CCD sensors are analog devices that employ a charge transfer process to capture images. Each pixel in a CCD sensor consists of a photodiode and a potential well, which act as a receptacle for photoelectrons. The speed of image acquisition is limited by the conversion of photoelectrons into signals (voltage) at a single port.
Despite this limitation, CCD is renowned for its ability to produce high-quality, low-noise images, which originally made it a popular choice for various applications, including machine vision and embedded vision systems, before CMOS caught up in technological advancement.
CMOS sensors incorporate an amplifier in each pixel, resulting in lower power consumption and faster processing of signals. However, the presence of additional amplifiers and an analog to digital converter (ADC) in the circuit generates more noise in the output image.
Despite this drawback, CMOS sensors have gained widespread popularity due to their cost-effectiveness in manufacturing and their suitability for use in mobile devices, the most common application of image sensors globally. As CMOS technology continues to advance, its sensors are poised to play an increasingly significant role in various imaging applications.CMOS technology also offered the possibility to monolithically integrate electronics on-chip and thereby reduce costs.