Thermal scene generators

Design and performance features are discussed for Thermal Scene Generators (TSG) for hardware flight simulation testing of heat seeking missiles. The TSG must match the seeker's field of view, have a suitable range and resolution for the seeker design envelope, and have a response speed suitable for the trials run. The Bly cell, a thin membrane with favorable light absorption, thermal conductivity and emissivity properties, can be image-heated in a vacuum to a temperature corresponding to a visible image. A massive monolithic transducer can be employed to provide closed loop moving imagery through resistance heating. Sample imagery and circuitry diagrams are provided from experimental testing of the latter method by means of the application of thin film hybrid technology.