A device for positioning and tracking of luminous targets

A microprocessor-controlled passive optoelectronic device for detecting and tracking luminous objects which has accurate position determination both in azimuth and elevation is discussed. The device consists of four solid-state integrated diode arrays 100×100 with pinholes as imaging elements. Signal processing provides background suppression, which results in a substantial detection range extension. The device performance is discussed in terms of range and accuracy. By appropriate choice of read-out rate, the desired range and the detector response time are achieved.