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Posted: 10/23/2013 6:43:28 PM EDT
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Apache pilots are getting a new Digital Night Vision system from Intevac Corp:
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20131023/DEFREG02/310230031/Apache-Helos-Getting-New-Night-Vision-Possibly-New-Rockets?odyssey=nav|head Here is the new system they will be using based on Intevac’s core Electron Bombarded Active Pixel Sensor (EBAPS®) technology: http://www.intevac.com/intevacphotonics/vision-systems/vision-systems-products/nightport/ Electron Bombarded Active Pixel Sensor (EBAPS®) technology is based on a III-V semiconductor photocathode in proximity-focus with a high resolution, backside-thinned, CMOS chip anode. The electrons emitted by the photocathode are directly injected in the electron bombarded mode into the CMOS anode, where the electrons are collected, amplified and read-out to produce digital video directly out of the sensor. The EBAPS sensor achieves state-of-the-art night vision performance in a compact, lightweight, low power, low cost package by eliminating the complex components associated with traditional image intensifier assemblies. The spectral response of the sensor is from 750nm to 1050nm IR. This looks pretty awesome fused with thermal! http://www.intevac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Night-Port-Datasheet.pdf |
. Pvs 14 fund is up to 2300 if nothing else.
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June the Army inked a $27 million deal to buy up to 500 night vision devices for crews of the helicopter.
The sets would replace the bulky night vision goggles currently used by Apache crews with a digital monocle device made by Intevac Photonics. 54,000.00 each ? |
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Weeeird. I always though of digital night vision as "the cheapest of gimmicks" The stuff we can buy is about Gen 1 level performance. Honestly, with digi stuff around I don't know why anyone would ever buy a Gen 1 tubed system (except for cascade tubes). Digi is just so much more durable than Gen 1 and daylight won't harm it. The digi the military is fielding is WAY more advanced. From what I have read they can now eclipse our top of the line Gen 3. I am excited about the new digi gear but don't think we will be seeing it anytime soon at a price that is affordable for the layman. |
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Seems like there are two systems shown, one binocular unit with two large objective lenses, and one unit with two slightly smaller objectives and a third center objective lense, which is probably for thermal fusion.
How does sensor-fusion thermal work for aviators? I was under the impression that thermal cannot look through glass such as windshields or cockpit glass. Would the goggles need input from an external thermal imager? The apache already has a cannon slaved to the aviators view, it would probably be pretty simple to pipe thermal video from that slaved platform into the pilots field of view. |
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Quoted: The spectral response of the sensor is from 750nm to 1050nm IR. 1050 - almost 1064 and I'd be surprised if the missed that opportunity, or perhaps it's deliberate for exactly that reason. Bit given it's possibly InGaAs, that's a VERY extended red response, which is entirely to do with the Photocathode, and nothing to do with the CCD part. The problem with InGaAs over GaAs is that the sensitivity is normally an order of magnitude lower - eg http://www.hamamatsu.com/resources/pdf/etd/II_TII0004E02.pdf So they must have a really low-noise CCD part as well. And starting at 750nm too - some very interesting specifications there. Regards David |
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NO surprise here on the DIGI stuff. Said it years ago with the StupidVision, that Digi is the one to watch. This is just the beginning, great to see! 
