Detector characterization is of fundamental importance in the development of scientific instrumentation for optical and ultraviolet astronomy.
If the detector is to be mounted on an instrument, the characterization/calibration is used to optimize the detector's performance. This means, for example, choosing the best set of working voltages, setting the electronic's gain to correctly sample the read-out noise, measuring the Quantum Efficiency (QE) for the estimation of a suitable exposure time.
Detector characterization also provides the detector manufacturers with the feedback needed to improve performance.
The devices used for the characterization are described below: