These are the proceedings of a workshop held at the European Southern Observatory in October 1996, a workshop which concentrated on optical detectors for astronomy. Representatives from every leading manufacturer and all of the major astronomical observatories came together to present their work on Charged Coupled Devices (CCDs). The papers contained in these proceedings are concerned with the development, manufacture, testing and implementation of CCDs. Many discuss the electronics (hardware and software) that are used to operate these detectors.
Astronomical observatories are the most ambitious and aggressive users of optical detectors, more so than any other scientific discipline. Since the quantum efficiency and noise of a detector have a direct effect on the quality of science, the makers of astronomical CCD systems continually push the 'envelope' of optical detector technology. The papers contained in these proceedings provide the reader with state-of-the-art CCD technology and contain information on research and development efforts that will continue for several years.