Evaluation of point-source microscope localization accuracy based on measurement system analysis methods

Spherical and aspherical reflective optical systems are widely used in modern optical systems such as astronomical instruments and space optics due to their advantages of large field of view, absence of chromatic aberration, excellent image quality, and compact structure. However, during the assembly and adjustment process, the key is to quickly and accurately locate the curvature centers of multiple surfaces in the reflective system. Traditional methods rely on laser interferometers to monitor the entire system, which is not only cumbersome and time-consuming but also difficult to apply to the rapid adjustment of complex multi-mirror optical systems, and the required equipment is expensive. The Point Source Microscope (PSM) is a new type of alignment instrument that, based on the principle of spherical autocollimation, can quickly locate the curvature center positions of optical elements. Its simple structure and low cost make it an essential monitoring and measurement device during the assembly of complex off-axis optical systems. However, in practical applications, it has been found that the positioning accuracy of the curvature center of optical elements monitored by the PSM is influenced by many factors, with issues such as multi-degree-of-freedom compensation and sensitivity. Therefore, this paper proposes to use Measurement System Analysis (MSA) to further evaluate and analyze the positioning accuracy of the PSM to improve its accuracy.