Generic Sensor Modeling for Modulation Transfer Function (mtf) Estimation

An imaging sensor’s spatial quality can be expressed by the system’s point spread function (PSF). The PSF of a pushbroom Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) satellite sensor was numerically modeled including contributions from optic, detector, sensor motion, and electronic components. Synthetic edge and pulse targets with various intensity levels were developed and then convolved with the generic sensor model to produce synthetic output images. The output images were processed by proposed MTF estimators to develop optimized intermediate MTF processing steps such as edge detection and interpolation. System and ground noise simulation was performed. As a result of these noise simulations, improved MTF estimation methods were developed and a minimum SNR value was suggested for confident MTF estimators.