Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
International Image Sensor Workshop 2021 announces a name of the first invited paper: “Sensor Design Parameters Affecting Automotive Machine Vision” by Gabriel Bowers, Image Path Architect and Strategy at Mobileye.Almalence Extends its Superresolution Mode to Video
March 20, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Almalence publishes a demo of its SuperResolution and SNR boost in real-time at video frame rates:Ametek 1MP 76,000fps Sensor Whitepaper
March 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Ametek Vision Research publishes a white paper "Understanding How A BSI Sensor Has Advanced High-Speed Imaging" about 1280x720 pixel 76,000fps device powering TMX series of cameras. Few quotes:"Embedding analog-to-digital converters (ADC) on CMOS image sensors is standard practice, but the BSI sensor’s speed required a massive increase in the amount of ADC. While modern CMOS image sensors typically have between 1,000 and 10,000 embedded ADC, the new BSI high-speed sensor has 40,000 ADC, each converting every 523 ns and generating a large amount of data to off-load from the sensor. To accomplish this task, it incorporates 160 high-speed serial outputs operating at greater than 5 Gbps. This technology is common on CPUs and FPGAs but new on a high-speed imaging sensor.
The density of ADC on the new sensor did create power management and electrical crosstalk challenges, which were solved with the help of our design and integrated production partner, Forza Silicon.
...testing of early designs revealed a higher level of ADC crosstalk in both normal imaging and binning modes than our simulation tools had predicted, causing noticeable artifacts in the images. Forza engineers discovered that the crosstalk exhibited predictable patterns and developed modeling techniques that helped us eliminate the crosstalk altogether, which in turn mitigated imaging artifacts."
Ametek 1MP 76,000fps Sensor Whitepaper
March 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Ametek Vision Research publishes a white paper "Understanding How A BSI Sensor Has Advanced High-Speed Imaging" about 1280x720 pixel 76,000fps device powering TMX series of cameras. Few quotes:"Embedding analog-to-digital converters (ADC) on CMOS image sensors is standard practice, but the BSI sensor’s speed required a massive increase in the amount of ADC. While modern CMOS image sensors typically have between 1,000 and 10,000 embedded ADC, the new BSI high-speed sensor has 40,000 ADC, each converting every 523 ns and generating a large amount of data to off-load from the sensor. To accomplish this task, it incorporates 160 high-speed serial outputs operating at greater than 5 Gbps. This technology is common on CPUs and FPGAs but new on a high-speed imaging sensor.
The density of ADC on the new sensor did create power management and electrical crosstalk challenges, which were solved with the help of our design and integrated production partner, Forza Silicon.
...testing of early designs revealed a higher level of ADC crosstalk in both normal imaging and binning modes than our simulation tools had predicted, causing noticeable artifacts in the images. Forza engineers discovered that the crosstalk exhibited predictable patterns and developed modeling techniques that helped us eliminate the crosstalk altogether, which in turn mitigated imaging artifacts."
Photon Pressure Detector Array
March 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Science Advances publishes a paper "On-chip torsion balances with femtonewton force resolution at room temperature enabled by carbon nanotube and graphene" by Lin Cong, Zi Yuan, Zaiqiao Bai, Xinhe Wang, Wei Zhao, Xinyu Gao, Xiaopeng Hu, Peng Liu, Wanlin Guo, Qunqing Li, Shoushan Fan, and Kaili Jiang from Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, Beihang University, No. 58th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Research Group Corporation, Frontier Science Center for Quantum Information, and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The paper presents a 4 x 4 array detecting photon pressure:"The torsion balance, consisting of a rigid balance beam suspended by a fine thread, is an ancient scientific instrument, yet it is still a very sensitive force sensor to date. As the force sensitivity is proportional to the lengths of the beam and thread, but inversely proportional to the fourth power of the diameter of the thread, nanomaterials should be ideal building blocks for torsion balances. Here, we report a torsional balance array on a chip with the highest sensitivity level enabled by using a carbon nanotube as the thread and a monolayer graphene coated with Al nanofilms as the beam and mirror. It is demonstrated that the femtonewton force exerted by a weak laser can be easily measured. The balances on the chip should serve as an ideal platform for investigating fundamental interactions up to zeptonewton in accuracy in the near future."
