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Fairchild Imaging, Inc.,
1801 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035 (800)325-6975 (408) 433-2500
CCD181
4
Integration Control Operation:
Variable integration times which are less than the CCD exposure
time may be attained by supplying a clock to the integration control
gate. Clocking
φ
IC
reduces the integration time from t
EXPOSURE
to
t
INT
(Fig. 3). This reduces the photosite signal in all photosites by
the ratio
EXPOSURE
to t
INT.
Greater than 10:1 reduction in average
photosite signal can be achieved with integration control.
The integration-control and anti-blooming features can be imple-
mented simultaneously. This is done by setting the
φ
IC
, clock-low
level to approximately 5 to 7 volts.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Charge-Coupled Device
—
A Charge-coupled device is a semi-
conductor device in which finite isolated charge-packets are trans-
ported from one position in the semiconductor to an adjacent posi-
tion by sequential clocking of an array of gates. The charge-packets
are minority carriers with respect to the semiconductor substrate.
Sample -and Hold Clock
φ
SHA
,
φ
SHB
)
—
The voltage waveform
applied to the sample-and-hold gates in the output amplifiers to cre-
ate a continuous sampled video signal at the output. The sample-
and-hold feature may be defeated by connecting
φ
SHA
and
φ
SHB
to
V
DD
.
Dark Reference
—
Video output level generated from sensing
elements covered with opaque metallization which provides a refer-
ence voltage equivalent to device operation in the dark. This per-
mits use of external DC restoration circuitry.
Isolation Cell
—
This is a site on-chip producing an element in the
video output that serves as a buffer between valid video data and
dark reference signals. The output from an isolation cell contains
no valid information and should be ignored.
Dynamic Range
—
The saturation exposure divided by the RMS
temporal noise equivalent exposure. Dynamic range is sometimes
defined in terms of peak-to-peak noise. To compare the two defini-
tions a factor of four to six is generally appropriate in that peak-to-
peak noise is approximately equal to four to six times RMS noise.
RMS Noise Equivalent Exposure
—
The exposure level that
gives an output signal to the RMS noise level at the output in the
dark.
Saturation Exposure
—
The minimum exposure level that will
provide a saturation output signal. Exposure is equal to the light
intensity times the photosites integration time.
Charge Transfer Efficiency
—
Percentage of valid charge in-
formation that is transferred between each successive stage of the
transport registers.
Responsivity
—
The output signal voltage per unit exposure for a
specified spectral type of radiation. Responsivity equals output volt-
age divided by exposure.
Total Photoresponse Non-uniformity
—
The difference of the
response levels of the most and the least sensitive element under
uniform illumination. Measurement of PRNU excludes first and last
elements.
Dark Signal
—
The output signal in the dark caused by thermally
generated electrons that is a linear function of the integration time
and highly sensitive to temperature.
Saturation Output Voltage
—
The maximum usable signal out-
put voltage. Charge transfer efficiency decreases sharply when the
saturation output voltage is exceeded.
Integration Time
—
The time interval between the falling edge of
any two successive transfer pulses (
φ
X
). The integration is the time
allowed for the photosites to collect charge.
Exposure Time
- The time interval between the falling edge of the
two transfer pulses (
φ
X
) shown in the timing diagram. The exposure
time is the time between transfers of signal charge from the photosites
into the transport registers.
Pixel -
A picture element (photosite).