Automotive SoC offers high low-light performance for cameras

In a single, quarter inch optical format package, the OX01F10 integrates a 3.0 micron image sensor and an advanced image signal processor (ISP), solving the automotive rear view camera (RVC) and surround view system (SVS) challenges of achieving 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).

Andy Hanvey, Director of Automotive Marketing at OmniVision, said: “Analysts predict that SVS and RVC will continue to hold the majority share in the automotive camera market, with over 50% of the total market volume through 2023. SVS, in particular, is expected to double its growth between now and 2023 due to increased customer adoption.

“Our OX01F10 SoC provides the best option for automotive designers responding to this growing consumer demand for better RVCs, along with the expansion of SVS into the mainstream market. 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.”

OmniVision’s dual conversion gain (DCG) technology is employed in this SoC to achieve a high dynamic range of 120dB with only two captures, as opposed to three required by the competition, which minimizes 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.
• Optimizations for the on-chip image sensor’s PureCel Plus technology.

PureCel Plus technology is renowned for its low-light sensitivity, providing an industry best SNR1 of 0.19 lux. This results in the OX01F10 performing better than the competition across challenging lighting conditions, enabling the ability to eliminate unnatural halos from LEDs and to provide better contrast on bright days.

The OX01F10 features <300mW typical power consumption, which is 30% lower than competitors and significantly reduces temperature. In fact, this is the only imaging device today 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.

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 2-lane MIPI and 10-bit DVP interfaces.