4K and 8K are measurements of video resolutions, using shorthand for the approximate horizontal dimensions of the video. 4K is a video that is roughly 4,000 pixels wide, most commonly 3840×2160.
Back focal length (or back focus distance) is a mechanical measurement defined as the distance between the last surface of an optical lens and its image plane. This measurement is smaller than the Focal Length.
Backlash, in the context of a pan-tilt system, refers to the amount of movement or “play” in the system’s mechanical components. It is the difference between the requested position of the pan-tilt system and the actual position of the system.
A bit rate is the amount of data being sent over a data stream. For video streams a higher bitrate will allow for a higher video quality with less compression artifacts.
Closed Circuit Television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. Some countries refer to CCTV cameras as a general term for surveillance cameras.
Cooled thermal cameras use an integrated cryogenic cooler to chill the thermal imaging core to temperatures as low as -196°C (-321°F). Cooling the sensor reduces noise, increasing the sensitivity and accuracy of the thermal image.
Cryogenic cooling involves cooling sensors (or other parts) down to extremely low temperatures ( Below ~ 120 Kelvin or -153 Celsius) to reduce incoming noise and get more accurate readings.
CUAS or Counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) is a military term for solutions that are designed to detect, track, and ultimately disrupt and destroy unmanned airborne vehicles. In commercial and industrial applications the term anti-drone is often used.
Based on the DRI standards, detection means that you will be able to see the target, however it will be little more than a speck. There is a 50% chance that the target will be visible on at least two pixels, and and a skilled operator should be able to tell if the target may be something of suspicion.
DORI is an industry standard that defines how close a subject needs to be to a visible light surveillance camera to meet the detail thresholds for Detection, Observation, Recognition and Identification.
DRI (Detection Recognition Identification) is a set of standards providing a means of measuring the effective distance of thermal infrared cameras (also known as the Johnson Criteria).
Waves of electromagnetic energy that travel through space. Examples include radio waves, WiFi, microwaves, radiant heat, visible light, ultraviolet, x‑rays and gamma rays.
The combination of all of the various frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. This includes radio waves, WiFi, microwaves, radiant heat, visible light, ultraviolet, x‑rays and gamma rays.
The ratio of a lens’s focal length to its aperture diameter. A low ƒ/# means a larger aperture area, which results in a higher light or infrared collecting ability while a high ƒ/# means a smaller aperture area, which has lower light or infrared collecting ability.
Refers to the technology used to create a thermal infrared image of a scene without having to “scan” the scene with a moving sensor. It is also the name of a thermal imaging camera manufacturer (FLIR Systems).
Focal length is a number in millimeters (mm) that indicates the magnification (or optical power) of a camera lens. It is inversely proportional to the field of view of the camera.
The field of view (FOV) is the width of the scene that a camera detects on its sensor. A smaller FOV means that a camera is more “zoomed in” (to use a term that most people are familiar with).
Active gyro stabilization is when information from a gyroscope is used to mechanically stabilize a PTZ camera system. This is done by using the pan/tilt head to counteract movements detected by the gyroscope, reducing the perceived shake and vibration to keep the image stabilized.
Based on the DRI standards, identification of an object means that you are able to differentiate within a class of objects. For example, this person looks like a tall woman wearing a dress, that person looks like a soldier.
ITAR is a United States regulation to control the export of defense and military related technologies. Some of our products fall under these regulations and may only be sold or exported if authorization from the Department of State is received.
LiDAR is an acronym of “Light Detection And Ranging” (or “laser imaging, detection, and ranging”). It is essentially a special combination of 3D scanning and laser scanning.
Used to measure the distance to a target by determining the time required for a pulse of laser light to travel to the target, reflect from it and return.
A subset of the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum, covering the wavelengths ranging from 8µm to 14µm (8,000 to 14,000nm). This is the radiant heat that uncooled thermal imaging cameras see.
Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) is a thermal detector material for MWIR cooled thermal imaging. MCT Cooled (IR) detectors are used for military and scientific applications.
One million pixels, used to measure the resolution of an image or image sensor. Higher megapixel images contain more potential detail but are also larger file sizes.
A microbolometer is a specific type of bolometer (a very sensitive digital thermometer where its electrical resistance varies with temperature) used as a detector in a thermal camera.
A milliradian (SI-symbol mrad, sometimes also abbreviated mil) is an SI derived unit for angular measurement which is defined as a thousandth of a radian (0.001 radian).
A camera system that houses multiple image sensors and lenses in a single integrated system to cover a wide range of wavelengths and/or a wide range of zoom levels.
A subset of the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum, covering the wavelengths ranging from 3µm to 5µm (3,000 to 5,000nm). This is the radiant heat that cooled thermal imaging cameras see.
A rating for a laser that specifies the recommended safe distance for eye exposure. Looking directly at the laser from a distance closer than the NOHD is potentially unsafe and may damage the retina.
Radar is an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging. Radar emits pulses of radio waves and listens for echoes of those radio waves to determine the location of objects.
RDK stands for Rapid Deployment Kit. It is a kit that usually consists of a camera system, mount, display and a Joystick Controller as well as a variety of other items depending on application and tasking.
Based on the DRI standards, recognition does not mean that you can recognize a person. Recognition simply means that you are able to recognize an object’s class (is it a human or a car, truck or a tank, etc).
Jamming wireless signals is defined as the disruption of existing wireless communications by decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio at receiver sides through the transmission of interfering wireless signals.
Slew to Cue is when a PTZ camera uses information from external sensors (Radar or PIDS) to automatically move the camera view to that target. It is one of the most effective solutions for auto-tracking targets.
SWaP is an Acronym commonly used in the security/aerospace industries for Size Weight and Power. It is common to require camera systems to be “low SWaP” in order to meet conservative requirements for applications like UAVs or mobile deployments.
Thermal cameras use infrared imaging to “see” heat instead of light, producing an image that displays objects using their temperature instead of their visible features.
A camera feature that allows a wider range of bright and dark detail to be captured, restoring detail in areas of underexposed shadows or overexposed highlights.
The X number (seen advertised as a number followed by an X) is the zoom ratio, and is used to indicate the zoom range of the lens (difference from wide to narrow).
A cooled thermal imaging sensor that provides many of the benefits of InSb and MCT but with improved reliability and 30% less cooling, as well as improved resolution and smaller pixel pitch.
ZLID is a technology for long-range IR laser illumination that adjusts the laser’s intensity and focus area to sync with the field of view of a PTZ zoom camera.
A camera’s field of view (FOV) or angle of view is how we measure the angle of coverage that we’re seeing in the final image. When that angle is narrowed, it’s referred to as “zooming” into the scene.
