PC Based Dynamic Real-Time Infrared Image Generation Capability

Advances in PC-based computational and graphics processing capabilities have reached levels of performance that are now surpassing traditional High Performance Computing (HPC) scene generation systems. Traditional HPC systems used to support real-time infrared scene generation programs are expensive to procure, maintain, and upgrade due to the small market they service. However, PC-based systems have a much larger market base that has been fueling technological advances at much lower prices to the end-user. Our objective of this SBIR is to take advantage of PC pricing and performance to produce a real-time infrared scene generator capability that can readily be integrated into a hardware-in-the-loop testing facility. We propose a system architecture that isolates the commodity-based PC system from the unique hardware-in-the-loop facility requirements. Through development of standardized real-time scene generation application programming interface and a programmable scene generation / scene projection interface, we will provide capabilities to integrated PC-based systems into hardware-in-the-loop facilities with minimal effort. More importantly, as advances are made in PC systems, this standardized interface will allow easy and inexpensive upgrade paths to the latest PC-based technology.