LiDAR News: Elmos, Ommatidia, Intel, Valeo, Scantinel, Luminar
March 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Elmos presents its solutions for LiDAR, including laser driver and SPAD imager:
Elmos 2019 presentation shows the company's SPAD sensor:
Ommatidia presents its lightfield sensor for high-resolution long-range 3D imaging:
EPIC meeting on LiDAR applications features a presentation about Intel FMCW LiDAR:
Valeo presents its short range wide VFoV AMCW LiDAR:
Scantinel presents its prototype FMCW product:
Luminar announces a strategic partnership with SAIC Motor, the largest automaker in China. Luminar is set to power the autonomous capabilities and advanced safety features in SAIC’s new R brand vehicles for series production. The R brand program is expected to begin series production with Luminar starting in 2022, with the parties’ longer-term goal being widespread standardization across all vehicle lines.
TI Presents a Simplistic ToF System
March 18, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
TI publishes a video "Intro to high speed comparators: ToF distance measurements with LVDS comparator" presenting an ultra-simple ToF system:Quantum Dot Galore
March 18, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
SID Display Week 2021 has a special session devoted to quantum dot imagers:- 66.1 - High Resolution Quantum Dot Global Shutter Imagers
Jonathan Steckel, Eric Mazaleyrat, Krysten Rochereau - ST Microelectronics Grenoble France
Andras Pattantyus-Abraham - ST Microelectronics Santa Clara CA US
Emmanuel Josse - ST Microelectronics Crolles France
QD imagers cover visible to SWIR wavelengths at high resolution, high efficiency, and low dark currents. They promise to significantly increase the now small SWIR-imaging market by means of 100-1000X lower prices. Market opportunities include mobile devices, single point spectrometry, hyperspectral imaging, machine vision, and advanced driver assistance systems. - 66.2 - Invited Paper: QD-Based Sensors for Infrared Imaging
Pawel Malinowski, Jiwon Lee, Epimitheas Georgitzikis, Vladimir Pejovic, Itai Lieberman, TungHuei Ke, Yunlong Li, Tom Verschooten, Steven Thijs, David Cheyns
imec Leuven Belgium
Quantum dot absorbers promise efficient photodetector components with sensitivity peak tunability. We describe monolithic integration of quantum dot stacks into infrared imagers with pixel pitch smaller than 2 um and sensitivity in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR). This approach enables very high pixel densities leading to compact and accessible infrared camera systems. - 66.3 - Invited Paper: Colloidal QD Photodetectors for Large Format NIR, SWIR, and Extended SWIR Sensor Arrays
Ethan Klem, Christopher Gregory, Jeffery Hilton
SWIR Vision Systems Durham NC US
An overview of our approach to fabricating QD focal plane arrays, will describe recent results achieving Vis-SWIR and extended wavelength SWIR sensitivity with spectral response from 350 nm to 2100 nm at HDTV resolutions of 1920x1080. Imaging demonstrations of these sensors in a variety of applications are presented. - 66.4 - Invited Paper: Graphene Enhanced QD Image Sensor Technology
Tapani Ryhänen - Emberion CTO Espoo Finland
Mark Allen - Emberion Director Cambridge United Kingdom
Alexander Bessonov - Emberion Chief Scientist Cambridge United Kingdom
Combining colloidal quantum dots and graphene along with optimization of the measurement principles using CMOS read-out integrated-circuits according to the requirements of these nanomaterials achieves imaging devices with photoresponse from 400 nm to 2100 nm, having low noise at high frame rates. - 66.5 - Invited Paper: Colloidal Quantum Dots: A Material Platform for Highly Sensitive Photodetectors and High Quantum Efficiency Light Emitters in the SWIR
Gerasimos Konstantatos
ICFO Castelldefels Spain
High performance SWIR photodetectors are achieved based on the synergism of colloidal quantum dots and 2D materials, including graphene and TMD semiconductors. Also high efficiency infrared QD-LEDs with high radiance and exceptional stability were developed. Finally measured tunable stimulated emission at high gains paves the way towards infrared QD lasers.
ST ToF PC User Detection
March 17, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
ST keeps finding creative use cases for its ToF sensors:Toshiba Announces New CCD
March 17, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
BusinessWire: Toshiba reminds that CCDs are still alive with the new linear CCD announcement. The company launches TCD2726DG, a lens reduction type CCD linear image sensor that achieves high-speed scanning for A3 multifunction printers. Shipments of engineering samples have started on March 16.There is growing demand for A3 multifunction printers with higher scanning speeds. TCD2726DG meets the demand by improving the performance with a faster operating clock rate: a 100MHz (50MHz x 2ch) data rate, against the 70MHz (35MHz x 2ch) data rate of Toshiba’s current sensor.
