High Voltage CMOS Control Interface for Astronomy - Grade Charged Coupled Devices

TL;DR

This paper presents a high-voltage CMOS control interface designed for OTCCD sensors in astronomical telescopes, enabling precise voltage control and testing capabilities for advanced imaging systems.

Contribution

Development of a CMOS interface device capable of providing high voltage signals with adjustable drive strength for OTCCD control in astronomy applications.

Findings

Successfully generated voltage signals from -3.3V to 16.7V

Achieved 100ns rise time with 24mA drive strength

Included ADC structures for future functional testing

Abstract

The Pan-STARRS telescope consists of an array of smaller mirrors viewed by a Gigapixel arrays of CCDs. These focal planes employ Orthogonal Transfer CCDs (OTCCDs) to allow on-chip image stabilization. Each OTCCD has advanced logic features that are controlled externally. A CMOS Interface Device for High Voltage has been developed to provide the appropiate voltage signal levels from a readout and control system designated STARGRASP. OTCCD chip output levels range from -3.3V to 16.7V, with two different output drive strenghts required depending on load capacitance (50pF and 1000pF), with 24mA of drive and a rise time on the order of 100ns. Additional testing ADC structures have been included in this chip to evaluate future functional additions for a next version of the chip.