Survey of Infrared Trackers

D. W. Fisher; R. F. Leftwich; H. W. Yates

doi:10.1364/AO.5.000507

Applied Optics
Vol. 5,
Issue 4,
pp. 507-515
(1966)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.5.000507

Survey of Infrared Trackers

D. W. Fisher, R. F. Leftwich, and H. W. Yates

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D. W. Fisher, R. F. Leftwich, and H. W. Yates, "Survey of Infrared Trackers," Appl. Opt. 5, 507-515 (1966)

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Abstract

A summary of the method of operation, performance characteristics, and applications of existing infrared tracking devices is presented for all systems described in accessible literature. Seekers, or devices for homing and system guidance, are specifically excluded. Applications are discussed from the standpoint of important physical considerations, i.e., target size and spectral radiance, background radiance, etc., a summary table of existing system characteristics is included, and three graphs of performance of three actual systems are presented.

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Make and model	Type of decoding		Moving element	Field of view and aperture size	NEFD in output bandwidth	Output bandwidth (c/s)	Info rate (c/s)	Type of optical system	Wavelength response	Background suppression method and space frequency	Random angle noise (mrad)	What detector is supplied?	Estimated quantity built	Radiometric output	Application	Reference	Comments

	ρ	θ
AM—Model FM-2 (Baird-Atomic)	Carrier amplitude	Phase	Rotating on-axis reticle	$30.5 cm - \frac{1}{2} °$	10⁻¹² PbS	30	30	Parabola and flat secondary plus field lens	0.5–2.7μ	Space filtering, 20 waves/rad	0.1–0.5	Choice: PM Ambient PbS Liq N-cooled PbTe	10	None	Aircraft and missile tracking	FM-2 Instruction Manual (April 1959)	Has center dead spot less than 2 mrad
					10⁻¹² PbS				1.3–1.5 μ
					5 × 10⁻¹¹ PbTe				0.36–0.53 μ
AM-Single Side Band (Perkin-Elmer)	Side band amplitude	Phase	Fixed 4-quad reticle	$7.6 cm - \frac{1}{2} °$	—	3	133	Folded Newtonian plus transfer and field lenses	Lenses for visible used	Space filtering		Only works with photomultiplier reported	1	None	Applied to stellar scintillation studies	IRIS 5, No. 3 (August 1963)	In-house development
AM-Single Side Band (Perkin-Elmer)	Side band amplitude	Phase	Nutating wedge mirror	$7.6 cm - \frac{1}{2} °$	—	3	133	Folded Newtonian plus transfer and field lenses	Lenses for visible used	Space filtering		Only works with photomultiplier reported	1	None	Applied to stellar scintillation studies	IRIS 5, No. 3 (August 1963)	In-house development
FM-Nutating Scan (ARGMA-Redstone Arsenal)	Deviation	Phase	Rotating off-axis flat mirror	12.7 cm-1.3°	1.7 × 10⁻¹¹	1.2	60	Folded catadioptric	0.6–2.7 μ	Space filtering, 520 waves/rad	0.1	Ambient PbS	1–2	None	Shipboard reentry tracking	Barnes Final Report, Modification of IR Tracker (January 1961)	GFE equipment
FM-Nutating Scan-Model T-8 (Aerojet General)	Deviation	Phase	Nutating Ge refractive skew plate	$8.9 cm - 5 \frac{3}{4} °$	7 × 10⁻¹² short	10	50	Cassegrain, skew plate and field lens	2–3 μ short	Spectral and space filtering	—	CO₂ cooled PbS Liq N-cooled InSb	4–6	10³ dynamic range 200 c/s response 62 waves/rad	Airborne aircraft and decoy tracking	T-8 Operating Handbook	Programmed search ±20° Az, 16° El
					7 × 10⁻¹¹ long				3–5 μ long
					7 × 10⁻¹¹ long				Also other filters
