the telemetry lines (see Telemetry Modes, page 25) can be used for this purpose. It only
increments on new frames, which is also illustrated in Figure 27.
Figure 27 Frame Counter for Successive Frames
NOTE: Blue frames are different than the previous frames, gray frames are identical
to the previous blue frame.
9.2.2.3.1 Establishing/Re-Establishing Sync

The basic process for establishing synchronization is listed below:
■ Deassert /CS and idle SCK for at least 5 frame periods (>185 msec). This step ensures a timeout of
the VoSPI interface, which puts the Lepton in the proper state to establish (or re-establish)
synchronization.
■ Assert /CS and enable SCLK. This action causes the Lepton to start transmission of a first packet.
■ Examine the ID field of the packet, identifying a discard packet. Read out the entire packet.
■ Continue reading packets. When a new frame is available (should be less than 39 msec after asserting
/CS and reading the first packet), the first video packet will be transmitted. The master and slave are
now synchronized.

42 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

9.2.2.3.2 Maintaining Sync
There are three main violations that can result in a loss of synchronization:
■ Intra-packet timeout. Once a packet starts, it must be completely clocked out within 3 line periods.
Provided that VoSPI clock rate is appropriately selected and that /CS is not de-asserted (or SCLK
disrupted) in the midst of the packet transfer, an intra-packet timeout is an unexpected event.
■ Failing to read out all packets for a given frame before the next frame is available. Two examples of
this violation are shown in Figure 29 and Figure 30 on page 43. Note that the vertical blue line shown
in the illustrations represents an internal frame-sync signal that indicates a new frame is ready for
read-out.
■ Failing to read out all available frames. This violation is depicted in Figure 31 on page 44. Note that
the requirement to read out all frames applies to both the unique and the duplicate frames.
A CRC error does not result in an automatic loss of synchronization. However, as mentioned previously, it is
recommended to intentionally re-synchronize (de-assert /CS for >185 msec) following a CRC error.
The following figures are examples of violations that result in a loss of synchronization.
Figure 28 Valid Frame Timing (no loss of synchronization)
Figure 29 Clock Too Slow - Failure to Read an Entire Frame Within the Frame Period
Figure 30 Intra-frame Delay Too Long - Failure to Read Out an Entire Frame Before the Next is Available

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 43

Figure 31 Failure to Read Out an Available Frame
9.2.3 Frame Synchronization

The VoSPI protocol is designed such that embedded timing signals are not required. However, the Lepton
does provide an optional frame-timing output pulse that can aid in optimizing host timing. For example, the
host can burst-read data at a high clock rate and then idle until the next frame-timing pulse is received. The
pulse is enabled by selecting the VSYNC GPIO mode via the CCI; when enabled, it is provided on the GPIO3
pin (see GPIO Modes, page 34). The signal can be configured (also via the CCI) to lead or lag the actual
internal start-of-frame (that is, the time at which the next frame is ready to be read) by -3 to +3 line periods
(approximately -1.5 msec to +1.5 msec). By default, the pulse does not lead or lag.

44 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

10.0 Thermal Camera Basics
It is noteworthy that the integration period for a thermal detector does not have the same impact on image
formation as it does for a photon detector, such as a typical CMOS array. While a photon detector converts
incoming photons to electrons with near-instantaneous response a microbolometer such as the Lepton is
always integrating incident radiation. That is to say, it is always "active" regardless of whether or not it is being
actively integrated. The ability to detect high-speed phenomena is more a function of the detector's thermal
time constant, which governs the rate of temperature change. For Lepton, the detector time constant is on the
order of 12 msec, which means that an instantaneous irradiance change will result in a temperature change of
the detector as shown in Figure 32 on page 45.
Figure 32 Illustration of Lepton Detector Time Constant
In addition to integrating signal current, the ROIC also digitizes and multiplexes the signal from each detector
into a serial stream. And the Lepton ROIC digitizes data from an on-chip temperature sensor as well as a
thermistor attached to the camera housing. An anti-reflection (AR) coated window is bonded above the sensor
array via a wafer-level packaging (WLP) process, encapsulating the array in a vacuum. The purpose of the
vacuum is to provide high thermal resistance between the microbolometer elements and the ROIC substrate,
allowing for maximum temperature change in response to incident radiation.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 45

