AUNV-TEMPORARY-FORUM

Tube Data and Omni Classifications.

Update: 5th December 2010.

After a few months, it looks like this page has become the primary resource across the world for US Gen3 Omni data. It's been a collaborative effort and the data is expanding constantly as I add further information. So it's probably time to clarify how to use the data. I'm also splitting the page because it's getting WAY too big now... I never realized when I started this project just how big it would get and how much data I would collect. A big thanks to everyone who helps me keep it accurate also - It's only now that I'm finally getting down to the real detail for some tubes while for others, I have little more than a stock number. Anyway, the notes...

Note 1. The "OMNI" data isn't a specification. Gen3 Omni VII is a specification, but not a performance specification. Omni refers to the contract under which a tube was purchased, not the performance level of the tube. Since I published this data, it's confused a LOT of people, so to clarify, the TUBE DATA under the OMNI headings represents the typical performance of US used tubes of the MX10160 family and represents the latest iteration of that tube. That changes slightly with Omni VIII but I'm still collecting data on that.

Note 2. ALL tubes of the SAME family (eg, MX-10160A/AVS-6 ) perform roughly the same. A MX-10160A/AVS-6 tube made in 1995 performs roughly the same as a tube made in 2009. If you find a MX-10160A that's been made under Omni VII, don't go assuming it performs like an OMNI VII tube. It's still the same as the Omni IV/V tube. AND YES, they made some of these under OMNI III.

Note 3. The word MILSPEC gets used a lot, so here's the ACCURATE DEFINITION of what it is. It refers to tubes that meet a performance specification as defined for a US Military contract. If a contract comes out for tubes from the military, then the tubes made for that contract that meet that specification ARE MILSPEC. ALL OMNI TUBES (tubes made for Omni Contracts) are MILSPEC and every tube will be made for a contract, however ANY tubes that are made to a specific specification and meets or exceeds ALL provisions of that specification ARE ALSO MILSPEC according to that specification. Hence, a MX-10160A manufactured in 2007 is technically a MILSPEC OMNI VII tube. 

Note 4. To avoid the confusion this causes, you'll notice I've listed some tubes only under certain contracts. This typically represents the contracts under which that tube were primarily ordered and this is how these tubes should be viewed.

Note 5. Tubes other than the MX10160 series are also included ( eg MX11620, MX11729 ) - These tubes have different performance specifications. See the tube breakdown details for more information.

Note 6. To know what tube you really have, look for the NSN in the tube data breakdowns. Keep in mind though, military records aren't as consistent as you might imagine...

Sorry to confuse the matter further with this explanation, but some people seem to think that a MX10160A from 2007 is significantly better than a MX10160A from 1995. On paper, they are pretty much the same, though slight differences may be present in the manufacturing process and they did vary the performance specification slightly with each Omni iteration. However they usually vary the suffix as well, since for aviation purposes, you really don't want to go accidentally mixing tubes of different performance specifications.

Understanding US Omni classifications.

Nearly all military US Gen3 devices are classified by FOM ( Figure of Merit ) but are also differentiated by the contract under which they were produced. These contracts ( Omnibus contracts ) each placed different minimum performance characteristics on manufactured products. As such, a US milspec tube could fall under any one of these procurements but most commonly, tubes are referred to the contract under which they were first produced. Based on the MX10160 tube, the following table provides approximate performance levels for each Omni generation.

Thankyou to all who have helped with collecting this information - particular thanks also to:

• Edward R Wilcox Jr. 
• Flex297 from US forums.
• Stanley from US forums.

The initial collection of data and creation of the table would not be possible without their help and postings of general information to the Internet.

PLEASE NOTE! This is a WORK IN PROGRESS. There is no simple, complete and accurate table for this information ANYWHERE so it may change once in a while as I tweak it and make any corrections.

