Charge detectors for CCD registers

摘要

The invention comprises circuitry for detecting relatively small amounts of charge emitted from a CCD register. The circuit acts as a differential amplifier, differentiating between charge levels corresponding to logical zeros and logical ones and generates corresponding system level logic signals. A reference charge is developed by a self-tracking reference charge injector. Both the reference charge and the charge packet to be sensed are coupled to the differential amplifier via buffering diode-coupled transistors. The circuit provides for a REFRESH mode of operation, but may be modified to also allow for READ, WRITE or PARTIAL-WRITE modes of operation.