At the 2015 Paris Air Show in France, UTC Aerospace Systems of Charlotte, NC, USA (a unit of United Technologies Corp of Hartford, CT) has introduced the Sensors Unlimited 320CSX, the latest in its line of MicroSWIR short-wave infrared (SWIR) video cameras.
Based on indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), the low-noise, rugged SWIR camera provides an opportunity to get the size, weight, power (SWaP) and capability of a Sensors Unlimited MicroSWIR camera at an affordable price without ITAR restrictions, says the firm. The SWIR camera's performance, reliability and low SWaP make it suitable for use in industrial applications including process monitoring, enhanced vision and persistent surveillance, it adds. "Many of our industrial customers have been asking for a more affordable, small SWIR imager," says Bob Jones, director of sales for Sensors Unlimited.
On the front end, the 320CSX offers an industry-standard C-mount lens interface, which allows it to adapt to a variety of commercial-off-the-shelf lens options. On the back end, the camera offers a modular output, which will initially provide RS170 analog video, CameraLink digital video, and RS232 command and control, but may be expanded to offer other industry-standard interfaces.
At its core, the 320CSX camera provides VGA resolution (320x256 pixels, 12.5μm pixel pitch), weighs less than 55g, measures 1.25-inches on each side, uses less than 2W of power at 20°C, operates from -40°C to 70°C case temperatures, and provides a range of features to optimize imagery in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Like all members of the MicroSWIR product family, the 320CSX has been built for rugged operation and includes the assurance of MIL-STD-810G environmental testing.
