Screen Shot

This instrument was specifically designed for airborne measurement of ground targets. The instrument can collect data at a rate up to 15 Hz. The software and electronics were optimized for ocean temperature measurements. The instrument can store, reduce and present the collected data in temperature and radiometric terms.

The optics are designed to focus the energy from the sea on to the pyroelectric detector.  The energy is collected by the instrument objective lens and focused on the instrument detector. The lens and detector are enclosed in a temperature controlled cavity. The energy is modulated by a mechanical modulator positioned in front of the cavity. The modulator (or chopper) is reflective and causes the system to alternately looks at the target and itself. Since the optics and detector are temperature controlled, when it looks at itself we have an absolute reference to the measurement.

The signal then goes into a custom analog electronics board and then to an A/D converter.  The digitized signal is then demodulated, processed, and displayed.