Imaging photometer for speedy display testing

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Sep 21, 2004

New from Pro-Lite Technology is the ProMetric PM-1400 Fast series of CCD-based imaging photometer from Radiant Imaging.

New from Pro-Lite Technology is the ProMetric PM-1400 Fast series of CCD-based imaging photometer from Radiant Imaging.

ProMetric CCD measurement systems are fast, photometrically accurate, two-dimensional light and colour measurement instruments and serve as defect inspection tools that are used in R and D metrology and production of displays, projectors and LED-based sources.

The PM-1400 Fast provides increased measurement speed and simplified connectivity through the use of a USB 2.0 interface in place of the IEEE1284 parallel port and PCI interfaces used in previous generations of PM-1400 cameras.

USB 2.0 delivers a speed increase of 30 times over parallel connection, and is simpler to implement than a PCIbus, which requires installation of an interface card in the host computer.

Elimination of the interface card requirement, along with the hot swappable capabilities of USB 2.0, makes it particularly easy to connect PM-1400 Fast cameras to a variety of host systems, including laptop computers.

PM-1400 Fast cameras also offer enhanced flexibility through the ability to acquire luminance data in either 12 or 14bit dynamic range modes.

The 12bit mode offers adequate resolution for many production line tasks and is four times faster than 14bit operation.

The camera can be switched to 14bit mode, which provides greater dynamic range and enables the performance of more demanding measurements.

Design improvements in the PM-1400 Fast camera's filter wheel further enable both faster and quieter operation than previously available.

PM-1400 Fast cameras are primarily intended for quick and accurate production line measurements of luminance, illuminance and chromaticity on a variety of displays and other light sources.

Examples include LCDs, plasma screens (PDPs), OLEDs, CRTs and automotive and avionic display clusters, as well as display components such as backlights and polarisers.

In its high resolution mode (3000 x 2000pixel) the camera can even perform pixel level defect detection on high resolution displays.