An apparatus includes a differential current-to-voltage conversion circuit that includes an input sampling stage circuit, a differential integration and DC signal cancellation stage circuit, and an amplification and accumulator stage circuit. An input common mode voltage of the differential current-to-voltage circuit is independent of an output common mode voltage of the differential current-to-voltage circuit.

A sampling switch circuit, comprising: an input node, connected to receive an input voltage signal to be sampled; a sampling transistor comprising a gate terminal, a source terminal and a drain terminal, the source terminal connected to the input node; a potential divider circuit connected to the input node and a track-control node to provide a track-control voltage signal dependent on the input voltage signal at the track-control node; a hold-control node connected to receive a hold-control voltage signal; an output node connected to the drain terminal of the sampling transistor; and switching circuitry configured to connect the gate terminal of the sampling transistor to the track-control node or to the hold-control node in dependence upon a clock signal.

The present invention is a system and method for providing a charge detector that utilizes small feedback capacitors in a low-noise, high-gain, system that combines a differential topology in a solid-state amplifier implemented in a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process with active reset, thereby achieving high dynamic range and robust operations. A custom optoelectronic system is used to measure gain, and while operating at a sampling frequency of 10 kHz, the active reset extends the dynamic range of the charge detector.

The present invention is a system and method for providing a charge detector that utilizes small feedback capacitors in a low-noise, high-gain, system that combines a differential topology in a solid-state amplifier implemented in a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process with active reset, thereby achieving high dynamic range and robust operations. A custom optoelectronic system is used to measure gain, and while operating at a sampling frequency of 10 kHz, the active reset extends the dynamic range of the charge detector.

A photosensitive device includes a peripheral circuit semiconductor region, a photosensitive circuit semiconductor region including at least one group of at least two photosensitive elements configured to generate a photoelectric signal on a node called critical node. The device further includes an integrator circuit per group of photosensitive elements, each including: a differential circuit for each photosensitive element of the group, in the photosensitive circuit semiconductor region, an amplification circuit, in the peripheral circuit semiconductor region, and a feedback circuit for each photosensitive element of the group, comprising a capacitive element located in the photosensitive circuit semiconductor region coupled between the output node of the amplification circuit and the respective critical node.

A capacitive trans-impedance amplifier comprising a voltage amplifier having an inverting input terminal for connection to an input current source. A feed-back capacitor is coupled between the inverting input terminal and the output terminal to accumulate charges received from the input current source and to generate a feed-back voltage accordingly. A calibration unit includes a calibration capacitor electrically coupled, via a calibration switch, to the inverting input terminal and electrically coupled to the feed-back capacitor. The calibration unit is operable to switch the calibration switch to a calibration state permitting a discharge of a quantity of charge from the calibration capacitor to the feed-back capacitor. The capacitive trans-impedance amplifier is arranged to determine a voltage generated across the feed-back capacitor while the calibration switch is in the calibration state and to determine a capacitance value (C=Q/V) for the feed-back capacitor according to the value of the generated voltage (V) and the quantity of charge (Q).

A capacitive trans-impedance amplifier comprising a voltage amplifier having an inverting input terminal for connection to an input current source. A feed-back capacitor is coupled between the inverting input terminal and the output terminal to accumulate charges received from the input current source and to generate a feed-back voltage accordingly. A calibration unit includes a calibration capacitor electrically coupled, via a calibration switch, to the inverting input terminal and electrically coupled to the feed-back capacitor. The calibration unit is operable to switch the calibration switch to a calibration state permitting a discharge of a quantity of charge from the calibration capacitor to the feed-back capacitor. The capacitive trans-impedance amplifier is arranged to determine a voltage generated across the feed-back capacitor while the calibration switch is in the calibration state and to determine a capacitance value (C=Q/V) for the feed-back capacitor according to the value of the generated voltage (V) and the quantity of charge (Q).

A readout circuit, an image sensor and an electronic device are provided, which could effectively reduce an area and power consumption of the image sensor. The readout circuit includes a plurality of capacitors, a switch circuit and an output circuit; where the plurality of capacitors are connected to the output circuit through the switch circuit; the plurality of capacitors are configured to store output signals of a plurality of pixel circuits, respectively; and the output circuit is configured to output signals stored by the plurality of capacitors through the switch circuit one-by-one.

An image sensor and electronic apparatus comprise a pixel circuit configured to generate an analog signal; a vertical signal line configured to convey the analog signal from the pixel circuit; an analog amplifier circuit configured to receive the analog signal via the vertical signal line and generate an amplified signal; and a tail current boost circuit configured to modify an instantaneous gain bandwidth product of the analog amplifier circuit by temporarily modifying a tail current of the analog amplifier circuit.

A circuit has an input and a two-wire output. The circuit is designed for use with HTPE transducers and comprised of four stages. The first stage is a charge amplifier based on operational amplifier, the second stage is a 1-pole passive low-pass filter, the third stage is an active 2-pole low-pass filter based on two JFETs, and the fourth stage is an emitter follower comprising two bipolar junction transistors connected to each other in Darlington configuration.