Device that converts images into electronic signals

Image sensor

Image sensor

An image sensor or imager is a <a href="/en/Sensor" title="Sensor" class="wl">sensor</a> that detects and conveys information used to form an <a href="/en/Image" title="Image" class="wl">image</a>. It does so by converting the variable <a href="/en/Attenuation" title="Attenuation" class="wl">attenuation</a> of light <a href="/en/Wave" title="Wave" class="wl">waves</a> (as they <a href="/en/Refraction" title="Refraction" class="wl">pass through</a> or <a href="/en/Reflection_(physics)" title="Reflection (physics)" class="wl">reflect off</a> objects) into <a href="/en/Signal_(electrical_engineering)" title="Signal (electrical engineering)" class="mw-redirect wl">signals</a>, small bursts of <a href="/en/Electric_current" title="Electric current" class="wl">current</a> that convey the information. The waves can be light or other <a href="/en/Electromagnetic_radiation" title="Electromagnetic radiation" class="wl">electromagnetic radiation</a>. Image sensors are used in <a href="/en/Electronics" title="Electronics" class="wl">electronic</a> imaging devices of both <a href="/en/Analogue_electronics" title="Analogue electronics" class="wl">analog</a> and <a href="/en/Digital_electronics" title="Digital electronics" class="wl">digital</a> types, which include <a href="/en/Digital_camera" title="Digital camera" class="wl">digital cameras</a>, <a href="/en/Camera_module" title="Camera module" class="wl">camera modules</a>, <a href="/en/Camera_phones" title="Camera phones" class="mw-redirect wl">camera phones</a>, <a href="/en/Optical_mouse" title="Optical mouse" class="wl">optical mouse</a> devices,<a href="#cite_note-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;">[1]</a><a href="#cite_note-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;">[2]</a><a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;">[3]</a> <a href="/en/Medical_imaging" title="Medical imaging" class="wl">medical imaging</a> equipment, <a href="/en/Night_vision" title="Night vision" class="wl">night vision</a> equipment such as <a href="/en/Thermography" title="Thermography" class="wl">thermal imaging</a> devices, <a href="/en/Radar" title="Radar" class="wl">radar</a>, <a href="/en/Sonar" title="Sonar" class="wl">sonar</a>, and others. As <a href="/en/Technological_change" title="Technological change" class="wl">technology changes</a>, electronic and <a href="/en/Digital_imaging" title="Digital imaging" class="wl">digital imaging</a> tends to replace chemical and analog imaging.

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Device that converts images into electronic signals</div>
<figure class="wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Ccd-sensor.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Ccd-sensor.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Ccd-sensor.jpg/230px-Ccd-sensor.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="1192" data-file-height="1324" data-file-type="bitmap" height="255" width="230" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Ccd-sensor.jpg/345px-Ccd-sensor.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Ccd-sensor.jpg/460px-Ccd-sensor.jpg 2x" alt="Ccd-sensor.jpg"></a><figcaption>A <a href="/en/Charge-coupled_device" title="Charge-coupled device" class="wl">CCD</a> image sensor on a <a href="/en/Flexible_electronics" title="Flexible electronics" class="wl">flexible circuit board</a></figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg/230px-Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="3220" data-file-height="2188" data-file-type="bitmap" height="156" width="230" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg/345px-Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg/460px-Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg 2x" alt="Cromemco_Cyclops_Camera_Board_1.jpg"></a><figcaption>An American Microsystems, Inc., (AMI) 1-kilobit <a href="/en/Dynamic_random-access_memory" title="Dynamic random-access memory" class="wl">DRAM</a> chip (center chip with glass window) used as an image sensor by the <a href="/en/Cromemco_Cyclops" title="Cromemco Cyclops" class="wl">Cromemco Cyclops</a></figcaption></figure>

The two main types of electronic image sensors are the <a href="/en/Charge-coupled_device" title="Charge-coupled device" class="wl">charge-coupled device</a> (CCD) and the <a href="/en/Active-pixel_sensor" title="Active-pixel sensor" class="wl">active-pixel sensor</a> (<a href="/en/CMOS" title="CMOS" class="wl">CMOS</a> sensor). Both CCD and CMOS sensors are based on <a href="/en/Metal–oxide–semiconductor" title="Metal–oxide–semiconductor" class="mw-redirect wl">metal–oxide–semiconductor</a> (MOS) technology, with CCDs based on <a href="/en/MOS_capacitor" title="MOS capacitor" class="mw-redirect wl">MOS capacitors</a> and CMOS sensors based on <a href="/en/MOSFET" title="MOSFET" class="wl">MOSFET</a> (MOS field-effect transistor) <a href="/en/Amplifiers" title="Amplifiers" class="mw-redirect wl">amplifiers</a>. Analog sensors for invisible radiation tend to involve <a href="/en/Vacuum_tube" title="Vacuum tube" class="wl">vacuum tubes</a> of various kinds, while digital sensors include <a href="/en/Flat-panel_detector" title="Flat-panel detector" class="wl">flat-panel detectors</a>.

An image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and conveys information used to form an image. It does so by converting the variable attenuation of light waves into signals, small bursts of current that convey the information. The waves can be light or other electromagnetic radiation. Image sensors are used in electronic imaging devices of both analog and digital types, which include digital cameras, camera modules, camera phones, optical mouse devices, medical imaging equipment, night vision equipment such as thermal imaging devices, radar, sonar, and others. As technology changes, electronic and digital imaging tends to replace chemical and analog imaging. The two main types of electronic image sensors are the charge-coupled device and the active-pixel sensor . Both CCD and CMOS sensors are based on metal–oxide–semiconductor technology, with CCDs based on MOS capacitors and CMOS sensors based on MOSFET amplifiers. Analog sensors for invisible radiation tend to involve vacuum tubes of various kinds, while digital sensors include flat-panel detectors. 