3rd-generation MW/LWIR sensor engine for advanced tactical systems

摘要

Raytheon has developed a 3rd-Generation FLIR Sensor Engine (3GFSE) for advanced U.S. Army systems. The sensor engine is based around a compact, productized detector-dewar assembly incorporating a 640 × 480 staring dual-band (MW/LWIR) focal plane array (FPA) and a dual-aperture coldshield mechanism. The capability to switch the coldshield aperture and operate at either of two widely-varying f/#s will enable future multi-mode tactical systems to more fully exploit the many operational advantages offered by dual-band FPAs. RVS has previously demonstrated high-performance dual-band MW/LWIR FPAs in 640 × 480 and 1280 × 720 formats with 20 μm pitch. The 3GFSE includes compact electronics that operate the dual-band FPA and variable-aperture mechanism, and perform 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion of the FPA output video. Digital signal processing electronics perform "fixed" two-point non-uniformity correction (NUC) of the video from both bands and optional dynamic scene-based NUC; advanced enhancement processing of the output video is also supported. The dewar-electronics assembly measures approximately 4.75 × 2.25× 1.75 inches. A compact, high-performance linear cooler and cooler electronics module provide the necessary FPA cooling over a military environmental temperature range. 3GFSE units are currently being assembled and integrated at RVS, with the first units planned for delivery to the US Army.