Imaging Sensor & Sampling Calculator

Analyze spatial resolution, diffraction limits, Nyquist sampling frequencies, and MTF curves for camera systems and microscope configurations.

System Configurations

Wavelength (λ, nm)

Pixel Pitch (p, µm)

µm

Sensor Size (W x H, mm)

Focal Length (f, mm)

F-Number (N)

Object Distance (D, meters)

Camera Presets

Precision Mode

Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)

── Diffraction Limit- - Pixel MTF── Combined System MTF

Resolved Outputs

Airy Disk Diameter10.736 µm

Pixels per Airy Spot1.7893

Sensor Nyquist Limit83.333 lp/mm

Diffraction Cutoff227.27 lp/mm

Horizontal FOV39.598°

Diagonal FOV46.793°

IFOV (Pixel Scale)24.752 arcsec

Sample Spacing at D1.2 mm

Sampling Adequacy Summary

Limit Category: SENSOR LIMITED

Sampling Status: UNDERSAMPLED

The sensor is undersampling the lens diffraction spot (Airy disk). The system will exhibit pixel aliasing. A tighter pixel pitch or larger F-number is required.

Resolution, Solid Angles & Sampling Theory

Airy Disk Diameter (first zero)

d_{\mathrm{Airy}} = 2.44 \lambda N = \frac{1.22 \lambda}{\mathrm{NA}}

The radius of the central bright spot of the diffraction pattern produced by a circular aperture.

Spatial Frequency Cutoff

f_{\mathrm{cutoff}} = \frac{1}{\lambda N} = \frac{2\mathrm{NA}}{\lambda}

The theoretical maximum frequency limit that can propagate through an optical aperture.

Sensor Nyquist Limit

f_{\mathrm{Nyquist}} = \frac{1}{2 p}

The maximum spatial frequency that can be represented by the sensor pitch $p$ without aliasing.

Collected Solid Angle (Microscopy)

\Omega = 2\pi(1 - \cos\alpha)

Solid angle fraction of isotropic emission collected by the objective: $\text{Frac} = \frac{1}{2}(1 - \cos\alpha) = \frac{1}{2}(1 - \sqrt{1 - (\mathrm{NA}/n)^2})$ .