Oxley Group Ltd - Night Vision and LED Lighting Systems

Oxley is a leading designer and manufacturer of electronic and electro-optic systems and components for land, sea and air platforms. The company specialises in technologies ranging from LED area lighting for military shelters to IR vehicle lights and data capture solutions. Oxley products are proven through use in defence and commercial applications worldwide.

Other areas of expertise include NVG-compatible aircraft lighting and cockpit upgrades, LED indicators and bulb replacements, EMI filters, and interconnect products.

The company has facilities in both the UK and US. Quality approvals include BS EN 9100:2003, ISO 9001:2000 and UK MoD design authority approval.

LED area lighting

Oxley has developed a range of low-profile LED lighting products that can be integrated into applications such as military shelters, UAV ground control stations and field hospitals. These represent a practical, long-term alternative to conventional fluorescent and incandescent lighting, bringing the benefits of LED technology to a key area of field operations.

Oxley flat lights can be incorporated into the ceilings of rigid shelters prior to erection, saving valuable time during set-up. Bright, clear illumination is available at the flick of a switch with no warm-up time required. The lights are tough and durable, offering enhanced protection both before and after installation. A significantly extended working life when compared with fluorescents (on average ten-times longer) is another benefit. The high colour rendering index (CRI) of 75-90 also ensures that the appearance of objects is not altered, which is critical in field hospital applications.

A key attraction of Oxley area lighting products is their versatility and adaptability. The combi light uniquely offers three lighting functions all from within a single 20mm high unit. Designed for use in military shelters, the lights provide normal, emergency and blackout mode options.

Oxley also specialises in tent lighting which can be suspended from the ceilings of military tents. Other area lighting products have been designed for applications such as vehicle interiors and stores areas where space and height are particularly restricted.

Vehicle lighting systems

Oxley infra red (IR) and NVG-compatible vehicle lighting systems have been developed and proven in consultation with vehicle manufacturers and end-users.

The covert front and rear lighting emits a controlled amount of IR illumination, minimising the vehicle’s IR and visible signatures. Where tactical scenarios permit, this can significantly increase driving speeds whilst using NVGs, particularly in wooded terrain and undulating low-contrast landscapes. The narrow beam shape offers an effective compromise between good night vision imaging and IR stealth whilst the rear convoy / brake light is preferable to the use of either blackout mode or white discs in preventing collisions.

Designed to be retrofitted in existing vehicles, IR driving lights are now a fundamental requirement for most new build programmes.

Features include:

• Class 1 LED product
• Robust design
• IR lighting system components interchangeable throughout vehicle fleet

Data capture solutions

Oxley e-tag is a field-proven automatic identification technology (AIT) for equipment asset management applications. Assets fitted with an e-tag device deliver off-line critical asset information regardless of access to online information systems or geographic location.

Oxley e-tags are miniature, rugged contact memory devices containing 64KB of EEPROM non-volatile memory. Housed in small metal cans, the e-tag’s memory can be manually read-from or written-to simply by holding a handheld probe to the unit. Both the e-tag and probe are passive devices requiring no battery or internal power source.

Features include:

• Unique serial numbers for auto ID
• On-chip password protection
• Memory write protection
• Error detection algorithms to minimise data corruption

e-tag devices can be mechanically or adhesively secured to assets and have passed stringent environmental qualification tests.