Infrared thermal imaging cameras are widely used in security monitoring, vehicle night vision, temperature measurement, quality management, equipment maintenance, and national defense security. Faced with the reality that there are many domestic and foreign brands and models, and the price difference is huge, it is easy to be unable to start the selection. Below we will introduce in detail how to buy a handheld infrared imager!

1. Look at the detector, the detector is the heart of the infrared thermal imager. Infrared detectors are divided into refrigerated and uncooled types. The refrigerated infrared detectors are mainly used in high-end military equipment and are expensive. This article is not listed below. Uncooled infrared detectors can work at room temperature, and their size and power consumption are greatly reduced. Most of the infrared thermal imagers in civilian fields and some military equipment use uncooled infrared detectors. As a bridge between sensing infrared radiation and output signal, thermal sensitive components are the core components of infrared detectors. The mainstream materials for the thermal elements of uncooled infrared detectors are vanadium oxide (VOx) and amorphous silicon (α-Si).

The residual fixed pattern noise of the detector made of amorphous silicon material is large, which is more than an order of magnitude larger than that of the vanadium oxide material. The specific performance is that the image has a sense of masking, and the infrared image is not sharp and transparent. Throughout the global infrared market, both vanadium oxide (VOx) and amorphous silicon (α-Si) have been widely used. In the early days, vanadium oxide technology was mainly in the hands of several major U.S. arms giants. For example, the top infrared technology DRS, Raytheon, BAE, etc. all adopted vanadium oxide solutions, and were mostly used in military and other fields that require relatively high imaging quality; amorphous silicon A more representative one is Ulis in France. In the general field of civilian products, amorphous silicon has a certain market share at a lower cost, and at the same time, it has greatly promoted the widespread application of infrared detectors in the civilian market..

Second, see the clarity, the clarity is the eye of the infrared thermal imager. The detector resolution of an infrared thermal imager is an important indicator of clarity. The resolution of the detector directly affects the final imaging effect. The higher the resolution, the clearer the image and the better the user experience. The relatively high-end product pixels of civilian infrared thermal imagers are 640×512. The infrared images taken by this high-end infrared thermal imager are clear and delicate, and objects the size of a hare can be distinguished 500 meters away; the mid-end infrared thermal imager has 384 pixels ×288, this series of infrared thermal imaging cameras can accurately identify walking human bodies 700 meters away. The 1024×768 pixel level infrared thermal imager products also perform well in the high-end civilian field.

3. Looking at the core technology, the core technology is the soul of the infrared thermal imager. ZTE is banned from ringing the alarm bell in the semiconductor industry, and the party in charge of core chip manufacturing is equivalent to holding the integrator's throat tightly. Having completely independent intellectual property rights and mastering core technology is the only way for Chinese infrared manufacturers. The pixel pitch of the infrared thermal imager detector is an important indicator of the core technology.

The pixel size of the infrared thermal imager's detector continues to break through. The current mainstream is 17 microns, and it is advancing to 14 microns. Some Chinese manufacturers have developed 12-micron detectors that have reached the world's advanced level. As the pixel size decreases, 12 microns will further promote the wider application of infrared thermal imaging technology.

Fourth, look at the material selection and quality. Material selection and quality are the strong physique of an infrared thermal imaging camera. Major manufacturers of professional infrared thermal imagers are the guarantee of material selection and quality. Large manufacturers have a sound infrared industry chain and quality control capabilities. The infrared thermal imager is a high-end precision instrument, and the thermal imaging equipment has the reliability of the military quality assurance system. Regular thermal imaging products have to undergo strict full-temperature imaging inspections, and many small workshops cannot even guarantee high and low temperature inspections. To sum up the four points, the detector is the heart of the infrared thermal imager, the clarity is the eye of the infrared thermal imager, the core technology is the soul of the infrared thermal imager, and the material selection and quality are the strong physique of the infrared thermal imager. To purchase an infrared thermal imager, you only need to grasp these four dry goods: the detector is made of vanadium oxide material, high-end and even megapixel resolution, has a completely independent core technology, and a professional infrared manufacturer with the entire industry chain. Experts tell you this Don't choose to suffer.