Publications
Readout IC requirement trends based on a simplified parametric seeker model
Modern space based optical sensors place substantial demands on the focal plane array readout integrated circuit. Active pixel readout designs offer direct access to individual pixel data but require analog to digital conversion at or near each pixel. Thus, circuit designers must create precise, fundamentally analog circuitry within tightly constrained areas on the integrated circuit. Rapidly changing phenomena necessitate tradeoffs between sampling and conversion speed, data precision, and heat generation adjacent the detector array, especially of concern for thermally sensitive space grade infrared detectors. A simplified parametric model is presented that illustrates seeker system performance and analog to digital conversion requirements trends in the visible through mid-wave infrared, for varying sample rate. Notional limiting-case Earth optical backgrounds were generated using MODTRAN4 with a range of cloud extremes and approximate practical albedo limits for typical surface features from a composite of the Mosart and Aster spectral albedo databases. The dynamic range requirements imposed by these background spectra are discussed in the context of optical band selection and readout design impacts.