Influence of the light source on the image sensor characterization according to EMVA 1288

Due to the increasing demand for machine vision applications in a variety of scenarios, it is necessary to know the capability of the hardware before implementing it. The EMVA 1288 standard by the European Machine Vision Association aims to provide a basis to compare the performance of cameras based on a characterization of the image sensor using a monochrome light source. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence the light source has on the measurement results. Which parameters are dependent on it, and which are not? Are there any benefits to using a broadband light source?

To answer this question, a series of measurement runs using six different illuminants were performed with the same camera. The illuminants included monochromatic blue, green, and red light and three different white spectra (CIE E, CIE D65, and white LED). The results show that the influence of the light source on the metrics is limited to the measured quantum efficiency of the camera and related parameters. Consequently, using a non-monochromatic light source for the measurements should be an option, as it can provide better insight into use-case-specific performance and improve comparability.