Software for simulation of image conversion in IR TDI systems and optimizing TDI focal plane arrays

摘要

A program model and relative software tool has been developed allowing to simulate transformations of different physical nature the initial image undergo while passing through electro-optical path of IR TDI system. The program consists of appropriate successively processed units, considering influence of atmosphere, optics, scanning, photodetector (PD) and multiplexer, on initial thermal image. The developed software is intended to be an everyday-practice focal plane arrays (FPAs) engineer's tool for optimizing PD and multiplexer structure and tradeoff analysis. In addition, the software was developed as a first part of more general program now under design, which allows one to estimate an effectiveness of different methods and algorithms of image reconstruction from tDI - "rows" output data. The software is especially useful in the cases of relatively complex arrangement of photodetector apertures, and/or when image motion trajectory in the focal plane is "non-ideal" (e.g., skewed with respect to its normal direction, or waved-form), which are the cases in practical systems. The main features of the designed model are described and some advantages of the program are discussed. The preliminary results on the image processing in practical middle-wave infrared (MWIR) TDI system are given demonstrating the influence of various system parameters on final image qulaity and confirming the validity of the model.