Readout circuit for infrared detector

A readout circuit for an infrared detector, comprising:

• a pixel array circuit, each pixel comprising a capacitor, referred to as an integration capacitor;
• a memory unit having a memory location for each pixel of the array circuit;
• and
• said readout circuit being configured to acquire an image (A, B) from the infrared detector for a period of time, referred to as the frame time (Tr), by iteratively implementing the following steps, for each pixel:
• an integration step (310) wherein the respective integration capacitor is charged with photoelectrons from the infrared detector for a period of time, referred to as the elementary integration time (Ti), said elementary integration time (Ti) being configured such that the charge of the integration capacitor remains lower than a maximum allowable charge;
• a step (320a), wherein the quantity of charge (QAi) accumulated in the integration capacitor at the end of the elementary integration time (Ti) is converted into a representative digital value (Ai);
• a step (320b), wherein the digital value (Ai) representative of the quantity of charge (QAi) of the integration capacitor, at the end of the elementary integration time (Ti), is added to a value stored in the memory unit at the memory location corresponding to the pixel of the array circuit;
• a step of resetting the integration capacitor to the initial state to allow successive integration (310) of another digital value;
• digital values (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) being obtained and progressively added and stored in said memory location corresponding to the pixel;
• and, at the end of the frame time (Tr), by transmitting image data (A, B) comprising the values stored in the memory locations of the memory unit;
• the circuit being further configured to, in the frame time (Tr), shift the values stored in the memory locations as a function of a movement of an image formed on the infrared detector.