SRF, HRF, SSR. What Do These Acronyms Really Mean?

Raphaël Danjoux
Infrared Training Center, Danderyd - Sweden

ABSTRACT
FPA Thermography cameras were introduced in the mid 1990’s. At the time, the number of commercially
available models was very limited, with a frame size of about 70,000 pixels. Nowadays, the targeted
maintenance market includes dozens of models, with detector sizes ranging from 6,500 to more than 300,000
pixels. There are cameras for an infinite variety of applications, but not one camera for all applications!
Choose your camera according to your needs, but be sure to define your requirements before making a
choice.

This paper reviews some important spatial characteristics of thermography cameras, and explains how we
measure them: Slit Response Function, Hole Response Function, and Single Spot Ratio. Then, a unique
synthetic measurement performance index is suggested, and results are given.

INTRODUCTION
The following statements come from the ITC Level 2 course.
- A higher number of pixels means you will find smaller problems at greater distances.
- Using a telescope with a lower resolution camera improves the resolution, but also diminishes the
field of view.
- At a given distance, with the same field of view, you get a better resolution with a higher number of
pixels.
- To measure a small object properly
o Use a camera with more pixels,
or
o Change to an appropriate IR telephoto lens,
or
o Move closer to your target,
or
o Do all!

These should be evident to any experienced thermographer, but they are generalities. When you are in the
real world, for instance in the process of choosing a new camera, you often lack the necessary background to
understand what is behind the data on the specifications sheet. When you buy a car, you know that words
such as six cylinders, front wheel drive, or four doors are not enough for a correct classification of a vehicle.
You ask the vendor for more particulars. Your attitude in thermography should be the same, if not more
demanding. Frame size, frame rate, NETD, IFOV, all these parameters are indeed important, often discussed
about, but rarely explained.

SPATIAL RESOLUTION FOR MEASUREMENT

You have just ordered a new thermography camera for your maintenance team, and you wonder up to which
object size you’ll be able to measure.

Consider for instance the contactor in the academic example of Figure 1. It comes from the ITC Level 1 set of
portable kits. In the right column, we see two thermograms of this component, taken at a distance of 1 m
(about 3.3 feet) with two cameras: high resolution for the first one and low resolution for the second one.
Note that the initial relative resolutions of both FPAs are voluntarily kept: 640x480 for the top right
thermogram, 120x120 for the bottom right one.

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Figure 1. ITC Level 1 portable lab. Fuse + contactor.

The same tool - i.e. maximum over an area - is used for both thermograms, giving similar results: 41 °C
(105.8 °F) for the 640x480 thermogram and 40.4 °C (104.7 °F) for the 120x120 thermogram. These values
are obviously obtained on the body of the contactor, which is massive. In this case, the thermal pattern
shows an internal defect, and although the cameras do not have the same number of pixels, they do the job.

The situation is different when the object to measure becomes smaller. Operators attending a course are all
aware of that, but what is the limit?

Well, in theory, it should be enough that the object size be equal to one projected pixel, to ensure a correct
measurement. In Figure 2, the infrared 120x120 thermogram of Figure 1 is zoomed, and a one-pixel grid is
partially superimposed over a wire. This shows that the wire width represents between 4 and 5 pixels in the
thermogram.

Figure 2. Pixel / object aligned.

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Unfortunately, when you hold a camera it is impossible to stay still. The object and the pixel can therefore be
misaligned.

Figure 3. Pixel / object misaligned.

On top of that, you get dispersion from the optical system; you have radiation spilling over between pixels,
etc. The conclusion is that the real measurement size is bigger that the pixel itself.

Is there a theoretical limit? Considering that a thermography camera samples the infrared scene in a number
of independent pixels, the Nyquist-Shannon theorem applies. It states that a signal must be sampled at a rate
that is twice as great as the highest frequency component of interest in the signal in order to capture the
highest frequency component of interest; otherwise, the high-frequency content will alias at a frequency inside
the spectrum of interest (pass-band).

