OmniVision Announces 40MP Smartphone Image Sensor

By Tiera Oliver

Associate Editor

Embedded Computing Design

January 07, 2021

News

OmniVision Announces 40MP Smartphone Image Sensor

Combines 1.0 Micron Pixel, Ultra High Gain and Multi-Sampling De-Noise With Selective Conversion Gain, Staggered HDR and High Frame Rate Autofocus for Main, Wide, Ultrawide and Video Cameras.

OmniVision announced the OV40A, a 40MP, 1.0 micron pixel image sensor that features high gain and de-noise technologies for low light camera performance in the 1/1.7” optical format. This sensor also offers multiple high dynamic range (HDR) options for the best quality still and video captures. Additionally, it supports 1080p slow-motion and high-speed video captures at 240 frames per second (fps) with phase-detection autofocus.  

The OV40A is designed with many industrial technologies. It supports high gain of up to 256x, and is embedded with multi-sampling de-noise functionality for low light performance. This sensor also offers HDR through selective conversion gain for balance between low-light image quality and HDR, along with 2- and 3-exposure staggered HDR timing. These features provide designers with the option to select the best HDR method for the contrasting light and dark areas in a given scene.

Built on OmniVision’s PureCel Plus-S stacked die technology, the OV40A integrates an on-chip, 4-cell (4C) color filter array and hardware remosaic, which provides 40MP Bayer output in real time. For low light conditions, this sensor can use near-pixel binning to output a 10MP image, as well as 4K2K and 1080p video, with four times the sensitivity, yielding 2.0 micron pixel-equivalent low-light performance. In either case, the OV40A can capture quality images for different resolution video modes through fast mode switch.

Output formats include 40MP at 30 fps, 10MP with 4C binning at 120 fps, 4K2K video at 60 fps, and 1080p video at 240 fps. All of these formats can be captured with phase-detection autofocus. Other features include a CPHY interface, multi-camera sync, and a 34.7 degree chief ray angle.

Samples of the new OV40A image sensor are available now.

For more information, visit: www.ovt.com

Tiera Oliver, Associate Editor for Embedded Computing Design, is responsible for web content edits, product news, and constructing stories. She also assists with newsletter updates as well as contributing and editing content for ECD podcasts and the ECD YouTube channel. Before working at ECD, Tiera graduated from Northern Arizona University where she received her B.S. in journalism and political science and worked as a news reporter for the university’s student led newspaper, The Lumberjack.

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