An analog-to-digital processor for camcorders and digital still cameras

High performance commercial imaging systems, such as camcorders and digital still cameras, employ charge-coupled devices to convert light energy to electrical signals. The output from the CCD requires automatic gain control before it can be applied to an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter where digitization takes place. Other processing is also required for viewing the output of the recorded image. The development described is an integrated circuit that contains many of the key features associated with processing the analog signals within a camcorder or a digital still camera.