PC-based focal plane evaluation system

摘要

Abstract: This paper describes a new focal plane evaluation system based on the IBM 386 PC. It has been used to evaluate three devices - a 4 $MUL 128 $MUL 128 pixel SWIR array, a 2098 $MUL 3 linear CCD used as a panoramic camera, and a 1024 $MUL 1024 MPP split frame CCD. Results and images from each are presented. The system includes a word generator implemented as a single PC/AT card, which generates all the complex looping timing signals required for focal plane operation and data acquisition. The word generator is described more fully in a companion paper. Software simulates a popular 'subpattern' style of timing editing. A commercial analog data acquisition module on a single PC/AT card, and software are used to acquire, pre-process and display up to four channels of an image at pixel rates to 1 MHz, continuously up to the extended memory limit of the 386, many Mbytes. Commercial image processing software is used to further process and display images. The system has proven to be powerful, easy and fast to use, flexible, transportable, and yet inexpensive due to the choice of the PC as its base.!0