The U.S. Army and eMagin Corporation established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to
characterize the ongoing improvements in the lifetime of OLED displays. This CRADA also called for the evaluation of
OLED performance as the need arises, especially when new products are developed or when a previously untested
parameter needs to be understood. In 2006, eMagin Corporation developed long-life OLED-XL devices for use in their
AMOLED microdisplays for head-worn applications. Through Research and Development programs from 2007 to 2012
with the U.S. Government, eMagin made additional improvements in OLED life and developed the first SXGA (1280 X
1024 with triad pixels) and WUXGA (1920 X 1200 with triad pixels) OLED microdisplays. US Army RDECOM
CERDEC NVESD conducted life and performance tests on these displays, publishing results at the 2012, 2011, 2010,
2009, 2008, and 2007 SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing Symposia. Life and performance tests have continued
through 2013, and this data will be presented along with a comparison to previous data. This should result in a better
understanding of the applicability of AMOLEDs in military and commercial head mounted systems, where good fits are
made, and where further development might be desirable.
As part of its continuing effort to improve both the resolution and optical performance of AMOLED microdisplays,
eMagin has recently developed an SXGA (1280×3×1024) microdisplay under a US Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD
contract that combines the world's smallest OLED pixel pitch with an ultra-high brightness green OLED emitter. This
development is aimed at next-generation HMD systems with
"see-through" and daylight imaging requirements. The
OLED pixel array is built on a 0.18-micron CMOS backplane and contains over 4 million individually addressable
pixels with a pixel pitch of 2.7 × 8.1 microns, resulting in an active area of 0.52 inches diagonal. Using both spatial and
temporal enhancement, the display can provide over 10-bits of
gray-level control for high dynamic range applications.
The new pixel design also enables the future implementation of a full-color QSXGA (2560 × RGB × 2048) microdisplay
in an active area of only 1.05 inch diagonal. A low-power serialized low-voltage-differential-signaling (LVDS) interface
is integrated into the display for use as a remote video link for tethered systems. The new SXGA backplane has been
combined with the high-brightness green OLED device developed by eMagin under an NVESD contract. This OLED
device has produced an output brightness of more than 8000fL with all pixels on; lifetime measurements are currently
underway and will presented at the meeting. This paper will describe the operational features and first optical and
electrical test results of the new SXGA demonstrator microdisplay.
Spatial noise in imaging systems has been characterized and its impact on image quality metrics has been addressed
primarily with respect to the introduction of this noise at the sensor component. However, sensor fixed pattern noise is
not the only source of fixed pattern noise in an imaging system. Display fixed pattern noise cannot be easily mitigated
in processing and, therefore, must be addressed. In this paper, a thorough examination of the amount and the effect of
display fixed pattern noise is presented. The specific manifestation of display fixed pattern noise is dependent upon the
display technology. Utilizing a calibrated camera, US Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD has developed a microdisplay
(μdisplay) spatial noise data collection capability. Noise and signal power spectra were used to characterize the
display signal to noise ratio (SNR) as a function of spatial frequency analogous to the minimum resolvable temperature
difference (MRTD) of a thermal sensor. The goal of this study is to establish a measurement technique to characterize
μdisplay limiting performance to assist in proper imaging system specification.
KEYWORDS: Accelerated life testing, Organic light emitting diodes, Spectroscopy, Temperature metrology, Systems modeling, Video, Prototyping, Calibration, Visual process modeling, Data analysis
The US Army and eMagin Corporation established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to
characterize the ongoing improvements in the lifetime of OLED displays. This CRADA also called for the evaluation of
OLED performance as the need arises, especially when new products are developed or when a previously untested
parameter needs to be understood. In 2006, eMagin Corporation developed long-life OLED-XL devices for use in their
AMOLED microdisplays for head-worn applications. Through research and development programs from 2007 to 2010
with the US Government, eMagin made additional improvements in OLED life and developed the first SXGA (1280 X
1024 triad pixels) OLED microdisplay. US Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD conducted life and performance tests
on these displays, publishing results at the 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 SPIE Defense and Security Symposia1,2,3,4. Life
and performance tests have continued through 2010, and this data will be presented along with a recap of previous data.
This should result in a better understanding of the applicability of AMOLEDs in military and commercial head mounted
systems: where good fits are made, and where further development might be desirable.
The US Army and eMagin Corporation established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to
characterize the ongoing improvements in the lifetime of OLED displays. This CRADA also called for the evaluation of
OLED performance as the need arises, especially when new products are developed or when a previously untested
parameter needs to be understood. In 2006, eMagin Corporation developed long-life OLED-XLTM devices for use in
their AMOLED microdisplays for head-worn applications. Through Research and Development programs from 2007 to
2009 with the US Government, eMagin made additional improvements in OLED life and developed the first SXGA
(1280 × 1024 triad pixels) OLED microdisplay. US Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD conducted life and
performance tests on these displays, publishing results at the 2007, 2008, and 2009 SPIE Defense and Security
Symposia1,2,3. Life and performance tests have continued through 2009, and this data will be presented along with a
recap of previous data. This should result in a better understanding of the applicability of AMOLEDs in military and
commercial head mounted systems: where good fits are made, and where further development might be desirable.
