Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is used in imaging to characterize image quality. The sensitivity of a (digital or film) imaging system is typically described in the terms of the signal level that yields a threshold level of SNR.

How does SNR affect image quality?

A reduced SNR can result in less analysable content making vision based safety system defunct in low light applications.

Is high SNR good or bad?

To achieve a reliable connection, the signal level has to be significantly greater than the noise level. An SNR greater than 40 dB is considered excellent, whereas a SNR below 15 dB may result in a slow, unreliable connection.

SNR can be expressed as a simple ratio (S/N) or in decibels (dB), where SNR (dB) = 20 log10(S/N). Doubling S/N corresponds to increasing SNR (dB) by 6.02 dB.