8-MP automotive sensor platform boasts 140-dB HDR

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. rolls out the first two devices of its new automotive image sensor  platform — the 8-MP, front-view OX08A and OX08B. The high-resolution OX08A features an industry-leading 140-dB high dynamic range (HDR), while the pinout-compatible OX08B adds a new benchmark in LED flicker mitigation (LFM) performance, enabled by the sensor’s on-chip HALE (HDR and LFM engine) combination algorithm.

In addition, OmniVision’s PureCelPlus-S stacked architecture enables each pixel to perform optimally via higher full-well capacity for improved HDR, and with the four-cell technology, the image sensors deliver optimal low-light performance in a 1/1.8-in. optical format with a 2.1-micron pixel pitch.

“These new image sensors  utilize OmniVision’s dual conversion gain (DCG) technology to achieve 82-dB dynamic range on the first exposure, whereas competitors’ image sensors only provide a dynamic range of 60 dB or less,” said Celine Baron, staff automotive product marketing manager at OmniVision, in a statement. “Unlike DCG, the competing method, known as staggered HDR, relies on additional passes that introduce motion artifacts and diminish range, especially in low light.

“Additionally, OmniVision’s 3D stacking technology allowed us to integrate our unique HALE algorithm into the OX08B. The result is that this sensor platform provides an industry-leading 140-dB HDR, along with the best LFM performance and high 8-MP resolution for superior front-view captures, regardless of external lighting conditions.”

The optimal clarity in combination with integrated ASIL-C features is vital for front-view automotive applications, such as ADAS and Level 3+ autonomous vehicles, in which the ability to accurately detect people and objects from far away in all lighting conditions is safety-critical, said OmniVision.

This platform also enables sensor fusion, wherein the same camera signal is used for ADAS and autonomous machine vision while also feeding into the “dash cam” front-view recording and display systems. The sensors also have region-of-interest functionality for clearer images of moving objects within fixed areas in the camera’s field of view.

Both sensors offer four-capture, 3,840 × 2,160 resolution at 36 fps and a 16:9 display aspect ratio. They will be available in different color-filter patterns to match machine-vision applications in the industry. The sensors also integrate industry-standard encryption techniques to ensure the safety of images used in machine-vision applications while consuming less than 10% of the sensor’s total power budget.

The OX08A and OX08B image sensors are both planned to be AEC-Q100 Grade 2-certified.