To prevent increased electromagnetic interference (EMI), a negative side effect of a faster clock rate, the new sensor incorporates a timing generator circuit and has a lower CCD driver pin count. This reduces EMI- and timing-adjustment work for customers, and the number of peripheral parts, contributing to easier system development.
Key Features:
- 100MHz (50MHz x 2ch) data rate, CCD linear image sensor
- Built-in Timing Generator circuit and CCD driver, facilitating system development
- Low power consumption: 10V power supply voltage for amplifier circuit lowered to 3.3V (10V power supply is used partially. Dual power supply of 3.3V and 10V.)
A company video explains the differentiation of the new CCD:
Sony FE 50mm f1.2 GM review
March 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment
The Sony FE 50mm f1.2 G Master is a standard prime lens with a very bright aperture for full-frame e-mount mirrorless cameras. The 50mm focal length delivers natural-looking coverage, but the fast 1.2 aperture allows very shallow depth-of-field effects, while Sony’s latest G Master optics promise both high resolution and smooth rendering. Here’s my full review!…
Sony Explains Advantages of its Polarization Sensors for Traffic Cameras
March 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Sony Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) page has been updated to explain the advantages of its PolarSens sensors for face recognition on the roads:
Sony also publishes a video demo showing the improvement (and another one):
Terranet and Mercedes-Benz Presents Quick Reacting Event-Based Camera System
March 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
GlobeNewswire: Terranet AB presents its ultra-fast VoxelFlow sensor technology in a joint presentation with Mercedes-Benz at STARTUP AUTOBAHN. VoxelFlow uses high-speed sensor technology so that autonomous driving (AD) and ADAS can quickly and accurately understand and decipher what's in front of them, enhancing existing radar, lidar, and camera systems that particularly struggle within 30 to 40 meters, when an accident is most likely to take place.VoxelFlow consists of three event cameras and a continuous laser scanner, whose simultaneous observations use triangulation to generate a 3D image within a matter of nanoseconds. The system is able to detect, track and trace that 3D image, in addition to specifying velocity, speed, direction and position. Unmatched in its field, VoxelFlow will generate the best way to perceive the motion of 3D objects in space, creating a new way of seeing within the automotive industry. The system cuts the reaction distance from six meters to twelve centimeters and will be 50 times faster than other existing technology. By significantly cutting down response time and generating an authentic view of the world around the vehicle, VoxelFlow will help ensure the safety of all those on the roadways.
At 250,000 voxels per second, VoxelFlow is already matching competitors in point density. Where current camera/laser technology is subject to delays in latency or deficiencies in image quality, VoxelFlow creates high-resolution, low latency images, moving beyond pixels to reimagine the world in voxels. Sensor technology designed specifically with AD/ADAS vehicles in mind, VoxelFlow’s low latency caters to object detection within 30-40 meters, it shortens the braking distance for the vehicle. Further, the hybrid event-based camera and laser approach, allows VoxelFlow to work across all forms of weather and during every time of day.
Terranet publishes a video about its event-based camera scanner technology:
Mitsubishi to Launch 80×60 pixel Thermal Diode Infrared Sensor
March 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Mitsubishi Electric announces that its Mitsubishi Electric Diode InfraRed (MelDIR) sensor lineup will introduce on July 1, 2021 a new thermal sensor featuring a wide FoV and 80x60 pixel resolution for applications including security, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), people counting, smart buildings and thermal scanners. The new MelDIR sensor accurately distinguishes between humans and other heat sources and enables the identification of specific human behavior, such as walking, running or raising hands.This is the second generation of the MeIDIR sensors. The first one was announced in 2019.
The new sensor features:
- Wide field of view and high-pixel resolution
Wide FoV (78°x53°) and high pixel (80x60) resolution support accurate processing of infrared data.
Compared to the previous generation 80x32 pixel MelDIR, detection area is 2-4 times larger and thermal resolution of 100mK, or 0.1°C, is similar.
Small pixel size of thermal diode infrared sensor achieves same package size as conventional 80x32 pixel MelDIR. - Superior images achieved with faster frame rate and optimized sensitivity correction
Compared to the previous generation 80x32 pixel MelDIR, frame rate is double and sensitivity correction is optimized for surrounding area for superior thermal images.
