SBIR-STTR Award

Many aerospace optical sensor and communications applications are performance-limited by limitations in the optical pointing system. This is especially true when considering interceptor seeker, designator and surveillance sensor applications. The pointing components of these applications are generally performance-limited by some combination of size, mass, power consumption, positioning or position reporting repeatability, positioning or position reporting linearity, servo control bandwidth, acceleration and surface figure error (SFE) performance. To relieve these performance limitations, LHDC introduces three primary innovations to achieve the required repeatability and surface figure accuracy over a larger temperature range and high acceleration with reduced power dissipation. Reducing the size of the flexure suspension by using miniaturized components, enhancing actuator efficiency in terms of acceleration-per-current and introducing an ASIC implementation of their servo control electronics. These benefits will be accomplished, initially during Phase I, on a retrofitted LHDC inventory FSM. Testing and analysis results from the retrofit unit will be used in design and fabrication of the Phase II deliverable hardware. The expected increase in performance parameters are to be achieved without risking LHDC’s proven capability in the areas of sub-microradian precision, lateral load capability for launch without caging, optical surface figure quality, compact size and low mass.

Keywords:
Reduced Footprint, Ladar Systems Position Accuracy, Fsm Slew Rates, Absolute Pointing, Fsm Stabilization, Fast Steering Mirror,

Aerospace optical sensor and communications applications can be performance-limited by the pointing system. Such applications include interceptor seekers and UAV LADAR turrets. These systems can benefit from the improved performance of this program’s FO15-61-BE fine-steering mirror (FSM). A miniaturized flexure suspension, enhanced actuator efficiency (acceleration-per-current) and augmented design techniques reduced the FO15-61-BE FSM mechanism’s size by 50% to less than 40x30x20mm. The innovations achieve higher servo control bandwidth, improved pointing accuracy, position reporting accuracy and linearity and nanoradian jitter, resolution, stability and repeatability. Also achieved is more acceleration with less power and better surface figure accuracy over a wider temperature range. Like its predecessor, the FO15-61-BE survives harsh vibration environments and can be launched without mechanical caging. An ASIC servo control electronics (SCE) implementation to be developed in Phase II is nearly 75% smaller and lighter than its predecessor. The Phase II product is to mature from TRL5 to TRL8. This makes the FO15-61-BE an attractive solution to the performance challenges of the rapidly increasing number of UAV applications. Delivery of two engineering model FSM early in Phase II allows timely integration into the target system.

Keywords:
Pointing Accuracy, Pointing Accuracy, Optical Stabilization, Fine-Steering Mirror, Fast-Steering Mirror, Fsm, Line-Of-Sight Stabilization, Pointing Component, Beam Steering