Thermal Imaging

2019-10-11

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Cooled thermal imaging camera are the clear choice for long range detection. This is due to the highly sensitive FPA technology they employ. Typically, a cooled thermal camera will utilize either InSb or MCT sensor materials. These are very good materials for a thermal array in the 3-5 micron range. However, Focal Plane Arrays made from these materials do require cryogenic cooling in order to function at their peak performance level. That is why they are called “cooled thermal camera”. But, when these exotic sensor materials are combined with an appropriate cooling system, the result is a thermal imaging system that boasts MRTD’s on the order of 20mk or less. In practical terms this equates to 3-4 times the sensitivity of uncooled thermal camera systems. The sensitivity of cooled sensors, allows us to use much smaller lenses (f/4-f/5.5). It follows that, given a certain envelope of space, we can fit a much longer focal length lens into a cooled thermal camera design than any other technology would allow. When ultimate distance matters, long range cooled thermal camera systems are the only option.