Translated in everyday thermographer’s language, this means that the ultimate theoretical measurement size
corresponds to 2 pixels in one direction and 2x2 pixels for both. A better result is not physically achievable,
but no doubt you can obtain something much worse! Typical factors vary from a little more than 3x3 to 6x6
for bolometer cameras, and for a little more than 2x2 to 3x3 for photonic models. This depends on many
elements among which we can cite the design and quality of the FPA, the quality of the read-out circuit, and
the quality of the optical systems (lens material, f number, focus, etc). We present hereafter two of the
methods that are used for determining the Measurement Field of View of a thermography camera: SRF and
HRF.

SLIT RESPONSE FUNCTION - SRF

The SRF technique was developed when all cameras were still analogue scanners. It has been a
standardized method for more than 10 years (see Ref. 1 and 2). Technical papers on the subject are scarce
(see for instance Ref. 3 and 4). Analysis is often shaky, and misunderstood, leading to erroneous
conclusions. That is the reason why we fully describe it here.

A SRF experimental set-up consists in three components:

- An extended wide black body.
- A system of slits of variable widths. This can be a mechanical sliding slit, or a set of plates with
interchangeable machined slits.
- A thermography camera.

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Figure 4. Complete SRF kit. Trademark ITC.
In the foreground, a small size mobile vertical slit mounted with a vernier screw.

The camera looks at the black body through the slit which is at room temperature, and shows an image such
as the one in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Example of thermogram grabbed during a SRF test.

The basic analysis tool is a line placed perpendicularly to the slit. The shape of the profile graph varies
according to the slit width. It passes progressively from a small triangle (A), to a big triangle (B), to finish with
an almost rectangular shape (C).

Narrow slit - A Half open slit - B Wide open slit - C

Figure 6. Thermograms and profile graphs obtained for vertical slits of various widths.

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Note that the representation unit is not the temperature, but the infrared power received by the camera. For
FLIR Systems models, it is called Object Signal (OS). Other manufacturers may use other names, or may
even not offer such feature in their analysis software. Do not worry; in this case, the power can be
recalculated from an integration of the Planck’s curve within the spectral domain of response of the camera.
It takes time indeed, but the operation is possible!

From these raw graphs, a relative response value is extracted. It is a dimensionless quantity equal to the
current max-to-min amplitude of the graph, divided by the max-to-min amplitude of the same graph when the
slit is wide open.

Max to Max to Max to

min = 28 min = 132 min = 189

Response = 28 / 189 = 0.148 or 14.8 %

Max to Max to Max to

min = 28 min = 132 min = 189

Response = 132 / 189 = 0.7 or 70 %

Max to Max to Max to

min = 28 min = 132 min = 189

Response = 189 / 189 = 1 or 100 %

Figure 7. How the Relative Response is calculated.

The final step consists in drawing the SRF curve. It shows the response value in percent (on the Y-axis), as a
function of the slit width (on the X-axis). The X-axis is traditionally graduated in an angular unit called
milliradians (symbol mrad). One milliradian corresponds to the angle formed by a width of one millimeter at a
distance of one meter. Such a unit is very scientific and of evident difficult comprehension for the normal
thermographer. However it continues to be widely used in all specification sheets!

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 95 % X

50 % X

1.1 mrad 3.5 mrad

Figure 8. Example of SRF curve.

Typical of a HiRes 320x240 bolometer camera, equipped with a 36 mm lens.

What information does the SRF give?

Look at the two important points, marked by two red X in the graph.

- (1.1 mrad ; 50%). This corresponds to the IFOV, or the pixel angular projection in the field of view.
As mentioned above, this characteristic is always given by manufacturers. However, it does not give
any clue on the measuring capability. It is an imaging feature.

- (3.5 mrad ; 95%). This is widely accepted as the horizontal measuring limit of the equipment. It is
often called the Horizontal Measurement Field Of View – HMFOV. It is a real measuring feature.

Is the HMFOV of easy use in the real world?

Unfortunately the answer is no. It provides indeed very objective data - you can compare and classify
equipment very honestly with the method - but it is more a lab figure. First of all, very few people talk and
think in angles - we prefer distances in meters or feet/inches. Then, this does not take into consideration the
fact that modern FPA cameras look at objects with real shapes which are projected in two dimensions. We
admit that it is possible to orient the slit horizontally (in this case you get the Vertical Measurement Field Of
View – VMFOV), or even in oblique, but these are awkward situations.

