An infrared imaging system based on SWIR FPA of Sofradir

In the interest of expanding our ground-based observation to the infrared spectral range, we have built a short wave (SW) infrared imaging system operating in 0.9-2.5μm. It is based on a commercial infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) assembly from Sofradir, France. We have changed the cooling mode of this module from thermoelectric cooler (TEC) to liquid nitrogen to further reduce the dark current of detector. A camera controller based on the soft-core embedded processor and the relevant acquisition software has been also developed. This paper presents each part of the infrared imaging system in detail and the preliminary results of testing and astronomical observation.© (2006) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.