Researchers Extend CMOS Image Sensor Dynamic Range Beyond Native Bit Depth Using Interleaved Row Readout
Astronomers at the University of Hertfordshire and The Open University have modified the readout scheme of a commercial CMOS image sensor to achieve a dynamic range of 134 dB, nearly double the sensor's native 71 dB capability. The technique, an advancement of an existing interleaved row readout method, selectively reads certain pixel rows more frequently to prevent saturation while reading others normally. The result enables single-exposure imaging of very bright and very faint objects simultaneously, with demonstrated on-sky observations capturing near-zero magnitude stars and background stars down to Gaia G magnitude ~15.
A team of researchers from the University of Hertfordshire and The Open University has published a study, accepted to RAS Techniques & Instruments, describing a modified readout scheme for the commercial Teledyne e2v CIS120 CMOS sensor that dramatically extends its usable dynamic range. By advancing an interleaved row readout method originally proposed by Wocial et al., the team selectively reads chosen pixel rows at a higher frequency to avoid saturation, while reading remaining rows once per exposure to capture faint signal. This approach pushed the sensor's dynamic range from its native 12-bit equivalent of approximately 71 dB to 134 dB. The researchers also constructed a custom camera housing that allowed the technique to be deployed on-sky for the first time, successfully imaging bright stars Vega and Polaris — both near zero magnitude — while simultaneously detecting background stars at Gaia G magnitudes around 15 in a single exposure at a 5-sigma detection threshold. The authors note that the achievable dynamic range with this method is ultimately limited only by readout noise and optical scattering within the camera system, rather than by the sensor's bit depth. The work has broad potential applications across astronomy and other fields requiring simultaneous detection of high-contrast targets.
What's missing
The study does not discuss computational overhead or data processing complexity introduced by the non-uniform row readout timing. Scalability to larger-format sensors or different CMOS architectures is not evaluated. The paper also does not compare performance against alternative high-dynamic-range approaches such as HDR pixel designs or multiple-exposure stacking in terms of signal-to-noise trade-offs.
What different sources said
- arXiv astro-phCenter
Dynamic Range Beyond Bit Depth of a CMOS Image Sensor Using Interleaved Row Readout
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