New Dual Sensor Camera Offers Unique Imaging Capabilities

Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) is a planar optical measurement technique which provides a means of measuring the velocity of seeded particles (~1 - 50 microns (in air)) in the flow of interest. Applications include vortex forming in artificial heart chambers, combustion analysis in engines, and air flow studies in wind chambers. With a single CCD camera, the laser illumination is pulsed and two sequential images are captured and analysed to track particle measurement. The dual sensor AD-081CL, however, features a unique PIV mode, which allows the camera’s two-channel operation to capture three closely-spaced images on a single trigger instead of two. This provide 50% more data for improved analysis of ultra-fast events.

Independent control of shutter speed and/or gain for each channel of the AD-081CL provides the opportunity for wide dynamic range operation. This is especially useful in inspection applications where there is a particularly bright light background, such as LED inspection or welding. One channel is adjusted for the bright output, while the other channel is tuned for lower light output. The two images can then be analysed separately or combined to produce a dynamic range nearly double the normal CCD response. This enables the camera to achieve dynamic range levels as high as 20-bits per pixel (~120 dB) in a linear fashion that avoids the noise, shutter, and compression issues found in other types of cameras.