The second geometric property is the along track FOV. The measurement and analysis methods are described in chapter 5.3. Along track LSF measurements were performed for the nadir pixel of AISA.
The measurements were performed with the smallest horizontal slit and a slit angle range of ±9°. The slit angle of 9° corresponds to a sensor viewing angle of 0.39° (6.807 mrad) calculated according to equation (5-7). A slit angle interval of 0.1° was selected which corresponds to a viewing angle interval of 0.076 mrad. The Y-axis and roll angle offsets were determined during the alignment measurements (see chapter 6.2). A 2-fold neutral density filter was installed in front of the lens. The necessary CHB parameters for the along track LSF measurements are given in Table 6.23.
6.4 Geometric Characterisation
Table 6.23: AISA along track LSF measurement parameters
Folding mirror Slit wheel & lamp Sensor
Parameter Value Parameter Value Parameter Value
Viewing angle (°) 0.0 Slit angle range (°) -9.0 – 9.0 Integration time (ms) 260 Z axis (mm) 777.0 Step interval (°) 0.1 Frame no. 20 Roll angle offset (°) -0.327 Slit horizontal Interface 50 µm, universal Y axis offset (mm) 0.0 Current (A) 6.6 Filter 2-fold
The recorded data were analysed with the along track LSF measurement program and the default input parameter values (description see chapter 5.3.2).
Results
For the first 140 channels no results were computed because the Gaussian function failed. The data signals of the Gaussian peaks of the computed channels are in the range from 450 DN to 915 DN. Figure 6.27 shows normalised recorded data of the nadir pixel for selected different channels. 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 -0.4 -0.35 -0.3 -0.25 -0.2 -0.15 -0.1 -0.05 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 Viewing angle (°) N o rm a li s e d s ig n a l
channel 140 channel 160 channel 185 channel 200 channel 260 channel 280 Figure 6.27: AISA along track measurement data of pixel 192 for different channels
The FWHM for channel 140 is 0.714 mrad and for channel number 280 5.62 mrad. The difference between both is approx. 21 %. All determined FWHM values of the channels with a channel number greater than 140 are shown in Figure 6.28. The FWHM values range from 5.62 mrad to 7.14 mrad.
6 Verification of the Characterisation Methods 5.5 5.7 5.9 6.1 6.3 6.5 6.7 6.9 7.1 7.3 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 Channel number F W H M ( m ra d )
Figure 6.28: AISA along track FWHM results of pixel 192
6.4.4
Discussion
The performed geometric measurements have demonstrated the applicability of the methods described in chapter 5.3. Across track LSF measurements and their analyses were performed for ROSIS and AISA, along track measurements only for AISA. All these geometric measurements are the first ones which were executed with the automated software modules (Master, Sensor and Slave). The Master software is flexible and makes also measurements without an automated control of the sensor possible. An across track LSF measurement was performed in this way for ROSIS. The measurement setups and results are the basis for further measurements and analyses.
AISA
The across and along track measurements were carried out to determine the FOV and IFOV. The resulting FOV of 49.3° (see Table 6.18) differs from the manufacturer FOV (57.6°) by about 8.3°. The viewing angles of the border pixels differ. Pixel number 1 has a viewing angle of 25.9° and the angle of pixel 364 (right border) is -23.5°. The number of pixels between the centre pixel (192) and the border pixels differs (left side: 191, right side: 172). On the right border the last illuminated spatial pixel of the 288 * 384 detector array is pixel number 364 (see chapter 6.1). The remaining 20 pixels on this side are reserved for the FODIS information. These 20 pixels correspond to a viewing angle of 3° using the manufacturer IFOV of 0.15°. However the determined IFOV from the measurements is 0.1365° (see linear fit in Figure 6.21). The difference between the determined and given IFOV calculated with 364 pixels corresponds to an angle of 4.9°.
6.4 Geometric Characterisation
The across track FOV measurements of Table 6.17 were performed several times on different days and with different interface plates associated with a new alignment of the sensor. The determined border pixel viewing angles and FWHM values for each channel of the different measurement series agree very well with each other (see Figure 6.17, Figure 6.18 and Figure 6.19). This indicates that the defined measurement and alignment procedures allow highly reproducible results.
Across track LSF measurements over the whole FOV were performed for nine viewing angles (Figure 6.21). Seven of the nine angle positions have a successive interval of 5° from nadir. The two other measurements are at the border pixels. The calculated viewing angles on the basis of the linear fit differ from determined viewing angles about ± 0.2° which is approx. 1.5 IFOV. Additional across track LSF measurements should be performed in the future to improve the fit. This should be done especially for spatial pixels at the borders because of their greater differences.
The relative viewing angles of four spatial pixels (73, 113, 153 and 192) are shown in Figure 6.22. The frown is in the range from 1 IFOV (2.6 mrad) to 1.5 IFOV (3.9 mrad) where the values increase from the nadir pixel to the borders. The effect may be caused by the dispersive element (Grating-Prism-Grating) of the AISA sensor. The shapes of the frown curves vary for the different spatial pixels. Additional measurements have to be carried out in the future to get results for the spatial pixels greater than 192 and to determine the frown.
The FWHM values of the different spatial pixels vary substantially between the channels and the spatial pixels (see Figure 6.23). The difference can be explained by the curve shapes of the single channels. Some of the channels have response curves with two peaks (Figure 6.20) or the curves are not like a Gaussian function. The cause hasn’t yet been established. Anyway, the determined FWHM values should be used for the raw data calibration and not the same FWHM value for all channels as in the past. The standard deviations of the Gaussian fit can be a first quality indicator for varying response curves. The standard deviations of the measurements are shown in App. C, Figure C.15. The existing analysis software should be upgraded with a quality flag which marks channels with a greater than standard deviation. In addition, channels with more than one peak should be marked as well.
