Robert Lee Murrer

Recent progress in large dynamic resistor arrays

An addressable mosaic array of resistively heated microbridges offers the potential to project accurate dynamic infrared (IR) imagery. The main purpose of this imagery is to be used in the evaluation of IR instruments from seekers to FLIRs. With the growing development of lower cost uncooled IR imagers, scene projectors also offer the potential for dynamic testing of these new instruments. In past years we have described developments in a variety of IR projectors systems designed for different purposes. In this paper we will describe recent developments in these technologies aimed at improving or understanding temporal and radiative performance.

Nonuniformity correction of a resistor array infrared scene projector

At the Kinetic-kill vehicle Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator (KHILS) facility located at Eglin AFB, Florida, a technology has been developed for the projection of scenes to support hardware-in-the-loop testing of infrared seekers. The Wideband Infrared Scene Projector program is based on a 512 X 512 VLSI array of 2 mil pitch resistors. A characteristic associated with these projectors is each resistor emits measurably different in-band radiance when the same voltage is applied. Therefore, since it is desirable to have each resistor emit the same for a commanded radiance, each resistor requires a Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC). Though this NUC task may seem simple to a casual observer, it is, however, quite complicated. A high quality infrared camera and well-designed optical system are prerequisites to measuring each resistors output accurately for correction. A technique for performing a NUC on a resistor array has been developed and implemented at KHILS that achieves a NUC (standard deviation output/mean output) of less than 1 percent. This paper presents details pertaining to the NUC system, procedures, and results.

Large-area infrared microemitter arrays for dynamic scene projection

Resistive emitter arrays are formed via the fabrication of microemitters on Si CMOS electronics. These IR emitter arrays using microstructures have been developed at Honeywell to project scenes for a wide range of applications. A new array which has been fabricated has a size of 544 X 672 pixels. Other arrays producing very high apparent temperatures in excess of 700 K have also been fabricated. Arrays have been fabricated for projecting low background scenes achieved through cryogenic operation. All arrays are designed to project IR radiation over the full MWIR and LWIR spectral bands. Individual arrays and their emission properties will be described. Array properties at different substrate temperatures will be described. Advances in packaging of these different array types will also be discussed.

Innovations in IR projector arrays

In the past year, Honeywell has developed a 512 X 512 snapshot scene projector containing pixels with very high radiance efficiency. The array can operate in both snapshot and raster mode. The array pixels have near black body characteristics, high radiance outputs, broad band performance, and high speed. IR measurements and performance of these pixels will be described. In addition, a vacuum probe station that makes it possible to select the best die for packaging and delivery based on wafer level radiance screening, has been developed and is in operation. This system, as well as other improvements, will be described. Finally, a review of the status of the present projectors and plans for future arrays is included.

Development of IR-emitting infrared fibers at the Naval Research Laboratory

Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has been developing high brightness mid-wave IR emitting fibers for HWIL testing. These fibers, based upon rare-earth doped chalcogenide glass, emit from 3.5 - 5 m and are capable of simulating very high temperatures in this band. To date, temperatures of 2400 K have been simulated. The fiber sources operate at room temperature, are environmentally tolerant, and can be formed into fiber bundles with high fill factors and low pixel to pixel cross- talk for IR scene generation. In this paper, we will present the spectral output, temporal response, temperature simulation and output uniformity of the mid-wave IR emitting fibers. The potential for long-wave IR emitting fiber sources will also be presented.

Resolution and dynamic range capabilities of dynamic infrared scene projection systems

It is shown that commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) renderers can be used for covering the simultaneous fine temperature resolution and large dynamic range specifications associated with the demands of medium-wave infrared scene projection applications. Appropriate use of the RGB capabilities of the COTS renderer combined with redistribution of the binary scene data by using a nonlinear transformation enables the dual specifications for 0.1 degree Celsius small signal temperature resolution and > 400 degree Celsius range in simulated temperature difference to be simultaneously met.