Vic Vic - What standards would Digi need to meet for you to carry it in your inventory? I will look to that day with anticipation! BB |
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Quoted: Vic - What standards would Digi need to meet for you to carry it in your inventory? I will look to that day with anticipation! BB Quoted: Quoted: NO surprise here on the DIGI stuff. Said it years ago with the StupidVision, that Digi is the one to watch. This is just the beginning, great to see! Vic Vic - What standards would Digi need to meet for you to carry it in your inventory? I will look to that day with anticipation! BB Hi Benny, I'm not answering for Vic at all here - but I just thought I'd mention that the NVESD sets the bar at the same level of passive performance as a MX10160D tube. Regards David
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I noticed in the FLIR GS Long Range Thermal scopes (ThermoSight S150 HISS), that they are using an uncooled Indium Antimonide (InSb) microbolometer that registers in a different IR spectral band, a midwave band from 3-5 microns:
http://gs.flir.com/uploads/file/products/brochures/thermosight_hiss_a4.pdf Apparently this is the preferred setup for long range 1-3 kilometer useage. |
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Quoted: CJ- Your post is appreciated as always. I think it'd be cool for a top rank company like TNVC to have some digital options and to review a unit and deem it worthy. BB TNVC are pretty straight in their reviews. Their past reviews may have highlighted some deficiencies in the Supervision Digital, but it was also the best real indicator of how well it worked. It would certainly set a yardstick to measure current and future digital by, and provide a real comparison to existing tech. Regards David
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Quoted: I noticed in the FLIR GS Long Range Thermal scopes (ThermoSight S150 HISS), that they are using an uncooled Indium Antimonide (InSb) microbolometer that registers in a different IR spectral band, a midwave band from 3-5 microns: http://gs.flir.com/uploads/file/products/brochures/thermosight_hiss_a4.pdf Apparently this is the preferred setup for long range 1-3 kilometer useage. Do you know what's different/similar about that band? With respect to MWIR or SWIR? Regards David
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Well, from my experience, TNVC are pretty open to trying out new technology... I don't know who distributes the Pulsar brand in the US, but perhaps they should ask TNVC to review their product - TNVC are pretty straight in their reviews. Their past reviews may have highlighted some deficiencies in the Supervision Digital, but it was also the best real indicator of how well it worked. It would certainly set a yardstick to measure current and future digital by, and provide a real comparison to existing tech. Regards David Quoted:
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CJ- Your post is appreciated as always. I think it'd be cool for a top rank company like TNVC to have some digital options and to review a unit and deem it worthy. BB Well, from my experience, TNVC are pretty open to trying out new technology... I don't know who distributes the Pulsar brand in the US, but perhaps they should ask TNVC to review their product - TNVC are pretty straight in their reviews. Their past reviews may have highlighted some deficiencies in the Supervision Digital, but it was also the best real indicator of how well it worked. It would certainly set a yardstick to measure current and future digital by, and provide a real comparison to existing tech. Regards David My reviews of the Pulsar and others have depicted a lack in sensitivity with no IR and Vic has stood strong in the position of not wanting to review another digital scope so soon after the Stupervision. I ask the question to try and get a feel for what baseline he would consider digi for another review or for sale. I think the next 24 months will be groundbreaking for civi-use digi and I constantly look out for the next version or model. Thx, BB |
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My reviews of the Pulsar and others have depicted a lack in sensitivity with no IR and Vic has stood strong in the position of not wanting to review another digital scope so soon after the Stupervision. I ask the question to try and get a feel for what baseline he would consider digi for another review or for sale. I think the next 24 months will be groundbreaking for civi-use digi and I constantly look out for the next version or model. Thx, BB Quoted:
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CJ- Your post is appreciated as always. I think it'd be cool for a top rank company like TNVC to have some digital options and to review a unit and deem it worthy. BB Well, from my experience, TNVC are pretty open to trying out new technology... I don't know who distributes the Pulsar brand in the US, but perhaps they should ask TNVC to review their product - TNVC are pretty straight in their reviews. Their past reviews may have highlighted some deficiencies in the Supervision Digital, but it was also the best real indicator of how well it worked. It would certainly set a yardstick to measure current and future digital by, and provide a real comparison to existing tech. Regards David My reviews of the Pulsar and others have depicted a lack in sensitivity with no IR and Vic has stood strong in the position of not wanting to review another digital scope so soon after the Stupervision. I ask the question to try and get a feel for what baseline he would consider digi for another review or for sale. I think the next 24 months will be groundbreaking for civi-use digi and I constantly look out for the next version or model. Thx, BB I thought stupervison had promise and a market. I just thought it was grossly overpriced for what you got when they were first being marketed. If they were in the $500 range I think it would have sold well. Guess we will never know. I hope digi continues to improve. |
