The following technical terms lists important technical items concerning non-contact temperature measurement.

Absolute zero

-273.18°C, lowest possible temperature at which molecules are not active

Ambient temperature compensation

Possibility of correction by a device to gain higher accuracy in that case the ambient temperature of the device is different to the foreground temperature (reflected energy) of the measured object

Air purge unit

Accessory: to keep the optics free of dust and other dirt

Aperture

Opening of the shutter of an objective

Aperture unit

Opening of aperture of an lens

Blackbody

A body that absorbs all incoming radiation in all wavelengths which has an emissivity value of 1, or a body which emits the maximum possible radiation (at all wavelenghts) for its temperature

Equivalent to a blackbody source and is used as a calibration device.

Calibration certificate

Official calibration expertise by an calibration agency

Calibration

To measure accurately in comparison with international temperature scale

Calibration radiation source

Realising of a black body to calibrate pyrometers

°C (Celsius)

Temperature scale based on fix point 0° (zero degree) as freezing point of water and 100° as evaporation point of water at normal pressure °C = (°F-32)/1.8

Temperature measuring device which measures the temperature from an object by beeing in contact with it, for example thermocouples, or resistance thermometers (e.g. Pt 100)

Accessory to allow the use of pyrometers at high ambient temperatures

Data storage unit

Equipment to store measured values, allow for later analysis of these values

Detector

Receptor for radiation, changes heat radiation into an electrical signal

Emissivity

Ratio of the radiation emitted by a surface to that emitted by a black body at the same temperature

Focal point or focal distance

Point or distance of the pyrometer at which the object is focussed to the detector of the pyrometer and the optical resolution at its biggest

Fixed optic

Optic with fixed focal width without focus setting

Fibre optics pyrometer

Pyrometer whose optic head is connected to a converter via a light conducter

A volume in space defined by an angular cone extending from the focal plane of the instrument

A material that allows only a limited spectral range to pass through it.

Grey body

Body whose emissivity smaller than 1 is considered constant at all wavelengths

Intensity

Radiation performance

Inspection
certificate/ sheet

Certificate about measurement uncertainty of a device

Laser pointer

Accessory for exactly adjustment by using a laser as light source

Lens

Optical system consisting of one or more lenses or mirrors, displaying the measured object at the detector of the pyrometer

Maximum value storage

Accessory: saving the biggest measured temperature in a given and adjustable time frame

Measuring distance

Distance between object and forward most edge of the lens

Measuring object

Object temperature is going to be measured

Optics pyrometer

System to define temperature of a source by comparison with a standard light source (usually with help of human eyes)

Over-all radiation pyrometer 

Pyrometer which is nearly sensitive to heat radiation in the whole spectral range

Pyrometer

Instrument to measure temperatures without making contact with the object to be measured (radiation thermometer)

Ratio pyrometer

Pyrometer using signals from two close to each other spectral ranges and ratio formation to find out the temperature

Reproducibility

Uncertainty to repeat a measurement value at same condition

RS232

Standardised serial interface for digital communication

RS485

Interface that allows higher number of receivers and senders at one wire

Scanning optics

Equipment to re-direct the pyrometer radiation setting to a line vertical to the optic axis, so that the surface of the object can be scanned. The scanner moves the spot sizes across the object

Spectral range

Area of spectral range which is used by the pyrometer when taking readings

Spot size

Area on the object from which the pyrometer receives most (90%) of the signals

Storage temperature 

Ambient temperature to store and use the pyrometer correctly

Through lens sighting

Optical accessory for accurate pyrometer adjustment

Transmission

The passing of radiation through a solid, liquid or gas; the transmission coefficient gives the ratio between intensity of radiation that has passed through, to the incoming radiation

Wavelength

Describes the length of a wave between two points in a single phase