Part 2 — Image-Intensifier Tubes
The heart of analog night vision: the components inside an image-intensifier tube and the variations that define performance and image character.
- Lesson 1: Anatomy of an Image-Intensifier Tube
The major internal components of an intensifier tube and how they relate.
- Lesson 2: Photocathode
The light-sensitive surface that converts photons into electrons.
- Lesson 3: Microchannel Plate
The multiplier that amplifies the electron signal thousands of times.
- Lesson 4: Phosphor Screen
The surface that converts amplified electrons back into a visible image.
- Lesson 5: White vs. Green Phosphor
The difference between green and white-phosphor image output.
- Lesson 6: Filmed, Thin-Filmed, and Unfilmed Tubes
How the ion barrier film affects tube life and image quality.
- Lesson 7: Autogating
What autogating does and how it protects the tube under changing light.
- Lesson 8: Manual vs. Automatic Gain
The difference between fixed, automatic, and user-adjustable gain.
- Lesson 9: Tube Manufacturers and Formats
The major tube makers and the standard formats they produce.
- Lesson 10: Spots, Blemishes, and Screen Quality
How tube imperfections are graded and what to expect.