WSF_BEAM_DIRECTOR

sensor WSF_BEAM_DIRECTOR

sensor <name> WSF_BEAM_DIRECTOR

   ... Platform Part Commands ...
   ... sensor Commands ...
   mode <name>
      angular_resolution ...
      perfect_correlation ...
      type ...
      min_pixels_for_cue ...
   end_mode
end_sensor

Overview

WSF_BEAM_DIRECTOR is a sensor meant to be used as a beam director (target tracker) for a High-Energy Laser (HEL). Specifically, this sensor is meant to work with the WSF_CUED_LASER_WEAPON.

This sensor has three modes: scanning, locked with imaging, and cued to image. During the scan phase the laser sensor is cued to a location or track. It uses this location as the center of its field-of-view. It will then scan for targets within its scan field-of-view. If it detects one, it will “lock on” to this target and commence its imaging sequence. Once an image is acquired, if it subtends a given critical size (min_pixels_for_cue), the sensor will “cue to the image,” meaning it simulates a lock onto a sub-portion of the image. At this point, a co-pointed HEL can fire.

The beam director sends specific messages during mode transitions. These messages have the following type names:

Transition          Message Name
--------------------------------
LOCKED-->CUED       CUED_TO_IMAGE
CUED-->LOCKED       LOST_IMAGE_CUE
LOCKED-->SCANNING   BREAKLOCK

When the “CUED_TO_IMAGE” message is received by the WSF_CUED_LASER_WEAPON, high-energy lasing commences. This is indicated in the simulation by a DIRECTED_ENERGY_WEAPON_BEGIN_SHOT event. If the “LOST_IMAGE_CUE” is received while lasing, the high-energy lasing is aborted, and a DIRECTED_ENERGY_WEAPON_END_SHOT event is issued.

Mode Commands

angular_resolution <angle-value>

Specify the angular resolution of the sensor.

Default: 3.0E-5 radians

perfect_correlation <boolean-value>

Specify whether the sensor will perfectly correlate when tracking from an initial cue.

Default: false (It will pick the object closest to the center of the field-of-view to track.)

type scanning | locked | cued

Determines the type of mode. Using the type input simplifies the task of modeling the beam director as a set of finer and finer tracking modes. One typically specifies a scanning mode, one or more locked modes, and finally, a cued mode. Once the cued mode is entered, a message is sent to the associated WSF_CUED_LASER_WEAPON, and HEL lasing commences.

Default: cued

min_pixels_for_cue <integer-value>

Specify the minimum number of pixels required to initiate a successful transition to a cued mode.

Default: 0