Large Gimbal Mount Enables Focal-Plane Testing

The latest missile guidance and tracking guidance systems deliver unprecedented performance, in terms of range, precision, and the ability to function in very unfavorable atmospheric conditions. These systems rely on a new generation of high-resolution, multifunction focal plane arrays to image visible and IR radiation. In testing these arrays, the focused light from a blackbody source must be sequentially directed onto each individual pixel using all-reflective optics. Accomplishing this requires panning and tilting a 17"-diameter mirror at a resolution of 0.0001° under programmable, motorized control. This brief describes a novel, 2-axis gimbal mount that was designed to successfully meet this and other demanding specifications.