USING INFRARED AND OTHER ELECTRO-OPTIC TECHNOLOGIES FOR INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS

copyright 2001-2009 Everett Companies LLC

EVERETT INFRARED PROVIDES EXPERTISE AND COMPREHENSIVE TECHNICAL AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT ON A CONSULTING BASIS IN  ELECTRO-OPTIC TECHNOLOGY TO ALL TYPES OF COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE SMALLEST TO THE LARGEST

Everett Infrared is a sensor design and product development company that helps its customers integrate electro-optic sensors into their products and processes and take advantage both technically and economically of the ever more rapid advances in technology. Our substantial experience and expertise are offered on a consulting basis to companies that need a broad range of assistance in designing a sensor from the ground up as well as those that just need help in specific areas. 

We have designed all sorts of both active and passive electro-optic sensors that cover the electro-magnetic spectrum from ultraviolet to long wavelength infrared.  Most of our work has been in the infrared since that is where most of the applications are.  However, we have also developed sensors in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions as well.  Most of our sensors have just one or perhaps a few detectors, but we have also developed high resolution imaging systems with large detector element arrays.  Our sensors are frequently incorporated as components in larger products.  They are also used independently in process control and other types of applications. 

We incorporate all types of detectors into our sensors including photodiodes, photoconductors, thermopiles, pryoelectric detectors, bolometers, microbolometers and ferroelectric detectors.  We have used SiC, Si and Ge photodiodes for shorter wavelength detection.  For the longer wavelengths we have used InGaAs, extended InGaAs, InSb and HgCdTe photodiodes as well as PbS, PbSe and HgCdTe photoconductors.  We use thermal detectors such as thermopiles and pryoelectric detectors for a wide variety of low cost, commercial applications.  Large arrays of photodiodes, microbolometers and ferroelectric detectors are used for high resolution imaging applications. 

We design the electronics that captures the detector signal, amplifies it, increases the signal-to-noise ratio and interfaces it to the downstream electronics in either analog or digital format.  Our sensor electronics frequently include microprocessors that generate control signals and/or process the data generated by the sensor in whatever manner is needed.  We frequently build fully functional prototype sensors to demonstrate functionality and capability. 

We design and build electro-optic sensors sensitive to wavelengths from long wave infrared through ultraviolet and x-rays

AIRCRAFT ICING DETECTION SENSOR - 1996

We can design your sensor to meet your requirements or help you design it yourself by providing whatever level of support you need

A list of some of the electro-optic sensors we have designed or provided expertise to assist the customer in carrying out his own design over the past few years is given below.  Some of these sensors were designed as stand alone products and others as subsystems that were integrated into larger systems.  

We can design the entire sensor including the optics, detector and electronics or any part of it that is needed.  For active rather than passive sensors we incorporate the radiation source into the overall design.  We have used all sorts of sources from simple thermal sources to lasers and LEDs.  Wherever possible we use standard parts to minimize cost.  If custom parts are needed we write the specifications for them and arrange to have them manufactured.  The requirement for custom parts is rare, and we can usually find off-the-shelf parts that are sufficient for the development process.  The use of custom parts in production, however, is often justified when the reduction of the unit cost is sufficient to offset the non-recurring design and set-up costs.  It is most often the case that custom optical components such as lenses and spectral filters are needed, but sometimes custom detectors and electronics components are needed as well.  In addition to the cost savings in volume production, the use of custom parts usually optimizes sensor performance.  Custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) are almost always used for the electronics including prototypes.  For very large production it is often cost effective to reduce much of the electronics into a custom integrated circuit usually referred to as an ASIC for application specific integrated circuit.  The ASIC does not generally improve performance, but it does reduce size and cost for large quantities.  We design mixed signal electronics with high performance analog front ends to capture the detector signal, amplify it and reduce noise as much as possible.  The analog electronics are followed by the digital electronics incorporating one or more microprocessors that accurately measure the detector signal and provide whatever control signals are needed.  We write the firmware code to meet the specific requirements of each application.  If we are developing the complete sensor, we normally initially build a breadboard prototype to demonstrate performance and then reduce it to fit the form that is needed while maintaining the full function.  We can, of course, provide whatever assistance is needed if the customer wishes to take the lead in the development process.  In any case, at the end of the day the product design is the intellectual property of the customer.  

While Everett Infrared is relatively small, we have a great deal of expertise developed over the past thirty years designing all sorts of electro-optic sensors for a wide variety of applications.  Our objective is to provide state-of-the-art electro-optic technology to our customers. Infrared technology in particular is finding wide spread application in everything from non-contact temperature measurement to the detection of minute (as well as not so minute) contaminants through spectral absorption. Many problems that have proven difficult or even intractable in the past often have simple and elegant electro-optic solutions. Everett Infrared is uniquely positioned to effectively use this technology to resolve these issues. Most of our experience comes from our work in the aerospace and defense industry where this technology was developed to its highest level. We are now applying the technology to a wide variety of industrial, commercial as well as military applications.

The process or procedure that we use to design an electro-optic sensor is described in our companion page

Sensor Design and Product Development

A useful discussion of how electro-optic detectors work and the principles behind their operation is contained in our page 

Physics of Electro-optic Detectors (pdf version)

(Click on the link at the bottom of this page to download a reader for pdf files).

This white paper has been very popular since it first appeared a number of years ago.  The current version has been significantly revised and improved.  It will help nearly everyone better understand how these devices work and how to use them effectively. 

Our page

Preamplifiers for Electro-optic Detectors (pdf version)

(Click on the link at the bottom of this page to download a reader for pdf files.)

is a companion to Physics of Electro-optic Detectors and describes simple front-end electronics that can be used to extract useable signals from many types of electro-optic detectors. 

Click on     to download Adobe's reader for pdf files.

Infrared and Electro-optic Technology

Everett Companies LLC

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

telephone and fax:  480-706-4753

You can contact us via email at  email@everettinfrared.com  (Due to the high volume of spam, our filter sometimes deletes valid email.  If you send an email and do not receive a prompt reply, please call us at 480-706-4753)