Universal Programmable (Computer to IR Sensor) Interface - UPI

The test and evaluation of IR/EO sensor systems in a laboratory or an installed system test facility requires real-time high fidelity IR/EO simulation and stimulation technology. The simulation of IR/EO threat environment is provided by real-time IR/EO scene generation systems. These systems generate radiometrically correct scenes in real-time that match the spatial, spectral, and temperal characteristics of the system under test. The need exists to develop a universal programmable interface (UPI) unit to translate in real-time the computer generated IR/EO imagery into electrical signals for injection into the processing electronics of a variety of IR/EO sensor systems. The development of individual direct injection units for each IR/EO system is very costly and with today's austere budget environment, unaffordable. A reconfigurable interface unit provides a cost effective solution for the testing of a wide range of IR/EO sensor systems in a variety of test environments. The objective of this phase I effort is to evaluate the feasiblity of developing universal programmable interface to satisfy the current need for a configurable interface between real-time IR/EO scene generators and sensor hardware. The initial efforts of the proposed development will result in the definition of system requirements and the development of a top level design. The feasiblilty of the proposed approach will be assessed from a processing fidelity, real-time throughput, and cost perspective.