Camera sensors are light-sensitive detectors that convert incoming photons into electrical signals that can be read by a digital device. Most cameras use 2D array detectors, and choosing the right sensor type for a given application often requires a trade-off between cost, desired final image resolution, and necessary readout speed.
The most common types of camera sensors are either charge-coupled devices (CCDs) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors. These are two different sensor technologies that have different strengths and weaknesses depending on the conditions under which the final device is likely to operate.
Historically, CCD sensors have been the sensor of choice for high-resolution and low-light applications. A CCD sensor is an array of pixels made of a material that generates electrons when struck by a photon. A series of electrodes collects and reads out the generated charge, usually via a single amplifier. Each pixel is read by transferring the charge to other pixels. CCDs typically have very low noise readouts due to the design of the amplification stages. CCDs can be designed to have excellent dynamic range and good linearity over much of this detection range, which can simplify many measurements. Since each pixel needs to be read individually, readout time can be problematic for creating particularly large array detectors using this architecture.
However, in recent years, CMOS technology has made many advances, especially for small, lightweight "camera-on-a-chip" applications, and CMOS sensors are now the most widely adopted technology. Improvements in manufacturing have helped to reduce noise levels, and while few CMOS sensors have the same dynamic range as CCD sensors, the power efficiency and cost-effectiveness of CMOS sensors often make up for this.
As a company specializing in optical products such as night vision devices, telescopes, thermal imaging, rangefinders, infrared cameras, speedometers, etc., Onick Optics will provide more convenient solutions for security and police use, search and rescue, emergency response, armed police firefighting, special rescue and other fields!