%A V. K. Malyutenko %A A. V. Zinovchuk %J Proceedings of SPIE %T Mid-infrared LEDs versus thermal emitters in IR dynamic scene simulation devices %X In a radical departure from conventional thermal emitter-based dynamic IR scene simulation devices, we have tested InAsSbP/InAs LEDs grown by liquid phase epitaxy and tuned at several peak-emitting wavelengths inside the mid-IR band. Light uniformity, radiation apparent temperature (Ta), thermal resistance, and self heating details were characterized at T=300 K in the microscale by calibrated infrared cameras in the 3-5 mm (light pattern) and 8-12 ?m (heat pattern) bands. We show that LEDs are capable of simulating very hot (Ta ?740 K) targets as well as cold objects and low observable with respect to a particular background. We resume that cost effective LEDs enable a platform for photonic scene projection devices able to compete with thermal microemitter MEMS technology in testing and stimulating very high-speed infrared sensors used for military and commercial applications. Proposals on how to further increase LEDs performance are given. %K LEDs,IR dynamic scene simulation, apparent temperature %P 63680D-1 %V 6368 %D 2006 %I International society for optics and photonics %L zu28338