SYTIS’ award-winning TC-90™ Bi-spectral Card Camera sets a new benchmark in thermal imaging accuracy, offering the highest thermal and optical resolutions among card-style cameras currently available on the market — 256 × 192-pixels for thermal and 1600 × 1200-pixels for optical. High pixel count is more than a technical specification; it's a gateway to sharper, more reliable thermal insights and diagnostics, and safer working environments for your team.
But what does a high pixel count really mean for thermograph performance and operational efficiency? Here’s why higher thermal resolution matters, and how it elevates the TC-90™ system beyond conventional card-style thermal cameras.
Fig. 1 The TC-90™ system delivers industry-leading thermal and optical resolution in a compact card-style design.
- Improved Temperature Accuracy on Small Targets
High pixel count and thermal sensitivity work in tandem to deliver precise temperature readings, even on the smallest components. Thermal sensitivity, often referred to as Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD), defines the smallest temperature variation a thermal camera can detect. The TC-90™ system offers a thermal sensitivity of <60 mK, enabling it to detect subtle temperature differences across individual pixels. This level of precision is critical for detecting anomalies in small components embedded within complex systems — no matter if it’s a thin wire or a single loose screw.
Together, the TC-90™’s high pixel count and high sensitivity deliver sharper thermograms, clearer annotations and easier before-and-after comparisons, resulting in more accurate temperature readings on even the smallest targets.
Fig. 2 Subtle color variations between adjacent pixels reveal the TC-90™ system’s high sensitivity.
2. Enhanced Thermal Visibility from Safer Distances
In thermography, a widely accepted rule of thumb is that a hotspot should occupy at least a 3 × 3-pixel area to yield a reliable temperature reading. A higher thermal resolution ensures this, also making it possible from a farther, safer distance.
A higher pixel count generates more source pixels, enabling digital zooming and cropping during post-processing without compromising image detail or clarity. This becomes particularly valuable in situations where the camera must remain at a far distance due to safety protocols, physical barriers or limited access. It also ensures that collected thermal data is preserved when reshooting isn’t an option.
Fig. 3. Higher pixel resolution captures more visual information, enabling crisp, detailed zooming and cropping after capture.
Embedded directly within electrical panels, the TC-90™ Bi-spectral Card Camera captures precise thermal data from a safe distance — eliminating the need to open or image energized equipment where arc blast risk is present. Its remote monitoring and customizable, ethernet-based alarms deliver real-time insights and automated alerts for anomalies without physical access to energized systems, removing proximity risks or considerations entirely.
The enhanced safety capabilities enabled through the TC-90™’s remote monitoring has earned global recognition through Puget Sound Energy’s case study — winner of the National Safety Council’s 2025 Green Cross Award for Safety Innovation and a finalist for RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind Health, Safety and Wellbeing Award.
3. Broader coverage, fewer images
A high pixel count allows technicians to capture complex scenes in fewer frames. It delivers complete insights into full switchboards and solar strings, while maintaining sufficient pixel density across each component. The TC-90™’s embedded-design ensures a comprehensive thermal overview of even the most intricate power panels, delivering accurate insights across each component. As an added advantage, its real-time monitoring enables continuous thermal visibility — supporting condition-based maintenance strategies and deeper operational awareness without the need for or risk associated with manual inspections.
As demands for resilient grid infrastructure continue to grow, high-resolution thermal imaging is becoming essential for safer, smarter operations and maintenance programs. The SYTIS TC-90™ Bi-spectral Card Camera demonstrates how high pixel count, strong thermal sensitivity and remote monitoring can work together to deliver meaningful thermal insights — supporting accurate diagnostics, safer inspections and condition-based maintenance across critical systems.
Resources
TC-90™ Bi-spectral Card Camera About Page
TC-90™ Bi-spectral Card Camera Datasheet