Design and Test of High Speed, Low Noise, High Resolution Frontend Electronics for a Microbolometer Array

Abstract

In this thesis, frontend electronics for operating a microbolometer sensor are developed. This sensor consists of resistive microbolometers that act as a radiation camera and are sensitive to the wavelength range of 8 − 14 µm. The sensor’s requirements for supply voltages, bias voltages, and clock signals are identified and met through suitable circuits. For the video signals, a signal path is designed to convert the signals into balanced, differential signals that can be interpreted by an analog-to-digital converter. Subsequently, two printed circuit boards are developed and manufactured for the design. The boards are assembled and commissioned. Tests conducted afterward reveal that the designs are functional. The resulting interferences are very low; however, there are influences whose origin cannot be localized. The sensor’s supply voltage is lownoise, except for a disturbance at 94 kHz. A functional LVDS path has been developed, capable of transmitting clock signals.