Widening the dynamic range of the readout integration circuit for uncooled microbolometer infrared sensors

A simple and robust technique for widening the dynamic range (DR) of the readout circuits for uncooled microbolometer arrays is presented. The proposed method allows reducing the number of bits required for microbolometers nonuniformities compensation, significantly reducing the complexity of the pre-integration compensation circuitry. Applying the proposed technique results in reduced memory size and smaller area occupied by the circuits. In this proposed solution regular readout circuits can be used, and additional hardware is placed in the periphery, without affecting spatial and temporal resolution. System architecture and operation are discussed and an analytic analysis is presented.