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NIGHT VISION INFO
Night Vision Terms:
In the night vision world, "generation"
clarifies the major advancements in technology. The higher the generation, the
more sophisticated the night vision technology. All ITT products shown on this
web site are either Generation 3 or 2. Generation 3 is the highest level of
night vision technology and retains its clarity even in extremely dark
situations. If you're using night vision to find a lost person in the woods,
locate boats or buoys when you're on the water, or to stargaze out in the
wilderness, you need Generation 3 because there is very little available ambient
light.
Generation 2 may be the choice in situations with
higher levels of ambient light.
There are a lot of night vision products on the
market today and they all have one thing in common: they give a green output
image. But that's where the similarities end. ITT Night Vision is the leader in
night vision technology, and we want you to know that all night vision is not
created equal.
First, there's the generation levels that reflect
the level of technology in use. Gen 0 and 1 were used up until the 1960s. The
"Starlight" scope used by many U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War was a
Gen 1 device. Gen 2 was introduced in the 70s for military use. Gen 3 was
developed in the mid 80s and remains the highest available technology today.
Most of the very inexpensive consumer products today use Gen 1 technology
developed nearly 40 years ago.
There are three important attributes for judging
performance. They are: sensitivity, signal, 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 "ľA/lm," or microamperes per lumen. ITT's
advanced technology and processing enables us to give our customers products
with outstanding sensitivity. That's why most of our products do not come with
standard IR illuminators. With many applications illuminators aren't necessary.
Our competitors put IR illuminators on their products to get acceptable
performance under low light conditions.
Signal
plays a key role in night vision performance. ITT's microchannel plate
technology is unsurpassed in its ability to transfer a strong signal from input
to output. Just as high-end stereo equipment gives you quality sound, ITT Night
Vision gives you a quality output image without "noise."
Resolution
is the third major consideration when purchasing night vision. This is the
ability to resolve detail in your image. High quality optics and the latest
processing methods give ITT Night Vision the edge. Some or our competitors 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. ITT gives the
option of higher magnification so you can have it if you want it, not because
your system needs it to function effectively. Our technology offers a uniquely
formulated phosphor to create the highest contrasting images, therefore
generating the highest resolution products available to the consumer.
ITT Night Vision provides you with the best night
vision performance on the market. That's because we have highly trained
engineers dedicated to continuous process improvements in state-of-the-art
development of night vision image tubes and systems. We are the world's leader
for Gen 3 U.S. military image intensified (amplified) night vision products.
Keeping our military the best in the world requires excellence in product and
technology development, and we pass that excellence on to all our customers. You
get the latest technology and the assurance that our products meet or exceed all
others on the market.
The Differences in Generations of Night Vision:
Generation 3
is the most sophisticated night vision technology available. The photocathode
is coated with sensitive gallium arsenide which allows for a more efficient
conversion of light to electrical energy at extremely low levels of light.
Before the innovations of Generation 3, there
was Generation 2. Generation 2
marked the development of a microchannel plate which multiplies the number of
electrons by the thousands. This produces a clearer image in nighttime
situations without the distortion of Gen 0 and Gen 1.
Generation 1
has problems with distortion and short-lived tubes. It uses materials that
are better than Gen 0 to convert light to electrons. Gen 0 and Gen 1 are usually
what imported night vision viewers use.
Generation 0
technology depends on external light to increase available light energy. But
because it accelerates electrons through a cone-shaped device, the result is a
distorted image and shortened tube life.
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