Technology
NV-CMOS: Redefining Digital Night Vision Imaging
NV-CMOS® is our patented solid-state imaging technology that enables high-performance day/night imaging in a compact, rugged, fully digital sensor.
Developed as a direct replacement for analog image intensifier (I2) tubes, NV-CMOS offers comparable low-light sensitivity with the added benefits of digital output, reliability, and integration flexibility. Unlike I2 devices, NV-CMOS allows users to share images and video, fuse imagery with other digital sensors, and apply real-time signal processing—including image enhancement, object detection, and automated target recognition (ATR). NV-CMOS transforms traditional night vision into a fully networked, intelligent imaging capability.
Why Replace Analog Image Intensifiers?
Analog I2 tubes have served reliably in night vision systems for decades, but they come with fundamental limitations:
- Bulky form factors create torque load on helmet-mounted systems, increasing strain on the wearer
- Fragile and light-sensitive: can be damaged by high-intensity light and are prone to saturation, blooming, and halo artifacts
- Inherently analog, limiting integration with other digital sensors on soldier-borne, airborne and vehicle vision systems
NV-CMOS was designed from the ground up as a digital replacement—delivering equivalent low-light performance in a smaller, more rugged form while enabling full integration into modern imaging architectures.
What Makes NV-CMOS Different?
Ultra Low-Noise Design
- Sub-electron read noise enables detection of extremely faint signals
- A few picoamps of dark current allows for long exposures with no loss of fidelity
Quad Pixel Architecture
Enables dual-mode imaging …
- High-resolution mode delivers 1.8 MPixel high definition (HD) imaging
- High-sensitivity mode for seeing down to overcast starlight
… and high dynamic range (HDR)
- Dual-gain column parallel amplifier readout at 8-bit or 16-bit resolution
- HDR mode to capture at more than 120dB night scenes with bright flashes of light
High Near-Infrared (NIR) Response
- Optimized for long-wavelength sensitivity up to 1.1 μm
- Stacked-Deep Photodiode (SDP) architecture enhances NIR performance
- Helps penetrate obscurants such as haze or fog where visible contrast is limited
120 dB
HDR imaging
16-bit
Rich data to feed AI
0.3 – 1.1 μm
wide wavelength response
0.8 e-
Sub-electron read noise
DomiNite video in starlight conditions with High Resolution Mode (left) and High Sensitivity Mode (right). Notice how the signal-to-noise boost in High Sensitivity Mode outweighs the resolution boost in High Resolution mode: the second hand on the clock and the labels on the batteries are easier to read on the right. This is especially true in display-limited applications like night vision goggles. The DomiNite camera will automatically switch the NV-CMOS sensor to High Sensitivity mode as the scene conditions drop into the starlight range and below.
A Multi-Generation Platform, Refined Over Time
NV-CMOS has undergone four major design iterations, each delivering meaningful improvements in low-light performance, noise characteristics, and optical flexibility. A key milestone was the development of the Quad Pixel architecture, which combined the high-resolution capability of the prior generation’s small-pixel sensor with the low-light sensitivity of a large-pixel predecessor. This architectural fusion enabled real-time dual-mode imaging in a single sensor.
At the same time, we have continuously reduced dark current and improved uniformity, pushing the limits of night vision performance. The platform has progressed from an 8-cubic-inch prototype (excluding lens) to a nearly 1-cubic-inch fieldable camera including integrated optics. Design refinement has been guided by operational constraints and industry-standard modeling tools.
Built for Operational Missions
NV-CMOS is currently in use or under evaluation in a range of tactical and mission-critical platforms:
- Man-portable soldier systems
- ISR payloads on Group 1–3 UAVs
- Vehicle-based driver vision systems
- Fixed-position perimeter and infrastructure surveillance
Its digital output enables seamless integration into tactical networks, multi-sensor platforms, and AI-enabled image processing chains.
NV-CMOS Inside: DomiNite
The latest generation of NV-CMOS powers the DomiNite Digital Night Vision Camera, a compact, rugged imaging system offering HD performance from daylight to overcast starlight. DomiNite is available in multiple interface and mechanical variants for seamless integration into new and existing platforms.
