Long Wave Imaging with Cooled and Uncooled Sensors

Cooled or uncooled - What image sensor should I choose for thermal imaging in the long wave infrared (LWIR)? 

The answer to this question usually come naturally after properly defining the main operational constraints and tradeoffs for your usecase. 

This white paper discusses the key differences between the two types of sensors such as resolution, field of view, sensitivity, speed, SWaP, reliability etc... All those characteristics are discussed together with field examples in a various set of weather conditions, target distances and objective lenses. 

Understanding these characteristics at the system level is crucial to have the best-suited sensor for your application needs.