Night vision terms and information

In the night vision world, "generation" clarifies the major advancements in technology. The higher the generation, the more sophisticated the night vision technology. All ITT products shown on this web site are either Generation 3 or 2. Generation 3 is the highest level of night vision technology and retains its clarity even in extremely dark situations. If you're using night vision to find a lost person in the woods, locate boats or buoys when you're on the water, or to stargaze out in the wilderness, you need Generation 3 because there is very little available ambient light.

Generation 2 may be the choice in situations with higher levels of ambient light.

There are a lot of night vision products on the market today and they all have one thing in common: they give a green output image. But that's where the similarities end. ITT Night Vision is the leader in night vision technology, and we want you to know that all night vision is not created equal.

First, there's the generation levels that reflect the level of technology in use. Gen 0 and 1 were used up until the 1960s. The "Starlight" scope used by many U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War was a Gen 1 device. Gen 2 was introduced in the 70s for military use. Gen 3 was developed in the mid 80s and remains the highest available technology today. Most of the very inexpensive consumer products today use Gen 1 technology developed nearly 40 years ago.

There are three important attributes for judging performance. They are: sensitivity, signal, and resolution. As the customer, you need to know about these three characteristics to determine the performance level of a night vision system.

Sensitivity, or photoresponse, is the image tube's ability to detect available light. It is usually measured in "µA/lm," or microamperes per lumen. ITT's advanced technology and processing enables us to give our customers products with outstanding sensitivity. That's why most of our products do not come with standard IR illuminators. With many applications illuminators aren't necessary. Our competitors put IR illuminators on their products to get acceptable performance under low light conditions.

Signal plays a key role in night vision performance. ITT's microchannel plate technology is unsurpassed in its ability to transfer a strong signal from input to output. Just as high-end stereo equipment gives you quality sound, ITT Night Vision gives you a quality output image without "noise."

Resolution is the third major consideration when purchasing night vision. This is the ability to resolve detail in your image. High quality optics and the latest processing methods give ITT Night Vision the edge. Some or our competitors put magnified optics in their systems to give the illusion that they have high resolving systems. In the trade-off, field of view is sacrificed. ITT gives the option of higher magnification so you can have it if you want it, not because your system needs it to function effectively. Our technology offers a uniquely formulated phosphor to create the highest contrasting images, therefore generating the highest resolution products available to the consumer.

Generation 3 is the most sophisticated night vision technology available. The photocathode is coated with sensitive gallium arsenide which allows for a more efficient conversion of light to electrical energy at extremely low levels of light.

Generation 2 marked the development of a microchannel plate which multiplies the number of electrons by the thousands. This produces a clearer image in nighttime situations without the distortion of Gen 0 and Gen 1.

Generation 1 has problems with distortion and short-lived tubes. It uses materials that are better than Gen 0 to convert light to electrons. Gen 0 and Gen 1 are usually what imported night vision viewers use.

Generation 0 technology depends on external light to increase available light energy. But because it accelerates electrons through a cone-shaped device, the result is a distorted image and shortened tube life.