The Importance of Aviation Cameras
Aviation cameras are well suited to a wide range of flight applications including monitoring, surveillance, and recording. The most common applications include UAV piloting, flight guidance, taxi aid, cabin, cockpit, cockpit door, and cargo surveillance, in-flight entertainment cameras, wing tip cameras, and much more. Because aviation cameras are used in a broad array of harsh applications, they have to be up to the test. As such, they are manufactured with rugged designs according to stringent standards, ensuring their long term reliability. Industries where aviation cameras are used include commercial airlines, military imaging, aerial mapping guidance, and more.
Aviation cameras are manufactured in a housing that serves as an environmental enclosure for airborne aviation applications. Many cameras, such as the Imperx AVI Aviation camera, can be operated in wet conditions and at altitudes as high as 60,000 feet. Furthermore, aviation cameras can frequently operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius. Their extremely low power consumptions and small designs make them effective even in small places.
Aviation cameras are frequently set up as part of a multi-camera system with the ability to communicate with flight computers. This allows the camera to take a picture and transmit the data to the computer so it knows precisely where and when the image was taken. Multiple inputs and outputs also provide users with synchronization capabilities. The user can communicate with the camera with H- and V-Sync pulses to perfectly match the timing of the airborne computer system with other cameras. Many aviation cameras also provide signals such as camera integrating, camera ready, center strobe pulse, trigger pass through and more for flight computer, metadata and image geo-rectification.
For airborne imaging, aviation cameras provide auto exposure and auto gain features. Because airborne imagine or mapping usually revolves around one to two framers per second, it can be difficult for the user to determine the intensity of the next frame. Aviation cameras can provide a fast convergence with a histogram for a smooth transition from frame to frame, while still controlling accurate exposure and gain control. This allows the camera operator to define the maximum amount of exposure time for the camera to properly throttle the gain for the optimal average intensity without blur resulting from motion. Integrated algorithms also enable the user to set average intensity vs. maximum intensity of the image as well as a user definable area to normalize the light intensity around.
The most important aspect of airborne imaging is the ability to identify what is being pictured. As such, aviation cameras feature 12-bit lookup tables that allow the user to configure the contrast of the image to suit their needs. If the user needs basic connections or complex adjustments, the camera can do adjustments during flight in real-time. In addition to advanced look up tables, aviation cameras can handle color adjustments as well as real time auto white balance, flat field correction, and noise correction. The use of video technology continues to grow in popularity on both commercial and business jets where they are used for a wide range of applications. If you are in need of quality aviation cameras, ensure you are getting them from a trusted source.
For all types of aviation cameras and much more, look no further than ASAP Axis, a trusted supplier of parts for a wide range of industries. Owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we are an online distributor of aircraft parts as well as parts pertaining to the aerospace, civil aviation, defense, industrial, electronics, and IT hardware markets. We’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7-365. For a quick and competitive quote, call us at 1-714-705-4780 or email us at sales@asapaxis.com.
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