Testing boresight stability of optomechanical subassemblies

摘要

As tactical military lasers become more complex and the requirement for effectiveness increases, the stability of the optics comprising those lasers becomes critical. Boresight stability requirements for individual optomechanical subassemblies are in the sub-100 microradian range with temperature excursions of up to 80 °C. Even the most detailed Finite Element Modeling is ineffective in predicting performance to the accuracy and resolution required. Boresight error allocations of individual optical subassemblies must be verified with test. Boresight tests were performed on several optical subsystems of a military laser required to hold boresight in an airborne military environment. The units tested were fabricated and assembled using the materials and processes prescribed for production. The purpose of the testing was to verify that the subsystems do not exceed their allocated stability tolerance. The results show angular shift in azimuth and elevation over a temperature range of -54 to +71 C. Assembly of the units was performed at approximately 23°C.