Accurate identification of fast-moving heat sources supports crime prevention, people counting, animal detection, etc. - User-support tools shorten development time
Customers can use application samples, evaluation kit, reference codes and application-specific reference designs to support sample evaluations, product planning and product development.
Omnivision’s Early Years
March 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
SinaFinance publishes a biography of Datong Chen, Omnivision's Chairman, including the early ears on the company:"In 1995, a coincidental opportunity came. A friend of Chen Datong wanted to start a company to develop image sensors using CMOS technology. He wanted to invite Chen Datong to be the co-founder. Chen Datong has never learned this technology. The other party even asked him to be the co-founder and take care of the most critical technology. This seems very incredible.
Later, Chen Datong thought that it should be because of two things:
One is that this friend had asked him for technical consultation before, and he got through and solved the problem in two or three weeks for the technology he hadn't touched, which proved his ability. The second is that he helped the other party a lot, and he didn't ask for it when they were paid.
In this way, in 1995, Omnivision Technology was established in Silicon Valley, USA, and Chen Datong became the co-founder, passively starting his first business venture in his life.
"At that time there were probably 20 or 30 companies like this in the world doing the same thing, but since they are all on this boat, do it hard."
In Omnivision's team, 80% of the engineers are Chinese, 80% of the Chinese are foreign students, and 80% of the foreign students are Tsinghua [University] graduates. The team is extremely creative and works very hard. Finally, they became the first company in the world to turn CMOS technology into a product.
This company has triggered an industrial revolution: through the commercialization of CMOS technology, the power consumption of image sensors has been reduced by several hundred times, making mobile phones usable as cameras.
In 2000, Omnivision Technology was listed on NASDAQ and successfully listed."
Chronoptics Demos its ToF Multipath Reduction
March 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Chronoptics publishes a demo of its multipath reduction ToF camera:Thesis on Current-Assisted Photonic Demodulator for ToF Sensor
March 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) publishes a MSc thesis "Compact modeling of current-assisted photonic demodulator (CAPD) for time-of-flight CMOS image sensor" by Cristine Jin Delos Santos Estrada."A widely popular ToF sensor implementation is the current-assisted photonic demodulator (CAPD). While CAPD has been being used in ToF systems, its operation characteristics are difficult to predict because of a lack of a compact model describing its output current as a result of the incident light and modulating voltages. This problem further poses difficulty in establishing design considerations to achieve a good tradeoff in sensitivity, power, speed, and efficiency for such photonic demodulator.
In this work, a compact model for CAPD describing both the static and dynamic behavior of the device is proposed. An analytical expression relating the optical photogenerated current to the input bias and incident light intensity is derived by solving the continuity and drift-diffusion equations along the optical window of CAPD. The model has been extensively verified with numerical simulations, as well as with published experimental data."
LiDAR News: Robosense, Aeye, Light.co, Ouster
March 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
BusinessWire: Robosense shows its First Automotive-grade LiDAR Production Line in China:
BusinessWire: Aeye reports the independent validation of performance of its camera-LiDAR combo named iDAR:
- the AEye sensor was able to detect targets with a substantial number of points at a distance exceeding 1000 meters without compromising frame rate
- AEye’s sensor produced over 175 points on an 18% target at a distance of 200m, achieving the metric with 1600 points per degree squared
- iDAR achieved over 200Hz scan rate for full frame and field of view (FOV)
- the iDAR sensor works effectively behind a first-surface made of windshield glass material at a nominal thickness at various angles of incidence.
It's not clear what part of this performance comes from camera and what's from LiDAR part of the combo - everything is fused.
Light.co publishes a webinar of its Clarity comparing multi-camera setup with LiDAR:
An IP analytics blog LexisNexis believes that Ouster has the best quality of its LiDAR patents:
PixelPlus Turns a Profit in 2020 for the First Time since 2015
March 14, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
TheElec reports that "Pixelplus recorded 39 billion won in sales in 2020, a 10.6% increase from 2019. It recorded operating income of 800 million won, its first profit since 2015. China accounted for 55% of its sales, followed 25% from Taiwan."Curve Offers its Technology to Major Smartphone and Camera Brands
March 14, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
French site Les Echos Entrepreneours publishes an interview with Emmanuel and Sébastien Hugot , tow brothers-founders of Curve startup in Marseille:"It took ten years for Emmanuel Hugot to develop an industrial process for bending standard sensors. The technique is inspired by that of the manufacture of mirrors for astronomical telescopes , his original profession.
