FLIR 64501-0702 , 60 Hz thermography camera, , 320 x 240 pix bolometer matrix 64501-0702 Data Sheet

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INFRARED: 

more than meets the eye

Infrared - part of the electro-
magnetic spectrum
Our eyes are detectors that are 
designed to detect visible light (or 
visible radiation). There are other 
forms of light (or radiation) that 
we cannot see. The human eye can 
only see a very small part of the 
electromagnetic spectrum. At one 
end of the spectrum we cannot see 
ultraviolet light, while at the other 
end our eyes cannot see infrared. 
Infrared radiation lies between the 
visible and microwave portions of 
the electromagnetic spectrum. The 
primary source of infrared radiation 
is heat or thermal radiation. 

Any object that has a temperature 
above absolute zero (-273.15 degrees 
Celsius or 0 Kelvin) emits radiation in 
the infrared region. Even objects that 
we think of as being very cold, such 
as ice cubes, emit infrared radiation. 
We experience infrared radiation 
every day. The heat that we feel from 
sunlight, a fire or a radiator is all 
infrared. Although our eyes cannot 
see it, the nerves in our skin can feel 
it as heat. The warmer the object, the 
more infrared radiation it emits.

The infrared camera
Infrared energy (A) coming from 
an object is focused by the optics 
(B) onto an infrared detector (C). 
The detector sends the information 
to sensor electronics (D) for image 
processing. The electronics translate 
the data coming from the detector 
into an image (E) that can be viewed 
in the viewfinder or on a standard 
video monitor or LCD screen. 

Infrared thermography is the art 
of transforming an infrared image 
into a radiometric one, which allows 
temperature values to be read from 
the image. In order to do this, complex 
algorithms are incorporated into the 
infrared camera.