We have now started to implement another method, which is called Hole Response Function.

HOLE RESPONSE FUNCTION HRF

The Hole Response Function method is an extrapolation of the Slit Response Function method to two
dimensions. Instead of looking at a black body through linear slits of various widths, the camera looks
through holes of various diameters.

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Figures 9a and 9b. Example of rotative wheel for HRF, and its real application during a Level 2 training course lab.

Figure 10. Complete HRF kit, with an iris diaphragm. Trademark ITC.
The multipurpose heating box is the same as in figure 4.

Figure 11. Example of thermogram grabbed during a HRF test.

The unit in figure 11 is OS, as explained in the paragraph on the SRF. Still no temperature!

The HRF makes use of two analysis tools: the maximum measured over the hole, and the average on a
reference zone considered as the ambience. A difference (Delta) between the two is considered, and of
course, the bigger the hole, the bigger the difference.

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 Small hole Medium hole Big hole
Figure 12. Thermograms obtained for three different hole diameters (case of a wheel).

From these raw thermograms, a relative response value is extracted. It is a dimensionless quantity equal to
the current Delta, divided by the Delta obtained for the biggest hole (this value being the maximum possible).

Delta = 184 – 134 = 50 Delta = 315 – 134 = 181 Delta = 327 – 134 = 193

Relative response = 50 / 193 Relative response = 181 / 193 Relative response = 193 / 193
= 0.26 = 26 % = 0.93 = 93 % = 1 = 100 %
Figure 13. How the Relative Response is calculated.

The final step consists in drawing the HRF curve. Of course, the response value in percent is on the Y-axis.
This time, the X-axis shows the ratio between the distance of measurement and the hole diameter. These
last two quantities can be simply measured with a tape. Since their ratio is a dimensionless number, it
represents the same in SI countries (most of the world) and in countries where the SI system of units is not
officially adopted (USA, Liberia and Myanmar).

Figure 14. Example of HRF curve.

Typical of a 160x120 bolometer camera, equipped with a 17 mm lens.

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SSR
SSR is the acronym for Single Spot Ratio. It was originally developed by spotmeter manufacturers to express
the measuring capability of their equipment: the diameter of the averaging measuring spot as a function of the
distance.

The same terminology has been used for a while in the thermography world. However, to our knowledge, no
formal and clear definition has ever been given. This may lead to all sorts of abuses, and cannot be accepted
any longer. One method to ensure proper professional practice (transparency, openness, impartiality,
consensus, effectiveness, relevance, coherence) is to advocate compliance to uniform standards or
references. We propose for the SSR the following definition:

The SSR is extracted from a HRF curve.

It is the distance-to-diameter ratio that gives an HRF value of 95%.

From the data in the graph of Figure 14, the measured SSR is approximately 120.

95 %
X

ca. 120

Figure 15. Extraction of the SSR from the HRF curve.

How to use the SSR?

Simply said, at a given distance D, the ultimate size for a measurable object is D/SSR.

In our example, we have obtained a SSR of 120 (can also be written 120:1 or 120/1). This means that at a
distance of 1 m (3.3 feet), the smallest measurable object, of a rather circular shape, is 1/120 m or 8.33 mm
(about one third of an inch).

How many pixels does the smallest measurable spot account for?

As written at the beginning of the article, this number (to be considered for both directions) varies for a lot of
reasons. A basic operation gives the correct value:

1000
Number of pixels for a measurement =
(SSR(1) x IFOV(2))
(1)
measured SSR
(2)
IFOV in mrad

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In our case, the SSR of 120 was obtained for a 160x120 camera equipped with a 17 mm lens (17x10-3).
Considering a detector pitch of 35 µm (35x10-6), the IFOV is 2.06 mrad (35x10-6 / 17x10-3).

The corresponding number of pixels is therefore 1000 / (120 x 2.06) = 4.04, yielding to a measurement spot
size of ca. 4x4 pixels (placed anywhere in the field of view).

