The XHC6160B-ABF achieves 7700 m person detection at 0.0004 lux with a 160 mm F1.7 ABF monochrome lens, establishing the longest passive person detection range in the XHC6 Series for border and critical infrastructure surveillance.
Border surveillance programme offices evaluating sensor options at detection ranges above 5000 m have until recently been steered toward thermal imaging as the default long-range technology, not because thermal necessarily outperforms electro-optical at those ranges, but because high-aperture telephoto EO cameras with the sensitivity to sustain night imaging at 7000 m or beyond were not available in a fixed surveillance camera format. That constraint is being removed as monochrome BSI CMOS technology operating behind F1.7 and faster telephoto optics pushes passive EO detection range into territory previously associated only with cooled and uncooled thermal systems.
7700 m Person Detection in Passive Monochrome Mode
The XHC6160B-ABF achieves person detection to 7700 m at 0.0004 lux minimum illumination at 25 fps, built on a 1.5-inch monochrome CMOS sensor with 10 µm pixel pitch behind a 160 mm equivalent F1.7 high-aperture lens with Auto Back Focus. Monochrome CMOS operation delivers approximately twice the sensitivity of an equivalent colour sensor at the same optics, pushing the illumination floor down to 0.0002 lux at 5 fps and extending the detection range 2300 m beyond the colour XHC6160C-ABF variant under identical scene conditions. Recognition reaches 1920 m and identification 1200 m day and night per US NVESD standards.
Maximum-Range Border Surveillance Applications
National border programmes monitoring wide open terrain segments between infrastructure nodes require sensors that provide reliable person detection across the full inter-node spacing, typically 5000 to 8000 m in flat or gently rolling terrain deployments. The XHC6160B-ABF covers that inter-node spacing from a single fixed position, providing the outer detection trigger that initiates ground response cueing before a contact reaches the terrain features or covered approaches where interception becomes more difficult. ABF remote focus maintains sharpness at 160 mm through seasonal temperature cycles, eliminating focal drift between service visits.
Monochrome Performance Advantage in Critical Infrastructure Protection
Critical infrastructure perimeters at remote unlit facilities present some of the most demanding EO sensitivity requirements in fixed surveillance, where artificial lighting is unavailable and natural starlight may be the sole illumination source for extended periods. The XHC6160B-ABF is selected for these environments precisely because its monochrome CMOS sensitivity at 0.0004 lux extends the reliable detection window deeper into the darkest hours than colour variants can sustain. ONVIF, RTSP, and PELCO compliance over RJ45 with Wi-Fi and 4G LTE option ensures integration into existing VMS infrastructure without additional protocol overhead.