A Disdrometer based on Ultra-Fast SPAD Cameras

We present a new environmental application of SPAD imagers, namely the continuous and real-time measurement of size and shapes of hydrometeors. Details of the set-up and results obtained with a first 32x32 pixel prototype based on the RADHARD2 chip [1] are illustrated. Real-time operation at very low light levels, 6000 frames per second and 1:100 average data reduction are amongst the most significant achievements.