Scientific Infrared Camera sets new standards

The premier infrared solution for industrial, scientific and military applications, the new Indigo Phoenix MW infrared camera is a modular system with selectable resolution and video signal processing

Described as 'the premier infrared solution for industrial, scientific and military applications', FLIR Systems new Indigo Phoenix MW infrared camera is a modular system with selectable resolution and both digital and analogue video signal processing electronics for data rates up to 12.2 megapixels per second.

It also comes with unmatched lens options from microscopes to telescopes.

The standard model includes an indium antimonide (InSb) detector operating in the spectral range of 1.5 - 5 microns, although in common with other cameras in this family, Phoenix NIR and LWIR models may also be specified.

The camera's superior infrared sensors and dedicated electronics support many advanced features including snapshot pixel exposure, adjustable gain, variable exposure times, windowing for increased frame rates and invert/revert.

The ThermaCAM Phoenix camera is ideal for any infrared industrial, scientific, or military use when flexibility and unequalled performance is vital.

Typical Phoenix applications include atmospheric phenomenology - when flexible and high speed sampling rates are needed to successfully capture passive target signatures or signals from actively illuminated systems, through turbulent atmospheric paths; the Phoenix windowing modes are essential.

Additionally, the camera's integrate-while-read mode maximises sensitivity by allowing almost 100 percent of the frame time for integration of the signal.

Non-Destructive Testing - for applications where profiling the decay of the thermal signatures is required, the external synchronisation and high speed, uninterrupted, sequence acquisition modes make Phoenix the ideal tool.

Long-Range Surveillance - when high resolution and magnification are required for detection of thermal targets at long range, a large format Phoenix camera with a 60/180/500 mm telescope provides an optimum solution.

Pulsed Laser Detection - minimisation of atmospheric back scatter is extremely important for actively illuminated, passive imaging systems.

The ability to precisely "gate" the integration of return energy from a target, for very short time periods, at very low noise levels is what makes the Phoenix NIR camera perfect for this application.

Designed for severe environments, the head offers both conductive and convective cooling for reliable operation in wide ranges of temperature and altitude.

All Phoenix camera heads have a choice of detector format, either 320 x 256 or 640 x 512 pixels.

The larger format is ideal for long range surveillance especially when combined with the 60mm, 180mm or 500mm telescopic lenses available with the camera.

ThermaCAM Phoenix employs a 'split' architecture configuration under which the camera head is separated from the electronics by an interface cable.

This split head architecture allows the user a choice of data acquisition solutions - RTIE or DAS.

While both solutions enable synchronisation modes, windowing capabilities and triggering features, the Real Time Imaging Electronics (RTIE) is a dedicated electronics subsystem that provides real-time pixel gain and off-set correction and generates video (PAL or NTSC), as well as S-Video, with data rates up to 14.75 megapixels per second.

In contrast, the DAS (Data Acquisition System) includes a proprietary camera interface/sync processor board capable of handling data rates of up to 40 megapixels per second, while also having a provision for two additional readout channels in the DAS - frame rates of up to 38kHz are supported.

To complement RTIE or DAS hardware, Phoenix is also available with a powerful software package.

ThermaCAM RTools is a highly sophisticated software package developed for engineers and scientists to acquire process and analyse information from a range of cameras, including the ability to radiometrically and thermographically calibrate the camera.

Created for flexible and extensive use in data archiving, ThermaCAM Rtools uses the US Air Force Standard Archive Format (SAF).

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