The European Physical Journal Applied Physics

Table of Contents - January 2003 - Volume 21, Issue 01  

Instrumentation and Metrology

CCD or CMOS camera noise characterisation

Y. Reibela1, M. Junga1, M. Bouhifda1, B. Cunina1 and C. Dramana2

Groupe d'Optique Appliquée, Laboratoire Phase, 23 rue du Loess, 67200 Strasbourg, France

Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Image, de l'Information et de la Télédétection, École Nationale Supérieure de Physique, Bd. Sébastien Brand, 67400 Illkirch, France

Abstract

To achieve optimum imaging performance, any camera system has to be thoroughly checked before being used, particular care being given in evaluating the different contributions due to noise. Our work presents a method for characterising the different sources of noise affecting CCD or CMOS cameras, emphasising the too often overlooked pattern noise. This method is an extended and theoretical approach of the well-known photon transfer technique [1]. Experimentation on our high speed CCD imager illustrates this approach.

(Received February 26 2001)

(Revised January 3 2002)

(Accepted March 28 2002)

(Online publication November 29 2002)

PACS:

  • 85.60.Bt – Optoelectronic device characterization, design, and modeling;
  • 85.60.Gz – Photodetectors;
  • 07.50.Hp – Electrical noise and shielding equipment

yann.reibel@free.fr Bernard.Cunin@phase.c-strasbourg.fr