IMAGE SENSOR

IP Surveillance CCTV camera

Understanding Digital Sensor
• Sensors can be classified by structure type (CCD or CMOS),
chroma type (color or monochromatic), or shutter type
(global or rolling shutter).
• They can also be categorized based on resolution, frame rate,
pixel size, and sensor format.
• Understanding these terms is crucial for selecting the most
suitable sensor for a given application.
• These cameras offer a robust design and additional features
not available on consumer cameras.
• Machine vision cameras are designed to run 24/7, capturing
images and sending them to vision systems for processing.
• It is necessary to carefully research which sensor
specifications best meet their needs for the application.
 Image Sensor Components
• Solid-state image sensor chips contain pixels made
up of light-sensitive elements, micro lenses, and
micro electrical components.
• Chips are manufactured by semiconductor
companies and cut from wafers.
• Wire bonds transfer signals from the die to contact
pads at the back of the sensor.
• Packaging protects the sensor chip and wire bonds
from physical and environmental harm, provides
thermal dissipation, and includes interconnecting
electronics for signal transfer.
• A cover glass at the front of the packaging protects
the sensor chip and wires while allowing light to
reach the light-sensitive area.
Image Sensor from Silicon wafers
• Manufacturing: Image sensor chips are manufactured by
semiconductor companies and cut from silicon wafers.
• Pixel Composition: Pixels on these chips consist of light-
sensitive elements, micro lenses, and micro electrical
components.
• Signal Transfer: Wire bonds transfer signals from the die to
contact pads at the back of the sensor.
• Packaging: The packaging protects the sensor chip and wire
bonds, provides thermal dissipation, and includes
interconnecting electronics for signal transfer.
• Cover Glass: A transparent cover glass protects the sensor chip
and wires while allowing light to reach the light-sensitive area.
• These points highlight the essential aspects of how image
sensors are created and protected during their use.
 Sensor Functions Inside camera
• In a camera system, the image sensor receives light (photons) focused through a lens or optics.
• The sensor type (CCD or CMOS) determines how information is transferred to the next stage: as
a voltage or a digital signal.
• CMOS sensors convert photons into electrons, then to a voltage, and finally into a digital value
using an on-chip Analog to Digital Converter (ADC).
 CCD Sensor – Charged Couple Device
• CCD sensors (Charged Couple Device) start and stop exposure for all pixels at the
same time. This is known as global shutter. The CCD then transfers this exposure
charge to the horizontal shift register where it is then sent to the floating diffusion
amplifier.
 CMOS Sensor
• Rolling Shutter: Initially, CMOS sensors
used a rolling shutter, exposing one pixel
row at a time.
• Global Shutter: Over time, global
shutter CMOS sensors have been
developed.
• Higher Frame Rates: CMOS sensors use
smaller ADCs for each pixel column,
allowing for higher frame rates
compared to CCDs.
• Improvements: Modern CMOS sensors
have significantly improved.
• Image Quality and Speed: They now
match or surpass CCDs in image quality,
speed, and overall value.
Monochrome Sensors
•Higher Sensitivity: Monochrome sensors capture all
incoming light at each pixel, making them more sensitive
to light compared to color sensors
•Improved Detail: They can achieve higher detail and
resolution because they don’t use a color filter array,
which can reduce the amount of light captured.
•Better Low-Light Performance: Due to their higher
sensitivity, monochrome sensors perform better in low-
light conditions.
•No Color Interpolation: Unlike color sensors,
monochrome sensors don’t require demosaicing, which
can lead to sharper images.
•Applications: They are often used in scientific imaging,
medical imaging, and other applications where high
detail and sensitivity are crucial.
 Colour Sensors
• Detection Principle: Color sensors detect the color of an
object by measuring the intensity of red, green, and blue
light reflected from it.
• Components: They typically consist of a light source
(usually a white LED), photodiodes with color filters (red,
green, and blue), and an analog-to-digital converter
(ADC) to process the signals.
• Types: There are two main types of color sensors: true
color sensors, which use separate light receivers for red,
green, and blue light, and light-to-frequency converters,
which measure light intensity and convert it to a
frequency output.
• Advantages: They provide accurate and reliable color
detection, are versatile in different applications, and can
improve the performance of devices by adjusting to
ambient light conditions.
Sensor Pixel Size
• Pixel size is measured in micrometers (µm) and includes the entire area of both the photodiode
and surrounding electronics. A CMOS pixel consists of a photodiode, an amplifier, reset gate,
transfer gate and floating diffusion.
Global Shutter
• An important function of the sensor is its
shutter type. The two main electronic
shutter types are global shutter and rolling
shutter. These shutter types are different in
their operation and final imaging results,
especially when the camera or target is in
motion. Let’s look in detail at how they
work and how this affects imaging.
• In Global shutter the exposure timing of
a global shutter sensor. All pixels begin and
end exposure at the same time but readout
still happens line by line. This timing
produces non-distorted images without
wobble or skewing. Global shutter sensors
are essential for imaging high speed moving
objects.
Rolling Shutter
• The exposure timing of a rolling
shutter sensor. Exposure timing is
different line by line with reset and
readout happening at shifted times.
This row by row exposure produces
image distortion if either the target or
camera are in motion. Rolling shutter
sensors offer excellent sensitivity for
imaging static or slow moving objects.