The new STA Stand‑Alone Screen Photometer for fast, vehicle‑based headlamp testing by Instrument Systems

• Expansion of the product portfolio with a modular, vehicle-based measurement solution: the STA Stand-Alone Screen Photometer combines the LumiCam 4000B imaging luminance camera with the new ACS 635 calibration source.
• The measurement system enables fast, high-resolution photometric and geometrically corrected testing of automotive headlamps, including adaptive lighting functions.
• The ACS 635 provides a high‑intensity, homogeneous illumination field for very large projection screens and can be flexibly positioned in front of the vehicle using a traversing system.
• The STA Screen Photometer software handles measurement control, analysis, and documentation and supports the export of the measurement results for development and validation workflows.
• The STA Stand-Alone Screen Photometer provides OEMs and suppliers with a practical, high-precision tool for vehicle- based benchmarking of modern headlight systems – especially for demanding adaptive lighting functions.

Instrument Systems introduces the STA Stand‑Alone Screen Photometer — a modular, vehicle‑based measurement solution that combines the LumiCam 4000B imaging luminance camera with the new ACS 635 calibration source to deliver fast, high‑resolution photometric and geometrically corrected testing of automotive headlamps, including adaptive lighting functions.

Developing and benchmarking modern headlight systems requires rapid, quantitative and qualitative measurements of luminous flux and luminous intensity distributions directly on the vehicle. The STA system meets these needs with camera‑based 2D measurement technology and a calibrated projection screen, enabling reliable vehicle‑level testing where component‑level checks are not feasible due to differing vehicle electronics and control protocols.

The core components of the system are the LumiCam 4000B imaging luminance camera with a 12-megapixel sensor, which captures high‑resolution and fast measurements of light distribution on wide and high projection screens, and the new ACS 635 calibration source. It provides a high‑intensity, homogeneous illumination field specifically designed for very large screens and includes an integrated laser module for geometric calibration of the screen. The ACS 635 is mounted on a special frame — optionally extendable with an adapter — on a traversing system to allow flexible positioning in front of the vehicle. The frame combines height adjustment and swivel functionality, and the entire unit, including the traversing system, can be moved on wheels for easy repositioning in the laboratory.

Measurement control, analysis and documentation are handled by the STA Screen Photometer software. The software supports full screen calibration, measurement of luminous intensity and illuminance distributions, discrete point evaluation, luminous flux calculation and visualization in isocandela diagrams. Measurement results can be exported in IES and CSV formats for integration into development and validation workflows.

“The STA Stand‑Alone Screen Photometer offers OEMs and suppliers a practical, high‑precision tool for vehicle‑based headlamp benchmarking — especially for demanding adaptive lighting functions where fast, camera‑based 2D measurements are essential,“ says Oliver Esterl, Sales & Product Manager “Optronik Line” at Instrument Systems.

Further information can be found on our website: https://www.instrumentsystems.com/en/systems/sta-screen-photometer-system