Tolerancing methodology for an IR optical telescope

R. Lawrence Sinclair; Steve Tritchew; Paul Jennison

doi:10.1117/12.21775

1 October 1990 Tolerancing methodology for an IR optical telescope

R. Lawrence Sinclair, Steve Tritchew, Paul Jennison

Proceedings Volume 1309, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.21775
Event: 1990 Technical Symposium on Optics, Electro-Optics, and Sensors, 1990, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

With the advent of modern optical design programs featuring statistical tolerancing capabilities, the task of tolerancing multi-element optical systems has been simplified. However, the requirement for innovation still remains to ensure that the impact of all relevant environmental effects, not normally accounted for by the computer design program, is established. In this paper, a tolerancing methodology for an IR optical telescope is presented which combines the computer generated optical tolerances with the anticipated environmental perturbations by employing sensor defocus as the principle optical figure of merit. Included with the analysis is the apportionment of the optical tolerance budget to the individual opto-mechanical components and a discussion of the optical test and metrology program employed to systematically verify the as built telescope performance. Finally, a comparison is presented of the predicted versus as built optical performance.

Citation Download Citation

R. Lawrence Sinclair, Steve Tritchew, and Paul Jennison "Tolerancing methodology for an IR optical telescope", Proc. SPIE 1309, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing, (1 October 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.21775

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