Patent ID: 8743249

Claim:
A method of testing a solid-state imaging device comprising: providing a plurality of holding circuits that hold digital values corresponding to analog input levels read through column lines of an image pickup section and transfer the digital values to the data transfer line; selecting a holding circuit among the plurality of holding circuits; generating a test-pattern with at least one test-pattern generating circuit that generates a predetermined digital value, the at least one test-pattern generating circuit being connected to the data transfer line; testing the solid-state imaging device by transferring the predetermined digital value to the data transfer line by activating the at least one test-pattern generating circuit, and further wherein the test pattern is applied to the data transfer line and signal processing circuitry of the solid-state imaging device that are used in the generation of image data, the data transfer line also transferring image signals that are read from a plurality of pixels for the solid state imaging device.