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What Is The Difference Between CCD and Cmos Image Sensors in A Digital Camera

The document compares CCD and CMOS image sensors used in digital cameras. It explains that while both convert light to electrons, CCD sensors transport the charge across the chip to be read, while CMOS sensors use transistors at each pixel to amplify and move the charge. Historically, CCD sensors produced higher quality, lower noise images but used more power, while CMOS sensors consumed less power but had lower quality. However, CMOS sensors are improving and becoming comparable to CCD sensors in some applications, while remaining less expensive to manufacture.

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150 views2 pages

What Is The Difference Between CCD and Cmos Image Sensors in A Digital Camera

The document compares CCD and CMOS image sensors used in digital cameras. It explains that while both convert light to electrons, CCD sensors transport the charge across the chip to be read, while CMOS sensors use transistors at each pixel to amplify and move the charge. Historically, CCD sensors produced higher quality, lower noise images but used more power, while CMOS sensors consumed less power but had lower quality. However, CMOS sensors are improving and becoming comparable to CCD sensors in some applications, while remaining less expensive to manufacture.

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What is the difference between

CCD and CMOS image sensors in


?a digital camera
Digital cameras have become extremely common as the prices have come down.
One of the drivers behind the falling prices has been the introduction of CMOS
image sensors. CMOS sensors are much less expensive to manufacture than CCD
sensors.
Both CCD (charge-coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal-oxide
semiconductor) image sensors start at the same point -- they have to convert
light into electrons. If you have read the articleHow Solar Cells Work, you
understand one technology that is used to perform the conversion. One simplified
way to think about the sensor used in a digital camera (or camcorder) is to think
of it as having a 2-D array of thousands or millions of tiny solar cells, each of
which transforms the light from one small portion of the image into electrons.
Both CCD and CMOS devices perform this task using a variety of technologies.
The next step is to read the value (accumulated charge) of each cell in the
image. In a CCD device, the charge is actually transported across the chip and
read at one corner of the array. An analog-to-digital converter turns each pixel's
value into a digital value. In most CMOS devices, there are several transistors at
each pixel that amplify and move the charge using more traditional wires. The
CMOS approach is more flexible because each pixel can be read individually.
CCDs use a special manufacturing process to create the ability to transport charge
across the chip without distortion. This process leads to very high-quality sensors
in terms of fidelity and light sensitivity. CMOS chips, on the other hand, use
traditional manufacturing processes to create the chip -- the same processes used
to make most microprocessors. Because of the manufacturing differences, there
have been some noticeable differences between CCD and CMOS sensors.

CCD sensors, as mentioned above, create high-quality, low-noise images.


CMOS sensors, traditionally, are more susceptible to noise.

Because each pixel on a CMOS sensor has several transistors located next
to it, the light sensitivity of a CMOS chip tends to be lower. Many of the photons
hitting the chip hit the transistors instead of the photodiode.

CMOS traditionally consumes little power. Implementing a sensor in CMOS


yields a low-power sensor.

CCDs use a process that consumes lots of power. CCDs consume as much
as 100 times more power than an equivalent CMOS sensor.

CMOS chips can be fabricated on just about any standard silicon


production line, so they tend to be extremely inexpensive compared to CCD
sensors.

CCD sensors have been mass produced for a longer period of time, so they
are more mature. They tend to have higher quality and more pixels.
Based on these differences, you can see that CCDs tend to be used in cameras
that focus on high-quality images with lots of pixels and excellent light sensitivity.
CMOS sensors traditionally have lower quality, lower resolution and lower
sensitivity. CMOS sensors are just now improving to the point where they reach
near parity with CCD devices in some applications. CMOS cameras are usually less
expensive and have great battery life.

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