Optical Instruments

Optical instruments are based on scientific findings in field of optics. Optics is a branch of physics which examines and explains the travel of light and its interactions with matter. The principles of physical optics are included in the discipline of technical optics and therefore have an impact on construction, design and fabrication of optical instruments. The most famous optical instrument is of natural origin: the human eye. Its ability to convert electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of 380 nm (violet) to 780 nm (red), called visible light, by means of photosensitive cells in the retina, into neural impulses, which are evaluated in the visual cortex of the human brain, causes the humans ability of visual perception. The optic mechanism represented by the human eye is also used as the operating principle of simple optical instruments. By changing the curvature radius and refractive index, the focal distance can be varied and the beam of light can be focused, thus objects can be displayed with magnification. Microscopes, magnifying glasses, binoculars and telescopes are based on this simple principle. Mostly those instruments are passive devices, i.e. an external light source is necessary for the measuring. Complex systems are used in satellite techniques, where radio- and spectrometers are made for intensity measuring and spectral analysis. In addition to passive instruments, there are several areas where active optical instruments are used. For example, lasers are used in a CD-drive to read the stored data on the data carrier’s surface. Another famous technology is the LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). If you can't find the optical instruments you are looking for, please contact us and we will help you find the best solution which suits your needs: UK customers +44(0) 23 809 870 30 / US customers (561) 320-9162. Our technical staff will advise you regarding our products. Our engineers and technicians will be happy to help you with the optical instruments, and of course, with the other products in the field of regulation and control, measuring instruments or scales and balances of PCE Instruments Ltd.

Functioning principle of optical instruments

Passive optical instruments: Important construction parts of passive optical instruments are optic lenses. Optic lenses are translucent glasses with two refractive surfaces. The refractive property of these surfaces is caused by concave or convex surface curvature, whereas a planar surface does not provoke any refraction of light at all. If an object is observed through a lens it can be either magnified or minimized depending on the implementation of the lens. Determining factors are mainly the focal distance and its reciprocal value as well as the index of refraction, with its unit dioptre, which is also important for classification of spectacle lenses. Therefore, the focal distances can be varied with the lenses in order to accommodate the optic image of an object in its size. 
Active optical instruments: In contrast to passive instruments, active optical instruments need their own light source to perform various tasks. The basic principle for this is the transmission of bundled electromagnetic waves and the reception of emerging echoes due to reflection on objects and surfaces. Whereas radar systems work with invisible short-wave radio waves, optical instruments send visible electromagnetic impulses (laser). Through relation of signal propagation time and light velocity, an accurate distance measurement can be performed, and the velocities can be determined in order to enable the imagery of objects.