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Vidicon electron beam modulation is used for checking the performance of vidicons in mechanical vibration tests. The vidicon electron beam is modulated with an external signal during the write period thereby storing the image on the vidicon face.
Space astronomy is defined. In particular, the requirements for visual exploration of the Moon and Mars are outlined. The slow-scan vidicon is shown to be particularly useful as an astrophotographic instrument for space astronomy. The special instrumentation requirements for a slow-scan vidicon system are described for a Mars mission. Some of the techniques are illustrated with photos taken with a slow-scan vidicon system using as an optical objective the Mt. Wilson 60-in. telescope.
This paper describes the return-beam vidicon camera system that RCA is developing for use in the ERTS A and B missions. The major parameters of the two-inch return-beam vidicon camera subsystem are explained, and its performance characteristics are given. The relationship of the three-camera subsystem and the associated ground stations is illustrated. A multispectral aerial photograph is shown which is a simulation of a scene taken on the Apollo 9 mission. The simulated scene was made by the return-beam vidicon camera and a laser-beam image reproducer, and is representative of a typical scene as it would be viewed from space during an ERTS mission.
A silicon vidicon camera was designed, built, and tested to determine its potential for use aboard future Mariner spacecraft. Slow scan operation is made possible by cooling the vidicon to -40 C. Cooling is achieved by a simple thermal condition path between the vidicon and a radiator mounted on top of the camera head. The camera was successfully operated under simulated space flight conditions and has survived vibration designed to simulate the launch of a Mariner spacecraft. A description of the camera and its operation along with the results of the testing is presented.
A laboratory and field test program was conducted to quantify the optical navigation parameters of the Mariner vidicons. A scene simulator and a camera were designed and built for vidicon tests under a wide variety of conditions. Laboratory tests characterized error sources important to the optical navigation process and field tests verified star sensitivity and characterized comet optical guidance parameters. The equipment, tests and data reduction techniques used are described. Key test results are listed. A substantial increase in the understanding of the use of selenium vidicons as detectors for spacecraft optical guidance was achieved, indicating a reduction in residual offset errors by a factor of two to four to the single pixel level.
Sensitive method is used for checking the performance of vidicons in mechanical vibration tests. The image of the desired fine-detail test pattern is stored in the photosensitive surface of the vidicon while the system is free of mechanical vibration. Mechanical excitation is then applied, and its effects observed.
Electrical data storage tube is assembled from standard vidicon tube using conventional amplification and control circuits. Vidicon storage tube is simple, inexpensive and has an erase and preparation time of less than 5 microseconds.
Description of the performance of the silicon diode array vidicon - an imaging sensor which possesses wide spectral response, high quantum efficiency, and linear response. These characteristics, in addition to its inherent ruggedness, simplicity, and long-term stability and operating life make this device potentially of great usefulness for ground-base and spaceborne planetary and stellar imaging applications. However, integration and charged storage for periods greater than approximately five seconds are not possible at room temperature because of diode saturation from dark current buildup. Since dark current can be reduced by cooling, measurements were made in the range from -65 to 25 C. Results are presented on the extension of integration, storage, and slow scan capabilities achievable by cooling. Integration times in excess of 20 minutes were achieved at the lowest temperatures. The measured results are compared with results obtained with other types of sensors and the advantages of the silicon diode array vidicon for imaging applications are discussed.
Review of the results of a detailed investigation of the properties and merits of silicon target (SIT) vidicon photometry, compared to previous photoelectric and photographic photometry, in astronomy applications. Following a description of the SIT-vidicon based photometry system and of its operating procedures, the data reduction methods are examined, and some of the results obtained are discussed.
An externally occulted Lyot coronagraph employing a digitized SEC vidicon detection system is a prime experiment aboard the NASA Orbiting Solar Observatory 7 (OSO 7). Continuing daily operation since the 29 September 1971 launch has produced more than 2200 pictures of the solar white light corona covering the region between 3 R and 10 R. Important advantages of the SEC vidicon in this application are its ability to integrate an electron image and store it for long periods prior to readout. Special applications of digital techniques are employed in stepping and pulsing the readout electron beam, thereby realizing the detector's inherent qualities of high resolution and large dynamic range.
