PTB >> PTB 2004 Readers’ Choice Product of the Year Award Winners

Pantera TrueFrame™ 1M60 Area Scan Camera from
Dalsa Corp., Waterloo, ON, Canada

Featured as Product of the Month in May 2004, Photonics Tech Brief (PTB) readers have selected the Pantera TF 1M60 as the 2004 Gold Award Winner. The 1M60 is a 12-bit, 1024x1024-area scan camera capable of frame rates to 60 fps with dynamic range that exceeds 66 dB without the need for cooling. The camera is built around the company’s TrueFrame™ CCD Image Sensor technology, which delivers outstanding resolution and gray scale characteristics. Its 12-micron square-pixel format, 180 k electron full well, and 100% fill factor delivers superior, quantifiable image quality at low lig[opoht.

Applications include automated x-ray inspection (AXI), non-destructive testing, and medical imaging. When used with microfocus x-ray equipment, the camera can scan the internal structures of a wide range of materials from state-of-the-art electronics (u-BGA, Flip Chip, CSPs, and PCBs) to steel, aluminum, and ceramic tiles, revealing hidden porosity, cracks, and contamination.
Learn more online at http://info.ims.ca/4834-215

This year Anritsu Company and New Wave Research tied for second place, earning them both the silver award from PTB readers.

MEMS-Based Optical Spectrum AnalyzerAnritsu Company, Morgan Hill, CA

Selected as Product of the Month in September 2004, this MEMS-Based Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA) Module delivers a highspeed scan rate (2.6 ms) and a wide scan wavelength range of 1525 to 1570 nm. The unique OSA module application consists of a MEMS optical scanner, lenses, Faraday rotator, diffraction grating, and photo diode.

It provides a solution for high-speed dynamic spectrum monitoring in connection with fiber Bragg grating sensors and photonic networks. Additional capabilities include a high dynamic range of 33 dB, wavelength resolution bandwidth of 0.1 nm, and wavelength accuracy of 10 pm.
Learn more online at http://info.ims.ca/4834-216

Solo IV Nd:YAG Laser System New Wave Research, Fremont, CA

Appearing in the January 2004 issue, the Solo IV is a compact, portable, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser system designed for fluid and airflow visualization. It features a twin laser head design, both driven by a single power supply that can be positioned up to 8 feet away.

Each laser head can produce a 50-mJ pulse of 532-nm light at a repetition rate of 50 Hz. Using a high speed CCD camera and both laser heads doubles the repetition rate to 100 Hz, allowing the capture of up to 100 data images per second. Multiple triggering options include front panel, external source via rear-panel BNC connectors, and internally/externally controlled Q-switch activation, allowing precise timing control of the energy pulse.
Learn more online at http://info.ims.ca/4834-217