Laboratory analysis of discretely sampled thermal imaging systems

Laboratory assessment of Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) devices has long been the standard method for characterizing the performance of first generation scanning thermal imagers. The correlation between test and field performance has been widely documented. With the continued insurgence of discretely sampled staring array systems it is necessary to evaluate the need and validity of these tests as they pertain to staring array systems. This paper will discuss the relevance of the standard tests with respect to staring array measurements and show the results of these measurements. The paper will also look into possible new ways of evaluating staring arrays that will be of more relevance to those people who are attempting to model the field performance of the staring array. It is hoped that these results will lead to updated test methodology that will more closely relate to field performance.