XQ-170TC two-axis EO/IR pod with 5 km LRF
1280 × 1024 thermal on a 75 mm lens — the long-range imaging workhorse of the pod range. The complete payload weighs 2.8 kg and measures Φ170 × 231.3 mm, so it fits long-endurance fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and heavy multirotors.
- Weight 2.8 kg
- Two-axis stabilised
- EO 1920 × 1080
- Thermal 1280 × 1024
- LRF 50 m – 5 km (± 1 m)
- AI detection & tracking
- CE / RoHS documentation available on request
- Export compliance statement available on request
- Calibration and test report supplied with every unit
What the XQ-170TC is
The XQ-170TC belongs to the XQ series, our eo/ir pod systems built on one stabilisation architecture. Every head in the family shares the same servo control, video pipeline and AI tracking module, which is why an airframe can start on one configuration and move to another without redesigning the mount or rewriting the integration.
Core capabilities
The features that decide whether imagery is usable in the air, in the order an integrator usually checks them.
- Gyro-stabilised line of sight
Direct-drive brushless axes with high-resolution encoding hold the line of sight to ≤ 100 μrad (1σ), and the stabilisation loop reacts at ≥ 60°/s angular velocity so imagery stays steady in turbulence and rotor wash.
- Continuous optical zoom
The visible channel is 1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm. Continuous zoom keeps a wide search field and a tight identification field available without changing lenses, with autofocus and electronic image stabilisation at sub-pixel level.
- Uncooled thermal channel
1280 × 1024, 75 mm fixed, long-wave infrared with NETD ≤ 40 mK, boresighted to the visible channel so both sensors point at the same target with no re-alignment in flight.
- Laser rangefinding
The rangefinder measures 50 m – 5 km (± 1 m) at an eye-safe 1535 nm, which turns video into a distance measurement and feeds the target coordinate calculation.
- Onboard AI detection
Person, vehicle, vessel and aircraft detection runs on the payload itself, with no dependency on the data link and no frames sent to a ground station for processing.
- Multi-target tracking
Lock and follow up to 20 targets at once, with anti-occlusion logic that re-acquires a target after it passes behind terrain, a mast or another object.
Stabilisation and mechanical design
Two axes, direct drive
Pitch and yaw are driven directly by brushless motors with high-resolution encoding, which keeps the line of sight steady without gear backlash. The loop is specified at ≥ 60°/s angular velocity and holds the line of sight to ≤ 100 μrad (1σ).
2.8 kg in Φ170 × 231.3 mm
The complete head weighs 2.8 kg and measures Φ170 × 231.3 mm, with 11–28 VDC input and power consumption of 30 W / 100 W. That envelope lets long-endurance fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and heavy multirotors carry the payload without a bespoke mount.
On the aircraft
Mounting, cable routing and vibration isolation are agreed with the platform integrator, so the payload drops into an existing airframe interface instead of needing a bespoke mount.
Multi-sensor payload
Configured as EO plus IR plus LRF. Each channel is boresighted to the others, so one target sits in the same place on every screen.
EO / visible
1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm
Detection 6 km person / 15 km vehicle.
Thermal / IR
1280 × 1024, 75 mm fixed
Detection 2 km person / 7 km vehicle.
Laser rangefinder
50 m – 5 km (± 1 m)
Eye-safe 1535 nm, feeding target coordinates.
Channel detail
A sensor specification on its own rarely answers the operational question, so each channel is described here with the distance it actually supports.
EO / visible
The visible channel is specified at 1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm. Detection distances for the visible channel are quoted at 6 km person / 15 km vehicle using the standard 1.7 m person and 2.3 m vehicle targets; recognition and identification distances are shorter and appear in the datasheet.
Thermal / IR
The thermal channel is 1280 × 1024, 75 mm fixed, uncooled long-wave infrared with NETD ≤ 40 mK. Thermal detection is quoted at 2 km person / 7 km vehicle. Performance does not depend on daylight, which is what makes the channel useful for night operations and for scenes obscured by smoke or dust.
Laser rangefinder
The laser rangefinder measures 50 m – 5 km (± 1 m) at an eye-safe 1535 nm. Range readings feed the target coordinate calculation, so the ground station receives a georeferenced position instead of a range bar in the video.
Detection and tracking at the edge
Onboard AI module
The onboard module detects people, vehicles, vessels and aircraft and hands a target to the tracker for a stable lock. Because processing happens at the edge, latency is low and nothing leaves the aircraft unless you choose to transmit it.
What that means in the air
The operator sees a boxed target and a lock that survives occlusion rather than a raw feed. Because the module is common across the family, tracking behaviour does not change when the payload changes.
Tracking demonstration
Targets are boxed automatically as they appear, and the lock is held on the selected target even when it passes behind an obstruction.
Integration
One control protocol across the family
Every head in the range speaks the same control set, so moving from a two-axis to a three-axis payload, or adding a laser rangefinder, does not change the aircraft-side integration. The protocol document and video pipeline notes are supplied with the first unit.
Video, control and power
Video is carried as Ethernet in H.264 or H.265. The gimbal is controlled over RS-422, RS-232 or TTL with SBUS and MAVLink supported on the aircraft side, and power input is 11–28 VDC. Recording is handled on board, so the file exists even if the link drops.
Interface protocol document, video pipeline description and outline drawing are supplied with the first unit — ask the engineering team if you need them earlier for evaluation.
