Electronics Design Scheme for Athermal Diode Pumped Laser Target Designator

Abstract

Laser Target Designators (LTD) play a pivotal role in modern warfare by providing terminal guidance to laser guided munitions for precision strikes on high value military assets. The requirement is to develop even more efficient and compact LTDs. Athermal Diode Pumped Laser Target Designators (ADPLTD), represent the latest generation of LTDs and have distinct advantage over earlier designators such as instant start capability, longer duty cycle and high efficiency. The electronics design of such a designator is quite demanding. It requires handling of voltages of the order of few mV to few kV, very high timing stability, pulsed current driving with precise control for pumping of laser diode arrays with respect to the temperature during the firing cycle, fast rise time Q-switch driving and real time control of different electrical parameters affecting laser output, for each firing pulse. Proper electrical isolation among various electronic modules and galvanic isolation is also introduced to noise-free operation. This paper presents the electronics design scheme for a typical ADPLTD which enables a better understanding of the criticalities involved in its functioning.