Low-Noise High-Resolution Vacuum Compatible Multiplexed DM Electronics

The multiplexer electronics represent a true breakthrough in adaptive-optics technology. Xinetics has developed the multiplexer system to take advantage of the properties of the PMN actuators. The high dielectric constant of PMN actuatorsmeans that any charge placed on an actuator remains there essentially forever until it finds a discharge path. This implies that fabricating a suitable switching system allows a single amplifier channel to address thousands of actuators. The trade-off has to do with the overall system speed, but for spaced-based imaging applications speed is not critical.The current SBIR took the results from previous programs one-step further by reducing the system noise and increasing the digital resolution. Xinetics has successfully demonstrated the low-noise concepts under this program. The major issues raised in Phase I are: charge injection in solid state switches, and optimizing analog and digital algorithms for robust charge transfer control. Results show a 1-lsb differentiation between adjacent channels within the test system. These results are extremely encouraging for a Phase II program where we will develop a single-board 1024-channel driver system with 16-bit input with 1-bit of resolution.