Our experience is that the prophetic number of 3x3 is a pretty difficult target to reach for bolometer cameras.
So be careful when such a characteristic is put into a specifications sheet! You may ask the manufacturer for
a report.

SYNTHETIC MEASUREMENT PERFORMANCE INDEX

When having to make a choice for a camera, a lot of features and parameters have to be considered. Among
them, we can cite:
- Image size,
- Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference,
- Homogeneity and stability
- Frame rate,
- Measurement spatial resolution.

Being able to classify models on an objective way is a goal. A unique criterion would permit to better
compare models that look similar. At ITC, we have our own Image Performance Index (IPI), which we define
as:

log [SSR(1) x Frame rate(2) x Number of pixels per frame]

IPI =
NETD(3) x Homogeneity(4)
(1)
measured SSR
(2)
in Hz
(3)
in mK
(4)
in mK

The frame rate and the frame size are currently given in all specifications sheets.

In a first approach the specified NETD can be used, but measuring it is not too difficult (see Ref 5 for an idea).
Note that some cameras feature a noise reductor that improves the NETD a lot!

The homogeneity is measurable with any reporting software. It is the standard deviation for the whole image,
when looking at a homogeneous thermal scene.

The SSR has been described before.

Figure 16 gives examples of IPIs calculated for some FLIR systems cameras, ranging from entry level CM
bolometer (InfraCAM) to high end R&D photonic (SC6000). The progression follows common sense.

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Figure 16. Example of Image Performance Index calculated for cameras from the FLIR systems portfolio.

Remember that for each application where a thermography camera is used, different aspects of performance
can be more important than others. For example, for some applications frame rate can be critical, while for
other applications little difference is noticed when using 9Hz or 60 Hz cameras. The IPI represents an effort
to summarize many aspects of the camera in one number, but the reader who so wishes could always modify
the equation to suit his or her needs better, for example by removing factors in the equation that he/she finds
less important, or adding new factors.

SUMMARY
Slit Response Function - SRF - and Hole Response Function - HRF - are two methods for characterizing
spatial measurement performance of thermography cameras. The SRF provides data on the measuring limit
of a vertical type object (or horizontal). Although it is not obsolete for FPA cameras, we prefer the HRF.
There are two main reasons for that. Firstly, the HRF method considers objects in two dimensions. Then, it
leads to the determination of the Single Spot Ratio - SSR.

Establishing standard and guidelines, developing quality criteria, is an ongoing task. Our Image Performance
Index - IPI - is an example of what can be done to help the thermographer choose his/her equipment.

REFERENCES
1. NF A09-420. Non Destructive Testing – Infrared thermography – Characterization of equipment.

2. NF A09-421. Non Destructive Testing – Infrared thermography – Methods for characterization of

equipment.

3. Thermal Image Quality – Visualization of spatial and thermal resolution in thermal imaging. K P
Möllmann, D. Karstädt, F. Pinno and M. Vollmer. Proceedings of Inframation 2006 conference.

4. Characterization of a focal plane array (FPA) infrared camera. H. Pron, W. Menanteau, C. Bissieux,
J.L. Beaudoin. Proceedings of the QIRT 2000 conference.

5. ASTM E1543 – 94 Standard test method for Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference of thermal
imaging systems.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to thank Hans Hallin and Gary Orlove, of Infrared Training Center at FLIR Systems
Danderyd (Sweden) and Billerica (USA); for their support in developing the SSR methodology and the fruitful
discussions on the IPI.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raphaël holds a PhD in Science from the University of Reims – France. Unsteady radiative heat transfer
applied to non destructive testing with thermography cameras was his major. He currently manages the ITC
program development for Europe, Asia, and South America. This means producing training materials for
educational and non-educational courses, supporting licensed partners (centers and instructors), and actively
participating to international standardization committees.

Raphaël has been in the thermography world since 1983. Prior to joining FLIR in 1998, he worked for
companies providing NDT services to Defense and R&D industries, and building control machines. He is also
a BINDT Level 3 General + Civil certified operator.

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