Relationship between the charge-coupled device signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range with respect to the analog gain

The signal-to-noise ratio and the dynamic range are the two key parameters characterizing CCD performance, especially in remote sensing applications. After exploring the possible sources of CCD noise, this paper analyzes the impacts of the analog gain on the two parameters, respectively, and establishes the mathematical models describing their relationships. Then the platforms including the CCD radiometric calibration and imaging in practice are constructed to test the proposed models based on two situations, considering the influence of the quantization noise. Finally, the design trade-off between the signal-to-noise ratio and the dynamic range is presented, such that the CCD signal-to-noise ratio will be improved as much as possible, while the dynamic range degradation becomes acceptable. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America