A diamond turned optical system for use in field test equipment

An optical system was needed which would project visual, near-infrared signals and 8-12-μm target patterns into a multispectral military prime equipment. A system measurement requirement of ±100 μmrad is defined, which established an optical collimation requirement of 30 μm. This collimation requirement was further divided into an error budget of 5.9 μmrad optical fabrication tolerances, 5.6 μmrad mechanical tolerances, and 29 μmrad thermal chantes. The tolerance requirements became the basis for designing a rugged, low-cost optical system which is easy to assemble and align. Test results on a prototype are compared with the design specifications