SWIR Camera

LasOptic camera core is designed keeping in mind the objective of outstanding performance with light levels ranging to extremes. The compact size of LasOptic is ideal for various applications that require light weight and portable in nature. LasOptics is developed using Snake Sensor. The current model can operate up to 100 Hz. However, our LasOptic platform has the capability to be scaled up to 350Hz operations.

The SWIR Camera Proximity Electronics (CPE) for image control and acquisition system is developed to provide command and control to the InGaAs focal Plane array (FPA) with SNAKE sensor. It acquires analog video data from the FPA and performs low level image processing on the raw data.

The onboard image processing is a huge benefit for performance. This is huge advantage for preprocessing of the raw image before running through the intended algorithm. Major algorithm of the image processing and analysis can be covered in onboard processing as well.

The complete Camera includes three subsystems - Sensor and Analog module, Digital Module, Power Module.

The Sensor is mounted with necessary detector signals coming out of the sensor. This module is integrated between the Optics and the Analog module of the LasOptic through a mounting connector.

LasOptic platform is designed to have a PC interface with user friendly and intuitive GUI. The PC interface application is designed to control camera features like gain, exposure, Region of Interest (ROI), Frame rate etc. The LasOptic platform provides SDK with required APIs to develop a customized user applications. LasOptic interface is also compatible with LabVIEW.

The analog chain consists of eight high performance 14-bit pipeline analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Matched with the ADC throughput, the image processing pipeline handles variety of common video formats standards. Low level image processing functions such

as a 2-point non-uniformity correction (NUC) and bad pixel replacement are included in the image processor. The system offers high degree of mixed-signal programmability through digital GPIOs, analog programmable outputs and inputs. The programmability allows control of a wide variety of camera peripherals. The data output is in Camera Link digital format. The video controls are through USB 2.0

System Performance

Major Performance criterions of the SWIR Imager system are

• Wide operating temperature range of -20 to +65°C
• Electronics noise <10% of total noise
• TEC Management Transmit detector temperature 25mK,
• 8/14-bit image acquisition
• Low power of Less than 6W in TECless mode