Mooted as the industry’s first device that can process and output RAW and YUV images concurrently is the ISX038 CMOS image sensor for vehicle cameras, which Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (SSS) has announced will be available soon.
The first-of-its-kind sensor product can process and output RAW and YUV images simultaneously and features an internal patented ISP.
While YUV photos are supplied for infotainment applications like the drive recorder and augmented reality (AR), RAW images are necessary for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving systems (AD) to identify and recognize the external environment.
The new product by Sony Semiconductor is said to simplify automobile camera systems and saves money, energy, and space by increasing the number of applications that a single camera can provide.
The functions of automotive cameras are constantly expanding to meet the demands of the driver experience as well as the advancements in ADAS and AD.
However, there is a fixed amount of space available for the installation of these cameras, thus it is not feasible to add more endlessly. Consequently, there is a growing need to accomplish more with a single camera.
The first Sony Semiconductor CMOS image sensor for automobile cameras in the market to process and output RAW and YUV images simultaneously is the ISX038. It makes use of a stacked structure made up of a logic chip with a signal processing circuit and a pixel chip, the logic chip housing the SSS’s exclusive ISP.
Because of its design, a single camera may now function as an infotainment application, providing the driver with visual information and high-precision detection and recognition of the surroundings outside the car.
In contrast to traditional approaches like having many cameras or utilizing an external internet service provider to generate RAW and YUV images, the new solution streamlines automobile camera systems while reducing expenses, power consumption, and space requirements.
Compatibility with Mobileye’s EyeQ 6 System-on-a-Chip (SoC) for use in ADAS and AD technologies will be provided by ISX038.
Main Features
-
Industry’s first sensor capable of processing and outputting RAW and YUV images simultaneously
The new sensor can simultaneously output two different picture formats on two separate interfaces, with optimized image quality for each application, and is outfitted with separate ISPs for RAW and YUV photos. Compared to multi-camera systems or systems with an external ISP, systems with more applications from a single camera can be built at lower prices, power, and space.
-
Wide dynamic range even during simultaneous use of HDR and LED flicker mitigation
When operating a vehicle, it is necessary to accurately identify and detect things, especially in areas of the road where there are notable variations in light levels, like the entrances and exits of tunnels.
Since LED signs and other traffic devices are becoming more common, automotive cameras must also suppress LED flicker, even in HDR mode.
This product’s patented pixel structure and distinct exposure technique enhance saturation illuminance, resulting in a broad dynamic range of 106 dB even when HDR and LED flicker mitigation are used concurrently (the range is much greater, at 130 dB, when using dynamic range priority mode).
This approach also helps eliminate motion artifacts created when capturing moving subjects.
-
Compatibility with conventional products
ISX038 CMOS image sensor is compatible with all of SSS’s traditional products, which have a track record of success with ADAS and AD applications across several automakers.
Reusing data assets from earlier offerings, such as driving data from car cameras, is now feasible with the new product. This facilitates the development of ADAS and AD for automakers and other partners.
-
Compliant with standards required for automotive applications
The Sony Semiconductor product is qualified for AEC-Q100 Grade 2 automotive electronic component reliability tests via mass manufacture. Additionally, at automotive safety integrity level ASIL-B(D), SSS has implemented a development procedure that complies with the ISO 26262 road vehicle functional safety standard. This enhances the dependability of automobile camera systems.
Key Specifications of ISX038 CMOS Image Sensor
| Model name | ISX038 |
| Effective pixels | 3,857×2,177(H×V), approx. 8.39 megapixels |
| Image size | Diagonal 9.30mm (1/1.72-type) |
| Unit cell size | 2.1?m×2.1?m (H×V) |
| Frame rate (all pixels) | 30fps (RAW&YUV dual output) |
| Sensitivity (standard value F5.6, 1/30 second cumulative) |
880mV (Green Pixel) |
| Dynamic range (EMVA 1288 standard) | 106 dB (with LED flicker mitigation)
130 dB (dynamic range priority) |
| Interface | MIPI CSI-2 serial output (Single port with 4- lanes / Dual port with 2-lanes per port) |
| Package | 192pin BGA |
| Package size | 11.85mm×8.60mm (H×V) |
