Abstract :
The development of self-scanned photodiode arrays is traced briefly, and a comparison made between their properties and those of the vidicon tube. The theory of their operation is explained, showing how charge integration is used to obtain high responsivity, and the various scanning methods used to read out the signal from linear and two-dimensional arrays are described. The optical and electrical characteristics of arrays are discussed, together with the main limiting factors affecting array performance. The main application areas are presented, first for linear and then for two-dimensional arrays. These areas include industrial gauging and inspection, optical character recognition, facsimile, guidance systems and television imaging.
