Infrared detector (uncooled thermal imaging)

01

Read NETD with its test conditions

Teledyne FLIR's Boson+ product datasheet states its temporal NETD as acceptance-test limits of ≤20 mK (industrial grade) and ≤30 mK (professional grade), normalised to an f/1.0 aperture with no lens, in the high-gain state at 20 °C camera temperature, averager disabled, imaging a 30 °C background. With a lens installed the limits are scaled by (f/#)²/τ, where τ is the lens transmission; enabling the frame averager lowers NETD by about 20% and halves the output rate from 60 Hz to 30 Hz. [1]

The datasheet notes that NETD varies with camera temperature, and varies more when scene temperature changes with it, because the difference in infrared energy between an 80 °C target and a 79 °C background is much greater than between −39 °C and −40 °C. It also offers a high-gain state for best sensitivity and a low-gain state for a wider scene temperature range. [1]

SCD's paper on a 12 µm-pitch 640 × 512 vanadium-oxide microbolometer (2025) reports a temporal NETD of 50 mK at 25 °C, F#1, 60 Hz over 7.5–14 µm, with a thermal time constant below 7 ms, frame rates of 25 to 120 Hz, 13-bit output and operation without temperature stabilisation from −40 °C to 71 °C. [2] Editorial calculation: with an f/1.4 lens of assumed 90% transmission, a 20 mK f/1.0 limit becomes about 20 × 1.4² / 0.9 ≈ 44 mK. [1]

Lynred's PICO640S, a 640 × 480 microbolometer at 17 µm pitch for harsh, low-contrast scenes, is listed with a sensor-native NETD below 30 mK at f/1, 300 K and 30 Hz, and a system NETD of 15–20 mK when adapted noise-reduction algorithms are applied. It gives frame rates up to 120 Hz, a thermal time constant of 12 ms, power below 130 mW, operation without a thermo-electric cooler or shutter, and array operability above 99.5% (above 99.8% for the PICO640S+). [3]

Editorial note: sensor-native and system NETD are different measures, and each depends on f-number, scene temperature and frame rate; compare suppliers only at matched conditions. [3] [1]

Give the supplier the application (surveillance, inspection, measurement, automotive), required NETD and f-number, array size and pitch, field of view or lens, frame rate, radiometric or imaging-only use, operating temperature, interfaces (MIPI, USB, CMOS parallel), power budget, size limits, and export-control requirements for your market.

02

Size array, pitch and lens to the scene

The Boson+ core is offered in 320 × 256 or 640 × 512 arrays with fields of view from 4° to 95° HFOV, a 60 Hz maximum effective frame rate, a 3.3 V input, power from about 600 mW, total pixel operability of at least 99.0% (industrial) or 98.5% (professional) and operation from −40 to 80 °C. [1] SCD's 12 µm detector draws a nominal 300 mW, up to 550 mW depending on frame rate and mode. [2]

Editorial calculation: a 12 µm pixel behind a 19 mm focal-length lens sees about 0.012 / 19 ≈ 0.63 mrad, so at 50 m each pixel covers about 3.2 cm, and a 640-pixel row about 20 m. Focal length and range are assumed examples; ask the supplier for the field of view and pixel footprint with the lens you will use. [2]

Editorial calculation: 640 × 480 pixels at 17 µm make an active area of about 10.9 × 8.2 mm (89 mm²), against about 7.7 × 6.1 mm (47 mm²) for 640 × 512 at 12 µm, so the larger pitch needs a longer focal length for the same field of view. [3] [2]

03

Ask for the export classification: frame rate, array size and IFOV decide it under US rules

The US Commerce Control List (15 CFR Part 774, Supplement No. 1, administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security) lists non-space-qualified two-dimensional focal plane arrays based on microbolometer material, with an unfiltered response from 8,000 nm to 14,000 nm, under ECCN 6A002.a.3.f, and imaging cameras incorporating them under 6A003.b.4.b. Its Note 1 counts a focal plane array with enough signal-processing electronics beyond the readout circuit to output an analogue or digital signal as an imaging camera, which brings camera cores into 6A003. [4]

Note 3 to 6A003.b.4.b releases cameras with a maximum frame rate of 9 Hz or less, and cameras that meet all of: a minimum IFOV of at least 2 mrad, a fixed focal-length lens not designed to be removed, no 'direct view' display, and either no facility to obtain a viewable image or a single-application design not meant to be user-modified. A third release covers cameras specially designed to assist the driver of a civilian passenger vehicle under 4,500 kg gross weight. The regional-stability control is set by frame rate and array size: RS Column 1 applies to 6A003.b.4.b items with a frame rate above 60 Hz or a focal plane array of more than 111,000 elements, and RS Column 2 to items at 60 Hz or less with not more than 111,000 elements when not exported to be embedded in a civil product. [4]

Editorial calculation: 320 × 256 = 81,920 elements, under the 111,000 threshold; 640 × 480 = 307,200 and 640 × 512 = 327,680, above it. A 12 µm pixel behind the 19 mm lens assumed earlier gives an IFOV of about 0.63 mrad, below the 2 mrad of Note 3.b. This is a reading of the list, not a classification: rules differ by country and change, so ask each supplier for the ECCN or national control number of the exact detector or core, the frame rate offered, and any licence the export needs. [4] [1] [2] [3]

04

Uncooled and cooled detectors, thermal modules, cores and gas-imaging detectors on the linked makers' sites

Listings include uncooled and cooled infrared detectors with thermal modules and camera cores, infrared detectors with automotive and industrial thermal imagers, and uncooled, cooled and optical gas imaging detectors and cores. Ask each for NETD with test conditions, operability and the export classification.

05

Microbolometer array, readout circuit, package, lens and core processing

The lens row feeds back into sensitivity: Teledyne FLIR scales its f/1.0 NETD limits by (f/#)²/τ, so the f-number and transmission chosen here change the NETD a supplier can state for the assembled core. [1]

06

Pitch, spectral band, time constant, temperature range, power, active area and field of view for a detector order

The reviewed sources quote NETD rather than detectivity, so ask for NETD with its f-number, frame rate and temperatures; the storage-temperature and humidity rows carry no value on this page.

07

Send the scene, optics and system data together

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Application: [imaging or radiometric; scene]
Sensitivity: [NETD at f/#]
Format: [array; pitch]
Optics: [FOV or focal length; f/#]
Rate: [frame rate]
System: [interface; power; size]
Compliance: [export classification; qualification]

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