D435 operating temperature for different components
We are using a D435 outdoors, and I am concerned about what will happen this summer. I'm expecting ambient temperatures around the camera to reach 40-46C for at least an hour or two every day for >2 months, with the potential for short spikes around 49C.
I know that the D435 is rated for 0-35C ambient temperature and that the stereo depth module in particular is rated for 0-50C case temperature. What I'm wondering is this: if we're only using the camera for RGB images*, does that change what temperatures the camera can operate in?
We're not using the infrared projector or depth sensing at all. As long as the camera can produce RGB images in 40-46C ambient temperatures, that will work.
*I know it's very weird that we're using a D435 to produce RGB images. We have legacy reasons for doing so.
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Hi Grace There is a relationship between the operating temperature and the temperature of the camera's outer casing. Intel lab tests found that if the external casing temperature is below 44 degrees C then the operating temperature is not likely to exceed 60 degrees C.
RealSense 400 Series cameras have a laser safety mechanism in the firmware driver. If the internal projector temperature exceeds 60 degrees C for several seconds then the Laser Power value of the camera is halved. If the projector temperature continues to exceed 60 degrees after that then the laser is shut off. Disabling the laser can reduce depth image quality unless the location that the camera in is well lit but will not affect RGB.
Problems in the depth image may start to manifest when the internal operating temperature is above 42 degrees C but again, that should not affect RGB.
My expectation would be that RGB will continue to function normally in 40-46 degrees C ambient temperature even if the operating temperature reaches 60 degrees and the laser is shut off.
If you do experience problems then painting the camera casing white (being careful not to get paint on the sensors on the front) may reduce the casing temperature and hence also the internal temperature as the color white reflects heat. Doing so would likely invalidate the camera's sales warranty though.
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Thank you so much for the quick response, MartyG! This is super helpful. I'm very glad to hear that you believe RGB captures would continue to function normally in 40-46 degrees C ambient temperature, even if the laser is shut off.
Do you know if there's been any testing done at those temperatures that shows that RGB images are unaffected? What is your expectation based on?
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There is not any data or past-case references available regarding RGB performance at very high temperature. My expectation is based simply on how an RGB image typically remains stable even when other stream types such as depth are experiencing image problems, because there is not much that can go wrong with an RGB stream compared to the number of factors involved in depth image generation and the quality of that image.
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I see, thank you for explaining MartyG
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Quick update here: we ended up running our own in-house test of Realsense performance under high temperatures. We ran the camera at 52C for ~9 hours a day for 5 weeks and observed that RGB photo quality was unaffected the entire time.
It is worth noting that, at 52C ambient temperature, the projector temperature was above 60C (lowest laser temperature we observed was 69C), so the laser was definitely being disabled.
Thanks MartyG for the advice that the RGB photo stream likely wouldn't be affected. It meant that we didn't need to spend a bunch of time upgrading our camera that's being used outdoors.
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