Cooled MWIR Thermal Camera Core

MHNV® HOT-Series Cooled MWIR Thermal Camera Core – Fast-Cooldown OEM Detector Platform for Long-Range Thermal Surveillance

The Cooled MWIR Thermal Camera Core from MHNV® is a high operating temperature (HOT) digital detector platform engineered for seamless OEM integration into long-range surveillance systems, UAV electro-optical payloads, precision industrial monitoring instruments, gas leak detection platforms and scientific imaging benches. Unlike legacy cooled cores requiring extended cooldown periods and high power budgets, the MHNV® HOT-series delivers 640×512 resolution at 15µm pixel pitch with ≤22mK NETD sensitivity, achieving imaging-ready state in ≤3 minutes 30 seconds and steady-state operation at ≤6.5W. The 3.7 to 4.8µm mid-wave infrared spectral band ensures superior atmospheric transmission through humid tropical, coastal and industrial-plume environments.

Complete interface compatibility—CameraLink digital, DVP 8-bit parallel with BT.656, PAL analog composite and RS422 full-duplex serial control—supports every mainstream OEM platform from legacy analog pipelines to modern FPGA and SoC architectures.

Technical Specifications

Why HOT Detector Architecture Delivers Cooled MWIR Performance at Uncooled-Class Size and Power?

High operating temperature detector technology fundamentally changes the cooled MWIR integration equation. Traditional cooled cores demand cryocoolers that chill detector stages to 77K, resulting in large housings, heavy components, 10+ minute cooldown cycles and 15–25W power consumption.

MHNV® HOT-series detector architecture operates at a warmer stage temperature, enabling a smaller, lighter, faster cryocooler. The result is a product envelope of just 100×100×81mm at 580g—roughly one-third the volume and weight of legacy cooled MWIR assemblies—with steady-state power draw of 6.5W.

You gain the low NETD sensitivity, superior MWIR atmospheric penetration and hot-target thermal contrast of a cooled core in a physical footprint previously reserved for uncooled LWIR modules. This opens handheld platforms, battery-powered UAV payloads and vehicle-mounted observation systems that legacy cooled cores physically excluded.

Sub-4-Minute Cooldown for Rapid-Deployment Mission Profiles

Time-to-image matters. In surge-response surveillance, border interdiction and UAV reconnaissance, a 10-minute cooldown is the operational difference between capturing the event and missing the observation window entirely.

MHNV® HOT-series achieves imaging-ready state in ≤3 minutes 30 seconds at room temperature—sitting at the top of the compact cooled MWIR class on this critical metric. Your platform powers on, cools down and delivers thermally stable, calibrated video within four minutes.

For battery-critical UAV missions, quick-reaction border surveillance and unattended field installations, this cooldown performance is not a convenience—it is a mission enabler.

22mK NETD in MWIR Spectral Band for Premium Long-Range Image Quality

Sensitivity defines detection range and target contrast. The Cooled MWIR Thermal Camera Core delivers ≤22mK NETD in the 3.7 to 4.8µm mid-wave infrared band, resolving sub-100mK temperature differences that expose gas plumes, thermal leaks, hidden hot electrical faults and warm targets against cool backgrounds at extended range.

The MWIR spectral response delivers higher contrast on hot targets—engines, exhaust plumes, gas releases, industrial thermal faults—than any uncooled LWIR core can achieve. Moreover, the 3.7–4.8µm band penetrates humid tropical, coastal salt-spray and industrial-plume atmospheres substantially better than 8–14µm LWIR.

If you run long-range surveillance in humid or plume-laden environments, or hot-target-focused applications like gas leak detection and industrial monitoring, the sensitivity plus atmospheric performance of cooled MWIR is irreplaceable.

Complete OEM Integration Interface Stack for Rapid Product Development

Integration complexity kills OEM timelines. MHNV® provides a complete interface stack that supports every mainstream platform architecture:

• CameraLink digital output for high-speed FPGA-based systems
• DVP 8-bit parallel with BT.656 at 1.8V logic for direct SoC integration
• PAL analog composite via BNC for legacy analog video pipelines
• RS422 serial control with full command-set access

Reference schematics, command-set documentation and mechanical interface drawings are supplied at NDA signature. Your engineering team can integrate the product into a new product design in 4 to 12 weeks of firmware and mechanical work—rather than the 6 to 12 months typical of ground-up cooled MWIR integration.

Built-In FPGA Image Processing Pipeline Accelerates Time-to-Market

Developing an infrared image signal processor in-house consumes 6 to 18 months of algorithm engineering, testing and tuning. MHNV® eliminates that burden.

