The two most important characteristics of every infrared imaging system are its resolution and its sensitivity. The resolution is limited by the system's Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), which is typically measurable. System sensitivity is limited by noise, which for infrared systems is usually thought of as a Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD). However, complete characterization of system noise in modern systems requires the 3D-Noise methodology (developed at NVESD), which separates the system noise into 7 orthogonal components including both temporal-varying and fixed-pattern noises. This separation of noise components is particularly relevant and important in characterizing Focal Plane Arrays (FPA), where fixed-pattern noise can dominate. Since fixed-pattern noise cannot be integrated out by post-processing or by the eye, it is more damaging to range performance than temporally-varying noise. While the 3D-Noise methodology is straightforward, there are several important practical considerations that must be accounted for in accurately measuring 3D Noise in the laboratory. This paper describes these practical considerations, the measurement procedures used in the Advanced Sensor Evaluation Facility (ASEF) at NVESD, and their application to characterizing modern and future infrared imaging systems.

Date Published: 12 May 2005
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 5784, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing XVI, (12 May 2005); doi: 10.1117/12.604588

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5784:
Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing XVI
Gerald C. Holst, Editor(s)