Xi 1M ETH Compact Industrial Autonomous Short-Wavelength Thermal Camera for Alloys & Metals

• 396 x 300 Pixel Short-Wave (SWIR) Industrial Infrared Camera for 450 °C to 1800 °C (842 °F to 3272 °F) Non-Contact Temperature Measurement
• Optimized for Hot Metals and Low-Emissivity Materials - Steel, Iron, Copper, Brass, Tin, Ceramics, and Semiconductors
• Short Wavelength (0.85 – 1.1 µm) Minimizes Emissivity and Reflection Errors on Shiny Metal
• True Autonomous Operation - No PC Required - with Automatic Spot Finder and Direct 0/4-20 mA Analog Output
• Direct PLC Integration over EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, or Modbus TCP
• Motorized Focus with Multiple Field-of-View Options and Distance-to-Spot Ratio up to 830:1
• Fast Line-Scan Mode up to 500 Hz for Profiling Moving Targets such as Strips and Rotating Parts
• USB 2.0, Ethernet, PoE, and RS485 Interfaces - Ethernet Extendable to 100 m
• Rugged IP67 / NEMA 4 Stainless Steel Housing - Complete Software Suite Included
  

The Xi 1M is a compact, fixed-mount short-wavelength infrared camera built to measure the temperature of hot metals and other low-emissivity materials that long-wave cameras struggle with. Operating in the 0.85 – 1.1 µm spectral band, it captures radiometric thermal images at 396 x 300 pixels and measures from 450 °C up to 1800 °C with no need to switch sub-ranges. A motorized focus, a high distance-to-spot ratio (up to 830:1), and a fast line-scan mode make it a precise, flexible tool for steel, foundry, forging, and similar high-temperature processes. Housed in a rugged, waterproof stainless steel body, it is designed for permanent industrial installation.

Built for Hot Metals - the Short-Wave Advantage
Bare and molten metals are notoriously hard to measure with a standard long-wave thermal camera: their emissivity is low and changes with surface finish, temperature, and oxidation, which produces unreliable readings. The Xi 1M solves this by working at a short wavelength (0.85 – 1.1 µm), where most metals emit far more strongly and far more consistently. By Planck's radiation law, shorter wavelengths carry much more infrared energy, so emissivity variations have a much smaller effect on the result. The payoff is accurate, repeatable temperature measurement of steel, iron, copper, brass, tin, carbon, ceramics, and semiconductors - exactly the materials where long-wave cameras fall short.

Direct Process and PLC Integration
The Xi 1M runs autonomously - it calculates temperatures, finds hotspots automatically, and triggers alarms on its own, with no PC required once configured. A direct 0/4-20 mA analog output and an isolated input let it talk to a PLC straight out of the box, and the optional Industrial Process Interface stacks up to three modules for as many as nine analog or alarm outputs with built-in fail-safe monitoring. For higher-level networks, dedicated interface kits add EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, or Modbus TCP, connecting the camera to Allen-Bradley, Siemens, and other control systems.

High-Speed Line Scanning
Beyond full-frame imaging at 20 Hz, the Xi 1M offers a dedicated line-scan mode running up to 500 Hz. This profiles the temperature across a fast-moving target - a metal strip, wire, or rotating part - line by line, using 396 x 8 pixels over Ethernet or 396 x 1 pixels in autonomous operation. It is ideal for continuous processes such as hot rolling, casting, and strip production where you need a temperature profile across the width of a moving product.

Typical Applications
The Xi 1M suits steel and metal production, casting and forging, hot rolling and strip processing, induction heating and hardening, metal welding, and the processing of ceramics and semiconductors - any high-temperature process where accurate, repeatable measurement of reflective or molten material is critical.

Compact Industrial Design
The Xi 1M packs its electronics into a compact stainless steel body measuring Ø 36 mm x 112-127 mm (depending on lens) with an M30 x 1 thread, weighing 270 g. It is rated IP67 / NEMA 4 against dust and water and tested to IEC 60068 standards for shock and vibration, so it holds up to washdown, debris, and machinery vibration. For the hottest installations, a water-cooled housing extends operation to ambient temperatures up to 250 °C, while laminar air purges, outdoor housings, shutters, and mounting brackets round out the system.

Motorized Focus and Optics
The motorized focus is set entirely in software, so the image can be optimized remotely without physical access to the camera - useful for installations behind guarding or at height. Several optics are available: 7° x 5° (long range), 7° x 5° CF (close focus), 14° x 10°, 28° x 21°, and a wide 50° x 38°, with optical resolution up to 830:1 using the close-focus 7° x 5° lens. Please note the optics are integral to the camera and are selected at the time of purchase; they cannot be changed or added later, so it is worth confirming the field of view and target distance for your application before ordering. (Optris' online camera calculator makes it easy to verify the spot size and IFOV for each lens.)

Industrial Connectivity
The Xi 1M supports USB 2.0, Ethernet, PoE, and RS485. The camera streams full frames at 20 Hz over Ethernet (and sub-frames over USB), with the autonomous and line-scan modes for direct machine integration. Ethernet and RS485 runs extend up to 20 m as standard and can be extended to 100 m, with PoE supplying power and data over a single cable for clean, long-distance installations. The camera also runs on an 8 – 30 V DC supply. The Ethernet / PoE cable is included in the standard scope of supply. Note that the camera uses a static IP address and does not support DHCP.

