ECE 51300: Digital Cameras and Fourier Optics

Professor Stanley H. Chan, Purdue University, Fall 2025

Course Information

• Lecture: MWF 12:30pm - 1:20pm
• Room: WANG 2555
• Instructor: Professor Stanley H. Chan
  • Email: stanchan@purdue.edu
  • Office Hour: By email appointment.

Syllabus

• Download Syllabus PDF

Description

This course covers the basics of digital cameras. Part 1 includes camera design, image formation, and basic camera parameters such as depth of field, focal length, exposure, and autofocus. Part 2 covers the fundamentals of Fourier optics, including 2D Fourier analysis, scalar diffraction theory, Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction theory, lens models, and frequency analysis of optical systems. Part 3 covers digital image sensors, including CMOS pixels, photon shot noise, dark current, pixel non-uniformity, conversion gain, and analog-to-digital conversion.

Learning Objectives

1. Familiarity with parameters of digital cameras.
2. Understanding of the basic principles of Fourier optics.
3. Understanding of the basic principles of digital image sensors.

Grading

• 20% Exam 1
• 20% Exam 2
• 20% Exam 3
• 20% Exam 4
• 20% Attendance

Exam Policy

• Closed book.
• One-page, single-sided cheat sheet allowed.
• “Standard” calculators allowed (no cell phones).
• Approved makeups (due to medical/conference emergency) are cumulative and given during final exam week.

Bonus Projects

• Up to 5 bonus points per exam for photo submissions aligning with class themes:
  • Theme 1: Worlds within (Close-up tiny objects) Due 9/14
  • Theme 2: Time-Stretched (Light/star trails, water) Due 10/9
  • Theme 3: Focus of Focus (Depth of field effects) Due 11/6
  • Theme 4: Dark Knight (Low-light/WDR photography) Due 12/11
• Photos must contain camera parameters (model, exposure, aperture, ISO) and must be taken locally (West Lafayette).

Lecture Videos & Materials

Week 1

• Lecture 1: Camera History (Aug 25, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 1.1 Lecture Video Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 2: Basics of a Camera (Aug 27, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 1.2 Lecture Video Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 3: Auto-Focus (Aug 29, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 2.1 Lecture Video Hand Note Homework

Week 2

• Labor Day (Sep 1, 2025) - No Class
• Lecture 4: Auto-Exposure (Sep 3, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 2.2 Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 5: 2D Fourier Analysis (Sep 5, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 2.1-2.2 Hand Note Homework

Week 3

• Lecture 6: 2D Linear Systems (Sep 8, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 2.3 Lecture Video Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 7: 2D Sampling Theory (Sep 10, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 2.4 Lecture Video Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 8: Maxwell’s Equation, Scalar Diffraction (Sep 12, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 3.2 Hand Note Homework

Week 4

• Exam 1 (Sep 15, 2025) - In-person
• Lecture 9: Helmholtz Equation (Sep 17, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 3.3 Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 10: Kirchoff Boundary Conditions (Sep 19, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 3.4 Hand Note Homework

Week 5

• Lecture 11: Rayleigh Sommerfeld Diffraction (Sep 22, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 3.5 Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 12: Huygen Fresnel Principle (Sep 24, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 4.1-4.2 Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 13: Fresnel and Fraunhofer Approximations (Sep 26, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 4.2-4.3 Hand Note Homework

Week 6

• Lecture 14: Angular Spectrum (Sep 29, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 4.4 Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 15: Thin Lens Model (Oct 1, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 5.1 Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 16: Lens Configurations and Analysis (Oct 3, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 5.2 Hand Note Homework

Week 7

• Lecture 17: Image Formation (Oct 6, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 5.3 Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 18: General Imaging System (Oct 8, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 6.1 Hand Note Homework
• Exam 2 (Oct 10, 2025) - In-person

Week 8

• October Break (Oct 13 & 15, 2025) - No Class
• Lecture 19: Frequency Analysis of Optical Systems (Oct 17, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 6.2-6.3 Hand Note Homework

Week 9

• Lecture 20: Aberrations (Oct 20, 2025)
  • Goodman Chapter 6.4 Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 21: Film and Photodiodes (Oct 22, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 3.1-3.2 Lecture Video Hand Note Homework
• Lecture 22: CCD and CMOS (Oct 24, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 3.3-3.4 Hand Note

Week 10

• Lecture 23: Gaussian Distributions (Oct 27, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 4.1-4.4 Homework
• Lecture 24: Poisson Distributions (Oct 29, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 5.1-5.4 Homework
• Lecture 25: Shot Noise (Oct 31, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 6.1 Homework

Week 11

• Lecture 26: Lux (Nov 3, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 6.2 Homework
• Lecture 27: Bose-Einstein, Thermal, and KTC Noise (Nov 5, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 6.3-6.5 Homework
• Exam 3 (Nov 7, 2025) - In-person

Week 12

• Lecture 28: Random Telegraph Noise (Nov 10, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 6.6 Homework
• Lecture 29: Dark and Read Noise (Nov 12, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 7.1-7.3 Homework
• Lecture 30: Conversion Gain (Nov 14, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 7.4 Homework

Week 13

• Lecture 31: PRNU (Nov 17, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 7.5-7.6 Homework
• Lecture 32: Overall CMOS Model (Nov 19, 2025)
  • Book Chapter 7.7 Homework
• Lecture 33: Image Denoising (Nov 21, 2025)

Week 14

• Thanksgiving Break (Nov 24, 26, & 28, 2025) - No Class

Week 15

• Lecture 34: Image Demosaicking (Dec 1, 2025)
• Lecture 35: HDR Processing (Dec 3, 2025)
• Lecture 36: Quanta Image Sensor (Dec 5, 2025)

Week 16

• Lecture 37: Single Photon LiDAR (Dec 8, 2025)
• Lecture 38: Phase Retrieval (Dec 10, 2025)
• Exam 4 (Dec 12, 2025) - In-person