Paper
22 September 1983 Portable Optical Sensor Tester (POST) Calibration Technique
Michael A. Levine, Clyde A. Randolph
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
The Portable Optical Sensor Tester (POST) is a low background, long wavelength infrared test and calibration chamber used for evaluation and calibration of developmental LWIR sensors. It is operated by Rockwell International for the Ballistic Missile Defense Advanced Technology Center (BMDATC). The POST system generates a collimated output IR beam from a working blackbody source for test and calibration of LWIR sensors. Internal scan mirrors are used to scan the output beam to simulate flight sensor scanning. The optical path has eleven reflective surfaces making a spectral calibration of the output beam necessary. This calibration is accomplished by utilizing an NBS calibrated blackbody with a calibration accuracy of 4.2% (la quadrature accuracy = 2.0%) as a reference standard. In situ calibration of the output beam is accomplished by sampling part of the output beam and comparing it spectrally, point by point, with the output from the reference blackbody. A grating cube spectroradiometer resident in POST is used to make the spectral comparison. By careful analysis of the diffraction effects at the reference blackbody source and the utilization of a single reflective optical element to direct the reference source energy to the spectroradiometer, the calibration uncertainties are minimized.
© (1983) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Michael A. Levine and Clyde A. Randolph "Portable Optical Sensor Tester (POST) Calibration Technique", Proc. SPIE 0416, Applications of Optical Metrology: Techniques and Measurements II, (22 September 1983); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.935927
Advertisement
Advertisement
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission  Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace
KEYWORDS
Calibration

Black bodies

Mirrors

Sensors

Collimators

Spectral calibration

Optical testing

RELATED CONTENT

Spectral Calibration Of Infrared Space Sensors
Proceedings of SPIE (November 10 1975)
A Calibration System For The Press Optical Aircraft
Proceedings of SPIE (August 01 1967)
EO-1 Advanced Land Imager preflight calibration
Proceedings of SPIE (October 03 1998)
Space chamber calibration comparison
Proceedings of SPIE (June 17 1996)
Visible/infrared radiometric calibration station
Proceedings of SPIE (September 14 1994)

Back to Top