11.0 Mounting Specifications
The Lepton camera mounting dimensions are shown in Figure 33 and Figure 34 (50-degree version shown).
Figure 33 Lepton Camera Mounting Dimensions (shuttered configuration)

46 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Figure 34 Lepton Camera Mounting Dimensions (shutterless configuration)

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 47

11.1 Socket Information
The Lepton module is compatible with two commercially-available sockets, Molex 105028-1001 and Molex
105028-2031, illustrated in Figure 35 below. The former makes electrical contact on the upper surface of a
printed circuit board, the latter to the lower surface (with a cutout in the board that allows the socket to fit into).
In both cases solder connections are made to the top or "component" side of the board. Figure 36 depicts
both socket configurations mounted on a PCB.
To order sockets, visit www.arrow.com.
Figure 35 Two Commercially-available Sockets (both from Molex) Compatible with Lepton

48 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Figure 36 Both Sockets Mounted on a PCB

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 49

11.2 Mechanical Considerations
The socket described in Socket Information, page 48 is not intended to retain the Lepton assembly under
high-shock conditions. It is recommended to incorporate front-side retention such as illustrated in Figure 37.
Figure 37 Recommended Approach to Retaining Lepton in the end Application
The Lepton camera is not a sealed assembly. Consequently, for most applications it is recommended to locate
the assembly behind a sealed protective window. Common materials for LWIR windows include silicon,
germanium, and zinc selenide (LWIR absorption in silicon is on the order of 15%/mm, which means NEDT is
adversely affected using a silicon window. Bulk absorption in germanium and zinc selenide is negligible, and
performance is essentially unchanged provided both surfaces of the window are anti-reflection (AR) coated.)
Note that the window should be sized large enough to avoid encroaching upon the optical keepout zone (see
Optical Considerations, page 51).
11.3 Thermal Considerations

It is important to minimize any temperature gradient across the camera. The sensor should be mounted in
such a fashion so as to isolate it from heat loads such as electronics, heaters, and non-symmetric external
heating.
The surrounding area must be able to support and withstand the dissipation of up to 160 mW of heat by the
camera.

50 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

11.4 Optical Considerations
The optical keepout zone is shown in Figure 38. To avoid mechanical vignetting, do not impinge upon the
keepout zone. For the integral-shutter configuration, z = 0.7 at the upper surface of the shutter assembly.
Consequently, the keepout zone at 0.3 mm above the shutter assembly has a diameter of 1.96 mm + 1.39 mm
= 3.35mm.
Figure 38 Optical Keepout Zone (50-degree version shown)
d = 1.96 mm + 1.39(z)
Lens flange

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 51

12.0 Image Characteristics
The information given in Table 8 applies across the full operating temperature range.
Table 8 Image Characteristics
Parameter Description Value
NETD Noise Equivalent Temperature <50 mK

Difference (random temporal
(20 mK typical)
noise)
Intrascene Range Minimum and maximum 0°C to 120°C typical1

scene temperature
Operability Number of non-defective >99.0%

pixels
(<1 defect typical)
Clusters Number of adjacent defective N/A2

pixels
“Adjacent” means any of the 8

nearest neighbors (or nearest
5 for an edge pixel, nearest 3
for a corner).
Note(s)
1. Scene dynamic range is a function of sensor characteristics and ambient temperature. Range values reported
are typical values at room temperature.
2. Only single-pixel defects are allowed (no clusters).
The nominal curve of on-axis modulation transfer function (MTF) for the Lepton lens assembly is shown for
reference in Figure 39.

