Sofradir starts production of first 10micron 16:9 format IR detector
IR detector specialist Sofradir has announced that its 10µm pixel pitch Daphnis HD IR detector is entering production. The high-definition IR detector is said to have superior performance over recently launched competitive 10µm products.
The decision to launch production follows the positive feedback and subsequent new orders Sofradir has received from select customers who have been sampling the product.
"High-end optronic equipment is required to carry increasingly more functions in constrained volumes," said Thierry Dupoux, R&T director at Safran-Sagem, one of the system-level equipment makers selecting Daphnis HD MW.
He added: "From this standpoint, the reduction in pixel pitch size of Daphnis FPA enables improved performance across all dimensions of an ISTAR mission: information, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance without compromising the compactness of the optronic product."
Whereas visible imaging systems have been using HD formats for several years now, the transition to the HD format in IR wavelengths (3 to 5 µm) has only just begun. In that respect, Daphnis' 4.8µm spectral cut off wavelength is a key differentiator, which is said to allow unsurpassed signal over noise ratio, even at low temperatures.
"Thanks to the sharp square-like profile of its mercury cadmium telluride photodiode and enlarged MW band, DAPHNIS offers improved recognition range versus any competing 10µm pitch products we have recently seen introduced in the market," said Laurent Fullana, general manager at Sofradir.
"This elevates DAPHNIS to the product of choice for applications like gimbals, high-end vehicles sights and infrared search and track systems. Moreover, the ability to obtain an HD image format from a detector whose size fits previous platform generations is a real benefit as it facilitates customer system upgrades."
Key features include: higher resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels; longer range (achieves up to 55 percent DRI range improvement on the preceding generation of IR detectors); twice the field coverage of 15 micron pixel pitch MWIR detectors; ROIC (Read-Out Integrated Circuit) functionalities with digital output for easy integration; and full compatibility with HD screen formats and visible or SWIR camera channels.
