OmniVision Technologies Inc., an independent supplier of CMOS CameraChip image sensors for high-volume applications, introduced its first color High Dynamic Range (HDR) CameraChip sensor for security market applications. According to the company the new single-chip OV10620 can provide security camera manufacturers significant cost savings over existing multi-chip CCD camera solutions with HDR capability as well as superior performance versus competing CMOS color HDR systems.
It is claimed that HDR refers to an imaging system’s ability to capture widely differing light levels in a single image and to rapidly adjust to often instantaneous changes in light levels. OmniVision’s proprietary color HDR technology enables the high-speed OV10620 to function much like the human eye under quickly changing light conditions, making it ideal for a range of commercial security camera applications. The OV10620 boasts a spectral light sensitivity of up to 1000 nm, which is near infrared sensitivity, and is capable of performing at a dynamic range of up to 110dB in either color or black and white, challenging the performance of existing HDR sensors on the market.
A 6 x 6 micron pixel size enables the OV10620 to simultaneously capture and process image data from bright and dark regions, making it highly suitable for use in high-performance closed circuit television (CCTV) and Internet protocol (IP) security camera systems, where rapidly varying light conditions should not affect the ability to identify all objects in a scene or image.
Hasan Gadjali, vice president for advanced products at OmniVision, said, "Higher levels of security are becoming more important to an increasingly larger audience both in business and in domestic environments. With the introduction of the OV10620 to the security market, we believe we are delivering optimized performance in a high quality single-chip package that makes HDR technology a realistic solution for a wider range of security products."
The OV10620 digital sensor comes in a 1/3-inch Wide-VGA (768 x 492) and a 1/4-inch VGA (640 x 480) image array operating at 30 frames per second (fps) at full resolution and 60 fps at QVGA (320 x 240) resolution. It offers the flexibility of YUV or RGB Raw output and comes in a standard CLCC package. Customer samples and evaluation boards are now available and the Company expects to begin volume production in the third quarter of 2007.
OmniVision
