ZephIR™ 2.5: High Speed, Deep-Cooled, SWIR Imaging

The ZephIR 2.5 from Photon etc. is a deep-cooled, extended SWIR camera sensitive from 850 to 2500 nm. By deep-cooling the infrared sensor, the ZephIR 2.5 is able to acquire more signals and minimize unwanted noise for a given imaging application. The extended spectral range offers scientists and engineers the possibility of acquiring a signal covering a broader wavelength spectrum, which in turn helps build better infrared detection systems. By using thermoelectric cooling, the ZephIR 2.5 doesn’t require any maintenance from a water or a liquid nitrogen chilled unit and does not suffer from the limited lifetime of Stirling mechanical coolers. This leads to greater usability and flexibility when integrating ZephIR 2.5 cameras in your own systems.

With high frame rates allowing high speed image acquisitions through USB 3.0 or cameralink, the ZephIR 2.5 is tailored for demanding industrial applications or high precision scientific experiments. Users can also choose to use Photon etc’s PHySpec camera control software or develop their own using a Python or C++ software development kit (SDK).

Key Features

SWIR: 850 at 2500 nm

Sensitive, low-noise, low SNR

High speed

Four-stage thermoelectric cooling

Applications Overview

Hydrocarbon detection: The use of infrared sensors improve the detection and identification of hydrocarbons, allowing for monitoring of oil and gas leaks in pipelines and tanks, thereby enhancing safety and environmental protection.

Material sorting (plastics and textiles): We optimize waste management with advanced optical sensors that detect and separate different types of materials based on their unique optical properties

Mining and geology: Help geologists spend less time logging data and more on interpretation while enhancing the quality, consistencyand timeliness of the geological data that has been captured.

Agricultural and agri-food markets:Our optical sensors monitor crop quality and growth in real time. Infrared sensors can be used to monitor chlorophyll levels in plants with fluorescence allowing for monitoring of their health and growth.

Metrology: Examine the beam profiling and characterize SWIR laser.

Cooling SWIR Sensors: An Overview

Dark current is a crucial parameter while searching for ways to obtain a scientific imaging camera, particularly in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region.

Great attention must be paid to the cooling technique that has been utilized to improve this parameter. It comes with multiple cooling technologies, each having some advantages and disadvantages. In its ZephIR and Alizé line of SWIR cameras, Photon etc. makes use of a four-stage thermoelectric (TE4) air-cooled system to improve the sensitivity of its imaging sensors.

Product Specifications

Source: Photon etc.

.	ZephIR 2.5
Focal plane array (FPA)	HgCdTe
FPA size (px)	320 x 256
Pixel size (µm)	30
Spectral range (QE > 10%)	0.85 - 2.5µm
FPA operating temperature	-80 °C
Dark current (sensor at -80°C)	Target at 21 °C: < 30 (Typ. ~20) Mē/px/s
Gain setting (ē/ADU)	High: 10.3 | Low: 216
Readout noise (ē)	High: 150 | Low: 980
Digitization (bits)	14
Frame rate in CameraLink™ (fps)	Up to 340 full frame. 2000 for a 64x64px ROI
Frame rate in USB 3.0 (fps)	Up to 340 fps full frame. 2000 fps for a 64x64px ROI
Quantum efficiency	Up to 85%
Computer interface	CameraLink™ or USB 3.0
Dimensions	169mm x 130mm x 97.25mm
Weight	2.6kg