Industrial Cameras FAQ/ What is Bayer filter?
What is Bayer filter? （No.293）
Bayer filter is consist of three colors (red, green, and blue) on each pixel for acquiring full color image with single sensor chip. The most populour single-chip color cameras are used bayer color filter. There are 4 kinds of filter layout, RG, GR, BG, and GB layout.
RG layout is a layout that the left-top pixel with red filter and the next pixel with green filter.The left end pixel in the second row with green filter, and the next cell with blue filter.
RGRGRGRGRGRG
GBGBGBGBGBGB
RGRGRGRGRGRG
GBGBGBGBGBGB
RGRGRGRGRGRG
GBGBGBGBGBGB
GR layout is a layout that the left end column of RG layout is removed.
GB layout is a layout that the top row of RG layout is removed.
BG layout is a layout that the left end column and the top row of RG layout is removed.
Each pixel on bayer filter sensor can acquire one color component out of red, green and blue components. The color component values that a photo sensor cannot acquire will be interpolated using color component value of adjacent pixel.
The most single-chip color camera supports bayer type pixel format and BGR or RGB pixel format.
Bayer type pixel format is a format to output each pixel value.
BGR/RGB pixel format is a format to output each pixel value and interpolated two color components value as a pixel data.
Using BGR/RGB pixel format will simplify image processing in PC, but traffic on camera interface line will increase.
Bayer type pixel format is often used when reducing traffic of camera interface is required, higher frame rate is required, high quality image achieved by advanced color interpolation method is required.
RG layout is a layout that the left-top pixel with red filter and the next pixel with green filter.The left end pixel in the second row with green filter, and the next cell with blue filter.
RGRGRGRGRGRG
GBGBGBGBGBGB
RGRGRGRGRGRG
GBGBGBGBGBGB
RGRGRGRGRGRG
GBGBGBGBGBGB
GR layout is a layout that the left end column of RG layout is removed.
GB layout is a layout that the top row of RG layout is removed.
BG layout is a layout that the left end column and the top row of RG layout is removed.
Each pixel on bayer filter sensor can acquire one color component out of red, green and blue components. The color component values that a photo sensor cannot acquire will be interpolated using color component value of adjacent pixel.
The most single-chip color camera supports bayer type pixel format and BGR or RGB pixel format.
Bayer type pixel format is a format to output each pixel value.
BGR/RGB pixel format is a format to output each pixel value and interpolated two color components value as a pixel data.
Using BGR/RGB pixel format will simplify image processing in PC, but traffic on camera interface line will increase.
Bayer type pixel format is often used when reducing traffic of camera interface is required, higher frame rate is required, high quality image achieved by advanced color interpolation method is required.