Patent ID: 8094310

Claim:
A method of calibrating an optical bench for an optical system that includes multiple nested mirrors attached to a mechanical support, the method comprising: (a) providing an alignment tool relative to the optical bench, the alignment tool comprising a mechanical interface plate, a lower reference ring, an upper reference ring and a pinhole member, all being disposed axially spaced apart in sequence; a first positioning device attached to the mechanical interface plate and to the lower reference ring, and adapted to adjust the position of the lower reference ring in two dimensions; a second positioning device attached to the mechanical interface plate and to the upper reference ring and adapted to adjust a position of the upper reference ring in two dimensions; a third positioning device attached to the upper reference ring and to the pinhole member, and adapted to adjust a position of the pinhole member in three dimensions; and a mechanical interface mounted on or integral with the mechanical interface plate and corresponding in form to the mechanical support of the optical system; (b) aligning the pinhole member to an axis defined by the mechanical interface; (c) mounting the tool on the optical bench used to co-align the optical system mirrors; (d) positioning a light source-axially and adjacent the pinhole member; (e) aligning the light source relative to the pinhole; (f) positioning a light sensor axially and adjacent the mechanical interface plate at where a focus of the mirrors would be; (g) aligning the light sensor along the optical axis relative to the light source; (h) aligning measurement devices of the optical bench with respect to the two reference rings; and (i) removing the alignment tool from the optical bench.