08-25-2009, 10:46 AM
Both CCD (charge-coupled device) and CMOS (complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensors start at the same point -- they have to convert light into electrons.
CCD – Historically has been better in low light conditions but CMOS technology has been improving in low light conditions, so depending on the environment, CMOS may be able to now provide good image in lower light conditions. CCDs use a special manufacturing process to create the ability to transport charge across the chip without distortion. This results in high light sensitivity. CCDs use a process that consumes a lot of power. CCDs consume as much as 100 times more power than an equivalent CMOS sensor. 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.
CMOS – Complementary Metal Oxide Semi Conductor – has a faster processing speed than CCD but until recently had not been able to provide good image in lower light conditions. The CMOS approach to transmitting images is more flexible because each pixel can be read individually. CMOS sensors are just now improving to the point where they reach near parity with CCD devices in some applications
CCD – Historically has been better in low light conditions but CMOS technology has been improving in low light conditions, so depending on the environment, CMOS may be able to now provide good image in lower light conditions. CCDs use a special manufacturing process to create the ability to transport charge across the chip without distortion. This results in high light sensitivity. CCDs use a process that consumes a lot of power. CCDs consume as much as 100 times more power than an equivalent CMOS sensor. 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.
CMOS – Complementary Metal Oxide Semi Conductor – has a faster processing speed than CCD but until recently had not been able to provide good image in lower light conditions. The CMOS approach to transmitting images is more flexible because each pixel can be read individually. CMOS sensors are just now improving to the point where they reach near parity with CCD devices in some applications