Developments at the kinetic-kill Vehicle hardware-in-the-loop Simulator (KHILS) facility

The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) sponsored the development of the Kinetic Kill Vehicle Hardware-in-the- Loop Simulator (KHILS) to provide a comprehensive ground test capability for end game performance evaluation of BMDO interceptor concepts. Since its inception in 1986, the KHILS facility has been on the forefront of HWIL test technology development. This development has culminated in closed-loop testing involving large format resistive element projection arrays, 3D scene rendering systems, and real-time high fidelity phenomenology codes. Each of these components has been integrated into a real-time environment that allows KHILS to perform dynamic closed-loop testing of BMDO interceptor systems or subsystems. Ongoing activities include the integration of multiple resistor arrays into both a cold chamber and flight motion simulator environment, increasing the update speed of existing arrays to 180 Hz, development of newer 200 Hz snapshot resistor arrays, design of next generation 1024 X 1024 resistor arrays, development of a 1000 Hz seeker motion stage, integration of a resistor array into an RF chamber, and development of advanced real-time plume flow-field codes. This paper describes these activities and test results of the major facility components.

Development of a two-color projection system for the KHILS Vacuum Cold Chamber (KVACC)

The KHILS Vacuum Cold Chamber (KVACC) was developed to provide the capability of performing hardware-in-the-loop testing of infrared seekers requiring scenes involving cold backgrounds. Being able to project cold backgrounds enables the projector to simulate high-altitude exoatmospheric engagements. Previous tests with the KVACC projection system have used only one resistive-array projection device. In order to realistically stimulate a 2-color seeker, it is necessary to project in two, independently controlled IR bands. Missile interceptors commonly use two or more colors; thus, a 2-color projection capability has been developed for the KVACC system. The 2- color projection capability is being accomplished by optically combining two Phase 3 WISP arrays with a dichroic beam combiner. Both WISP arrays are cooled to user-selected temperatures ranging from ambient temperature to below 150 K. In order to test the projection system, a special-purpose camera has also been developed. The camera is designed to operate inside the vacuum chamber. It has a cooled, all- reflective broadband optical system to enable the measurement of low radiance levels in the 3 - 12 micrometer spectrum. Camera upgrades later this year will allow measurements in two independent wavebands. Both the camera and the projector will be described in this paper.

Timing considerations for integrating a flickerless projector with an imaging sensor

In a series of measurements made to characterize the performance of a Wideband Infrared Scene Projector (WISP) system, timing artifacts were observed in one set of tests in which the projector update was synchronized with the camera readout. The projector was driven with images that varied from frame to frame, and the measured images were examined to determine if they varied from frame to frame in a corresponding manner. It was found that regardless of the relative time delay between the projector update and sensor readout, each output image was a result of two input images. By analyzing the timing characteristics of the camera integration scheme and the WISP update scheme it was possible to understand effects in the measured images and simulate images with the same effects. This paper describes the measurements and the analyses. Although the effects were due to the unique camera integration and readout scheme, the effects could show up when testing other sensors. Thus also presented in this paper are techniques for testing with resistive array projectors, so that the timing artifacts observed with various kinds of cameras are minimized or eliminated.

Investigation of the optical sampling between the infrared resistor array projector and the unit under test for hardware-in-the-loop testing

Kinetic Energy Weapon (KEW) programs under the Ballistic Missile Defense Office (BMDO) need high fidelity, fast framing infrared (IR) imaging seekers. As imaging sensors have matured to support BMDO, the complexity of functions assigned to KEW weapon systems has amplified the necessity for robust hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) simulation facilities to reduce program risk. The IR projector, an integral component of a HWIL simulation, must reproduce the real world with enough fidelity that the unit under tests software will respond to the projected scenario of images as though it were viewing the real world. The MOSFET resistor array IR scene projector shows great promise for both cryogenic vacuum chamber and room temperature testing. The resistor array breaks up the analog world into discrete pieces, much like a focal plane array (FPA). Extensive debate has taken place since the inception of the resistor array as to how many resistors need to be projected into one FPA detector. Can one resistor be matched to one FPA detector, or does the Nyquist rate of at least 2:1 sampling take precedence? Testing was accomplished at the Wright Laboratory Kinetic Kill Vehicle Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator that utilized a 5:1 zoom collimator and the Wideband Infrared Scene Projector resistor array to project in the 1:1, 1.3:1, 2:1, and 3:1 cases. This paper discusses the results of those tests.