Application of Multiple IR Projector Technologies for AMCOM HWIL Simulations

This paper describes the application of multiple IR projector technologies to Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) simulations at the US Army Aviation and Missile Command's (AMCOM) Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (MRDEC). Several projectors utilizing a variety of emerging technologies are currently being successfully applied within the HWIL facilities of AMCOM’s MRDEC. Projector technologies utilized at AMCOM include laser diode array projectors (LDAP), Honeywell’s bright resistive infrared thermal emitter (BRITE) arrays, an IR zoom projector with thermoscenes, and steerable point source projectors. Future plans include a new resistor array projector called the Multispectral Infrared Animation Generation Equipment (MIRAGE), which is being manufactured by Santa Barbara Infrared. These projector technologies have been used to support multiple HWIL test entries of various seeker configurations. Seeker configurations tested include: two InSb 256x256 FPAs, an InSb 512x512 FPA, a PtSi 640x480 FPA, a PtSi 256x256 FPA, a HgCdTe 256x256 FPA, a scanning linear array, and an uncooled 320x240 microbolometer FPA. The application, capabilities, and performance of each technology are reviewed in the paper. Example imagery collected from each operational system is also presented.