Software
Every camera ships with the license-free PIX Connect software - a full thermal-imaging platform for setup, analysis, and recording, with advanced functions such as line scanning, image merging, event capture, and area-based temperature evaluation. Developer kits (SDKs) are available for integrators building custom applications, and a free IRmobile app allows mobile viewing over USB. The camera runs autonomously once set up, but PIX Connect is needed for the initial configuration and focus adjustment.

Choosing the Right Lens
Lens choice is a trade-off between how much area the camera sees, how far away the target is, and how small a detail it can accurately measure. The narrow 7° x 5° optics reach distant targets with the finest resolution, while the wider 14°, 28°, and 50° optics cover larger areas at shorter range. The close-focus (CF) 7° x 5° lens is built for small hot targets at short working distances. For a trustworthy reading, the target should cover at least the camera's measurement field of view (MFOV) of 4 x 4 pixels, so the smaller the target, the narrower the lens you need.

A wide 50° x 38° option is also available for the widest coverage. Note that the 7° x 5° lenses measure from 525 °C, while the 14° and 28° lenses measure from 450 °C; the temperature range is also selected at the time of order. Before ordering, use the free Optris IR Camera Calculator to enter your exact working distance and target size and confirm the field of view and spot size for each lens.

Scope of Supply / What comes with your order
Process imager Xi 1M · Ethernet / PoE cable (1 m) · USB cable (1 m) · output/input cable (1 m) incl. terminal block · mounting bracket with nut · PIX Connect software package · quick start guide

SPECIFICATIONS

Resolution: 396 x 300 pixels
Detector: CMOS (15 µm pitch)
Spectral Range: 0.85 – 1.1 µm (short-wave)
Optical Filter: No
Frame Rate: 20 Hz full frame (Ethernet) / 20 Hz sub-frame (USB, autonomous) / line scan up to 500 Hz
Optics (FOV): 7° x 5° (f = 50 mm), 7° x 5° CF (f = 50 mm), 14° x 10° (f = 25 mm), 28° x 21° (f = 12 mm), 50° x 38°
F-Number: 2.8 (7° x 5° and CF); 1.8 (14° x 10°); 2.0 (28° x 21°)
Focus: Motorized focus
Interchangeable Optics: No (lens selected at time of order)
Optical Resolution (D:S): 806:1 (7° x 5°) / 830:1 (7° x 5° CF) / 401:1 (14° x 10°) / 195:1 (28° x 21°)
Minimum Distance to Target: 800 / 500 / 300 / 300 mm (7° x 5° / CF / 14° x 10° / 28° x 21°)

Temperature Range: 450 – 1800 °C (842 – 3272 °F); 525 – 1800 °C (977 – 3272 °F) with the 7° x 5° lenses
Accuracy: ±1 % of reading (below 1400 °C); ±2 % of reading (below 1600 °C)
Smallest Detectable Spot (IFOV, 1 pixel): 0.3 / 0.1 / 0.5 / 0.7 mm (7° x 5° / CF / 14° x 10° / 28° x 21°)
Smallest Measurable Spot (MFOV, 4 x 4 pixels): 1.2 / 0.4 / 2.5 / 2.8 mm (7° x 5° / CF / 14° x 10° / 28° x 21°)
Emissivity / Transmissivity: adjustable 0.100 … 1.100
Warm-Up Time: 10 min

PC Interface: USB 2.0 / Ethernet (100 Mbit/s) / PoE / RS485
Supported Protocols: USB, Ethernet (static IP), RS485, serial; optional EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP
Compatible Software: PIX Connect, EasyComm, Connect SDK, EasyAPI, Direct SDK
Direct Output / Input: 1x analog output (0/4-20 mA) / 1x input (analog or digital); optically isolated
Industrial Process Interface (PIF): 3x analog outputs (0/4–20 mA or 0–10 V) and 3x alarm outputs (relays) / 3x inputs (analog or digital) / fail-safe (LED and relay); stackable up to 3 PIFs; optically isolated
Image Processing: Hot-metal and molten-metal measurement, autonomous evaluation of areas of interest, line scanner, event grabber, merger, alarming, comparison functions (via PIX Connect)
Cable Length: Ethernet / RS485: 20 m (extendable up to 100 m); USB: 1 m (standard), 3 m, 5 m
Power Supply: 8-30 V DC / PoE / USB
Power Consumption: max. 2.5 W

Enclosure Size: Ø 36 mm x 112-127 mm depending on lens (M30 x 1 thread)
Housing Material: Stainless steel
Weight: 270 g (without mounting bracket)
Tripod Mount: 1/4-20 UNC
Protection Class: IP67 / NEMA 4
Ambient (Operating) Temperature: 0 °C ... 50 °C
Storage Temperature: -40 °C ... 70 °C
Relative Humidity: 10 ... 95 %, non-condensing
Shock: IEC 60068-2-27 (25 G and 50 G)
Vibration: IEC 60068-2-6 (sinusoidal), IEC 60068-2-64 (broadband noise)
EMC: 2014/30/EU
Standards: CE, UKCA, RoHS
Country of Origin: Germany