The patent , which originally belonged to the CNRS, was taken over by the company Curve . “Our approach works at over 96%, which considerably limits rejects,” explains Emmanuel Hugot. He claims to have already been approached by the main suppliers of cameras, the major brands of smartphones, as well as the players in the autonomous car market: camera manufacturers, car manufacturers… who also need better quality images."
Nikkei: Huaian Imaging Device Manufacturer Corp. Collapsed?
March 13, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Nikkei Asian Review reports that "Huaian Imaging Device Manufacturer, which invested 12 billion yuan in a bid to make CMOS sensors for smartphone cameras" is "said to have essentially collapsed."Huaian Imaging Device Manufacturer (HIDM) web site responds with "Error 403 - Forbidden." The company has been established in 2016 and signed a licensing agreement with ON Semi to manufacture consumer image sensors, such as 13MP AR1337:
A WIPO query PA:"HUAIAN IMAGING DEVICE MANUFACTURER CORPORATION" brings 1,224 patents and patent applications filed by the company, quite impressive number for any 4 year-old organization:
China Business Network newspaper tells the HiDM (德淮 or Dehuai) story. The project has been started by Li Ruiwei who also invested in Nanjing Dekema, another failed CIS fab:
"Dehuai Semiconductor was established in 2016 in Huaiyin District, with a total investment of 45 billion yuan, of which 12 billion yuan was invested in the first phase, covering an area of 257 acres, and planning to build an annual output of 240,000 12-inch CIS wafer fabs.
Zeng determined to "be China's No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, and pursue his dream to become a semiconductor manufacturer like Samsung."
However, after the project started, Li Ruiwei was "cleaned up" because he could not contribute funds, and the legal representative was changed to Xia Shaozeng.
According to the reporter's understanding, in order to make the project really land as soon as possible, Xia Shao once launched a fierce money offensive against party and government leaders such as Liu Zeyu, Sang Shaohuai, and Dong Huaichen in Huaiyin District, Huai'an City.
It is reported that before the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2017 and before the Spring Festival of 2019, Sang Shaohuai, a member of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Huai'an High-tech Zone, used his position to provide government investment, project approval and construction, incentives and tax rebates. Dehuai Semiconductor sought profit and received RMB 200,000 from Xia Shaozeng. Moreover, he took bribes in the Office of the Administrative Committee of Huai'an High-tech Zone.
In October 2019, Liu Zeyu was also subject to disciplinary inspection and supervision and investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law. At the end of 2019, Dong Huaichen, a director representing the government on the Dehuai Semiconductor Board of Directors, was also investigated. It is worth noting that Dong Huaichen was the person in charge of two state-owned enterprises, Huai'an Yuanxing Investment and Huaiyin City Assets, the main investment entity of the Huaiyin District Government.
It is reported that of the 4.6 billion yuan actually invested in the Dehuai project, 3.5 billion yuan is funded by the Huaiyin district government. The 1 billion yuan subscribed by the management of Dehuai Semiconductor is only 41 million yuan in place, and the 1 billion yuan for an employee shareholding platform is not in place.
Dehuai Semiconductor has also become lonely. In April 2020, the local Huaiyin District Government has dispatched a working group.According to Xu Yuquan, deputy director of the Dehuai Semiconductor Working Group Office, the company had nearly 1,000 employees, and currently only 78 are left behind. Currently, 57 sets of equipment are entering the site, and 154 sets of equipment have not entered the site. The chairman and general manager of Xia Shaozeng, and the deputy general manager in charge of finance have stayed in Taiwan, China for a long time and have not come back.
Xu Yuquan said that from the government level, he still wants to save the company. At present, the completion rate of the Dehuai Semiconductor project has reached 90%, and it is only a step away. You can find some projects with mature and stable technology in the market to start the project first."
The China Business Network article also mentions Zhongjing Aerospace Semiconductor founded in 2017:
"Jiangsu Zhongjing Aerospace once painted a beautiful blueprint for the Xuyi County government, planning two 8-inch CIS wafer fabs with an annual output of 240,000 pieces, integrating elements such as semiconductor towns, supply chain bases, and application education bases. The technical team mainly comes from the technical teams of famous semiconductor companies in Japan and Taiwan.
