Year
1992
Abstract
Texas Instruments (TI) has developed an uncooled infrared (IR) detector technology for building long-wavelength IR (LWIR: 8- to 12- nm) sensors in configurations to meet many handheld or portable applications. By eliminating certain system components such as scanners and cryogenic coolers, the resulting sensor is small, lightweight, and low power. All these characteristics are essential for meeting the requirements of a self-contained, portable, IR viewing sight. Although not as high in performance as a conventional cryogenically cooled forwardlooking IR (FLIR), practical and logistic advantages offered by the uncooled detector can make it an appropriate choice for applications in which a modest level of performance is acceptable and in which size, weight, power, cost, or reliability limitations make a cooled FLIR solution impractical. TI is developing systems under company initiative, as well as under Government contract, but is not yet manufacturing these in production quantities. Demonstration and test hardware, which is generic in form and function, is, however, available. Fully refined systems, configured for a weapon sight application or for a security and surveillance scenario, are being developed as part of the ongoing, Governmentfunded, Balanced Technology Initiative (BTI) program called Low-Cost Uncooled Sensor Prototype (LOCUSP).