FM-Rotating Field (Bendix-Skyscraper)									1.2–2.7 μ or 1.8–14 μ	Spectral and space filtering, 6000 waves/rad	Acquisition, 0.1	(2) ambient PbS or	1	10³ dynamic range	Airborne reentry tracking	Bendix Skyscraper Final Report, BSR-440 (February 1961)	Has 5° × 5° programmed search
Acq.	Deviation	Phase	Stationary^a reticle	$25.4 cm - \frac{1}{2} °$ ^b	1.6 × 10⁻⁹ PbS	2	15	Cassegrain and field lens				(2) He-cooled, Cu-doped Ge		Two targets simultaneously
Track	Deviation	Phase	Rotating^a reticle	25.4 cm-¹/₁₀°^b	7.4 × 10⁻¹⁰ PbS		15					(2) He-cooled, Cu-doped Ge		Two targets simultaneously
FM-Rotating and Planetating Off-Axis Reticle (Eltro, GmbH Heidelberg, Germany)	Deviation	Phase	Rotating and plane-rotating off-axis reticle	16.6 cm-2°	1.5 × 10⁻¹² PbS	8	—	Cassegrain and field lens	1.7–2.7 μ PbS	Spectral and space filtering, 1000 waves/rad	—	TE-cooled PbS; also liq N-cooled PbSe	5	Yes	Aircraft and missile tracking	Private communication	Reticle described in IRIS 2, No. 2 (December 1957)—Whitney
	Deviation	Phase	Rotating and plane-rotating off-axis reticle	16.6 cm-2°	1 × 10⁻¹⁰ PbSe	8	—	Cassegrain and field lens	3–5μ PbSe	Spectral and space filtering, 1000 waves/rad	—	TE-cooled PbS; also liq N-cooled PbSe	5	Yes	Aircraft and missile tracking	Private communication	Reticle described in IRIS 2, No. 2 (December 1957)—Whitney
FM-Rotating Off-Axis Reticle, Model T-51A (Aerojet General)	Deviation	Phase	Rotating off-axis reticle	$15.3 cm - adjust \frac{1}{2} °$ to 1°	4 × 10⁻¹² ir	1 ref. band width	70	Cassegrain and field lens	0.7–2.7 μ ir	Spectral and space filtering, 1360 waves/rad	0.1	IRTE-cooled PbS	4–6	10⁴ dynamic range	Airborne reentry tracking	TRAP III and private communication	—
FM-Rotating Off-Axis Reticle, Model T-51A (Aerojet General)	Deviation	Phase	Rotating off-axis reticle	$15.3 cm - adjust \frac{1}{2} °$ to 1°	5 × 10⁻¹⁵ vis	1 ref. band width	70	Cassegrain and field lens	0.4–0.7 μ vis	Spectral and space filtering, 1360 waves/rad	0.1	Vis PM (S-20) through dichroic beamsplitter	4–6	10⁴ dynamic range	Airborne reentry tracking	TRAP III and private communication	—
Pulse Phase-Coarse and Fine Model 21-110 (Barnes)									1.8–2.7 μ	Spectral and space filtering, 125 waves/rad	0.1 static accuracy	(2) ambient PbS	6	None	Launch missile tracking	BEC Bulletin 21-110 and internal reports	High information rate
2-Freq	Separate El and Az detector, nonproportional		One rotating off-axis reticle	5.1 cm–4° × 4°	1.5 × 10⁻¹⁰	500	1500 & 3000	Two 5.1 cm lenses plus field lenses		Space filtering	0.1 tracking accuracy	(2) ambient PbS	—	—	—	—	—
Pulse phase	Separate detectors pulse phase		—	5.1 cm-8 × 8 mrad	2 × 10⁻¹¹	500	200	Two 5.1-cm quartz lenses plus field lenses		Space filtering	0.1 tracking accuracy	(2) ambient PbS	—	—	—	—	—
Pulse Phase-High Sensitivity Model 21-111 (Barnes)	Separate El and Az detecting		One rotating off-axis reticle	2.5 cm-1° × 1°	8 × 10⁻¹¹	500	540	Two 2.5 cm lenses plus field lenses	1.8–2.7 μ—sensing	Space filtering, 62 waves/rad plus 2- color discrimination	0.05	(2) ambient PbS	2	None	Launch missile tracking	BEC Bulletin 21-111 and internal reports	Has servo-driven, fast elevation tracking mirror 0° to 40°
Pulse Phase-High Sensitivity Model 21-111 (Barnes)	Separate El and Az detecting		One rotating off-axis reticle	2.5 cm-1° × 1°	8 × 10⁻¹¹	500	540	Two 2.5 cm lenses plus field lenses	0.45–0.6μ—color discrimination	Space filtering, 62 waves/rad plus 2- color discrimination	0.05	(2) ambient PbS	2	None	Launch missile tracking	BEC Bulletin 21-111 and internal reports	Has servo-driven, fast elevation tracking mirror 0° to 40°
