High speed imaging with a tapped solid state sensor

A high-speed camera with a solid-state diode array sensor is described. The camera is intended for fast readout of phosphor images generated in nuclear physics experiments. Rates of 500 frames/s are achieved by dividing the 256×256 pixel array into eight sections. The detected photocharge is tapped in parallel from each section into independent signal-processing channels. The circuits for video signal extraction and processing are described, and data on measured signal-to-noise ratio, sensitivity, and crosstalk are presented. Image artifacts are discussed, and the effectiveness of the sensor fast clear procedure for their elimination is shown