For many years, industrial cameras have mainly focused on visible light imaging technology. Short wave infrared cameras, abbreviated as SWIR cameras, can reveal hidden features. But finding a cost-effective SWIR imaging solution tailored for industrial applications is not easy.

Today, we will introduce you to the Basler SWIR camera solution and the imaging potential it brings.

What is SWIR spectrum?

Light is an electromagnetic wave characterized by its wavelength, and the spectrum can be divided into multiple spectral bands. The visible light range is from 400nm to 800nm, while the near-infrared and shortwave infrared light ranges from 900nm to up to 2500nm, and are not visible to the human eye. The new Basler ace 2 X visSWIR camera is equipped with a Sony SenSWIR photosensitive chip, which can cover visible and invisible light ranges from 400nm to 1700nm.

SWIR cameras suitable for machine vision can utilize the physical properties of SWIR to achieve new imaging scenes. By listing several classic machine vision application cases, let’s learn about the highlights of SWIR cameras together.

1. Within the SWIR range, silicon becomes transparent, therefore, detecting semiconductor wafers and solar panels is an important application area. Using a SWIR light source to illuminate silicon-based wafers or solar panels can reveal tiny defects and impurities hidden beneath the surface.

2. Typically, SWIR can penetrate opaque coatings at visible light wavelengths, allowing for visualization of underlying features, such as viewing liquid levels and distinguishing different materials with similar colors. Therefore, it is very suitable for non-destructive identification and sorting of materials.

3. Within the SWIR range, water has high absorption, which makes objects or features with high water content appear almost black. Therefore, applying this scheme to moisture detection can help control food quality.

Why choose Basler SWIR visual solution?

Basler has accumulated unique visual expertise, making Sony’s photosensitive chip technology shine and providing a perfect entry point for cost-effective SWIR imaging solutions.

We can also provide all the components in one stop, and compared to traditional SWIR cameras, the ace 2 X camera is much smaller, with a cross-sectional size of only 29 x 29 mm, which is highly recognized by the market.

At the same time, this camera provides GigE and USB 3.0 interfaces to meet different application requirements. The ace 2 X camera is an ideal combination with the Basler SWIR light source and the Basler SLP controller that controls the light source.

In order to achieve excellent imaging results, filters should be used to shield unwanted spectral parts. The main limitation of InGaAs chips is that they inevitably have pixel defects and high noise levels. The Basler camera has a unique Pixel Correction Beyond pixel correction override function built-in to enhance SWIR images. The Beyond pixel correction surpassing function can easily detect and minimize linear noise, while also dynamically reducing horizontal lines in the image.

With Basler’s solution, you can get an ace 2 X camera with imaging quality comparable to American cold cameras and a compact size for the price of non cooled cameras.

Finally, with the help of easy-to-use Python software, you can fully explore the above features and other camera functions, and directly capture excellent SWIR images through the camera to achieve excellent results.