Microbolometer characterization with the electronics prototype of the IRCAM for the JEM-EUSO mission

Yolanda Martín; Enrique Joven; Marcos Reyes; Javier Licandro; Oscar Maroto; Laura Díez-Merino; Albert Tomàs; Jordi Carbonell; J. A. Morales de los Ríos; Luis del Peral; M. D. Rodríguez-Frías

doi:10.1117/12.2055903

28 August 2014 Microbolometer characterization with the electronics prototype of the IRCAM for the JEM-EUSO mission

Yolanda Martín, Enrique Joven, Marcos Reyes, Javier Licandro, Oscar Maroto, Laura Díez-Merino, Albert Tomàs, Jordi Carbonell, J. A. Morales de los Ríos, Luis del Peral, M. D. Rodríguez-Frías

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9143, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 91432A (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2055903
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2014, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Abstract

JEM-EUSO is a space observatory that will be attached to the Japanese module of the International Space Station (ISS) to observe the UV photon tracks produced by Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) interacting with atmospheric nuclei. The observatory comprises an Atmospheric Monitoring System (AMS) to gather data about the status of the atmosphere, including an infrared camera (IRCAM) for cloud coverage and cloud top height detection. This paper describes the design and characterization tests of IRCAM, which is the responsibility of the Spanish JEM-EUSO Consortium. The core of IRCAM is a 640x480 microbolometer array, the ULIS 04171, sensitive to radiation in the range 7 to 14 microns. The microbolometer array has been tested using the Front End Electronics Prototype (FEEP). This custom designed electronics corresponds to the Breadboard Model, a design built to verify the camera requirements in the laboratory. The FEEP controls the configuration of the microbolometer, digitizes the detector output, sends data to the Instrument Control Unit (ICU), and controls the microbolometer temperature to a 10 mK stability. Furthermore, the FEEP allows IRCAM to preprocess images by the addition of a powerful FPGA. This prototype has been characterized in the laboratories of Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC). Main results, including detector response as a function of the scene temperature, NETD and Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC) are shown. Results about thermal resolution meet the system requirements with a NETD lower than 1K including the narrow band filters which allow us to retrieve the clouds temperature using stereovision algorithms.

Citation Download Citation

Yolanda Martín, Enrique Joven, Marcos Reyes, Javier Licandro, Oscar Maroto, Laura Díez-Merino, Albert Tomàs, Jordi Carbonell, J. A. Morales de los Ríos, Luis del Peral, and M. D. Rodríguez-Frías "Microbolometer characterization with the electronics prototype of the IRCAM for the JEM-EUSO mission", Proc. SPIE 9143, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 91432A (28 August 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2055903

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available