Pulse Phase-Single Field, Model 21-112 (Barnes)									1.2–2.7μ or 1.8–2.7 μ	Spectral and space filtering 70 and 140 waves/rad	0.01 static accuracy	(2) immersed, ambient PbS	2	None	Reentry and launch missile tracking	IRIS (January 1962)	Emphasizes highly linear transfer function
2-Freq	Separate El and Az detecting, nonproportional		Rotating off-axis-reticles	30.5 cm 50% aperture shared—4° × 4°	1 × 10⁻¹³	20	750 & 1500	2 separate 30.5 cm Cassegrains and field lenses		Spectral and space filtering	—	(2) immersed, ambient PbS	—	—	—	—	—
Pulse phase	Separate detectors pulse phase		—	30.5 cm 50% aperture shared—4 × 4 mrad	—	500	2000	—		Spectral and space filtering	—	(2) immersed, ambient PbS	—	—	—	—	—
Pulse Code-Nutating Secondary, Model	Elevation Pulse width	Azimuth Phase	Fixed mask, 50% duty cycle	14 cm-50% aperture share	3 × 10⁻¹³ short	0.6	50	Cassegrain and field lens	2–3 μ short	Spectral filtering only, instantaneous field 6 m rad	±1 up to 8°/sec	PbS cooled by liq N exhaust Liq N-cooled InSb	2–3	Separate radiometer detector shares aperture 3500:1 dynamic range	Airborne aircraft and decoy tracking	Handbook and Eglin APGC TR-65-59, “Airborne IR Meas. Sys” (August 1965)	Has separate search acquisition head
ATR-1 (ACF Electronics)			Nutating secondary	12 mrad	2 × 10⁻¹² long				3–5 μ long		—
ATR-1 (ACF Electronics)			Nutating secondary	12 mrad	2 × 10⁻¹² long				Also other filters		—
Pulse Code-Constant Pulse Length, Model TGA-4 (ITT)	Pulse width	Pulse position	Rotating off-axis reticle	7.6 cm-70 × 70 mrad	10⁻¹⁰ W/cm²	—	96	Pierced Pfund and field lens	2.1–2.7 μ	Spectral and space filtering, 357 waves/rad	0.25	Ambient PbS	1–2	None	Missile launch phase assist to FPS-16	IRIS 8, No. 1 (January 1963)	~1.5 mrad spokes
Pulse Code-Constant Pulse Length, Model	Pulse width	Pulse position	Single rotating off- axis reticle	1.8 cm-10° × 20° wide	9 × 10⁻¹⁰ wide	5	67	Wide—2 element refractive	1.8–2.6 μ—sensing	Space filtering, 210 waves/plus 2-color discrimination	0.1	(2) ambient PbS	4	None	Guidance of antitank missiles	IRIS 7, No. 1 (January 1962), Internal reports	Emphasizes highly linear transfer function
21-150, Angular Error Indicator (Barnes)	Pulse width	Pulse position	Single rotating off- axis reticle	8.4 cm-2° × 2° narrow	9 × 10⁻¹¹ narrow	5	67	Narrow-Bouwers Maksutov	0.45–0.6 μ—color discrimination	Space filtering, 210 waves/plus 2-color discrimination	0.1	(2) ambient PbS	4	None	Guidance of antitank missiles	IRIS 7, No. 1 (January 1962), Internal reports	Emphasizes highly linear transfer function
Pulse Code-Variable Pulse Length, Model 21-122, 2-color, 2-field (Barnes)	2nd harmonic amplitude	Pulse phase	Rotating off-axis reticle—2 frequency	$20.4 cm - 2 ° \times 2 ° or \frac{1}{2} ° \times \frac{1}{2} °$	1.5 × 10⁻¹³ cooled PbS	25	72	One 20-cm Cassegrain plus field lenses and beam splitter, course—50 cm F.L., fine—2 m. F.L.	0.7—2.7 μ PbS	Space filtering, 270 and 1080 waves/rad	0.1	TE-cooled PbS photomultiplier Liq N-cooled PbSe (any two with dichroic mirror)	30 incl. 5 of earlier model	10⁵ dynamic range 25 c/s response	Airborne and ground and missile and aircraft tracking	BEC Bulletin 21-122C and internal reports	—
					2 × 10⁻¹⁶ PM				0.35–0.65 μ PM
					3 × 10⁻¹¹ Liq.				2.7–6.5μ PbSe

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Applied Optics