SWIR Camera

Infrared imaging technology captures infrared radiation invisible to the human eye, transforming "invisible" temperature and light information into visual images. It is an important branch of modern optical sensing. Depending on the detection wavelength, infrared cameras can be divided into three main categories: short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and long-wave infrared (LWIR). Each of these three types of cameras has its own unique physical principles, performance characteristics, and application scenarios. The three types are introduced separately below. Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) Cameras 1. Working Principle Short-wave infrared (SWIR) cameras typically operate in the wavelength range of 0.9–1.7 μm (extendable to 0.4–2.7 μm). They can penetrate silicon wafers, plastics, and haze to detect subsurface defects. Unlike MWIR and LWIR cameras, which rely on an object's own thermal radiation for imaging, SWIR cameras use reflection imaging as the core principle—similar to the working mode of visible-light cameras. When short-wave infrared light illuminates the surface of a target object and is reflected, the reflected light is collected by the optical lens and focused onto the sensor. The sensor material converts photon signals into electrical signals, which are then processed through analog-to-digital conversion and signal processing to ultimately generate a visual grayscale image. Due…