Howtosignalprocessing
- Does binning increase SNR?
- Does binning reduce noise?
- What is software binning?
- Does binning change field of view?
Does binning increase SNR?
The effect of CCD/EMCCD binning improves both the SNR and the speed. The SNR is improved as the read noise is only added to each superpixel. In a 2×2 bin, the signal is improved by four times (as each superpixel is four pixels), meaning the SNR is boosted by a factor of 4:1 (signal:noise).
Does binning reduce noise?
An important reason for binning is to reduce the noise in an image, or rather to improve the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR for short).
What is software binning?
Software binning refers to the combination of pixel matrices (e.g., 2 × 2, 3 × 3, etc.…) to create one larger pixel. This combination increases the signal level measured from the larger effective sensor pixel, leading to more contrast and less noise.
Does binning change field of view?
Binning improves the signal-to-noise ratio (per shot), at the sacrifice of a lower resolution image. The field of view you capture through your telescope (magnification) remains the same, but the image will be half the size (in pixels) when binned 2×2 vs. 1×1.
