Fast and Efficient Read-Out for Staring Focal Plane Arrays

Nu-Trek specializes in enabling readout integrated circuits (ROICs) for demanding defense applications. Leveraging our deep expertise, the Nu-Trek team proposes to develop the shipboard target acquistion ROIC electronics (STARE) IR sensor. It targets Navy wide field of view (WFOV) applications that are currently addressed by the CESARS and SPEIR sensors. In comparision to the state of the art, the STARE ROIC offers multiple autonomous windows with enhanced dynamic range and high stare efficiency that together significantly improve target detection, especially of dim targets. The STARE solution is fully compliant with solicitation requirements and is extensible to large formats to support upgrades to sensors such as CESARS and SPEIR. Program has two key trusts - autonomously placing and controlling multiple windows with dynamically controlled integration times and achieveing high stare efficiency. The baseline STARE architecture has a novel unit-cell circuit-sharing architecture. Variations on the baseline approach will also be evaluated on Phase I. The Nu-Trek team includes camera suppliers and system integrators facilitation sensor integration into Navy systems.