22-09-2008, 10:22 AM
Night Vision technology consists of two major types: image intensification (light amplification) and thermal imaging (infrared). Most consumer night vision products are light amplifying devices. Light amplification technology takes the small amount of light, such as moonlight or starlight, that is in the surrounding area, and converts the light energy (scientists call it photons), into electrical energy (electrons). These electrons pass through a thin disk that's about the size of a quarter and contains over 10 million channels. As the electrons travel through and strike the walls of the channels, thousands more electrons are released. These multiplied electrons then bounce off of a phosphor screen which converts the electrons back into photons and lets you see an impressive nighttime view even when it's really dark.
All image intensified night vision products on the market today have one thing in common: they produce a green output image .There are three important attributes for judging performance. They are: sensitivity, signal-to-noise, and resolution. As the customer, you need to know about these three characteristics to determine the performance level of a night vision system.
Sensitivity, or photoresponse, is the image tube's ability to detect available light. It is usually measured in "?A/lm," or microamperes per lumen. That's why many of our products do not come with standard IR illuminators. With many applications illuminators aren't necessary. Some manufacturers put IR illuminators on their products in order to get acceptable performance under low light conditions.Signal-to-noise plays a key role in night vision performance. A microchannel plate used to transfer a signal from input to output. Just as high-end stereo equipment gives you quality sound.
Resolution is the third major consideration when purchasing night vision. This is the ability to resolve detail in your image. Some manufacturers put magnified optics in their systems to give the illusion that they have high resolving systems. In the trade-off, field of view is sacrificed. Some models give the option of higher magnification so you can have it if you want it, not because your system needs it to function effectively. Most of Morovision's products offer a uniquely formulated phosphor to create the highest contrasting images, therefore generating the highest resolution products available to the consumer.
