OmniVision and Nextchip launch new automotive image sensors

     For automotive applications involving rear-view cameras, circumnavigation systems, and low - and mid-range automotive electronic rear-view mirrors, OmniVision Technologies and Nextchip have teamed up to offer a joint solution that can be pre-tuned to save developers up to three months of tuning. The solution includes OmniVision's OX03C10, which claims to be the world's only automotive image sensor that combines a 3.0μm large pixel, high dynamic range (HDR) sensor up to 140dB to minimize motion artifacts and have the highest LED flicker mitigation (LFM) performance.

     It also features Nextchip's NVP2650D image Signal Processor (ISP), which integrates two NVP2650 ISP cores in a single package that can simultaneously process capture from two OX03C10 sensors, using a single ISP to provide dual and full LFM image output at 60 frames per second (fps). In addition, the NVP2650D offers a combination of 10/12-bit compressed RAW output and 24-bit uncompressed HDR output to further improve image quality for scenes with high contrast in light and dark areas.

     The sensor integrates OmniVision's HALE (HDR and LFM engine) algorithm combination, uniquely delivering the highest HDR and LFM performance at the same time, while its Deep Well dual-conversion gain technology significantly reduces motion artifacts. In addition, OmniVision's split pixel LFM technology is said to have four capture modes, providing the industry's best performance over the entire vehicle temperature range. The OX03C10 is also the first observation image sensor with HDR and LFM, offering a resolution of 1920×1280p at 60 frames per second, giving drivers greater design flexibility and faster camera Angle switching. The OX03C10 is the lowest power consumption of all 2.5 megapixel LFM image sensors, 25% lower than the nearest competitor, while featuring the industry's smallest package size and continuous operation at 60 frames per second even in the smallest of Spaces, making the OX03C10 a market leader in automotive imaging applications.

     OmniVision's PureCel Plus-S stacked architecture gives the OX03C10 pixel performance advantages over non-stacked technologies, in addition to having a smaller bare chip and lower power consumption. For example, 3D stacking technology enabled OmniVision to improve pixel and dark current performance, resulting in a 20 percent improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of its 2.5MP automotive observation sensor compared to the previous generation.

     This joint solution provides the lowest power consumption automotive observation camera for the automotive industry, with 120-dB HDR and a full 2.5MP resolution of 60 frames per second. By having an ISP core, Nextchip can provide each customer with the right image quality based on its knowledge and experience in image processing. In addition, the NVP2650D ISP provides 4-channel, 2-channel MIPI output at 1 Gbps per channel, while supporting virtual channels.

     OmniVision's OX03C10 image sensor can be used for sampling, while Nextchip's NVP2650D ISP has entered mass production. Both companies' devices offer advanced ASIL functional safety and AEC-Q100 Level 2 certification for automotive applications.