The reporter entered the plant of the project and found that the former plant had long been vacant, and only the plant on the east side still had some equipment. However, the above-mentioned people familiar with the matter said that these devices have been mortgaged to the bank and can't be moved even if they want to."
Toppan Acquires Brookman to Enter ToF Sensing Market
March 13, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Toppan Printing acquires 89.1% of the outstanding stock of Brookman Technology, Inc., a venture company originating from Shizuoka University and engaged in the development and sales of CMOS image sensors. Brookman Technology is scheduled to be made a subsidiary of Toppan by the end of March this year.
Toppan entered into a capital and business tie-up with Brookman Technology in 2017, and the two companies have subsequently collaborated on research and development in the field of 3D image sensing. By making Brookman Technology a subsidiary, Toppan aims to bolster joint efforts and enable a full-scale entry into the growing 3D image sensing market.
Synergies will be generated by bringing together Brookman Technology’s track record in image sensor development and ToF sensor design technology with Toppan’s semiconductor circuit design capabilities. Obstacles to expansion of the use of 3D sensors include image lag and difficulties associated with outdoor use. Toppan aims to overcome these challenges and develop sensors suitable for practical application by taking advantage of Brookman Technology’s unique ToF sensor design capabilities for high-speed imaging, long-distance measurement, and disturbance tolerance.
Targeting prompt commercialization, the two companies will accelerate current joint research on 3D image sensing for autonomous robots and the game and augmented reality fields. The technology is also vitally important for generating data that maps the real world as part of Toppan’s digital transformation (DX) initiatives. It will therefore also be leveraged to drive existing DX operations and create new businesses centered on the use of ToF sensors.
GPixel Introduces GLUX BSI sCMOS Family with 0.8 e- Noise
March 13, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Gpixel presents GLUX9701BSI, a 1” format BSI sCMOS sensor with a resolution of 1.3 MP (1280 x 1024) and large 9.76 μm x 9.76 μm pixels. The sensor is the first in a new family targeting extreme low-light imaging for both surveillance and scientific use.
GLUX9701BSI supports a dual-gain HDR mode, achieving dynamic range of 90 dB by combining 1.5 e– RMS read noise and 50 Ke– full well charge. A dedicated low noise mode further optimizes imaging performance with read noise of 0.8 e– and power consumption of 180 mW. Dedicated circuit and process engineering improves noise uniformity of GLUX significantly over previous sCMOS models with a close to Gaussian noise distribution behavior as can be seen in below figure.
The sensor offers two types of data output: 4 channel sub-LVDS and MIPI (CSI-2, D-PHY). The default frame rate at HDR of 30 fps can be achieved using both channel options with dedicated operation modes achieving frame rates of up to 120 fps.
A picture below demos the new sensor performance at 25 fps with <0.01 lux light intensity (measurement equipment limited).
A demo video is taken at 25fps under strarlight:
Gpixel's new Youtube channel also has a company presentation video:
More about Sony Acquisition of Intel Patents
March 12, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
In the end of 2020, there were reports that Sony had acquired a number of Intel patents. An IP analytics blog LexisNexis publishes its analysis of these patents:"The respective reassignment document lists 35 simple patent families with active US patents. Looking at the drawings shows that the portfolio comprises various technologies like packaging, semiconductor process, systems, computer memory, and image projection. Surprisingly, there are several first page drawings which points to gate-all-around transistor (GAA) technologies, the expected next transistors technology.
This finding was not expected: Sony is not known to be active in advanced CMOS transistor technologies like GAA, or at least not obviously known.
...a quick screening shows that 10 patent families are about to gate-all-around transistors and 3 families relate to finFET transistors. On its face value, the described structures and methods even resemble gate-all-around structures which are published in the literature.
Sony ranks sixth with a small but strong GAA portfolio. Difference between the portfolio size (number of simple patent families) and the portfolio strength (Patent Asset Index) is remarkable: The portfolio strength is more than 10-times larger than the Portfolio Size. This ratio demonstrates the high average quality, measured by the PatentSight Competitive Impact, of Sony's gate-all-around patents, as the Patent Asset Index is the product of Competitive Impact and Portfolio Size."
BusinessKorea believes that Intel GAA patents will be used in future Sony image sensor designs.
