The multichannel imaging laser radar receiver described in this proposal will provide high frame rate, high resolution, three-dimensional laser radar imagery in a compact and low power package, suitable for missile and submunition guidance applications. This research will center around the development of a high performance, credit-card-size multichannel laser radar receiver which has complete optical receiving and range counting circuitry for each of eight receiver channels. The optical receiver utilizes an InGaAs detector array for eye-safe operation. The range counter measures the return pulse arrival time with an accuracy of 500 Ps, corresponding to three inches downrange resolution. A novel, all-digital correction scheme provides true arrival time for the return laser pulse, regardless of received pulse amplitude. The receiver is coupled to the receiver optics focal plane using an industry-standard multichannel fiber optic connector. A PCMCIA connector provides power and a high speed bidirectional digital interface to the outside world. Several receiver modules may be plugged into a passive backplane, along with a single, PCMCIA form-factor missile seeker processor card. In this way, the number of channels in the system may be tailored to suit the particular application, and a complete, rugged, imaging laser radar seeker receiver may be implemented in the smallest possible form factor. The Phase I research includes simulation, breadboarding and test of the critical elements of the proposed receiver, and will result in a detailed design for a compact multichannel imaging laser radar receiver, to be developed in Phase II. BENEFITS
Keywords: Laser Radar Ladar Imaging Multichannel Apd Receiver Eye-Safe
