Design and fabrication of a modern, compact, highly modular, and extreme-environment-capable replacement have been proposed for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) camera. This next-generation camera is based on a CMOS (complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor) imager rather than a CCD (charge-coupled device) imager, and will provide similar image quality to the MER cameras. At the same time, the NIC will enjoy a higher readout speed, operate over a wider temperature range (–135 °C to 125 °C), and cost less to fabricate while seeing a 10× reduction in mass, size, component count, and power consumption of the camera.
The custom CMOS imager developed for the NIC prototype will integrate the support functions on-chip, reducing the required support electronics to a few passive resistors and capacitors. It will also incorporate a custom interface to reduce wire count to a few cables. Additionally, self-biasing circuitry will be incorporated to reduce temperature sensitivity. This will allow the camera to be about the size of a 35-mm film canister (or roughly 2 cm in diameter and 3 cm long), with low mass (<20 g), low power (on the order of 100 mW), and relatively low cost.
This work was done by Colin McKinney, Jeremy A. Yager, Zachary W. Pannell, Bruce R. Hancock, Thomas J. Cunningham, Jeffrey A. Hayden, Holly A. Bender, and James B. Coles of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NPO-48821
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Next-Generation Integrated Camera
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Overview
The document outlines the Next-Generation Integrated Camera (NIC) project developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), led by Principal Investigator Colin McKinney. The primary objective of the NIC is to create an engineering-quality wide-temperature imager suitable for future space missions, building on the success of previous Mars Exploration Rover (MER) CCD cameras.
The NIC aims to leverage existing custom CMOS imager designs to achieve comparable or superior imaging performance while significantly reducing mass, power consumption, and volume. The camera utilizes a 0.35um TSMC technology process, allowing it to operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -135°C to +40°C without the need for external heaters. This capability is crucial for missions that encounter harsh environmental conditions.
The document details the funding allocation for the project, with a total of $200,000 planned for each fiscal year from 2012 to 2014. Key milestones include the design and fabrication of an imager test chip, the redesign of optics to accommodate smaller pixels, and the implementation of a digital camera controller in FPGA for testing and characterization.
The NIC features a four-element optical design that avoids aspherical surfaces and exotic materials, enhancing manufacturability and reducing mass. The optics are designed to maintain performance under temperature variations, with simulations confirming resilience down to -135°C. The camera specifications include a full well depth of 100k to 170k electrons, a bit depth of 12 bits, and a framerate exceeding 30 FPS.
The document also describes the digital controller's architecture, which includes components for serial communication, command decoding, and configuration management. This controller is essential for interfacing with the imager chip and managing data transmission.
Overall, the NIC project represents a significant advancement in imaging technology for space exploration, focusing on innovation in system design and integration. The successful development of the NIC is expected to enhance the capabilities of future missions, providing high-quality imaging in extreme conditions while optimizing cost and efficiency. The document serves as a technical support package, providing insights into the project's goals, methodologies, and anticipated outcomes.
