Determining the range parameters of observation thermal cameras on the basis of laboratory measurements

Abstract

Range parameters are main factors in assessing the performance of observation devices. They can be determined on the basis of computer simulations, field or laboratory measurements, with the latter method being the most reliable and practical. The paper presents the methods used for the determination of detection, recognition and identification ranges based on well-known Johnson criteria and recently emerged TTP model. Theoretical background for both approaches are given, and the laboratory test stand is described together with brief methodology adopted for the measurements of selected, necessary characteristics of a tested observation system. The measurement results are presented and the calculated ranges for a selected set of IR cameras are given, obtained on the basis of both Johnson criteria and TTP model. Finally the results are discussed and the final thoughts on the TTP model application are presented.