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The full-frame image sensor should be used with a shutter or with strobed illumination to prevent smearing of the image during readout. To prepare the imaging area for image capture, the photoelectric charge that has accumulated in the image pixels can be transferred into the clearing drain in one millisecond. After image capture (integration time), the readout is accomplished by transferring the charge, one line at a time, into two serial registers, each of which contains 512 data elements and 12 dummy elements. The typical serial-register clocking rate is 10 megapixels per second. Operating the TC215 at the typical data rate of one field per frame generates video output at a continuous 15 frames per second.

Gated floating-diffusion detection structures are used with each serial register to convert charge to signal voltage. External reset allows the application of off-chip correlated clamp sample-and-hold amplifiers for low-noise performance. To provide high output-drive capability, both outputs are buffered by low-noise, two-stage, source-follower amplifiers. These two output signals can provide a data rate of 20 megapixels per second when combined off chip. At room temperature, the readout noise is 55 electrons and a minimum dynamic range of 60 dB is available.

This MOS device contains limited built-in gate protection. During storage or handling, the device leads should be shorted together or the device should be placed in conductive foam. In a circuit, unused inputs should always be connected to SUB. Under no circumstances should pin voltages exceed absolute maximum ratings. Avoid shorting OUTn to ADB during operation to prevent damage to the amplifier. The device can also be damaged if the output terminals are reverse-biased and an excessive current is allowed to flow. Specific guidelines for handling devices of this type are contained in the publication Guidelines for Handling Electrostatic-Discharge-Sensitive (ESDS) Devices and Assemblies available from Texas Instruments.

The blooming protection incorporated into the sensor is based on recombining excess charge with charge of oppositie polarity in the substrate. This antiblooming is activated by supplying clocking pulses to the antiblooming gate, which is an integral part of each image-sensing element.

The TC215 is built using TI-proprietary virtual-phase technology, which provides devices with high blue response, low dark signal, good uniformity, and single-phase clocking. The TC215 is characterized for operation from -10°C to 40°C.

• High-Resolution, Solid-State Frame-Transfer Image Sensor
• 17.2-mm Image-Area Diagonal
• 1000 (H) x 1018 (V) Active Elements in Image-Sensing Area
• Square Pixels
• Low Dark Current
• Electron-Hole Recombination Antiblooming
• Dynamic Range . . . More Than 60 dB
• High Sensitivity
• High Photoresponse Uniformity
• High Blue Response
• Single-Phase Clocking
• Solid-State Reliability With No Image Burn-in, Residual Imaging, Image Distortion, Image Lag, or Microphonics