Xenics At DCS: Xenics SWIR Technology Driving Flexible Innovations

Xenics is demonstrating its technology innovations for perimeter protection of sensitive public and industrial areas, focusing on its comprehensive portfolio of SWIR products, which offer higher sensitivity and dynamic range compared to the visible realm, as well as improved recognition when used under difficult observation conditions by its penetrating of opaque and glass layers compared to thermal imaging systems.

In this realm Xenics has taken a leading international position due to its path breaking technology developments in the realm of SWIR imaging for multi-spectral remote sensing missions. Xenics' SWIR sensors are used in conjunction with visible and NIR sensors for environmental exploration tasks such as vegetation and thermal balance studies, providing valuable information about the presence of clouds and to determine remote sensing indices.

Among the new developments are the low-cost, high frequency SWIR XSW-320 and the Bobcat-320- Gated. Other products on view are the SWIR, MWIR and LWIR OEM XenicsCores, rounded off by the Xenics SWIR Xlin line-scan detectors.

High performance SWIR Modules and Cameras
The new small-form-factor XSW-320 OEM module is directed at cost-sensitive volume markets and hyperspectral imaging. It is available with a variety of interfaces to be integrated in numerous industrial and security systems and can be fitted with standard C-mount glass lenses. The shortwave infrared XSW-320 module, featuring a 320 x 256-pixel resolution at a pixel pitch of 20 μm, comes equipped with single-stage thermo-electric cooling for low noise and excellent dark current specs.

The Bobcat-320-Gated, operating in the 0.9 to 1.7 μm range, offers an extremely short integration time of 100 ns for applications requiring SWIR gated imaging. Its extremely short integration time, high frame rate (400Hz) and programmable jitter-free trigger out, make it a perfect match for gated imaging applications or measurement systems needing camera synchronization with a laser – at a very competitive price point.

Modularity through XenicsCores
To shorten and simplify the design of surveillance systems Xenics offers a modularity concept enabling and selecting various application-specific functionalities. Unique to Xenics' high-resolution SWIR, MWIR and LWIR XenicsCores modules, in comparison to competitive offerings of the thermal variety, is their perfect suitability for multiple wavelength ranges, thereby covering the full IR spectrum.

Drawing on the XenicsCores product range, systems integrators can realize innovative system developments much faster and more flexible. The XenicsCores of IR modules line uses industrial components built for ruggedness and a wide range of operating temperatures. For sensor fusion applications as required by several Xenics customers, the XSW and XTM modules can be integrated together in one optical system since the modular concept of XenicsCores is based on the same electronics and interface specifications.

Another premier innovation of Xenics shown at SPIE DCS 2016 is the proprietary image processing algorithm XIE (Xenics Image Enhancement) available on all of Xenics' thermal imaging products. The LWIR cores and cameras support an extra number of image enhancement filters, which are to be used in combination with histogram equalization. On the MWIR XCO-640 core, The XIE algorithm compresses the overall dynamic range of the image while retaining the details for an overall natural impression of the image. Thus the XIE algorithm will equalize and balance visual scenes with extreme bright and dark areas, as well as thermal scenes with minimal temperature differences.

With these announcements and presentations, Xenics is focusing on the growing importance of faster and more flexible imaging technologies for the defense and security communities by demonstrating significant innovations in the realm of perimeter protection and securing sensitive areas and facilities, as well as land and sea border protection. In this context, SWIR and thermal fusion detection systems deliver excellent imaging results independent of light and weather

Download high resolution image XSW-320
Download high resolution image Bobcat-Gated