Until release 3.1 in December 2016, the use of EMVA standard 1288 with a simple linear model was limited to cameras with a linear characteristic curve and without pre-processing that modifies the temporal noise. This model is also continued in 'Release 4.0 Linear' with some improvements. The 'Release 4.0 General' module is a new addition. It can be used to characterize a non-linear camera or a camera with unknown pre-processing, even without any model, thanks to the universal system theory approach of EMVA standard 1288. Just as with the linear camera model, all application-related quality parameters can be measured in this way. The decisive factor is that the same measurements can be carried out. Depending on the characteristics of the camera, the evaluation can then be carried out according to the linear or general model.

Release 4.0 also includes numerous enhancements to enable the characterization of modern image sensors and cameras for specific applications. The most important of these are

• Extended wavelength range from the UV to the SWIR range
• Raw data from any image acquisition modality can be characterized according to the standard.
• The versatile and universal analysis tools of the EMVA 1288 standard can also be applied to quantities calculated and derived from multiple channels. In the case of polarization image sensors, for example, these are the degree of polarization and the polarization angle.
• Inhomogeneities are measured in detail and now broken down into column, row and pixel variations. They can be determined using a new method for all intensity levels from just two recorded images.
• Optionally, cameras with optics or with an illumination, as given by the position of the exit pupil of the optics for which the image sensor was designed, can be measured according to the standard. This means that the standard is now also suitable for image sensors with pixels shifted towards the edge.
• A more suitable measure for the linearity of the characteristic curve has been introduced.

With the publication of the release candidate, the new release 4.0 will automatically replace the previous release 3.1 after three months (mid-June), provided that no objections are submitted to the EMVA during this period and these cannot be resolved.