52 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Figure 39 Nominal Curve of On-axis Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 53

13.0 Spectral Response
For reference, Figure 40 depicts the typical spectral response of the Lepton camera.
Figure 40 Normalized Response as a Function of Signal Wavelength

54 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

14.0 Electrical Specifications
14.1 DC and Logic Level Specifications

Table 9 DC and Logic Levels
Symbol Parameter Min Typ Max Units
VDDC Core Voltage (primary power for the 1.14 1.20 1.26 Volts
Lepton internal ASIC)
VDDCpp VDDC, peak-to-peak ripple voltage — — 50 mV
VDD Sensor Voltage (primary power for 2.72 2.80 2.88 Volts
the Lepton internal sensor chip)
VDDpp VDD, peak-to-peak ripple voltage — — 30 mV
VDDIO I/O Voltage (primary power for the 2.51 — 3.1 Volts
Lepton I/O ring)
VDDIOpp VDDIO, peak-to-peak ripple voltage — — 50 mV
I_DDC Supply current for core (VDDC) 76 84 110 mA
I_DD Supply current for sensor (VDD) 12 14 162 mA
I_DDIO Supply current for I/O ring (VDDIO) 1 2 4 mA
(shutterless)
I_DDIO Supply current for I/O ring and 1 235 3103 mA
(integral shutter shutter assembly (VDDIO) (during (during
configuration) FFC) FFC)
Note(s)
1. For the shuttered configuration, the minimum value for VDDIO is 2.8 V rather than 2.5 V
2. Maximum at 65 degrees C
3. Maximum at -10 degrees C

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 55

14.2 AC Electrical Characteristics
Table 10 AC Electrical Characteristics
Parameter Min Typ Max Units
MASTER_CLK, Fclk TBD 25 MHz See note1 Master clock

rate
MASTER_CLK, Fclk duty 45% 50% 55% Master clock
duty cycle
MASTER_CLK, tr -- -- 3.4 ns Clock rise time
(10% to 90%)
MASTER_CLK, tf -- -- 3.4 ns Clock fall time

(90% to 10%)
SPI_CLK, Fclk See note2 20 MHz VoSPI clock rate
SPI_CLK, Fclk duty 45% 50% 55% SPI-clock duty

cycle
SPI_CLK, tr -- -- TBD SPI clock rise
time (10% to 90%)
SPI_CLK, tf -- -- TBD SPI clock fall
time (90% to 10%)
SCL, Fclk 1 MHz I2C clock rate
SCL, Fclk duty 45% 50% 55% I2C-clock duty

cycle
SCL_CLK, tr -- -- TBD I2C clock rise
time (10% to 90%)
SCL_CLK, tf -- -- TBD I2C clock fall
time (90% to 10%)
Note(s)
1. Master clock frequencies significantly more or less than 25 MHz may cause image degradation.
2. As described in VoSPI Protocol, page 38, the minimum VoSPI clock frequency is dependent upon the
requirement to read out all video packets for a given frame within the frame period. The size and number of
video packets vary with user settings.

56 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

15.0 Absolute Maximum Ratings
Electrical stresses beyond those listed in Table 11 may cause permanent damage to the device. These are
stress rating only, and functional operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those
indicated under the recommended operating conditions listed in Table 9 on page 55 is not implied. Exposure
to absolute-maximum-rated conditions for extended periods of time may affect device reliability.
Table 11 Absolute Maximum Ratings
Parameter Absolute Maximum Rating
Core Voltage (VDDC) 1.5 V

Sensor Voltage (VDD) 4.8 V
I/O Voltage (VDDIO) 4.8 V
Voltage on any I/O pin Lesser of (VDDIO + 0.6V)
or 4.8V

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 57

16.0 Environmental Specifications
Environmental stresses beyond those listed may cause permanent damage to the device. Exposure to
absolute-maximum-rated conditions for extended periods of time may affect device reliability.
Table 12 Environmental Specifications
Stress Maximum Rating
Operating Temperature Range -10° C to 65° C

(-20° C to 75° C with some possible performance degradation)
Maximum Operating Temperature 80 °C1
Shutter Operating Temperature -10° C to 65° C2
Storage Temperature -40° C to 80° C
Altitude (pressure) 12 km altitude equivalent
Relative Humidity 95%
Thermal Shock Air-to-air across operating temp. extremes (-10° C to 65° C,
65° C to -10° C)
Mechanical Shock 1500 g, 0.4 msec
Vibration Transportation profile, 4.3 grms
ESD Human Body Model (HBM), 2kV
Charged Device Model (CDM), 500V
Note(s)
1. Lepton contains an automatic shutdown feature when its internal temperature exceeds the maximum safe
operating value. See Power States, page 18.
2. Lepton contains an automatic shutter lockout feature that prevents the shutter from operating when its
internal temperature is outside the range of -10° C to 65° C. See FFC States, page 21.
16.1 Compliance with Environmental Directives