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Do you know what's different/similar about that band? With respect to MWIR or SWIR? Regards David Quoted:
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I noticed in the FLIR GS Long Range Thermal scopes (ThermoSight S150 HISS), that they are using an uncooled Indium Antimonide (InSb) microbolometer that registers in a different IR spectral band, a midwave band from 3-5 microns: http://gs.flir.com/uploads/file/products/brochures/thermosight_hiss_a4.pdf Apparently this is the preferred setup for long range 1-3 kilometer useage. Do you know what's different/similar about that band? With respect to MWIR or SWIR? Regards David Well, all my other FLIR Thermal Weapon scopes have Vanadium Oxide cores and their spectral range is 7.5-13.5um. Whereas these longer range FLIRs with the INnSn cores are in the 3-5 micron range. Apparently, with short and long range IR there is a small atmospheric window that does not absorb thermal IR emissions and those are the two windows. The military uses the 3-5 micron range for it long range thermal detectors and scopes as there is less atmospheric adsorption in that spectral range, allowing for longer distance uses.... |
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I thought stupervison had promise and a market. I just thought it was grossly overpriced for what you got when they were first being marketed. If they were in the $500 range I think it would have sold well. Guess we will never know. I hope digi continues to improve. Quoted:
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CJ- Your post is appreciated as always. I think it'd be cool for a top rank company like TNVC to have some digital options and to review a unit and deem it worthy. BB Well, from my experience, TNVC are pretty open to trying out new technology... I don't know who distributes the Pulsar brand in the US, but perhaps they should ask TNVC to review their product - TNVC are pretty straight in their reviews. Their past reviews may have highlighted some deficiencies in the Supervision Digital, but it was also the best real indicator of how well it worked. It would certainly set a yardstick to measure current and future digital by, and provide a real comparison to existing tech. Regards David My reviews of the Pulsar and others have depicted a lack in sensitivity with no IR and Vic has stood strong in the position of not wanting to review another digital scope so soon after the Stupervision. I ask the question to try and get a feel for what baseline he would consider digi for another review or for sale. I think the next 24 months will be groundbreaking for civi-use digi and I constantly look out for the next version or model. Thx, BB I thought stupervison had promise and a market. I just thought it was grossly overpriced for what you got when they were first being marketed. If they were in the $500 range I think it would have sold well. Guess we will never know. I hope digi continues to improve. +1 here in a big way. StuperVision still had to this day the best View Finder Resolution at 1280 x 780. No other Digi device have performed (unless Benny or others have seen this) even close to that finder resolution. It was a huge assistance I wish other devices had. Vic |
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My reviews of the Pulsar and others have depicted a lack in sensitivity with no IR and Vic has stood strong in the position of not wanting to review another digital scope so soon after the Stupervision. I ask the question to try and get a feel for what baseline he would consider digi for another review or for sale. I think the next 24 months will be groundbreaking for civi-use digi and I constantly look out for the next version or model. Thx, BB Quoted:
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CJ- Your post is appreciated as always. I think it'd be cool for a top rank company like TNVC to have some digital options and to review a unit and deem it worthy. BB Well, from my experience, TNVC are pretty open to trying out new technology... I don't know who distributes the Pulsar brand in the US, but perhaps they should ask TNVC to review their product - TNVC are pretty straight in their reviews. Their past reviews may have highlighted some deficiencies in the Supervision Digital, but it was also the best real indicator of how well it worked. It would certainly set a yardstick to measure current and future digital by, and provide a real comparison to existing tech. Regards David My reviews of the Pulsar and others have depicted a lack in sensitivity with no IR and Vic has stood strong in the position of not wanting to review another digital scope so soon after the Stupervision. I ask the question to try and get a feel for what baseline he would consider digi for another review or for sale. I think the next 24 months will be groundbreaking for civi-use digi and I constantly look out for the next version or model. Thx, BB I hear ya, BB. Us too and I agree the next 24 months will be very interesting.
Vic |
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