Next ELOP-Payload Focal Plane Array

摘要

For the next generation of ELOP Payloads, a new focal plane array and new detector has been designed. The new detector design and its modes of operation will be described. The focal plane design was also affected by the payload telescope design. The anastigmat three-mirror telescope (ATMT) design - which was chosen for the payload - does not allow any refractive elements in the focal plane, hence a new mechanical butting solution - differing from the classical block-based format - was applied and qualified. In order to reduce analog noise, the detector pins will be connected directly to the focal plane electronics board using a qualified connector and procedure. This technique simplifies the detector replacement process, in case of detector failure during integration. The large number of detectors and the high pixel rate produce significant heat dissipation which has to be removed. The focal plane heat removal concept will be described. The ATMT design results in an off-axis detector position and due to the wide field of view (FOV) of the camera, distortion effects must be taken into account, especially in the case of 96 row TDI detectors. The impact on system Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), both in the scan direction and along the detector line direction, will be described. In order to reduce these effects, a curved focal plane is needed; hence, special care was taken in the design of the detector butting angles. The residual MTF contribution of the curved focal plane is presented.