A single-chip programmable digital CMOS imager with enhanced low-light detection capability

The advent of high performance imaging in CMOS technology using active pixel sensors has enabled ultra-low power, miniature, single-chip, digital camera systems. We report at fully digital, programmable, 5-wire, large format (512/spl times/512) camera-on-a-chip that integrates the imager array, control logic, ADC, and bias generation on the same chip. The chip runs off a single (3.3 V) power supply, consumes only 10 mW, is capable of electronic panning, and produces high quality images with a low noise of <40 e/sup -/, and excellent response linearity down to read noise levels.