Archives for January 2019

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Arm announces new ISP IP for consumer devices, such as drones, smart home assistants, security and IP cameras, etc:

"The new Arm Mali-C52 and Mali-C32 apply over twenty-five processing steps to each pixel, of which three critical ones deliver key differentiation in terms of image output quality. These include high-dynamic range (HDR), noise reduction and color management. By incorporating Arm’s market-leading Iridix technology and other industry-leading algorithms for noise and color management, Mali-C52 and Mali-C32 ISPs efficiently deliver all three at high resolution and in real-time (e.g. 4k resolution at 60fps).

The Mali-C52 can be configured for two different optimizations - image quality or area. This flexibility allows our silicon partners to use the same IP and software across a range of products and use cases. The Mali-C32 is optimized specifically for area in lower-power, cost-sensitive embedded vision devices such as entry-level access control or hobby drones."

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PRNewswire, PRNewswire: Omnivision announces two new sensors for smartphone cameras:

• OV13B: 1/3-inch 13MP sensor for mainstream and entry-level smartphone cameras
• OV16A: a cost-effective 16MP upgrade for rear- and front-facing cameras on mainstream smartphones with thin bezels

OV13B sensor features 1.12um PureCel Plus pixel technology and is specifically designed for the enormous mainstream and entry-level smartphone markets, providing a compelling solution for rear- or front-facing cameras.

“The market for 1/3-inch optical format 13-MP image sensors has grown significantly during the last couple of years due to their optimized size, performance and cost effectiveness; we anticipate that this strong demand will continue for both rear- and front-facing cameras, in mainstream and entry-level smartphone applications,” said James Liu, product marketing manager for OmniVision. “The OV13B builds on the success of our widely deployed 13-MP sensor family with the industry’s best 1.12-micron pixel performance. This sensor will not only fulfill the tremendous demand in the mainstream market, but can also boost the performance of entry-level smartphones. It is also a perfect fit for both wide-angle and telephoto cameras in multi-camera configurations.”

In comparison with its predecessors, the OV13B has significantly lower power consumption and a smaller chip size, enabling an 8.5 x 8.5-mm autofocus module for main cameras, or a 6.4 x 7.2-mm fixed-focus module for front-facing cameras with a Z height below 4 mm. This image sensor is sampling now.

The OV16A is built on OmniVision’s PureCel Plus 1.0um pixel architecture. With the OV16A, manufacturers can add a third camera for high-quality, ultra-wide-angle photos in high-end smartphones. Additionally, the OV16A extends battery life with the industry’s lowest power consumption—10% lower than the nearest competitor’s 16 MP 1.0um sensor.

Thin-bezel phones are gaining in popularity because of increased demand for full-display selfie screens. However, these space limiting thin-bezel designs require compact front-facing cameras. The OV16A allows designers to incorporate just such a camera in the bezel, and with 2.0-micron-equivalent pixel performance. The compact OV16A enables the industry’s smallest fixed-focus camera modules, with dimensions down to 6.5x6mm.

“Designers want to achieve the best balance among cost, image quality and low power consumption,” said Jason Chiang, product marketing manager at OmniVision. “The cost-effective OV16A allows them to provide excellent performance in a high-resolution camera for various smartphone applications, including tri-camera designs. The 4-cell color filter allows users to consistently capture high-quality photos without motion blur, even in low-light conditions indoors.”

The OV16A will begin sampling in February 2019.

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PRNewswire: Omnivision's OV9284 1MP sensor is aimed to driver and passenger monitoring in mainstream vehicles and is said to have a number of "best in the industry" and "first in the industry" features:

• the industry’s best NIR QE in a driver-monitoring image sensor, with 12% at 940nm
• consumes only 90mW of power at 60 fps, which is 30% lower than the nearest competitor
• the industry’s first image sensor with "the right balance of cost effectiveness, high-quality imaging and advanced features, meeting the needs of the mainstream automotive market"

The new sensor is based on high-speed global shutter OmniPixel3-GS pixel technology and offers 1280 x 800 resolution at video speeds of up to 120 fps. The OV9284 is available now.

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ON Semi publishes a video on automotive image sensors challenges under the direct sun:

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EETimes compiles more info about Foxconn plans to build CIS fab in China:

Foxconn, "also known as Hon Hai Precision, aims to launch a $9 billion fab near southern China’s Zhuhai city... The total amount of the investment in the project could add up to around 60 billion yuan, or $9 billion, with most of the investment coming from the Zhuhai government.

Initially, Foxconn is expected to draw on Sharp, which has experience making CCD/CMOS sensors... [and] has operated an 8-inch fab in Fukuyama at the 0.13μm process node. Foxconn’s 2016 takeover of Sharp provides the ability to design and produce semiconductors for the first time in Foxconn’s history as it shifts from electronics assembly to higher margin chip production.

“One of the Hon Hai group’s goals when acquiring Sharp was to gain semiconductor technology,” Tokyo-based Mizuho Securities analyst Yasuo Nakane told EE Times... chip projects are financed partly by China’s central government, which sees semiconductors as a more important field, Nakane said.

The main hurdle for the China fab project is likely to focus on securing intellectual property and engineers. “If Sharp were to invest in a 12-inch wafer plant in China, we doubt it would begin operations using processes several generations old, and we think it currently lacks enough engineers for the task,” Nakane said... The new fab will initially make chips for ultra high-definition 8K televisions and camera image sensors, as well as various sensors for industrial use and connected devices."

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