FLIR Systems wins $6.7 million order from U.S. Navy
FLIR Systems Inc. in Wilsonville, Ore., won a $6.7 million order from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Ind., for Enhanced Targeting Sight (ETS) infrared imaging systems. Used in day and night battlefield environments and in degraded weather conditions, the ETS increases the accuracy of laser designators by allowing operators to view the laser spot within the target scene. The systems are based on the company’s rugged SeeSpot III high-performance thermal imager that allows operators to identify targets and view laser designators simultaneously. Work will be at FLIR’s North Billerica, Mass., production facility. For more information contact FLIR Systems online at www.flir.com.
Two-megapixel camera for demanding machine-vision applications
Adimec Electronic Imaging Inc. in Stoneham, Mass., is offering the Adimec-1620 2-megapixel camera for demanding machine vision applications that comes in monochrome or color. The camera offers solid image quality in low light conditions, and has single-tap or dual-tap versions available to provide speeds as fast as 18 or 34 progressive images per second. Applications include wafer inspection, semiconductor inspection, and metrology. For more information contact Adimec online at www.adimec.com.
Edmund Optics expands into the ultraviolet
Edmund Optics in Barrington, N.J., is offering 20 product lines designed to work in the ultraviolet, in response to demand from biophotonics companies. Products introduced include UV-NIR triplets, CaF2 windows, UV laser mirrors, UV filters, UV fixed-focal-length lenses, UV cameras, UV-VIS CCD spectrometers, and new versions of the EO ReflX objectives. They will also include scientific-grade instrumentation, including spectrometers, photomultiplier tubes, UV light sources, and UV detectors. All the components are designed to integrate easily into prototype and production assemblies. Biophotonics continues to be a fast-growing area that requires low-autofluorescence UV optics manufactured from calcium fluoride, fused silica, and more exotic materials. For more information contact Edmund Optics online at www.edmundoptics.com.
Toshiba offers IK-1000 extreme-low-light surveillance camera for homeland security
Toshiba Surveillance & IP Network Video Products in Irvine, Calif., is offering the IK-1000 extreme-low-light color camera for military, aviation, homeland security, public utility, coastal ports, border security, and other high-value asset applications. With a minimum light sensitivity of 0.00025 lux, the IK-1000 color camera is 30 times more sensitive to light than conventional low-light cameras, company officials say. Incorporating a back-illuminated EMCCD, it brings nighttime 30-frame-per-second color video to high-value applications. Other features include: RS-232C camera control, 16-area selectable backlight compensation, and compact dimensions (2.3 × 2.3 × 5.2 inches). For a datasheet, visit www.cctv.toshiba.com.
Tiny high-resolution color single-board camera
The VPC895 one-third-inch CCD high-resolution color board camera from Premier Electronics Ltd. in Waltham Cross, England, is designed to provide a RoHS version of the company’s VPC795. This version is reduced to the size of one board. The high-resolution 450TVL is coupled with glass lenses to remove or mitigate the problems of plastic versions. The camera measures 42 by 42 millimeters and weighs 20 grams, making it suitable for small-space applications. The VPC895 offers external synchronization as well as internal, allowing multiple cameras to run together. Sensitivity is down to 0.9 lux or less and the electronic iris ensures that it can deal with difficult lighting conditions automatically. The camera draws just 120 milliamps maximum power from a 12-volt supply, and can be set to specific viewing conditions. Digital zooming is standard and the camera can be supplied in PAL and NTSC formats. For more information contact Premire Electronics online at www.premierelect.com.
PSI-TEC electro-optic material meets crucial test guidelines
PSI-TEC Corp. in Wilmington, Del., a wholly owned subsidiary of PSI-TEC Holdings Inc. had independent laboratory results come back positive, confirming the thermal stability of the company’s Perkinamine electro-optic materials. Thermal stability as high as 350 degrees Celsius was confirmed, exceeding other commercially available high performance electro-optic materials, such as CLD-1 which exhibits thermal degradation in the range of 250 to 275 C. The high temperature stability of PSI-TEC’s materials eliminates a major obstacle to vertical integration of EO polymers into standard microelectronic manufacturing processes, such as wave/vapor-phase soldering, where thermal stability of at least 300°C is necessary. In independent laboratory tests, 10-percent material degradation, a common evaluation of overall thermal stability, did not occur until PSI-TEC’s Perkinamine material base was exposed to temperatures as high as 350°C, as determined by Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). The test results support the company’s progress to introduce their materials into commercial applications such as optical interconnections (OIC), high-speed telecom and datacom modulators, and military/aerospace components. For more information contact PSI-TEC Corp. online at www.psiteccorp.com.
Northrop Grumman to supply Army with lightweight laser designator rangefinders
Northrop Grumman Corp. in Apoka, Fla., won a $79 million contract from the U.S. Army to provide nearly 300 of the company’s Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder (LLDR) systems that provide targeting capability for laser-guided, GPS-guided, and conventional munitions. Deliveries of the systems under this fourth in a series of production contracts will begin in June 2007 and are expected to be completed by December 2008. “Army forward observers have used Northrop Grumman’s LLDR with tremendous success in Afghanistan and Iraq,” says Gregory Williams, general manager of the company’s Laser Systems business unit. “LLDR provides our warfighters exactly what they need: a man-portable, precision targeting system for the battlefield.” Northrop Grumman’s LLDR targets enemy positions during the day, at night, and in nearly all battlefield conditions including haze, smoke, fog, and rain. The system can recognize targets, find the range to a target with an eye-safe wavelength, and calculate grid coordinates with built-in GPS, elevation, and azimuth sensing capability. The system then provides this information to other digital battlefield systems.
AMI Semiconductor introduces ambient-light sensor
AMI Semiconductor in Pocatello, Idaho, is offering the AMIS-74980x ambient-light sensor for electronics displays and automotive applications. Emulating the human eye, the sensor provides an output proportional to ambient light, which allows the display controller to adjust the brightness and contrast. This not only helps reduce eye strain from glare and reflection, but also controls power dissipation and minimizes frequent battery recharges or replacements in portable devices. Applications include LCD monitors, large-format LED displays, notebook PCs, PDAs and handheld displays, GPS displays, and dashboards. The AMIS-74980x family performs with light sources ranging from natural sunlight to fluorescent, conventional incandescent, and halogen lamps. Its low dark current enables the display controller to adjust the brightness of the display even in low-light environments. Because the AMIS-74980x is an analog/digital output device, it features performance over the 3-to-3.6-volt supply-voltage range, operating frequency of 10 to 100 kHz, and the 0-to-70-degrees-Celsius temperature range. For more information contact AMI Semiconductor online at www.amis.com.
