FLEXIBLE DYNAMIC IR TARGET SIMULATOR

THE UNAVAILABILITY AND HIGH COST OF VEHICLES FOR USE ON RANGES TO PRODUCE IR SIGNATURES FOR TESTING, DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING RESULTS IN LESS THAN OPTIMUM USE OF THE RANGES. TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM, A FLEXIBLE, DYNAMIC IR TARGET SIMULATOR COULD BE USED ON THE RANGE TO SIMULATE THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL IR SIGNATURE OF ACTUAL VEHICLES. THE SIMULATOR SHOULD BE DYNAMIC TO SIMULATE REALTIME VARIATIONS IN THEIR SIGNATURE AS THE VEHICLE UNDERGOES VARIOUS MODES OF OPERATION. IT SHOULD HAVE A THERMAL RESOLUTION OF ABOUT ONE DEGREE C AND SPATIAL RESOLUTION OF APPROXIMATELY ONE SQUARE INCH. IT SHOULD BE HIGHLY MODULAR AND RECONFIGURABLE; EASY TO PROGRAM; AND CONTAIN EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC AND SELF-TEST CAPABILITY. THIS PROGRAM INVESTIGATES THE FEASIBILITY OF SATISFYING THESE REQUIREMENTS BY USING AN ARRAY OF LOCAL MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLED MODULES MOUNTED TO A FRAME SIMULATING THE SHAPE OF THE TARGET VEHICLE. A MASTER CONTROL MICROCOMPUTER DOWNLOADS THE TEMPERATURE PROFILE FOR EACH MODULE TO THE MODULE'S LOCAL PROCESSOR. TO SIMULATE DYNAMIC OPERATION OF THE TARGET, THE TEMPERATURE PROFILES FOR THE VARIOUS MODULES WOULD BE UPDATED BY THE MASTER CONTROLLER AND DOWNLOADED TO THE AFFECTED MODULE.