Patent Number: 054669430
Section: abstract

An evacuated testing device (100) including a housing (106) providing a test chamber (101) therein, a first mechanism (102) for retaining an object (116) under test in relation to an aperture (112), a second mechanism (104) positioned within the test chamber (101) for generating and transmitting uniform electromagnetic radiation to the object (116), and a third mechanism (122) disposed within the test chamber (101) in thermal communication with the second mechanism (104) for varying the temperature thereof. In a preferred embodiment, a test dewar (102) and an infrared blackbody radiating source (104) are enclosed within a test chamber (101) of the evacuated testing device (100). A focal plane array (116) is mounted on a cold finger (114) within the test dewar (102) in close proximity to an emissive surface (126) of the blackbody radiating source (104). A thermoelectric cooler (122) varies the temperature of the emissive surface (126) which generates and transmits the infrared radiation. An aperture (112) formed within a cold shield (110) and the temperature of the blackbody radiating source (104) determine the amount of radiation impinging upon the focal plane array (116). The blackbody radiating source (104) simulates typical terrestrial background radiation levels over a temperature range of from -40.degree. C. to +80.degree. C., is controlled and calibrated to within 0.05.degree. C. and can be slewed between different temperatures in a brief period.