IR Smart Sensor ROIC

Systems & Processes Engineering Corporation (SPEC) proposes an advanced, single-chip, hybridized detector Readout Integrated Circuit (ROIC) and an integrated detector enabling a single-chip large array ROIC receiver solution. The smart pixel circuitry supports on chip multi-frame, pixel by pixel comparison to enable reporting only when scene content changes are greater than some user specified threshold. This technique reduces I/O bandwidth by eliminating the requirement to read out the entire array. Upon exceeding threshold, a precision time stamp for that particular detector will be added to the output file to facilitate high precision tracking algorithms. In addition, an optimized transimpedance amplifier will minimize the Noise Effective Power (NEP) of the sensor assembly. SPECs IR Smart Sensor ROIC (IRSSR) leverages from existing LADAR ROIC circuit modules were each detector is coupled to a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) directly under each detector pixel. SPEC has previously developed LADAR smart pixel ROIC’s with the TIA, multiple sample and hold data storage, and independent sample timing circuits directly below each detector pixel in the array to enable the multiple independent signal returns per pixel processing required in a LADAR system application. These modules, with an optimized TIA, will be built into the IRSSR pixel logic.