Design and Characterization of the CCD Detector Assemblies for ICON FUV

Abstract:

The Far Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (FUV) on the upcoming Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission uses dual image-intensified CCD camera systems, capable of detecting individual UV photons from both spectrometer channels (135.6 and 155 nm). Incident photons are converted to visible light using a sealed tube UV converter. The converter output is coupled to the CCD active area using a bonded fiber optic taper. The CCD (Teledyne DALSA FTT1010M) is a 1024x1024 frame transfer architecture. The camera readout electronics provide video imagery to the spacecraft over a 21 bit serialized LVDS interface, nominally at 10 frames per second and in 512x512 format (2x2 pixel binning). The CCD and primary electronics assembly reside in separate thermal zones, to minimize dark current without active cooling.

Engineering and flight camera systems have been assembled, integrated, and tested under both ambient pressure and thermal vacuum environments. The CCD cameras have been fully characterized with both visible light (prior to integration with the UV converter) and UV photons (following system integration). Measured parameters include camera dark current, dark signal non-uniformity, read noise, linearity, gain, pulse height distribution, dynamic range, charge transfer efficiency, resolution, relative efficiency, quantum efficiency, and full well capacity. UV characterization of the camera systems over a range of microchannel plate (MCP) voltages during thermal vacuum testing demonstrates that camera performance will meet the critical on-orbit FUV dynamic range requirements. Flight camera integration with the FUV instrument and sensor calibration is planned for Fall 2015. Camera design and full performance data for the engineering and flight model cameras will be presented.