| Characterizing the optical properties of CMOS imagers requires an optical source. The source must produce stable uniform light with calibrated wavelength and intensity. Available commercial light source units are costly and often unalterable to a custom test setup. This thesis proposed an optical source system designed to be affordable and adaptable while maintaining the necessary optical quality needed to characterize CMOS imagers. The optical source design consists of an array of light emitting diodes, an infrared cut-off filter, and diffusing lenses---all of which are encased in an anodized aluminium housing. The characterization and calibration results of the optical source are presented in detail. The optical performance of the source is compared with two commercial state-of-the-art illuminators. From the characterization and comparison results, it is concluded that the optical source system is capable of characterizing CMOS imagers. |
