xiSpec is back! The new hyperspectral camera generation

xiSpec2_Leaf_hyperspectral-imaging_camera_USB3

MÜNSTER, Germany, 2020 November – After the intensified cooperation in the last months, XIMEA and imec have jointly developed an improved version of the xiSpec hyperspectral cameras.

While maintaining the previous dimensions of only 26.4 x 26.4 x 32 mm and a flyweight of mere 32g, the camera housing and the bandpass filters have been optimized to improve the spectral performance of the cameras. Each xiSpec2 camera is individually calibrated.

The new xiSpec2 camera series consists of the following models:

Camera model	Description	Spectral range	Spectral bands
MQ022HG-IM-SM4X4-VIS2	Snapshot visible light	480 – 625 nm	10 channels
MQ022HG-IM-SM4X4-RN2	Snapshot Red-NIR	600 – 860 nm	15 channels
MQ022HG-IM-SM5X5-NIR2	Snapshot NIR	665 – 960 nm	24 channels
MQ022HG-IM-LS150-VN2	Line scan 150 VIS-NIR	470 – 900 nm	150 channels

New starter kits will be offered matching the new cameras to ensure a smooth start-up.

The snapshot cameras will be delivered with imec's HSI-Mosaic suite.
This means access to imec’s hyperspectral API and XIMEA’s camera SDK.

The line scan cameras will be sold to OEM customers after clarification of the project use.
As part of the collaboration, XIMEA and imec plan to offer xiSpec customers tailored support to integrate the hyperspectral cameras into their application.

The standard xiSpec2 cameras come with USB3 micro-B connectors.

For projects where integration into limited space is required, models with USB3 flat-ribbon connection or PCIe interface will also be available in a later phase.
The PCIe interface enables bandwidths of 10 Gbit/s with the lowest power consumption and allows access to the maximum framerate potential of the sensors.

The new xiSpec2 cameras can be ordered and delivered starting in December 2020.

"As a world-leading nanoelectronics R&D center, imec has developed unique CMOS-based hyperspectral imaging technology that, over the years, has resulted in a set of top-class hyperspectral image sensors and hyperspectral camera solutions with extreme compactness, low weight and high reliability. Our collaboration with XIMEA has been a key element for our technology to find its way to the market,” stated Andy Lambrechts, program director at imec. “With this extension of the collaboration with XIMEA, we take a next step. By offering our tailored technical support to xiSpec2 customers, we guarantee the quality needed to fully reap the capabilities of this promising technology.”

What are hyperspectral imaging cameras ?

Conventional color cameras use a mosaic pattern of red, green and blue (RGB) color filters on top of the pixel matrix.

Hyperspectral cameras replace the RGB pattern with many different wavelength filters.

The numerous color filters attached to standard cameras increase the complexity of the de-mosaicing and reduce the spatial resolution.

The new HSI cameras deliver spectra for individual narrow bands with a different set of data that can indicate the chemical state or composition of the objects.

Thanks to the high frame rate of the image sensor, these cameras ensure detailed and crisp captures of moving objects at multiple wavelengths.

Thereby the objects can be moved orthogonally to the horizontal color filters of a mounted camera, e.g. on a conveyor belt, or attached to UAV.
These cameras have the unique capability of real-time video rate spectral data acquisition, ushering a torrent of new applications.
They enable portables, robotics and integration in other systems where traditional push-broom is too challenging.
The visual and near-infrared (NIR) spectrum of these cameras is especially relevant in agriculture.

For more information, you can check the below documentation and other materials or contact XIMEA team and find out what HSI can add to your business.

xiSpec Brochure

xiSpec Manual

Whitepaper

Buy USB3 Sony CMOS Pregius cameras industrial fast compact

Hyperspectral cameras

Imec press release

About imec
Imec is a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The combination of our widely acclaimed leadership in microchip technology and profound software and ICT expertise is what makes us unique. By leveraging our world-class infrastructure and local and global ecosystem of partners across a multitude of industries, we create groundbreaking innovation in application domains such as healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics and manufacturing, energy and education.

As a trusted partner for companies, start-ups and universities we bring together more than 4,000 brilliant minds from almost 100 nationalities. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium and has distributed R&D groups at a number of Flemish universities, in the Netherlands, Taiwan, USA, and offices in China, India and Japan. In 2019, imec's revenue (P&L) totaled 640 million euro.
Further information on imec can be found at www.imec-int.com.