Dynamic Range Calculator

Calculate sensor dynamic range from full well capacity, read noise, dark current, and exposure settings. Compare single exposure vs HDR modes across operating temperatures.

Dynamic Range Calculator

Calculate sensor dynamic range from FWC, read noise, dark current, and exposure time. Compare single vs HDR modes.

Full Well Capacity: 10,000 e−

Read Noise: 5.0 e−

Dark Current: 10 e−/s

Exposure Time: 33 ms

Temperature: 25°C

HDR Exposure Ratio: 1:8

Single Exposure DR

66.0 dB

Single (stops)

11.0 EV

HDR DR

84.0 dB

HDR (stops)

14.0 EV

Noise Floor

5.03 e−

Dark Charge

0.3 e−

DR vs Temperature

Dynamic Range Definition

Dynamic range is the ratio between the maximum signal a sensor can capture (saturation) and the minimum detectable signal (noise floor):

DR = 20 x log10(N_sat / sigma_floor) [dB]

DR_stops = DR / 6.02 [EV]

Noise Floor

The minimum detectable signal is limited by the combined noise floor:

sigma_floor = sqrt(sigma_read^2 + I_dark x t_exp)

Temperature Dependence

Dark current follows an Arrhenius model, approximately doubling every 5.5 degrees C. This makes dynamic range strongly temperature-dependent, especially for long exposures.

HDR Extension

Multi-exposure HDR extends dynamic range by combining a long exposure (for shadows) with a short exposure (for highlights):

DR_HDR = 20 x log10(N_sat x ratio / sigma_floor)

WARNING

HDR gain is limited by the exposure ratio and may introduce motion artifacts between frames.