Some of the measurements could not be analysed because the Gaussian fit failed due to an insufficient number of data points. This was in particular the case for the response curves with two peaks. For those measurements the viewing angle range has to be expanded to cover the whole viewing angle of a selected pixel. An enlargement of the range leads however to extra time for the measurements and this should be taken into account.
Concerning the time for data recording, the angle interval is the import parameter as well as the number of frames and the data transmission. If a sensor becomes unstable during a long measurement series the data transfer should be performed at the end of the measurement series.
6 Verification of the Characterisation Methods
The results of the along track LSF measurements for the channels greater than 140 are shown in Figure 6.27. The lower channels were not analysed since the signals were too low. For some channels the signals at the borders are not at dark current level which indicates that the slit angle range was too small. Additional measurements should be performed in the future with the 100 µm slit and the maximum angle range of ±10°. In general, for sensors like APEX or ROSIS the maximum slit range of ±10° is not a problem since these sensors have a small IFOV. Only for sensors like AISA with a larger IFOV the along track LSF can be difficult to measure.
ROSIS
The manual and automatic measurements were performed to investigate the problem of moving the ROSIS mirror during a measurement series. In the automatic mode the mirror of ROSIS was changed at every single measurement. The analysis of the measurement data resulted in non Gaussian response curves (see Figure 6.24). Whereas the manually performed measurements, with a fixed ROSIS mirror showed a Gaussian curve shape (see Figure 6.25). This comparison discloses that there exists a problem with the positioning of the mirror in the automatic mode.
The two manual measurements (Figure 6.25) were made without additional alignment of the sensor after the setting of the ROSIS mirror. The signal levels from the two measurements differ and the maxima are at different viewing angles. Both measurements seem to be incorrect because of an incorrect alignment. An alignment of ROSIS (pitch angle) is necessary after each re-start of the ROSIS system or movement of the mirror. For this the ROSIS mirror has to be tilted to the nadir position and the signal has to be optimised to its maximum by tilting the sensor around the Y axis (pitch angle) with the universal adapter.
The viewing angles for all channels (Figure 6.26) of the measurements with the fixed mirror don’t show a frown effect but a linear function with a slope. The relative range of the viewing angle is 0.67 mrad which is approx 1.2 IFOV. This effect could be caused by an improper alignment of the detector (rotation).
Based on the measurement results the ROSIS data acquisition software was modified. In the upgraded software the tilting of the mirror was skipped and the automatic mode includes “only” an automatic data recording. An upgrade of the ROSIS system including the software and the control of the mirror is planed for 2009. A stepper motor for the mirror with a smaller step size and a well-defined home position would be ideal. With the new control software it should be possible to allow a repeatable setting of a mirror position.
A statement concerning the reproducibility of the measurements is not possible due to the mirror problem. But the manually performed measurement series illustrates the flexibility of the software modules. The execution of a characterisation measurement of a sensor can be performed with the Master SW without a communication with a Sensor module.
6.5 Radiometric Characterisation
The CHB devices are automatically set by the Master which informs the operator to record data at the right moment.
6.5
Radiometric Characterisation
This chapter describes the setups and analysis results of the performed radiometric characterisation measurements for AISA. The corresponding methods are defined in chapter 5.4. The performed measurements are used for the determination of the radiometric response function and for the control of the linearity with the integration time.
The different characterisation types are executed together. Therefore the selected device parameter values are described at this point. The analyses and results are explained in the following sections.
For the measurements the small integrating sphere was used since this sphere is calibrated against a national standard. The sphere illuminates all spatial pixels of AISA and overfills its aperture. Since the radiance of the sphere saturates some of the channels a neutral density filter was used to reduce the incoming light. The four available filters for AISA reduce the light by a factor of 2, 4, 8 and 64. Previous measurements showed a need of the 64-fold neutral density filter for the recording of unsaturated data. Hence this filter was mounted in front of the lens. AISA itself was mounted without an adapter plate above the opening of the small sphere.
The fixed parameter settings of the CHB devices and the sensor are listed in Table 6.24. The only variable parameter is the integration time (see Table 6.25) with its minimum value of 260 ms.
Table 6.24: AISA radiometric characterisation measurement setups (fixed parameters)
Integrating sphere Sensor
Parameter Value Parameter Value
Size Small Number of frames 250
Power (W) 400 Interface no
Current (A) 34.7 Transmittance filter 64-fold
Data type Dark current and nadir data
Table 6.25: AISA radiometric characterisation measurement setups (variable parameters) Integration time (ms)
a b c d e f
260 300 350 400 450 500
The measurements were performed manually in January 2008 by a colleague (W. Vreeling), no Master software was used. The dark current data were recorded after each data file, with the same integration time as the data file. The measuring log file with the sensor information was manually created afterwards.
6 Verification of the Characterisation Methods
The dark current corrected measurements were analysed with the radiometric characterisation program as described in chapter 5.4.2. This analysis program computes the radiometric response, the linearity and creates a “flat-field” image. Table 6.26 contains the program input parameters used for the analyses.
Table 6.26: Radiometric characterisation analysis input parameter values Program input parameter Input value
a) Sensor name AISA
b) Check linearity Yes
c) Use of neutral density filter? Yes
d) Selected filter transmittance file MO08_64x.prn e) Selected integration time 300 ms
The transmittances of the filters were determined with the two-beam spectrometer Varian CARY-1 in the wavelength range between 190 and 900 nm with a resolution of 1 nm [102]. The curve of the transmittance of the filter is plotted in App. C, Figure C.19.