Lepton complies with the following directives and regulations:
■ Directive 2002/95/EC, “Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and
electronic equipment (RoHS)”
■ Directive 2002/96/ EC, “Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)”.
■ Regulation (EC) 1907/2006, “Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals
(REACH)”

58 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

17.0 Abbreviations and Acronyms
Abbreviation Description
AGC Automatic Gain Control
AR Anti-reflection
CCI Command and Control Interface
CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check
DSP Digital Signal Processor
EMC Electromagnetic Compatibility
FFC Flat Field Correction
FOV Field of View
FPA Focal Plane Array
FPN Fixed Pattern Noise
GPIO General Purpose IO
HFOV Horizontal Field of View
I2C Inter-Integrated Circuit
IDD Interface Description Document
LWIR Long Wave Infrared
MISO Maser In/Slave Out
MOSI Master Out/Slave In
NEDT Noise Equivalent Differential Temperature
NUC Non-Uniformity Correction
OTP One-Time Programmable
PLL Phase-Lock Loop
REACH Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals
RoHS Reduction of Hazardous Substances

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 59

ROIC Readout Integrated Circuit
SBNUC Scene-based Non-uniformity Correction
SNR Signal to Noise Ratio
SoC System on a Chip
SPI Serial Peripheral Interface
SVP Software-based Video Processing
TCR Temperature Coefficient of Resistance
TWI Two-wire Interface
VoSPI Video Over SPI
VOx Vanadium-oxide
WEEE Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
WLP Wafer-level Packaging

60 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

© FLIR Commercial Systems, 2014. 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 r e used under authority of the G N U public license. Information
about these fonts and t h e G N U public license can b e found a t : 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 m a n u a 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 fo1r 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.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 61


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FLIR LEPTON® Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) Datasheet

8.5 x 11.7 x 5.6 mm (without socket),

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 1

Simplified Block Diagram

Thermal image VoSPI

2.8V, 1.2V, 2.5V to 3.1V IO

This documentation contains proprietary information to FLIR Systems,

Note: All specifications subject to change without notice

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

2 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 3

Revision Date Description of Change

1.0 5/1/2014 Initial release

1.1 7/7/2014 Updated to cover both shutterless and integral-shutter

1.2 9/23/2014 Minor corrections

1.2.4 10/15/2014 Accumulated updates

1.2.6 3/17/2016 Accumulated updates

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

4 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 5

(b) shutterless configuration without and with socket

(a) shuttered configuration without and with socket

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

6 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Figure 2 Typical Application

Camera Clock Generation MASTER CLK

VDDIO (2. 5 to 3.1V)

Camera Control Interface (CCI) SCL

Optional Video Interface SPI MOSI

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 7

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

8 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 9

Figure 3 Pinout Diagram (viewed from back of camera module)

23 PWR DWN L 2 GPIO3

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

10 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Table 2 Lepton Camera Module Pin Descriptions

1, 6, 8, GND Power GND Common Ground

2 GPIO3 IN/OUT VDDIO The GPIO1 multiplexed functions are optional

5 GPIO0 IN/OUT VDDIO

11 SPI_MOSI IN VDDIO Video Over SPI Slave Data In (see VoSPI

13 SPI_CLK IN VDDIO Video Over SPI Slave Clock (see VoSPI

16 VDDIO Power Shutterless: Supply used for System IO

19 VDD Power 2.8V Supply for Sensor (2.8V +/- 3%).

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016 11

21 SCL IN VDDIO Camera Control Interface Clock, I2C

22 SDA IN/OUT VDDIO Camera Control Interface Data, I2C

24 RESET_L IN VDDIO This active low signal resets the camera

26 MASTER_CLK IN VDDIO ASIC Master Clock Input (see Master Clock,

Information on this page is subject to change without notice.

12 Version 1.2.6, March 17, 2016

Figure 4 Lepton Architecture

(FPA) Discrete controls