This second edition is written to clarify and summarize the theoretical principles of infrared technology. It is intended as a reference for the practicing engineer and/or scientist who requires effective practical information to design, build, and/or test infrared equipment in a wide variety of applications.

This Field Guide combines numerous engineering disciplines necessary for the development of an infrared system. It describes the basic elements involving image formation and image quality, radiometry and flux transfer, and explains the figures of merit involving detector performance. It considers the development of search infrared systems, and specifies the main descriptors used to characterize thermal imaging systems. Furthermore, this guide clarifies, identifies, and evaluates the engineering tradeoffs in the design of an infrared system.

The new edition provides an up-to-date view of the various third-generation infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) technologies and infrared materials currently in use or being actively researched. It also includes an overview of a new target acquisition model known as "Targeting Task Performance (TTP) metric" developed by NVESD. The applicability of this range performance model extends to sampled imagers, digital image enhancement, and other features of modern imaging systems.

Field Guide to Infrared Systems, Detectors, and FPAs, Second Edition, is written to clarify and summarize the theoretical and practical principles of modern infrared technology. It is intended as a reference for the practicing engineer and/or scientist who requires effective practical information to design, build, and/or test infrared equipment in a wide variety of applications.

This book combines numerous engineering disciplines necessary for the development of an infrared system. It describes the basic elements involving image formation and image quality, radiometry and flux transfer, and explains the figures of merit for detector performance. It considers the development of search infrared systems, and specifies the main descriptors used to characterize thermal imaging systems. Furthermore, this guide clarifies, identifies, and evaluates the engineering tradeoffs in the design of an infrared system.

The 2nd edition provides the reader with an up-to-date view of the various third-generation infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) technologies currently in use or being actively researched. It also includes an overview of a new target acquisition model known as the "Targeting Task Performance (TTP) metric." The applicability of this range performance model extends to sample imagers, digital image enhancement, and other features of modern imaging systems. I would like to acknowledge and express my gratitude to my professor and mentor Dr. Glenn Boreman for his guidance, experience, and friendship. The knowledge that he passed on to me during my graduate studies at CREOL ultimately contributed to the creation of this book. I also would like to thank Dr. Boreman for reviewing a draft copy of the IRFPA 2nd edition manuscript.

I extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Mel Friedman, NVESD, who took upon himself the onerous task of improving and clarifying the TTP metric concepts and its contents.

Above all, I voice a special note of gratitude to my kids Becky and Alex and my wife Rosa for their love and support.

Lastly, I would particularly like to thank you, the reader, for selecting this book and taking the time to explore the topics related to this motivating and exciting field. I trust that the contents of this book will prove interesting and useful to engineers and scientists working in one of the various infrared fields.

This Field Guide is dedicated to the memory of my father and brothers.

Arnold Daniels

May 2010