Optical aided target recognition system

A 32-channel system has been designed and built to process large-format synthetic aperture radar imagery. Eight Vander Lugt optical correlators operate in parallel, controlled by a single-board VME computer. The full-size images are divided into subscenes to match the processors' SLMs and compared to a stored filter bank. Each correlator incorporates two LCDs, four diffractive optical elements, a large CCD sensor, and a DSP based neural network post- processor. Custom drive electronics derive the LCDs at 60 Hz and double their normal operating resolution. The system is self-calibrating and automatically adjusts for a failure in any of the 8 processors. This paper will present a system level overview and discussion of each of the major sub- systems.