Sensor Modeling using a Universal Programmable Interface for Hardware- in-the-Loop IR/EO testing

摘要

A Universal Programmable Interface (UPI) has been developed by Amherst Systems to provide a configurable interface for hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing of infrared and electro-optical (IR/EO) sensor systems. UPI development is funded under a contract to the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) at Edwards AFB, with additional funding support from the OSD Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP) Infrared Sensor Stimulator (IRSS) enhancement project office at NAWCAD Patuxent River, Maryland. The UPI supports the interface between a scene generation system (SGS) and the unit under test (UUT) through either direct injection of the signals into the system's processing electronics or the projection of in-band scene radiance into the sensor's optical aperture. To properly stimulate the UUT, the UPI should be able to simulate various sensor effects, emulate by-passed sensor components and reformat the data for direct injection or optical projection. This paper will discuss the sensor modeling capabilities of the UPI and the supporting software and hardware. Sensor modeling capabilities include image blurring due to the sensor's modulation transfer function (MTF) and pixel effects. A sensor modeling and analysis software tool, based on FLI92(sup 1), will be discussed. A technique for modeling other sensor effects will also be presented. This technique, called pixel displacement processing, can model geometric distortion, physical sensor jitter, and other user specified effects. It can also be used to accurately perform latency compensation.