Design and implementation of an advanced X-ray trigger generator for EML test facilities

The Materials Testing Facility (MTF) at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) routinely captures orthogonal x-ray images of launch packages (LP) as they travel through the flight tube after a launch. Located about a meter from the target plates, the x-ray images provide a useful diagnostic for determining the performance of the materials used during the test. The images are captured on digital image plates, a reusable technology that uses a laser to scan the photo-stimulated phosphor particles, thus rendering a digital image that can be processed by a computer software package.