A laboratory measurements program was conducted to determine the tolerances that must be imposed to achieve optimum performance from SEC-vidicon data sensors in the LST mission. These measurements along with other data were used to formulate recommendations regarding the necessary telemetry and remote control for the television data sensors when in orbit. The study encompassed the following tasks: (1) Conducted laboratory measurements of the perturbations which an external magnetic field produces on a magnetically focused, SEC-vidicon. Evaluated shielding approaches. (2) Experimentally evaluated the effects produced on overall performance by variations of the tube electrode potentials, and the focus, deflection and alignment fields. (3) Recommended the extent of ground control of camera parameters and camera parameter telemetry required for optimizing the performance of the television system in orbit. The experimental data are summarized in a set of graphs.
Results obtained from several basic measurements of the performance of an SEC vidicon camera head are presented. The measurements or tests are patterned around the sensor requirements which exist for a rapid response coronagraph. Following a brief description of the SEC vidicon camera head, test set-up, and operating procedures, results are presented for five basic tests. These tests include: (1) Input-output, or transfer, characteristics; (2) modulation transfer function; (3) signal-to-noise ratio; (4) photocathode sensitivity; and (5) target gain. The input-output characteristics and photocathode sensitivity measurements were obtained for three bandpasses centered about 4000, 5250, and 6200 A. Results are also given for the variation of photocathode sensitivity with position on the cathode surface.
The SEC Vidicon, a low light level closed circuit television system, was used to obtain 137 spectrographic records of meteors at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, during the Geminid meteor shower in December 1972. Seven of the best Geminid meteor spectra are studied here in detail. The near infrared, out to wavelengths near 9000 A, is recorded for the first time for Geminids. The spectra, in general, exhibit the elements previously found in photographic records of this shower but show a surprising frequency of occurrence of the forbidden green line of O I at 5577 A. This line is normally absent from meteors moving as slowly as the Geminids (36 km/sec) and its presence in these records may be due to the added sensitivity available with the SEC Vidicon. The average green line duration in Geminid meteors with a luminosity near zero absolute visual magnitude is 0.73 sec at a mean height of 95 km, 11 km lower than the green line peak in Perseid meteors of the same luminosity.
A slow scan SEC vidicon system is described here. This system is coupled to the 152.4-cm (60-in) McMath telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. An anamorphic lens system is used to couple optically the vertical spectrograph to the vidicon system. The resolutin of the over-all system is 55 mA, while the resolution of the spectrograph alone is 50 mA. Actual observational results are used to evaluate the system performance.
A technique is proposed for the semi-automatic digitization of topographic maps using a vidicon camera interfaced with a mini-computer system. The required input is a black and white map that shows only contour lines and corresponding elevation values such as the advance prints of 7.5 minute USGS topographic sheets. A set of image processing algorithms is implemented on an image of the contour map acquired by a vidicon camera. The system developed performs extraction of contour lines, tagging elevation values and subsequent interpolation of elevations to produce, in 5 sec. x 5 sec. intervals of latitude and longitude, digital elevation matrices. The interpolation of elevations for non-contour points is achieved using a steepest descent algorithm. A communications capability allows the final data to be transferred over telephone lines to an off-site unit such as the floppy disk or a micro-computer.
A substantial gain in sensitivity is reported through the addition of a commercially available electrostatic image intensifier to a silicon-intensified target vidicon system. This comparatively low cost modification allows cooled or room temperature operation, CW or pulsed detection, and ease of removal or attachment. A 40-mm, first-generation technology image intensifier was used in a configuration in which the photocathode end was at negative high voltage and the phosphor end was at ground. Cooling the vidicon detector did not result in improved SNR; more generally, a 50-fold sensitivity increase was observed for the image intensifier/vidicon system.
Nimbus satellite - advanced vidicon camera subsystem - cloud pictures
Spark chamber with vidicon readout for balloon- and satellite-borne high energy gamma ray astronomy analysis, noting Cerenkov counter