chapter 10, Signal-to-noise Performance

from: Photon Transfer

Author(s): James R. Janesick

Published: 14 August 2007

Chapter DOI: 10.1117/3.725073.ch10

Chapter Page Count: 19 pages

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Front Matter

1. Introduction

2. Photon Interaction

3. Photon Transfer Noise Sources

4. Photon Transfer Theory

5. Photon Transfer Curve

6. e⁻/DN Variance

7. Nonlinearity

8. Flat Fielding

9. Modulation Photon Transfer

10. Signal-to-noise Performance

11. Read Noise

12. Lux Transfer

A. PTC Data Reduction Example

B. PTC Simulation Program with Thermal Dark Current

C. PTC Simulation Program with FPN Removal through Flat Fielding

D. LTC Simulation Program with Thermal Dark Current

Back Matter

Preview

Chapter Contents

10.1 Uniform Stimulus
10.2 Image S/N Performance
10.3 Flat Fielding
10.4 Image Averaging
10.5 On-Chip Averaging

Excerpt

10.1 Uniform Stimulus

Data from a PTC provides signal-to-noise (S/N) performance directly (i.e., no further data taking is necessary). S/N is determined by dividing signal by noise for each PTC data point taken. The result is plotted as a function of signal in either DN or electron units.

In equation form, S/N for a uniform flat-field stimulus input is given by

Three different noise regimes exist over an S/N plot: read noise, shot noise, and FPN. S/N for the read noise regime is

which is proportional to signal and produces a slope 1 curve when plotted on log-log coordinates.

The S/N within the shot noise regime is

and increases by the square root of signal with a slope of 1/2.

The S/N within the FPN regime is

and is independent of signal, producing a slope of 0. The FPN regime begins at a signal level of 1/PN2 of approximately 10,000 e⁻ for CCD and CMOS imagers. Beyond this signal level, S/N performance is fixed at about 1/P_N = 100.

DOI: 10.1117/3.725073.ch10

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