A Comprehensive Guide To Finding the Right Thermal Cameras

If you're thinking about buying a thermal camera but aren't sure how to find the right one, Planck Vision System can help simplify the process. Our website features a Site Planner tool that helps you choose the right camera for your applications. Whether you’re monitoring an industrial electrical room or another critical space, it’s quite easy to use. Let us walk you through how it works:

1. Go to Site Planner on our website

Firstly, you’ll need a visual of the site you want to monitor. This could be a blueprint, a layout image, or even a sketch if it's detailed enough. For example, if you need a thermal camera for an electrical room, you will need a blueprint. Then, find the Site Map (Select Image) as highlighted in the picture given below. There, you need to put the image or blueprint of the site that needs to be monitored.

This is how your blueprint will appear on the Site Planner after you upload it.

2. Set the Correct Site Scale

After uploading your site image or blueprint, the next crucial step is defining the site scale. This allows the Site Planner tool to understand the real-world dimensions of the layout you're working with.

Site scale is the actual physical dimensions of the image you've uploaded. It is typically the height or width of the area shown in the blueprint. Since the software doesn’t automatically recognize scale from the image alone, you must manually give your input.

Every calculation the site planner performs, including camera field of view, coverage area, and detection accuracy, depends on an accurate site scale. So, make sure to put the right value because software itself cannot assess the real-world camera performance correctly.

To fill in the right value, you need to follow this: If the height of the site shown in your blueprint is 30 meters, you would enter “30 m” into the site scale field. This tells the tool, “The vertical span of this image represents 30 meters in real life.

3. Define Your Target Size

Once the site scale is set, the next step is to specify what you need to monitor and how clearly you need to see it. This involves two settings: Target Size and Pixels on Target.

Target Size

This refers to the approximate size of the object or area you want to monitor with the thermal camera. It could be an electrical panel, a piece of equipment, a doorway, or any critical asset. You don’t need exact measurements here, but just a rough estimate.

The size of the target helps the Site Planner determine how far the camera can be positioned while still capturing usable thermal data.

Pixels on Target

This setting defines how many pixels the camera should capture on the target area. It directly affects image clarity and temperature measurement accuracy.

• Higher pixels on target = sharper image + more accurate temperature readings

• Lower pixels on target = broader view, but less detail

For fire prevention applications like detecting overheating components in an electrical room, you generally don’t need ultra-precise measurements. A lower pixel with a target value is sufficient to spot abnormal temperature increases.

4. Adjust Camera Mounting and Angles 

On the left side of the interface, you’ll find tools to:

• Move the camera within the scene

• Set the camera’s mounting height

• Adjust the tilt angle and field of view

  
  

You can either manually fine-tune the tilt or use the Auto Tilt feature to calculate the optimal angle automatically.

Tip: Accurate tilt and height positioning help ensure the camera has an unobstructed view of the target area.

5. Choose the Right Camera Model

On the right side of the screen, you can select from available thermal camera models.

The tool defaults to the TNC 100, but you can explore other models such as the TNC 20. Each model shows a visual field of view overlay, helping you assess how much area it covers and whether it fits your needs.

Example: The TNC 20 provides full coverage of an electrical panel in the example setup without monitoring unnecessary space.

6. Choose Your Camera Model

The tool lets you compare different Planck thermal cameras. By default, it selects the TNC 100, but you can switch it to other models like the TNC 20, which might be a better match depending on your space and target size.

7. Add a Second Camera

If your location requires multiple cameras (e.g., to monitor different panels or zones), go to the Camera Location selector and change the camera number from 1 to 2, 3, and so on.

Each additional camera can be:

• Positioned on the blueprint

• Assigned a different model

• Adjusted for height, angle, and coverage

8. Save or Share Your Layout

Once you’ve built your perfect setup, you can:

• Save it to the cloud

• Get a shareable code

• Reload it later by pasting the code back into the tool

That way, you’re never starting from scratch. It’s like a cloud-based system.

9. Still Uncertain? We’ve got your back!

If you're still not 100% sure about your setup, Planck’s support team is just a click away. Call us now, or visit our YouTube channel to explore the additional resources mentioned in the video description. There, we have explained all the steps mentioned in this blog post in a very clear and step-by-step manner. What are you waiting for? Go and check out now, here is the link.