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US 9,754,988 B2Granted
Large format arrays and methods
AssigneeLeonardo Mw Ltd
InventorsPhilip Stephen Karl Booker, Ian M. Baker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A large format array is described having a series of smaller arrays daisy chained together to form the larger array. The smaller arrays are mounted on a base plate that may be of a non planar configuration. The daisy chaining together of the smaller arrays enables a smaller number of connections to be made to the external interface via connections.
Claims9
A large format Infra Red (IR) Focal Plane Array (FPA), comprising:
- a plurality of separately addressable smaller arrays, said smaller arrays being mounted on a series of separate connectable plates and configured to be connected via connections between said smaller arrays so as to function as a single, large FPA, the large FPA configured to be connected to an external data processor having read-out circuitry,
- wherein the smaller arrays are arranged and connected together in a chain configuration in a serial manner via the connections, each small array being connected to a maximum of two immediately adjacent small arrays,
- wherein the large FPA is configured to output signals from the plurality of separately addressable smaller arrays via a single output of one of the plurality of smaller arrays such that the output of the large FPA is connected to the external data processor via a single connection between the one of the plurality of smaller arrays and the external signal processor.
A method of creating a large format Infra Red (IR) Focal Plane Array (FPA), the method comprising:
- connecting a series of separately addressable smaller infra red focal plane arrays together on a series of separate, connectable plates to form a single, large FPA,
- connecting the large FPA to an external data processor having read-out circuitry;
- separately addressing each of the smaller arrays;
- and
- reading out the data collected from the smaller arrays so that the connected smaller arrays function as a single array,
- wherein the smaller arrays are arranged and connected together in a chain configuration in a serial manner via the connections, each smaller array being connected to a maximum of two immediately adjacent smaller arrays, and
- wherein the large FPA is connected to the external data processor via a single connection between a single one of the plurality of smaller arrays and the external data processor.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.