Automotive SoC for entry-level rearview cameras

In a single, 1/4” optical format package, the OX01E10 integrates a 3 micron image sensor and an advanced image signal processor (ISP), enabling designers to achieve a small form factor with excellent low-light performance, ultra-low power and reduced cost while improving reliability by using only one printed circuit board (PCB).

Additionally, the OX01E10 provides two onscreen display overlay layers for driver guidelines, as well as distortion correction to straighten any curved edges from lenses with a wide viewing angle.

In addition to the regulatory requirements driving growth in rearview cameras, car buyers have come to expect them. Yole Développement estimates that 42 million image sensors were shipped for RVC applications in 2019, and they forecast a five year CAGR of seven percent.

“RVC remains the largest volume application in the automotive camera market,” said Andy Hanvey, director of automotive marketing at OmniVision. “Our OX01E10 SoC provides the best option for automotive designers responding to the growing consumer demand for better RVCs. Additionally, this SoC’s functional safety features allow module providers to create a single platform for both the viewing cameras and the machine vision applications that require ASIL B, while offering pin-to-pin compatibility and design reuse with our OX01F10 SoC for surround view systems (SVS).”

The OX01E10 features power consumption that claims to be over 35% lower than competitors’ and significantly reduces temperature. In fact, this is the only imaging device for entry-level RVC that does not require a metal heat sink, allowing for the use of plastic camera module bodies to reduce costs. With its compact package size, it also enables smaller cameras that can fit in much tighter spaces. In addition, by integrating both the image sensor and ISP into a single chip, designers can save on both cost and space by eliminating the second PCB in typical two-chip implementations.

OmniVision’s dual conversion gain (DCG) technology is employed in this SoC to achieve a high dynamic range (HDR) of 120dB with only two captures, as opposed to three required by the competition, which minimises motion artifacts while reducing power consumption and boosting low-light performance. Its integrated ISP further enables superior image quality with a number of advanced features, such as:

• Lens chromatic aberration correction
• Advanced noise reduction and local tone mapping

The OX01E10’s image sensor is built on the PureCel Plus pixel architecture, which is known for its low-light sensitivity and provides the industry’s best SNR performance. As a result, the OX01E10 performs better than the competition across challenging lighting conditions, eliminating unnatural halos from LEDs and providing better contrast on bright days.

This SoC provides 1.3MP resolution and a 1340x1020 array size at 30 fps, which offers ample resolution for calibration. It also enables output flexibility with both two-lane MIPI and 10-bit DVP interfaces.

The OX01E10 SoC is AEC-Q100 Grade 2 certified and samples are available now, with mass production expected in Q3 2020.