Do digital cameras change analog gain when you raise ISO?
Asked 10/6/2017
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On a modern digital camera, is ISO usually implemented by changing analog gain before the analog-to-digital converter, or is it mostly a digital scaling step after conversion? How does this differ between CCD and CMOS sensors, and where does the amplification typically happen in the signal chain?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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Yes
Here comes the definition of Circuitry, from whatdigitalcamera.com
CCD and CMOS sensors differ in terms of their construction. CCDs collect the charge at each photosite, and transfer it from the sensor through a light-shielded vertical array of pixels before it is converted to a signal and amplified. CMOS sensors convert charge to voltage and amplify the signal at each pixel location, and so output voltage rather than charge. CMOS sensors may also typically incorporate extra transistors for other functionality, such as noise reduction.
So the amplification process depends on the sensor, CCD or CMOS, but basically, ISO physically amplifies an analogic value.
For CCD, 1 amplifier helps many pixel, but for CMOS, 1 pixel = 1 amplifier. So yes, a 24 Mp CMOS sensor yields a whopping 24 million amplifiers!
For CMOS, take a look at this schematics, from micro.magnet.fsu.edu :
You can see that (one of) the amplification step is done by the bloc called "Video Amp", which has a gain parameter. Generally, this gain is controlled by a variable voltage or a variable resistance. The gain is set by physically change thoses parameters.
It may be possible that the gain in the sensor is fixed, and that the analogic variable part occurs only after the sensor, has suggested by the CMOS schematics.
As for CCD, take a look at the VSP2230 description. It is a CCD signal processor for digital camera from Texas Instrument, and features this functional diagram:
You can see that it provides a *Programmable Gain amplifier" before the analog to digital conversion.
If you look at the datasheet, page 2, you can see that the gain is programmed in a digital register (given by the Gain Code) via a serial interface. You can choose from -6db to +40db with a 10 bits value (1024 possibilities).
Now, if you want to go technical, take a look at http://ece.utdallas.edu/~torlak/courses/ee3311/lectures/ch07.pdf, it's a lecture from the University of Dallas about CMOS Amplifiers.
And if you really like your physics and math, try to get your hands on an edition of the Handbook of Digital Imaging
You can also take a look at How is ISO implemented in digital cameras?, but some links are missing.
I would like to add that analogic amplification happens at least in two steps: in the sensor and outside of the sensor. The gains from those amplifications might not always be fixed.
As a side note, generally, a DSLR sensor has a limited capacity to decently amplify an analogic signal. For huge ISO (>3200 for example), generally specified as an extended ISO range, it will use a digital gain.
Originally by user26456. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user26456
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—on digital cameras, ISO commonly involves changing analog gain before the ADC, not just scaling the data afterward.
The sensor itself does not become more light-sensitive; it simply collects charge from incoming photons. To produce a brighter signal at higher ISO, the camera amplifies that analog signal.
From the provided answers: with CCD sensors, charge is typically transferred off the sensor and then converted/amplified, so one amplifier may serve many pixels. With CMOS sensors, charge is converted to voltage at each pixel and amplification happens at or near the pixel, so there can effectively be an amplifier associated with each pixel.
So the general idea is correct: higher ISO usually means more analog amplification before digitization. A purely digital brightness boost after the ADC is possible, but that is not the usual meaning of ISO in camera operation.
This also explains why people refer to ISO as “amplifying” the signal: the camera is increasing gain in the electronics, while the sensor’s actual photon capture remains unchanged.
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