Excelitas' infrared sensing technologies are playing a vital role in
creating a healthier, safer and cleaner tomorrow.
Thermopile Detectors
The new DigiPile™ family of Digital Thermopiles is the latest in digital
infrared sensing technology innovation and provides OEM designers with reduced
space requirements on printed circuit boards, requires fewer additional
components, and provides improved resistance to electromagnetic interference
(EMI). The DigiPile family is offered in a range of housing and sensing areas
with applications in thermometry, pyrometry, and non-contact temperature
sensing.
Excelitas offers a wide range of Thermopile Detectors including
Single-Element, Dual- Element and Quad-Element designs. The “Element” refers to
the size of the infrared absorbing surface. We offer various surfaces and
housings. With Excelitas, you are not limited to off-the-shelf designs;
customized designs for the most demanding applications are also possible.
Thermopile Modules
Excelitas offers you a wide range of Thermopile Modules. The modules consist
of a thermopile sensor mounted on a PCB with a connector. The PCB can also
provide for optional features such as voltage regulation and a noise-reduction
filter. Our ISO-thermal sensor concept delivers an important upgrade to the
thermopile family; by utilizing the unique, patented construction of our
ISO-thermal sensors, Excelitas is able to offer this range of devices with
improved performance, delivering substantially improved temperature measurement
performance under thermal shock conditions. The ISO-thermal module includes
integrated temperature compensation for a defined temperature environment and
the calibration to a certain object temperature range. Modules are offered as
programmed per individual customer request, and there is a range of standard
versions. For requirements of defined spot sizes, we offer sensors with a field
of view defined by optical apertures, internal lenses or external mirror optics.
A temperature reference output is included. Upon request, the thermopile
modules can also be supplied as calibrated modules but without internal
temperature compensation. In this case the customer will do the temperature
compensation externally with the use of the supplied reference output.
Our thermopile detectors are composed of several thermocouples typically
connected in series or, less commonly, in parallel. They are DC-type detectors
and, thus, best suited for non-contact temperature measurement. Our thermopile
sensors are based on silicon micromachining technology. A special IR-absorption
layer covers the hot junctions creating the sensor’s sensitive area. The output
of a thermopile is usually in the range of tens or hundreds of millivolts. In
addition to increasing the signal level, the device may be used to provide
spatial temperature averaging.
Thermopiles do not measure the absolute temperature, but generate an output
voltage proportional to a local temperature difference or temperature gradient.
Thermopiles are the key component of the infrared thermometers that are widely
used by medical professionals to measure body temperature via the ear.