Active Short Wave InfraRed (SWIR) imaging presents unique challenges to laboratory testing. It is always important to have laboratory testing that will directly relate to field performance. This paper will present the modeling and corresponding laboratory testing that was developed for these types of systems. The paper will present the modeling that was used to derive the lab metric used for verification testing of the system and provide details into the design of the lab equipment that was necessary to ensure accurate lab testing. The Noise Limited Resolution (NLR) test, first developed for low light imaging systems in the 1960s, serves as the basic lab metric for the evaluation of the active SWIR system. This test serves well for a quick test (go-no go) and is used to evaluate this system during production testing. The test derivation will be described and shown how it relates to the modeling results. The test equipment developed by Santa Barbara InfraRed (SBIR) for this application allows for accurate uniform radiance levels from an integrating sphere for both 1.06um and 1.57um imaging applications. The source has the ability to directly mimic any laser system and can provide pulsed laser source radiation from 20 nanoseconds to 500 nanoseconds resulting in levels from 0.4 to 85 nJ/cm2/sr, peak radiance levels. The light source can be triggered to replicate a laser return at any range from 100m to 100,000m. Additionally, the source provides the ability to output Mid Wave IR (MWIR) illumination through the use of a small extended area IR source in the integrating sphere. This is useful for boresighting the active SWIR sensor with other sensors such as Forward Looking IR (FLIR).
This paper presents the latest developments in instrumentation for military laser range-finder/designator (LRF/D) test and evaluation. SBIR has completed development of two new laser test modules designed to support a wide range of laser measurements including range accuracy and receiver sensitivity, pulse energy and temporal characteristics, beam spatial/angular characteristics, and VIS/IR to laser co-boresighting. The new Laser Energy Module (LEM) provides automated, variable attenuation of UUT laser energy, and performs measurement of beam amplitude and temporal characteristics. The new Laser/Boresight Module (LBM) supports range simulation and receiver sensitivity measurement, performs UUT laser beam analysis (divergence, satellite beams, etc), and supports high-accuracy co-boresighting of VIS, IR, and laser UUT subsystems. The LBM includes a three-color, fiber-coupled laser source (1064, 1540, and 1570 nm), a sophisticated fiber-optic module (FOM) for output energy amplitude modulation, a 1-2 μm SWIR camera, and a variety of advanced triggering and range simulation functions.
This paper presents the latest developments in instrumentation for military laser range-finder/designator (LRF/D) test and evaluation. Santa Barbara Infrared (SBIR) has completed development of a new integrated laser test module supporting a wide range of laser measurements including range accuracy and receiver sensitivity, pulse energy and temporal characteristics, beam spatial/angular characteristics, and VIS/IR to laser co-boresighting. The new Active Laser Test Asset (ALTA) incorporates all the functionality of the previous Active Range Module (ARM) and Laser Test Module (LTM) in a form factor suited to both modular/portable EO test systems and standard product configurations. Key discriminators of the ALTA design include a three-color, fiber-coupled laser source (1064, 1540, and 1570 nm), a simplified optical path design, and enhanced laser output energy density in all three wavebands.
This paper discusses recent advances in the development of test and evaluation instrumentation for military laser range-finder (LRF) and designation systems. Recent strides have been made at Santa Barbara Infrared (SBIR) in the development of sophisticated active ranging simulation instruments for range accuracy and receiver sensitivity measurement, integrated measurement modules for laser pulse energy and temporal characteristics, and pulsed laser diode targets/sources for shared-aperture IR/laser sensor test and evaluation. In parallel with these activities, NAVSEA has led the development and validation of state-of-the-art reference standard radiometers used in the calibration of narrow-pulse laser systems at 1060 nm and 1550 nm. This paper will describe the application, capabilities, and performance of SBIR's active ranging, laser measurements, and pulsed laser source modules, and NAVSEA's high-performance 1060/1550 nm radiometric instrumentation.
In supersonic flight, the JR dome of a missile becomes
heated by friction with the air. This heating creates an
IR flux that can overload the detector, obscuring the
target image created by the onboard JR sensor. The problem
is becoming more severe as faster missiles with more
sensitive infrared imagers are developed. A new hot Dome
Simulator that allows missile designers to simulate these
effects in the laboratory has been developed. This device
enables improvements in hardware and software to be tested
conveniently and inexpensively.
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