Night Vision White Phosphor Technology

The new Night Vision images are now offered in a different color scheme. Instead of the familiar dark green hue, nighttime scenes are rendered in black and white. ATN Corporation, the developer of White Phosphor Technology ( WPT) , says the human eye adjusts much more readily to black and white night viewing, interpreting it as more "natural," than green. The company says devices fitted with the new technology provide clearer contrast, better rendering of shadows and shapes and better depth perception.

So far, the White Phosphor technology is only available on a few select devices, such as the PVS-14, but the company plans to expand the line. Studies show that nighttime scenes appear remarkably more natural in black and white versus the usual green. B&W provides clearer information about contrast, shapes and shadows. ATNs White Phosphor Technology provides users with this natural B&W night vision image.

Operators that tested units that use ATN WPT reported a significantly better degree of detail, overall contrast, full moon similarity and range of shades. WPT provides more discriminating shades of intensity between white and black than between green and black resulting in better contrast and depth perception then when compared to green phosphor NVGs.

The majority of the WPT performance characteristics are on par or better then the latest Gallium Arsenide based image intensifier tubes. WPT specifications include typical resolution of 68lp/mm (with some over 74lp/mm) and Signal-to-Noise figures as high as 25. In test 7 out of 10 users name WPT as a "Night Vision Preference" when compared with common green night vision, especially in an urban environment. Designed for Special Ops WPT is not a toy. If your life depends on your gear and you want to improve your operational effectiveness you should look into this system. A green phosphor display is generally used because the human eye is most sensitive to the color green, which falls in the middle of the visible light spectrum. We see more tones. Color is an issue because the rods(responsible for night vision) are most sensitive at 507nm.

The black and white view provides a greater sense of depth perception and more discernable shades. The reality is that these are Generation 2 systems. They don't promote the fact that their luminosity levels are very low. They can preserve the signal to noise levels by reducing the gain. IR illuminators can help make up for the low luminosity levels but only at a short range. An IR illuminator will make you visible to anyone else using night vision which is why the Gen 3 systems, which are truly passive, are such an advantage for our military. With this line of image intensifier tubes, the goal is to make a soldier feel more comfortable in the field with a more familiar black and white view. They are made for the European market where Gen 3 technology is not available.