
NOCTURN XS MONO USER GUIDE
PHOTONISUSAProprietaryandConfidentialInformation
6170ResearchRoad|Suite208,Frisco,Texas75033 6
1Introduction
1.1 ScopeandPurpose
TheNOCTURNXSmonochrome(seeFigure1)isaruggedlowlightcamera module that
featureshigh‐definitionresolution,highsensitivityandhighdynamicrangewithlowpower
consumption.PoweredbyPHOTONIS’1inchopticalformat1280×1024pixel(SXGA)Lynx
CMOSsensor,theNOCTURNprovidesreal‐timeimagingcapabilities(fromdaylighttoone
quartermoonsceneillumination)inthevisibleandnearinfraredspectrum.Itssmallsize,
weightandpower(SWaP)makethiscameramoduleidealforintegrationintoaerial,mobile
andhand‐heldsurveillancesystems.
Withits9.7µm×9.7µmpixelpitchand4e‐medianreadnoise,theNOCTURNprovides
unsurpassed signal to noise at low light with video rates up to100framespersecond.
Leveraging PHOTONIS expertise innightvisionimaging,theNOCTURN electronics
incorporatesamultitudeoffunctionstoenhancethelowlightlevel performance. This
camera features automatic gain control (AGC), automatic exposure control (AEC), high
dynamicrange(HDR),non‐uniformitycorrection(NUC)andadvancedimageenhancement,
allowingtheNOCTURNtoprovidecontinuoussituationalawarenesswithoutcompromising
mobilityandSWaP.The“XS”versionoftheNOCTURNspecificallydesignedfor integrator
andoriginalequipmentmanufacturerandoffersa+3.3Vparalleloutput.
Figure1FrontViewoftheNOCTURNXSCamera
This user guide provides a detailed overview of the functionality, operation and
communicationinterfacewiththecameraaccessiblebyauser.Thehardwareinterfacefor
thecameraareonlybrieflydiscussedinthisguide,theusershould referred to the
NOCTURNXSElectro‐Mechanical ICD for a detailed description.Please contactPHOTONIS
USAtechnicalsupportfordetailsthatarenotcoveredinthisguide.
1.2 ProductConfiguration
The“XS”modelindicatesthattheNOCTURNcamerahasasingleboardtoboardconnector
for power input I/O and video output. The back panel of this NOCTURN configuration is
showninFigure2.