Smart FPA’s : are they worth the effort?

CMOS APS technology allows including signal processing in the sensor array. Inclusion of functionality however will come at a cost both financially and in the field of limited applicability. Based on two real world examples (micro digital sunsensor core and lightning flash detector for Meteosat Third Generation (MTG)) it will be demonstrated that large system gains can be obtained by devising smart focal planes. Therefore it is felt that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for some applications, making it worth to spend the effort on system integration. 1. CCD versus APS imagers. One of the main choices that needs to be made when designing any imager that operates in the visible or near infrared wavelength region is the choice between a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) or Active pixel sensor (APS). Although this trade may look quite simple in actual practice it is not. In case we try to put the pros and cons of both sensors in a listing it becomes obvious why.