Micron: One millionth of a meter (10-6 m), abbreviated as μm. See Greek symbols (μ).
MerCadTel (HgCdTe, Mercury-Cadmium-Telluride): A detector element used in both long wave and mid wave systems.
Microbolometer: See Bolometer.
MRTD: Acronym for Minimum Resolvable Temperature Difference, a performance metric that accounts for both thermal resolution and spatial resolution. The MRTD expresses the minimum difference in energy (expressed in units of blackbody temperature) required to thermally discriminate a target from the background.
MTBF: Acronym for Mean Time Between Failure, a performance metric that describes the average time between system failures, usually expressed in terms of hours of usage.
MTF: Acronym for Modulation Transfer Function, a performance metric that describes some aspects of spatial resolution.
Multiplexer: A device which allows multiple inputs (often, video inputs) to be displayed or processed simultaneously on a single device (often, a video monitor).
Mux: Short notation for multiplexer.
Multi-Mode Fiber: A type of fiber-optic cable, Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF) is used for relatively short distance data transmission (compared to single mode). Typically, MMF uses an orange colored outer jacket, to distinguish it from single mode fiber.
MWIR: Acronym for Mid Wave Infrared, generally defined as the spectral range between about 3 to 5 microns. Most cooled thermal imagers operate within this spectral range.
