Design and development of a high-performance passive millimeter-wave imager for aeronautical applications

Alan H. Lettington; D. Dunn; Naomi E. Alexander; Anas Wabby; Brendan N. Lyons; Rory S. Doyle; John Walshe; Magdy F. Attia; Isaiah M. Blankson

doi:10.1117/1.2050447

1 September 2005 Design and development of a high-performance passive millimeter-wave imager for aeronautical applications

Alan H. Lettington, D. Dunn, Naomi E. Alexander, Anas Wabby, Brendan N. Lyons, Rory S. Doyle, John Walshe, Magdy F. Attia, Isaiah M. Blankson

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 44, Issue 9, 093202 (September 2005). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2050447

Abstract

We describe a high performance optomechanically scanned millimeter-wave imager intended to monitor the ground movement of aircraft in adverse weather conditions. It employs two counter-rotating mirrors that are tilted about their axes of rotation. They simulate the linear scan of a single high speed, large aperture flapping mirror. When used with a linear receiver array, they can produce a 2-D scan of the scene at TV rates. In the present application, they were used with a single receiver and a large flapping mirror to produce a 2-D scan of the scene ±10 deg vertically and 60 deg horizontally. One of the rotating mirrors has a concave surface and acts as the focusing element in the imager. The two mirrors are driven from a single servo motor using timing belts and toothed pulleys. The flapping mirror is slaved to the motion of the rotating disks using an electronic cam. The single channel 94-GHz receiver consisted of an InP LNA followed by a down converter and a detector. The video output passes to an A/D converter and is displayed on a conventional PC. This system has virtually 100% transmission and can be used at any waveband.

©(2005) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Citation Download Citation

Alan H. Lettington, D. Dunn, Naomi E. Alexander, Anas Wabby, Brendan N. Lyons, Rory S. Doyle, John Walshe, Magdy F. Attia, and Isaiah M. Blankson "Design and development of a high-performance passive millimeter-wave imager for aeronautical applications," Optical Engineering 44(9), 093202 (1 September 2005). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2050447

Published: 1 September 2005

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