SkippingBinning

Articles describing "Binning" (also sometimes refered to as "Pixel Binning")

http://www.ccd.com/ccd103.html

http://www.imagingu.com/articles/binning.html

http://www.echenique.com/index.php/2009/05/16/phaseone-sensor-pixel-binning-and-the-future-of-digital-photography/

http://www.ptgrey.com/support/kb/index.asp?a=4&q=163

Binning in Elphel Cameras

Using Binning you can lower the resolution of an image while using a bigger sensor area as well as achieving higher FPS as well as lower image noise or higher light sensitivity.

Binning Modes

The "normal" Binning mode averages the charges from photosites in the same "bin" thus reducing noise in the image but not altering light sensitivity. [1]

There is an alternative mode that sums up the charges and therefore makes the binned pixel more light sensitive. [2]

In Elphel Camera (since 8.X Software) the different binning modes can be set at http://*cameraIP*/parsedit.php?embed=0.18&SENSOR_REGS32

The default value is "0x40" which means averaging binning mode.

If you set it to "0x60" you switch to summing binning mode and will get increased light sensitivity.

Using PHP you can access this register with:

echo elphel_get_P_value(ELPHEL_SENSOR_REGS+32);