CMOS image sensor targets machine-vision market

The 1.3-megapixel Vita 1300 sensor combines a pipelined and triggered global snapshot shutter with a frame rate of 150fps for undistorted images and fast readout.

The pipelined snapshot shutter capability enables exposure during read-out to reduce motion blur.

The sensor also works in a rolling shutter mode with correlated double sampling (CDS) to reduce noise and increase dynamic range.

The Vita 1300 range addresses barcode scanning, motion monitoring and security applications.

The sensor offers a 0.5in (12.7mm) optical format with monochrome or colour digital output.

It has four 10-bit digital low-voltage differential signalling (LVDS) outputs that enable the transfer of image data over a standard industry protocol at low power and low noise.

It also has a multiple slope capability to maintain good contrast in shadowed regions without saturating bright areas in scenes with a high contrast ratio.

The Vita 1300 sensor has 1,280 x 1024 active pixels with a 4.8 x 4.8um pixel size.

The image sensor integrates a programmable offset and gain amplifier for each channel of the LVDS outputs.

Each channel runs at a 620Mbps, which results in a 150fps frame rate at full resolution.

Higher frame rates can be achieved by windowed or sub-sampled readout modes.

Settings of the sensor are programmable over the SPI interface.

All the internal exposure and timing of readouts are generated by an onboard sequencer.

The extended optical dynamic range can be achieved by setting multiple slopes.

The Vita 1300 sensor also features a 10-bit on-chip analogue-to-digital converter for digital output and on-chip timing control for application development.

An alternative data output is available through a single 10-bit parallel CMOS data output, operating at 62Msps.

Samples of the Vita 1300 image sensor are expected to be available in February 2010, with production devices expected in the fourth quarter of 2010.