This is on topic.
I have an old BYTE magazine that talks about the use of DRAMs with the
covers removed and a piece of glass placed over the chip, and using the
memory chip as an image sensor. If I recall correctly, the first chip
used was an early Mostek MK5009. They weren't great in terms of
resolution, but making multiple passes through reading, could gain a
couple of bits of grayscale resolution. They needed pretty high light
levels, but served as usable image sensors.
Many years ago, I knew a guy that made a small business out of using
early 64Kx1 (256 x 256 array) DRAM chips, suitably modified, as image
sensors for PDP-11 based product inspection systems.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at
classiccmp.org
[mailto:cctalk-bounces at
classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Brent Hilpert
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 9:23 PM
To: General at
priv-edmwaa06.telusplanet.net; On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: early digital image sensing / was Re: enough already...
Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 29 May 2007 at 17:27, Rick Bensene wrote:
> Motion seconded. I can't see how anything related to digital
cameras
> (except some of the very early video digitizing
stuff) has anything
to
do with
classic computing.
To put the subject back in the domain of "vintage"...
What outfit first sold digital cameras where the sensor consisted of
a cermet-package DRAM with the chip cover replaced by a piece of
glued-on glass? Does anyone own one?
Cheers,
Chuck
Don't know if this is the answer you're looking for, but it reminds me
of the
"Cyclops" camera: a peripheral for the computer hobbyist market,
contemporary
with the Altair/IMSAI . I assembled one for a friend who had an IMSAI in
1976
or 1977. I don't think we ever got it to work.
My recollection is that the sensor was a CCD array, but the occasional
mention
of these modified-DRAMs on the list leaves me wondering. I don't
remember what
the matrix size was: 256^2 seems too large, 16^2 seems too small,
perhaps 64^2.
I'm sure there must be adverts in Byte of the period. It would be a
pretty
rare find to come across one today.