Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Kalshoven, James E., Jr..
Interface circuit triggers laser or other external source of light to flash in proper frame and field (at proper time) for video recording and playback in "pause" mode. Also increases speed of electronic shutter (if any) during affected frame to reduce visibility of background illumination relative to that of laser illumination.
Timing technique enables recording of images in laser remote sensing of environment. Timings of laser pulse, shutter, and video frame synchronized. Technique also used in industrial or commercial processes requiring clear sighting of laser beams relative to their surroundings.
The design of a multispectral polarized laser system for characterizing the depolarization properties of the earth's surface is described. Using a laser as the light source, this airborne system measures the Stokes parameters of the surface to simultaneously arrive at the polarization degree, azimuthal angle, and ellipticity for each wavelength. The technology will be studied for the feasibility of expansion of the sensor to do surface polarization imaging. The data will be used in support of solar polarization studies and to develop laser radiometry as a tool in environmental remote sensing.
A NASA laboratory for evaluating linear detector arrays for remote sensing applications from the visible to shortwave infrared is described. Nominal requirements are presented on the critical parameters of signal-to-noise ratio, modulation transfer function, response linearity, dynamic range, and detector-to-detector response uniformity. Results of tests on a custom developed multi-spectral linear array from RCA and two commercial arrays from Texas Instruments and Reticon for the visible and near-infrared are presented. The custom array was clearly superior in signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range to its off-the-shelf counterparts. Allthe arrays were found to have somewhat less than desirable modulation transfer functions, but excellent response linearity.