The core's integrated FPGA runs a complete image processing pipeline:

• Single-point and two-point non-uniformity correction
• Automatic bad-pixel detection and correction
• Adaptive dynamic range compression
• Seven color palettes (iron red, green-red, yellow hot, rainbow, warm, blue-green-red, blue-red)
• Black-hot / white-hot polarity switch
• Brightness and contrast adjustment
• Digital zoom (2×, 4×, 8×)
• Horizontal mirror and vertical flip

You receive a fully processed, calibrated video stream out of the box. Your product ships with premium image quality without developing an in-house ISP, saving engineering time, cost and risk.

FAQ

Q: What is a product and how does it differ from uncooled LWIR modules?

A: A product is a mid-wave infrared imaging engine operating in the 3.7 to 4.8µm spectral range, integrating a high-sensitivity focal plane array with a cryogenic cooler (typically Stirling cycle) to reduce sensor temperature to approximately 77K. This cryogenic cooling dramatically lowers thermal noise, enabling photon detection rather than heat-induced resistance measurement and delivering NETD sensitivity below 25mK—five to ten times more sensitive than uncooled LWIR modules. The MWIR spectral band offers superior atmospheric transmission through humid environments and higher thermal contrast on hot targets such as engines, exhaust plumes and gas releases. Uncooled LWIR modules operate at ambient temperature, measure radiated thermal energy via microbolometer resistance changes, and typically deliver 40–60mK NETD with poorer atmospheric penetration in humid or plume-laden conditions.

Q: How long does the MHNV HOT-series product take to reach imaging-ready state?

A: The MHNV HOT-series achieves imaging-ready state in ≤3 minutes 30 seconds at 23°C ambient temperature, making it one of the fastest-cooldown compact cooled MWIR cores available. Legacy cooled MWIR assemblies typically require 6 to 10 minutes to stabilize, delaying operational readiness in rapid-deployment scenarios. The high operating temperature (HOT) detector architecture allows the cryocooler to operate at a warmer stage temperature, reducing thermal mass and accelerating cooldown. For battery-powered UAV payloads, surge-response border surveillance and unattended field installations, sub-4-minute cooldown translates directly into mission capability and operational flexibility that slower-cooling legacy cores cannot support.

Q: What interface options does the core provide for OEM integration?

A: The MHNV product provides four simultaneous output and control interfaces to support diverse OEM platform architectures. CameraLink digital output delivers high-speed uncompressed video to FPGA-based processing systems. DVP 8-bit parallel interface with BT.656 timing at 1.8V logic supports direct integration into ARM SoC and embedded processor platforms. PAL analog composite video via BNC connector ensures compatibility with legacy analog video recorders and analog display systems. RS422 full-duplex serial interface provides command-set access to non-uniformity correction, polarity, brightness, contrast, bad-pixel correction, adaptive dynamic range compression, digital zoom, color palettes and image flip. Reference schematics and protocol documentation are supplied under NDA, enabling OEM integration in 4 to 12 weeks of firmware and mechanical adaptation work.

Q: What applications benefit most from the 3.7–4.8µm MWIR spectral response?

A: The 3.7 to 4.8µm mid-wave infrared band delivers three critical advantages over 8–14µm long-wave infrared. First, atmospheric transmission in the MWIR band is substantially higher in humid tropical, coastal salt-spray and industrial-plume environments where water vapor and aerosols attenuate LWIR signals. Second, hot targets such as engines, exhaust plumes, gas releases and thermal faults radiate peak energy in the MWIR band, delivering higher thermal contrast and longer detection range. Third, optical gas imaging applications rely on narrow-band MWIR absorption features to visualize fugitive methane, hydrocarbon and VOC leaks invisible to LWIR sensors. Long-range coastal and maritime surveillance, industrial gas leak detection, hot-target monitoring and UAV electro-optical payloads operating in humid or polluted atmospheres derive maximum performance from cooled MWIR spectral response.

Q: How does MHNV support OEM customization and integration?

A: MHNV® operates a full-stack R&D and manufacturing facility covering optical design, FPGA engineering, embedded firmware, mechanical design and precision assembly. OEM customization services include optical magnification and field-of-view adjustment, firmware-level user interface language and gain curve tuning, housing redesign and logo customization, and packaging with branded boxes and multilingual documentation. Reference integration schematics, RS422 command-set documentation and mechanical interface drawings are provided at NDA signature. Engineering consultation, real-time technical support and sample production lead times of 15–25 days accelerate OEM product development cycles. Non-disclosure agreements and non-compete protection ensure customer-specific designs remain confidential. Whether you require a drop-in core module or a jointly developed custom payload, MHNV's 12+ years of thermal imaging manufacturing experience supports every stage from concept validation to volume production.

Contact Us – Accelerate Your OEM Thermal Imaging Integration

Contact MHNV® engineering team at sarah@mh-elec.com for Cooled MWIR Thermal Camera Core technical consultation, custom integration support and sample evaluation.