Exposure: Which requires activating software first before exposure?

• A. PSP
• B. CCD/CMOS
• C. Both
• D. Neither

Answer: (B)

Direct digital detectors using CCD or CMOS sensors require the system software to be active and ready before exposure because the detector’s electronics and image-processing pipeline must be initialized, calibrated, and prepared to handle the incoming signal. This startup ensures the readout, histogram analysis, and image formation happen correctly as soon as the exposure occurs. In contrast, photostimulable phosphor (PSP) plates create a latent image during exposure and are read out later by a separate scanner with software; exposure itself doesn’t depend on software being active beforehand. Therefore, pre-exposure software activation is a requirement for CCD/CMOS detectors, not for PSP imaging.