Short-Wave Infrared or SWIR is an imaging technology that traditionally has been used in biological, defense, and some industrial-related applications. With the ever-growing need for camera systems that can see more than the human eye, engineers turned to the wavelength spectrum beyond the visible (VIS) space.     The infrared spectrum from 750nm to 12,000nm is broken down into two distinct sectors. The “reflected infrared” is represented by the Near-Infrared (NIR) and SWIR bands, and…

Digital imaging lenses are often made of multiple lens elements to achieve the required specifications.  How are those lens elements made in mass production ?  The answer to this question depends on the type of element chosen by the lens design engineer.  Three types of lens elements are commonly used today.  They are polished glass elements, molded plastic elements and molded glass elements.  Each type of elements has its own unique process steps and capabilities. …

At Sunex, we get many questions about lens and mount (holder) threads when it comes to board-mount lenses.  In this post, we will explore some of the basic considerations of threaded lens and mount combinations, as opposed to some other common methods, which we will touch on.  Although this post will not be a detailed tutorial of the mechanical engineering theory of thread specifications, a basic understanding of thread spec and tolerance helps to understand…

The general guideline for cleaning optics is “if it’s not dirty, don’t clean it”. Handling optics increases their chances of getting dirty or damaged, so you should clean optics only when necessary. Both the proper cleaning products and proper methods are equally important to cleaning the optic. There are different methods for cleaning and certain specialized optics require particular attention and change in procedures. Below are general guidelines to be used as a reference only…

The imaging applications in the automotive industry go through rapid changes. Where just a couple of years ago a lens/camera just needed to survive, the expectations moved to better performance, consistent and reliable over a wide temperature range. Below is a video of the talk Sunex presented at the AutoSens 2017 show, sharing experiences and observations on how requirement changes on the camera level impact consideration and design approaches on the lens level. Some of…

With the advent of computers and more processing power, the art of lens design has matured. But computers cannot solve the whole problem. A computer can select a configuration and designer optimizes that configuration. Can a machine learning algorithm find the absolute best lens design? Yes, if you try an infinite number of different design form. But..”I still want to be young when we get there!” Hence, the journey of developing an elegant design will…

One of the most common questions Sunex receives is regarding the need for Active Alignment of lens modules. Initially, customers designing or prototyping an imaging system may find it hard to see the value of actively aligned modules. After all, active alignment requires a significant tooling investment. In addition, during the prototyping phase, customers can typically achieve great results in small numbers by manually focusing the lens and gluing it into an off-the-shelf camera module….