The linear array multi-band selection device role in remote-sensing instrument design

A figure-of-merit parameter for the scientific utility of multispectral linear array (MLA) instruments for civil remote sensing is presented. The number of spectral band-pair choices available to the user of a given MLA instrument is proposed as a useful measure of the flexibility and overall utility of that particular instrument design. The multiband selection device capability is analyzed mathematically, and a basis for a cost-benefit comparison of alternative multispectral instrument designs is provided.