Google Computational Photography Review
March 12, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Google Research and York University, Canada, publish and Arxiv.org paper "Mobile Computational Photography: A Tour" by Mauricio Delbracio, Damien Kelly, Michael S. Brown, Peyman Milanfar."The first mobile camera phone was sold only 20 years ago, when taking pictures with one's phone was an oddity, and sharing pictures online was unheard of. Today, the smartphone is more camera than phone. How did this happen? This transformation was enabled by advances in computational photography -the science and engineering of making great images from small form factor, mobile cameras. Modern algorithmic and computing advances, including machine learning, have changed the rules of photography, bringing to it new modes of capture, post-processing, storage, and sharing. In this paper, we give a brief history of mobile computational photography and describe some of the key technological components, including burst photography, noise reduction, and super-resolution. At each step, we may draw naive parallels to the human visual system."
RTN in PD Dark Current Thesis
March 12, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Toulouse University publishes a PhD thesis "Defects in silicon: revisiting theoretical frameworks to guide ab initio characterization" by Gabriela Herrero-Saboya.
"In this thesis, we describe the effect of localized defects on the electronic properties of silicon. After 60 years of silicon devices production, one might expect all details of this material to be fully understood, especially considering that the manufacture of nowadays nanometer-sized transistors requires quasi-atomic accuracy. However, as a direct result of such extreme miniaturization, the accidental creation of even one single trapping center can be sufficient to alter the desired electronic properties of the sample, becoming one of the most feared phenomena in the industry.
Atomistic numerical simulations in silicon, based on the Density Functional Theory, do however typically target specific defect-properties, not giving a complete theoretical picture of the system, often overlooking previous models and experimental evidence. In the present thesis, we provide new insight into iconic defects in silicon through the quantification of long-established atomistic models, making an explicit link with the characterization techniques. Our detailed exploration of the DFT energy surface of the silicon E-center, guided by a simple Jahn-Teller model, confirmed the observed defect-dynamics at different temperature regimes, allowing us to link the presence of such point-like defect to a burst noise in image sensors.
In section 3.2, we analyse the relevance of the silicon E-center for several technologically relevant processes, like the Dark-Current Random Telegraph Signal in image sensors. The former might be defined as a burst noise in electronic devices commonly linked to the finite-temperature dynamics of crystallographic defects, motivating an extensive exploration of the potential energy surface at different temperature regimes. Our DFT and NEB calculations, in excellent agreement with EPR spectroscopy, provide new insight into the defect dynamics, and in particular into the vacancy-mediated dopant diffusion mechanism in silicon."
Hamamatsu Compares LiDAR Detector Technologies
March 12, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
Hamamatsu publishes a Youtube video comparing APD, SiPM, and SPAD in LiDAR applications:
ON Semi Celebrates Performance of its PYTHON Sensors in NASA Perseverance Mission
March 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
ON Semi is proud to report the good performance of its sensors used in NASA Perseverance mission:"The Perseverance mission has a total of 23 cameras, 19 of them are mounted on the rover itself and 16 of those are intended to be used by the rover while it is on the surface. The remaining seven cameras, both on the rover and the entry vehicle, were there largely to support the EDL phase [Entry, Descent, Landing process] of the journey. Of those seven cameras, ON Semiconductor supplied the image sensors for six of them.
Three of the cameras, designated Parachute Uplook Cameras (PUC), were used purely to observe the parachute as it opened on the descent. Two of the other cameras, designated Rover Uplook Camera (RUC) and Rover Downlook Camera (RDC), provided similar insights and operated at 30 fps for the whole of the EDL period.
The sensors used in the PUC, RUC and RDC are the PYTHON1300, a 1.3 megapixel, ½ in CMOS image sensor with 1280 by 1024 pixels. Together, all three cameras captured over 27,000 images during the ‘seven minutes of terror’.
The sixth ON Semiconductor image sensor now residing on Mars is a PYTHON5000, a 5.3 megapixel image sensor with a 1 inch area and pixel array of 2592 by 2048 pixels. This sensor is used in the Lander Vision System and is referred to as the LCAM. This camera has a field of view of 90° by 90° and provides the input to the onboard map localization Terrain-Relative Navigation system."
The PYTHON series of industrial vision sensors has been designed in the company's design centers in Mechelen, Belgium and in Bangalore, India.
