TC341

The Texas Instruments TC341 sensor is a high-performance frame-transfer charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor. It is designed for use in B/W video and computer camera applications. The device is intended to replace the 2/3-inch vidicon tube in applications requiring small size, high reliability, and lower cost. The image-sensing area of the TC341 sensor is configured into 488 lines with 780 elements in each line.

Twenty-six elements are provided in each line for a dark reference. The blooming protection of the sensor is based on an advanced lateral overflow drain (ALOD). The antiblooming function is activated when a suitable dc bias is applied to the antiblooming drain pin. With this type of blooming protection it is also possible to clear the image area of all charge. This is accomplished by supplying a single 10 V pulse for a minimum of 1 µs to the overflow drain pin. The sensor is designed to operate in interlace as well in progressive scan modes. The interlace mode of operation can be achieved in two ways: by skipping odd or even lines in corresponding image fields or by a suitable line summing.

The line summing provides higher sensitivity, because all collected charge is used. The line skipping provides somewhat higher vertical resolution, but with a penalty of lower sensitivity. The progressive scan mode sacrifices neither sensitivity nor resolution. A standard gated floating-diffusion charge detection node structure converts charge into a signal voltage. For higher accuracy and stability, this structure is reset to an on-chip automatic potential-tracking voltage reference. The reset gate has a separate external pin, which allows implementing pixel summing by skipping the detection node reset pulses.

A low-noise, two-stage, source-follower amplifier buffers the output and provides high output-driving capability. The TC341 sensor is built using TI-proprietary virtual-phase technology, which provides devices with high blue response, low dark current, high photoresponse uniformity, and a single-phase clocking.

The TC241 sensor is characterized for operation from 10°C to 45°C.