Several organizations in the government and industry are actively developing IR emitter array nonuniformity correction (NUC) algorithms. While significant effort has been expended and progress has been made, there are no standard and comprehensive metrics for describing post NUC emitter nonuniformity. Subsequently, the nonuniformity data reported by one organization may not be comparable with data from another. Further, the sigma/mean uniformity values typically reported do not shed light on fixed pattern noise such as row and column offsets. As a result, NUC reporting often does not give a customer adequate insight into the value of emitter nonuniformity correction. This paper offers standard metrics for measuring and reporting IR emitter array nonuniformity. The metrics established here allow data from one measuring organization to be directly compared with that of another. Further, more practical aspects of nonuniformity correction are addressed which shed light on issues such as fixed pattern noise (FPN), emission gradients and other undesirable artifacts. Data analysis techniques described in this paper demonstrate the new metrics and their descriptive role in the NUC process. The NUC parameters established here characterize the ability of IR emitter arrays to accurately represent terrestrial scenes as well as hot objects and gases. This paper also explores areas in the emitter dynamic range that provide special challenges for generating a NUC table and their influence in the selection of nonuniformity correction radiance levels.
Recent advances in the ability to perform comprehensive ground based Infrared Countermeasure (IRCM) testing have the capability to fill the Test and Evaluation (T&E) gaps for existing and future weapons system acquisition. IRCM testing has historically been dominated and in a manner limited by expensive live fire testing requirements. While live fire testing is a vital part of IRCM T&E, next generation technological developments now enable closed-loop, ground-based IRCM testing to provide valuable complementary test data at a much lower cost. The high cost and limited assets that have prevented live fire and flight testing from providing a thorough hardware based data set required for previous T&E analysis is no longer an issue. In the past, traditional physics based digital system model (DSM) analysis has been utilized to augment the IRCM data sets to make them statistically significant. While DSM is a useful tool in the development of IRCM systems, the newly developed installed system testing utilizing a hardware-in-the-loop construct provides for an enhanced level of fidelity and assurance that the systems will meet the warfighter's needs. The goal of the newly developed test technologies is to develop a statistical significant data set utilizing hardware-in-the-loop at a significantly lower cost than historical methods.
Radiometrically accurate simulation of InfraRed (IR) signatures is an essential prerequisite for valid IR sensor testing within the IR Scene Projection (IRSP) community. The Electronic Combat Stimulation (ECSTIM) Branch EO/IR Laboratory at the NAVAIR Air Combat Environment T&E Facility (ACETEF), NAWC-AD, Patuxent River, Maryland has recently begun validation testing of their Large Format Resistive-emitter Array (LFRA) IRSP. This is in preparation for developmental and operational testing of emerging mission-critical IR Countermeasure (IRCM) systems. Validation is guided by the Navy Air Defense Threat Simulator Validation Procedures Manual (NAWCWPNS TM 7489-3) and will support s other emerging high priority development programs such as the Joint Distributed IRCM Ground-test System (JDIGS). This paper discusses the ECSTIM/EO/IR Laboratory LFRA IRSP validation testing process, the resulting data collection, measurements and analysis.
MIRAGE WF is the latest high definition version of the MIRAGE infrared scene projector product line from Santa Barbara Infrared Inc. (SBIR). MIRAGE WF is being developed under the Wide Format Resistive Array (WFRA) program. The WFRA development is one of several efforts within the Infrared Sensor Simulator - Preplanned Product Improvement (IRSS P3I) umbrella funded by the Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP) and led by the US Navy at Patuxent River, MD. Three MIRAGE WF infrared scene projection systems are being delivered as part of the WFRA program. The main differences between the MIRAGE XL (1024x1024) and MIRAGE WF are a 1536x768 emitter array and 100Hz true raster capability. The key emitter requirements that have been measured and will be discussed include: Operability, Maximum Apparent Temperature, Rise Time and Array Uniformity. Key System specifications are: 1536x768 pixels, maximum apparent temperature of 600K, maximum frame rate of 100Hz, raster and snap shot updating, radiance rise and fall time less than 5 ms and windowed mode (1024x768) operation at up to 200 Hz.
This research studied a novel form of distillation (high vacuum distillation) as a method for preserving volatile aroma chemicals important to the organoleptic attributes of a four botanical model gin as well as the degradation products generated during the heating required in traditional methods of gin distillation. A 2 (5) factorial experiment was conducted in a partially confounded incomplete block design and analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure from SAS. A model gin was made of dried juniper berries (Juniperus communis), coriander seed (Coriandrum sativum), angelica root (Angelica archangelica), and dry lemon peel (Citrus limonum). This was distilled on a traditional still utilizing atmospheric pressure and a heating mantel to initiate phase separation as well as a novel still (high vacuum) utilizing high vacuum pressures below 0.1 mmHg and temperatures below -15 degrees C to initiate phase separation. The degradation products (alpha-pinene, alpha-phellandrene, E-caryophyllene, and beta-myrcene) were present at greater levels (approximately 10 times) in the traditional still-made gin as compared to the novel gin.