Near Sensor CNN Processing
March 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
University Florida at Gainesville publishes MDPI paper "Towards An Efficient CNN Inference Architecture Enabling In-Sensor Processing" by Md Jubaer Hossain Pantho, Pankaj Bhowmik, and Christophe Bobda. The paper attracts the attention to the high power consumption of CNN processing that limits the possibilities of its integration onto image sensor:
"The astounding development of optical sensing imaging technology, coupled with the impressive improvements in machine learning algorithms, has increased our ability to understand and extract information from scenic events. In most cases, Convolution neural networks (CNNs) are largely adopted to infer knowledge due to their surprising success in automation, surveillance, and many other application domains. However, the convolution operations’ overwhelming computation demand has somewhat limited their use in remote sensing edge devices. In these platforms, real-time processing remains a challenging task due to the tight constraints on resources and power. Here, the transfer and processing of non-relevant image pixels act as a bottleneck on the entire system. It is possible to overcome this bottleneck by exploiting the high bandwidth available at the sensor interface by designing a CNN inference architecture near the sensor. This paper presents an attention-based pixel processing architecture to facilitate the CNN inference near the image sensor. We propose an efficient computation method to reduce the dynamic power by decreasing the overall computation of the convolution operations. The proposed method reduces redundancies by using a hierarchical optimization approach. The approach minimizes power consumption for convolution operations by exploiting the Spatio-temporal redundancies found in the incoming feature maps and performs computations only on selected regions based on their relevance score. The proposed design addresses problems related to the mapping of computations onto an array of processing elements (PEs) and introduces a suitable network structure for communication. The PEs are highly optimized to provide low latency and power for CNN applications. While designing the model, we exploit the concepts of biological vision systems to reduce computation and energy. We prototype the model in a Virtex UltraScale+ FPGA and implement it in Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) using the TSMC 90nm technology library. The results suggest that the proposed architecture significantly reduces dynamic power consumption and achieves high-speed up surpassing existing embedded processors’ computational capabilities."
Velodyne Founder’s Open Letter to Board of Directors
March 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment
Image Sensors World Go to the original article...
BusinessWire: Velodyne founder David Hall publishes an open letter to the company's BoD:March 9, 2021
Velodyne Lidar, Inc.
5521 Hellyer Avenue
San Jose, CA 95138
Attn: Board of Directors
Dear Velodyne Lidar Board of Directors (the “Board”):
I am writing to you today to directly refute the statements regarding my resignation from the Board included in Velodyne Lidar’s (the “Company”) recent Form 8-K filing. These statements do not accurately depict why I resigned and instead focus on the Company’s decision to publicly censure Marta Hall and I based on unfounded claims which we strongly refute.
To be completely clear: I chose to resign from the Board because I had numerous concerns about the strategic direction and current leadership of Velodyne Lidar.
As the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Velodyne Lidar, I oversaw years of growth and success that ultimately laid the groundwork for the Company to go public via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) in 2020. Despite serving as the Executive Chairman of the Board following Velodyne Lidar’s successful SPAC merger, it became quickly apparent to me that Jim Graf and Michael Dee – joint founders of the SPAC – wanted to curtail my involvement in the quality and selection of products being developed, the contracts negotiated and integrity of the Company’s business moving forward. These actions, in my view, emboldened Chief Executive Officer Anand Gopalan to disregard my views.
I firmly believe that the Board has fostered an anti-stockholder culture and that Velodyne Lidar’s corporate governance is broken. Perhaps most unsettling was the Board’s decision to rubberstamp an increased compensation package for Mr. Gopalan despite the Company releasing weak Q4 2020 earnings and missing year end forecasts.
The Board also recently attempted to manipulate the Company’s corporate machinery by transitioning Christopher Thomas from a Class I director to a Class II director in an apparent move to avoid having him stand for re-election against my nomination of Eric Singer, a highly-qualified director candidate with significant public board experience.
As a whole, I believe the status quo in Velodyne Lidar’s boardroom is unacceptable. The Board lacks prior public company experience, seems to prioritize its own self-interests over stockholders and has overseen the destruction of significant stockholder value.
It was in light of these serious concerns – as well as the Board’s complete disregard for my decades of experience and input – that made me come to the difficult decision of submitting my resignation last week. Unfortunately, the Board as currently constituted appears to have no respect for the principles, values and culture that I spent years building at Velodyne Lidar. My wife, Marta Hall, will remain on the Board and continue to perform her fiduciary duties to best serve all Velodyne Lidar stockholders.
Sincerely,
David Hall
Founder of Velodyne Lidar, Inc.
