MOSAIC INFRARED SCENE SIMULATOR

A MOSAIC INFRARED SCENE SIMULATOR (MISS) PROVIDE A SIMULATION WITH 10 TO THE 6TH POWER OR MORE INDIVIDUALLY SETABLE PIXELS. THE MISS USES A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROCESS TO GENERATE A MOSAIC OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFRACTION GRATINGS WITH THE DIFFRACTION EFFICIENCY OF EACH PIXEL BEING SET IN THE GRATING GENERATION PROCESS. BECAUSE THE SCENE IS A DIFFRACTION GRATING, OVERCOATED WITH A HIGHLY REFLECTIVE ME METALIZATION, SELF EMISSION IS LOW AND THE SENSOR UNDER TESTOBSERVES ONLY THE BLACK BODY RADIATION DIFFRACTED BY THE GRATING. MOVING TARGETS CAN BE ADDED, AS WELL AS SIMULATIONS OF ATMOSPHERIC ABSORPTION. FOR CHANGING SCENES, TWO SETS OF SCENES CAN BE USED WITH ONE IN VIEW WHILE THE SECOND MOVES TO A NEW SCENE. THE SENSOR WOULD ALWAYS HAVE ONE SCENE PRESENT AS THE SECOND IS REPLACED. DUPLICATE SCENES CAN BE PRODUCED BY ECONOMICAL MASS REPLICATION TECHNIQUES.