Smart electronic muzzle reference light source

Abstract

An electronic light source which replaces the hazardous tritium light sou used in the existing Muzzle Reference System (MRS) found on the M1 Series of tanks. The MRS is mounted near the muzzle end of the gun (opposite the breech) and is used by tank gunness to measure gun deflection for calibration of the tank's fire control computer to optimize accuracy. The electronic light source is an LED which is activated by the pulses from a microcontroller based on the input received from a small, low power, omnidirectional motion sensor which detects the movement of the tank mounted on the tank. In the current implementation, the motion sensor comprises a conductive rolling sphere in a cylindrical chamber having a conductive wall with one electrical pole and end plates electrically insulated from the conductive wall and having the other electrical pole such that movement of the element caused by movement of the cylinder will generate intermittent electrical contact between one end plate and the cylinder wall. The signals produced are fed to the microcontroller which through the operation of its oscillator energizes the LED. The oscillator frequency is selected to eliminate EMI detection. The activation of the LED is prepared in such a manner to extend battery lite by minimizing power drain, a thermometer is employed for temperature control of the LED and other electronic circuit elements.