Omni Classifications

14 August 2011
Omnibus Classes	Based on MX10160
Contract	Omni I	Omni II	Omni III	Omni IV	Omni V	Omni VI	Omni VII	Omni VIII
Comments	Early Gen3 - Not all that far above Gen2 of era.	Another early Gen3, again not that advanced.	The first advanced Gen3 with significant improvement is S/N	Significant increase in photocathode performance levels.	Very advanced. See's introduction of Gen4.	Continual improvement of the technology.	Autogated Thin-Film Replaces US specs for Gen4.	First contract Aug 2010 Specs released 23 Dec 2010
Resolution lp/mm	36	45	51	64	64	64	64	64
S/N	16.2	16.2	19	21	21	25	28	25 min
Photocathode sensitivity uA/lm@2856K	1000	1000	1350	1800	1800	2000	2200	2000
Sensitivity at uA/lm@830nm	100 60@880	100	135	190	190	230@830 100@880	120@880	190@830 80@880
Gain fL/fc	20,000-35,000	40,000-70,000	40,000-70,000	40,000-70,000	40,000-70,000	50,000-80,000	50,000-80,000	25,000-110,000
MTF@2.5lp/mm	0.83	0.83	0.9	0.92	0.92	0.92	0.92	Nominal
MTF@7.5lp/mm	0.58	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	Nominal
MTF@15lp/mm	0.28	0.38	0.45	0.61	0.61	0.61	0.61	0.61
MTF@25lp/mm	0.08	0.18	0.2	0.38	0.38	0.38	0.38	0.38
Halo (mm)	1.47	1.47	1.47	1.25	1.25	0.90	0.70	1
Phosphor	P-20	P-20	P-20/P-43	P-43	P-43	P-43	P-43	P-43
Year	1982	1985	1990	1996	1999	2002	2006	2010
EBI (x10^-11)	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5	3	3
Tubes supplied	MX-9916/UV MX-9644/UV MX-10130A/UV MX-10130B/UV MX-18281/PVS-7A MX-18282/PVS-7B	MX-9916/UV MX-10160/AVS-6 ID 54490-5002760 MX-10160 MX-10130B/UV MX-10130C/UV	MX-10160/AVS-6 ID 54490-5009100 MX-10160A/AVS6 MX-10160 MX-10160C/UV	MX-10160A/AVS-6 ID 80063-A3256389 MX-10130D/UV MX-11769/UV MX-10160A MX-11620/UV	MX-10160A/AVS-6 ID 80063-A3256389 MX-10160B/AVS-6 filmless and thinfilm MX-10130D/UV MX-11769/UV MX-11620/UV	MX-10160C  /AVS-6 MX-11769/UV MX-10130D/UV MX-10160B/AVS-6 ID 80063-A3279453 (Litton Filmless) ID 80063-A3279593 (ITT Thin Film)	MX-10160C  /AVS-6 ID 80063-A3279602 MX-11769/UV MX-10130D/UV ENVG (Enhanced NVG ) FGS (Fusion Goggle System )	MX-10130D/UV MX-11769/UV MX-12389 DFG (Digital Fusion Goggles) Enhanced-ANVIS MX-10160B
Contracts:	DAAB07-85-C-E032 DAAB07-85-C-E033 mx9916 DAAB07-81-C-1065	DAAB07-90-C-F102 DAAB07-90-C-F103 DAAB07-90-C-F101	DAAB07-93-C-K006 DAAB07-93-C-K005	DAAB07-96-C-J209 DAAB07-02-C-J008 N00019-98-C-0047	DAAB07-01-D-N414 DAAB07-01-D-N413 DAAB07-01-D-N411 DAAB07-98-C-J419 DAAB07-98-C-J418 DAAB07-01-D-N410	DAAB07-02-C-J010 DAAB07-02-C-J009 DAAB07-02-C-J008 W15P7T04AJ207 W15P7T04AJ208	W9124Q-05-D-0821 W9124Q-05-D-0823 N00164-07-R-85240 - mx10160 N00164-09-R-JQ02 - FGS mx10160 H92222-08-R-0040 mx10160 H9222-10-R-0003	W91CRB-10-R-0051 W91CRB-11-R-0001 SPM4A6-11-R-1478 SPM4A611MCN18

Tube Detail: ( See links to more detailed tube data. )

Other tubes - US. 

ITT - 

NOTE: Although F9800A does not exist ( ITT never made Omni I tubes ) the reference to it exists in military literature, leading to a belief that ITT later made a civilian version.

Litton/NGEOS/L3

Photonis, KATOD and others

New Omni IX standard - Comparison to Omni VIII.