Full specifications
| Model | XQ-170TC |
| Series | EO/IR Pod Systems (XQ series) |
| Stabilisation | Two-axis gyro-stabilised, ≤ 100 μrad |
| Sensor configuration | EO + IR + LRF |
| Visible channel | 1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm |
| Thermal channel | 1280 × 1024, 75 mm fixed |
| Laser rangefinder | 50 m – 5 km (± 1 m) |
| Weight | ≤2.8 kg |
| Dimensions | ≤Φ170 × 231.3 mm |
| Power consumption | 30 W / 100 W |
| Detection (EO) | 6 km person / 15 km vehicle |
| Detection (IR) | 2 km person / 7 km vehicle |
Detection distances follow the standard 1.7 m person / 2.3 m vehicle convention. Rows marked as shared are common across the XQ series.
Shared across the XQ series
- Video output: Ethernet, H.264 / H.265
- Gimbal control: RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL, SBUS, MAVLink
- Input voltage: 11–28 VDC
- Operating temperature: −20 °C to +60 °C
- Sealing: Sealed housing for dust, wind and rotor wash
- Recording: On-board recording, imagery retained if the link drops
- AI module: Onboard detection, classification and multi-target tracking
- Mounting: Quick-release interface, adapters available for OEM airframes
Three-view outline drawing with connector pinout, available on request.
Mounting, interfaces and environment
Airframe integration is the part of a payload programme that is easiest to get wrong, so these are the numbers engineers ask for first. Everything below applies to the XQ-170TC.
Mechanical interface
The head mounts on a quick-release interface with a vibration-isolated gimbal base, and adapter plates are available for OEM airframes that do not share our bolt pattern. Mass and envelope are the catalogue limits for this head, so the aircraft-side budget can be checked before a prototype is built.
Electrical and data interface
Power, control and video are separated so the head can be flown from most autopilots: 11–28 VDC input, serial control on RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL, and video over Ethernet. On-board recording keeps the imagery even if the downlink drops.
| Payload mass | ≤2.8 kg |
| Envelope | ≤Φ170 × 231.3 mm |
| Power consumption | 30 W / 100 W |
| Input voltage | 11–28 VDC |
| Data interfaces | Serial (RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL), Ethernet, SBUS |
| Video output | Ethernet, 100 Mbps, H.264 / H.265 |
| On-board storage | Up to 128 GB |
| Operating temperature | −20 °C to +60 °C |
| Storage temperature | −40 °C to +70 °C |
| Mounting | Quick-release interface, adapter plates for OEM airframes |
| Sealing | Sealed housing for dust, wind and rotor wash |
Input voltage, data interfaces, video output, temperature limits and on-board storage are common across the range. The released three-view drawing with the connector pinout is supplied with the datasheet — ask the engineering team if you need it for an airframe review before quotation.
Where the XQ-170TC is used
Three mission profiles that match this weight class and sensor set.
- Persistent surveillance
A stabilised multi-sensor head on a long-endurance aircraft keeps one target under observation through weather, day and night.
- Camera on helicopter
Vibration isolation matters more on a rotorcraft, and the stabilisation loop is specified for exactly this environment.
- Corridor and route survey
Thermal and visible imagery in one pass, georeferenced by the rangefinder, shortens the time between flight and report.
Other heads in the range
Every model shares the same control protocol, video pipeline and AI module, so moving between them does not change the aircraft-side integration.
XQ series · 2-axis · EO + IR + LRF
XQ-155T EO/IR Payload OEM
A 55 mm thermal lens and 5 km ranging for platforms that can carry 2.2 kg on the hardpoint.
- Weight
- ≤2.2 kg
- EO
- 1920 × 1080
- IR
- 640 × 512
XQ series · 2-axis · EO + IR + LRF
XQ-125T EO/IR Camera Pod OEM
The smallest pod in the XQ range: 30x zoom, a 35 mm thermal channel and 3 km ranging at 1.6 kg.
- Weight
- ≤1.6 kg
- EO
- 1920 × 1080
- IR
- 640 × 512
XQ series · 2-axis · EO + IR + LRF
XQ-180T customized UAV EO/IR Payload
4K daylight imaging at 3840 × 2160 with 17.5x zoom and 6 km ranging.
- Weight
- ≤4.1 kg
- EO
- 3840 × 2160
- IR
- 1280 × 1024
Questions engineers ask about the XQ-170TC
Are a datasheet and a dimension drawing available?
Yes — the datasheet, outline drawing and interface document for the XQ-170TC are supplied on request, together with the alignment and test data for the unit you receive.
What does the XQ-170TC weigh and which platforms does it suit?
The XQ-170TC weighs 2.8 kg and measures Φ170 × 231.3 mm, which places it with long-endurance fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and heavy multirotors.
How far can the XQ-170TC detect a person or a vehicle?
Detection is quoted at EO 6 km person / 15 km vehicle, IR 2 km person / 7 km vehicle against the standard 1.7 m person and 2.3 m vehicle targets.
Does the XQ-170TC include AI detection and tracking?
Yes. Person, vehicle, vessel and aircraft detection plus multi-target tracking run on the payload itself, so they keep working when the data link degrades, and on-board recording keeps the imagery as well.
What are the order terms for the XQ-170TC?
One unit for a stock configuration, custom builds from 100 units. A head held in stock ships from inventory, so the lead time is transit rather than a production slot; payment is by T/T with the schedule on the quotation, and the warranty is one year from delivery with support from our own engineers online.
Designed and manufactured by HITS
Optics, servo hardware, stabilisation firmware and the AI tracking module are developed in house, and every unit is assembled, calibrated and environmentally tested on our own line before it ships.
Request a quotation for the XQ-170TC
Send the platform, the operating altitude and the identification range you need and we will confirm the configuration. Contact us with your requirements.