SWIR applications have a reputation for being complicated and expensive. The new cameras exo990 and fxo990 from SVS-Vistek cover an extremely wide wavelength range from the visible VIS to the invisible SWIR range, are inexpensive and as easy to use as normal industrial cameras due to their GenICam interface. The possibility of covering VIS and NIR wavelengths with a single camera allows extremely compact applications.
New SWIR sensor technology
With the SenSWIR sensor, Sony has developed the new copper-copper bonding (Cu-Cu bonding) technology. With this new sensor technology, the InGaAs boundary layer becomes thinner, which leads to a significant increase in quantum efficiency (in the NIR range almost up to 100%). At the same time, the small pixel size of only 5 µm leads to a highly efficient, small and therefore very economical construction of the sensors.
Wide wavelength range enables many applications
The wavelength range in which the sensor is sensitive could also be expanded to an industrially very interesting and broad spectrum from 400 nm to 1700 nm. Many substances can be identified within this range on the basis of their typical absorption characteristics.
Typical application scenarios can be found, for example, in the solar and electronics industries (inspection of silicon), in the pharmaceutical sector or in food production (fruit, rot, pressure marks). SWIR enables easy detection of otherwise invisible contaminants or the detection of water and/or water vapor.
Just like a standard industrial camera
The broad spectrum and high sensitivity of SVS-Vistek’s new SWIR cameras offer economic advantages. Highly informative inspection procedures can be realized by using several narrow-band illuminations simultaneously or sequentially via the multiple strobe controllers already integrated in the cameras.
The combination of the conventional visible wavelength range with the NIR range in a single camera leads to significantly lower costs when setting up inspection systems. While the camera shines with a high dynamic range and thus reduces the effort for illumination and image processing, the enormous frame rate of up to 134 fps enables high cycle times.
Variants depending on requirements
Both the fxo990 and the exo990 deliver images with 1.3 MP resolution (1280 x 1024 pixels). The pixel size of only 5 µm leads to a very compact sensor format with a diagonal of only 8.2 mm, thus enabling the use of small, inexpensive lenses. The excellent temperature management leads to highest homogeneity in the monochrome image.
With these new cameras, SVS-Vistek is also expanding its product range into the SWIR area. The fxo990 is offered with the modern CoaXPress-12 interface and enables 134 fps, the exo990 with GigE Vision interface delivers a frame rate of 90 fps. Both cameras feature a 4-channel strobe controller integrated in the GenICam tree and are suitable for easy combination with all established software packages on the market due to the use of the GenTL standard.