CameraChip Sensor - OV3640 - OmniVision

OmniVision launched the OV3640, a 1/4-inch 3-megapixel CameraChip sensor, based on the new 1.75-micron OmniPixel3 architecture. The OV3640 provides the full functionality of a single chip QXGA (2048×1536) camera in a small footprint package. It provides full-frame, sub-sampled, windowed or arbitrarily scaled 8-bit/10-bit images in various formats via the control of the Serial Camera Control Bus (SCCB) interface or MIPI interface. The OV3640 CameraChip Sensor is an ideal drop-in upgrade for 2-megapixel camera in existing handset designs using the standard 8 x 8 mm sockets.

OmniVision OV3640 CameraChip Sensor

The OV3640 CameraChip Sensor is based on the recently-announced 1.75 micron OmniPixel3 architecture. which is designed to focus light onto the sensor more effectively, allowing the pixels to capture significantly more light and thus make more effective use of the smaller pixel's active area. The resulting improved fill factor and increased sensitivity deliver more vibrant and true-to-life color reproduction. OmniPixel3's optimized pixel symmetry avoids color distortion and offers improved dynamic range of up to 65dB. New process technology optimizations help OmniPixel3 achieve ultra low dark current (30 e/sec) and low defect density, making this technology ideal for use in low light and variable light conditions. Further innovations include a new transfer gate design process and contact technologies that achieve lag-free operation throughout the signal range. Eliminating read-out lag ensures that no ghost images or unwanted noise are present in the imaging process.

Features of OV3640 CameraChip Sensor:

• Images sizes: QXGA, and any arbitrary size scaling down from QXGA
• Image quality controls: color saturation, hue, gamma, sharpness (edge enhancement), lens correction, defective pixel canceling, and noise canceling
• Programmable controls for frame rate, AEC/AGC 16-zone size/position/weight control, mirror and flip, scaling, cropping, windowing, and panning
• Output formats: RAW RGB, RGB565/555/444, CCIR656, YUV422/420, YCbCr422 and compression
• Digital video port (DVP) parallel output interface
• MIPI serial output interface
• On-chip phase lock loop (PLL)
• Automatic image control functions:
  • automatic exposure control (AEC)
  • automatic 50/60 Hz luminance detection
  • automatic white balance (AWB)
  • automatic band filter (ABF)
  • automatic black level calibration (ABLC)
• Support for:
  • anti-shake assistance
  • auto focus control (AFC)
  • data compression output
  • horizontal and vertical sub-sampling
  • internal and external frame synchronization
  • video or snapshot operations
  • second camera chip-sharing ISP and MIPI interface
  • LED and flash strobe modestandard serial SCCB interface

The OV3640 CameraChip Sensor features a high-speed, two-lane mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) to enable the fast transfer of large blocks of data. The new image sensor also incorporates advanced image signal processing and onboard JPEG compression to allow existing baseband processors without MIPI to support a camera upgrade to 3-megapixels at 15 frames per second in full resolution.

The OV3640 CameraChip Sensor also incorporates advanced image stabilization functionality similar to that used in digital still camera (DSC) and camcorder products. In low light situations, cameras need a longer exposure time, which in turn, requires the photographer to keep a steady hand. Camera phones with an OV3640 sensor will automatically sense the slightest camera shake and activate the image stabilization function to help prevent image blur and produce sharper images.

These new features and improvements of OV3640 CameraChip Sensor include a new read-out circuit for significantly reduced noise; improved high resolution image signal processing for better overall camera performance and image quality; a black level follower for stronger image contrast; easy black level calibration to eliminate the need for gain adjust; integrated auto-focus control for 8.5 x 8.5 mm auto focus camera modules and improved scaling to facilitate smooth zoom function.

Volume production of OV3640 CameraChip Sensor is expected by Q4 of 2007.

More info: OmniVision OV3640 CameraChip Sensor