A low cost uncooled focal plane array test system

✍ Scribed by Yingwen Li; Xinjian Yi; Zhaoxiang He; Yan Luo

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 106 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0030-3992
• DOI: 10.1016/s0030-3992(02)00174-3

✦ Synopsis

The commercial test equipments from Pulse Instruments, Lumitron and Electro Optical Industries Inc. are very expensive. So, we proposed a new method of very low cost test system for testing the non-uniformity and signal/noise (S/N) and other characteristics of the uncooled focal plane array (UFPA). It uses complex programmable logic device to generate the necessary pulse for the UFPA and the low noise low dropout micropower regulator to obtain the low noise bias. A proportional-integral-di erential controlled thermal electrical cooler based on micro-processor unit stabilizes the UFPA. The National Instruments 6111E Data Acquisition Card is used to convert the analog output of UFPA into digital signal into computer. Its 12-bits conversion capability provides su cient accuracy for evaluating the S/N ratio and non-uniformity of 128 × 128 pixels UFPA. Labview is used to analyze the signal. The instrument is fast and convenient to adapt the system to other types of UFPA. Further discussion is presented to determine factors that a ect the accuracy of the tester.