KEYWORDS: Organic light emitting diodes, Accelerated life testing, Prototyping, Video, Time metrology, Contrast transfer function, Photometry, Military display technology, Chromium, Temperature metrology
The US Army and eMagin Corporation established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to
characterize the ongoing improvements in the lifetime of OLED displays. This CRADA also called for the evaluation of
OLED performance as the need arises, especially when new products are developed or when a previously untested
parameter needs to be understood. In 2006, eMagin Corporation developed long-life OLED-XL devices for use in their
AMOLED microdisplays for head-worn applications. RDECOM CERDEC NVESD conducted life tests on these
displays, finding over 200% lifetime improvement for the OLED-XL devices over the standard OLED displays,
publishing results at the 2007 and 2008 SPIE Defense and Security Symposia1,2. In 2008, eMagin Corporation made
additional improvements on the lifetime of their displays and developed the first SXGA (1280 × 1024 triad pixels)
OLED microdisplay. A summary of the life and performance tests run at CERDEC NVESD will be presented along
with a recap of previous data. This should result in a better understanding of the applicability of AMOLEDs in military
and commercial head mounted systems: where good fits are made, and where further development might be desirable.
Russell Draper, Michael Wood, Bijan Radmard, Ken Mahmud, Peter Schuler, Gregory Sotzing, Venkataraman Seshadri, Warren Mino, Javier Padilla, Tobibio Otero
Complementary coloring conducting polymer based electrochromic devices have been designed, fabricated and tested for possible application as a variable attenuation combiner element for a see-through head mounted display or a variable trasnsmissive sand wind dust goggle lens. Electrochromic cells fabricated on both glass and polycarbonate substrates have been demonstrated to meet closely the desired goals of low power consumption, wide transmission range, fast switching speeds and long lifetime. Photopic transmissions of 34% in colored state and 67% in bleached state were achieved in a reproducible manner. The measured switching times are 0.6 sec (colored to bleached state) and 1.9 sec (bleached to colored state). The life cycle testing showed stability up to 92,000 switches. The measured power consumption of the fabricated devices was < 1 mW/cm . The electrochromic technology design effort has identified processes for obtaining the optimum layer thickness and selecting polymers and gel electrolytes necessary to obtain the widest transmission range, fastest switching speed and longest lifetime. Early environmental testing has been performed by subjecting prototype electrochromic cells to temperatures varying from -30°C to + 40°C with the results reported herein. Follow on work includes further optimization of electronic drive schemes as well as field testing of electrochromic lens equipped sand, wind dust goggles.
The U.S Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) evaluated a wide field of view HMD technology demonstrator developed by Kaiser Electronics. Primary performance and design characteristics addressed are total field of view, system contrast transfer function, eye box parameters, binocular alignment/stability, residual distortion and head borne mass. The HMD technology demonstrator was designed and built within one year between 1999 to 2000 and was developed to prove novel design and fabrication concepts in the visor, relay optics, optical interfaces, and optical platform structure. The HMD technology demonstrator system is based on a modified HGU-55 helmet and utilizes a bifurcated visor design resulting in a total head borne weight of 4.11 lbs (including MBU-20P Oxygen mask). The system provides a maximum binocular field of view of 52.7° X 29.6°and binocular overlap of 29.5° with an on-axis limiting resolution of 0.76 cy/mr. The uncompensated binocular misalignment was less than 0.29 mr RMS horizontal and 0.24 mr RMS vertical. Other useful system characteristics include right/left independently adjustable IPD mechanisms and a visor/display retraction and removal mechanism operable with a single gloved hand.
In order to evaluate near-to-eye virtual displays with optics, Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate designed, developed, and integrated the Near to Eye Display Test Station (NDTS). The system utilizes kinematically interchangeable sensor heads to capitalize on the strengths of each sensor for the applications/measurements for which its best suited. The station allows the user to evaluate a near to eye display at a system level without separation of the eyepiece from the image source (“no disassembly required”). Mechanical, optical, electronics, and software components all needed to be carefully designed and integrated to maintain accuracy and precision above those required for display evaluation. Geometric and luminance internal calibration subsystems have been characterized by the test station with results that can be correlated.
An alternative method for measuring the contrast transfer function (CTF) of a pixilated display is proposed that reduces the amount of time required to perform a high sample rate-small aperture luminance scan as outlined in the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) standard for measuring the contrast of an n X n grille. The alternative method proposed by the Night Vision Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) Displays group utilizes round sampling apertures and large step sizes to achieve comparable results to the VESA standard method. Theoretical predictions and experimental measurements demonstrated the equivalency between the proposed large aperture method and the VESA standard method with less than 8% maximum variation and an average of 2.4% variation between the two methods over two different input contrasts and 4 different grille frequencies. Experimental results also show a reduction in time to perform the profile scan by as much as 15:1 for the NVESD proposed test method over the VESA standard method.
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