Hamamatsu Announces ToF Sensors

Hamamatsu Photonics announces three image sensors that feature a high-speed charge transfer structure in each pixel to enable high-precision ToF distance measurements. The S11961-01CR is said to be the industry’s first linear image sensor for ToF distance measurement, and the S11962-01CR and S11963-01CR are area image sensors for 3D distance-measuring cameras.

In addition to conventional detection tasks such as detecting the presence of people or obstacles, the new image sensors provide various types of added functionality including distance measurement and shape detection. They have been designed for use in a wide variety of applications, such as automotive systems for detecting people or obstacles, object detection in semiconductor wafer transfer systems, shape detection by industrial robots, and intruder detection by security systems.

Samples of the new distance linear/area image sensors will be available from February 1, 2013.

Distance area image sensors (top): S11962-01CR, S11963-01CR
Distance linear image sensor (bottom): S11961-01CR

The PR in Japanese gives a lot more information (Google translation):

Overview of each type:

Linear type (S11961-01CR)
Linear type arranged in one column element is the industry's first
(Total pixels 272 pixels)
effective pixels 256 pixels long, 20μm pixel pitch, 50μm pixel height
Pixel array part, the sample-and-hold circuit, the horizontal shift register Non-destructive readout capabilities, high dynamic range and low noise
Applications
The automatic conveyor automobile and semiconductor wafer to determine the location and distance between, and shape, obstacles and people Automatic control to detect

Area type (S11962-01CR)
Light receiving element that make up the 3D distance image camera
(72 × 72 pixels Total number of pixels)
Number of 64 × 64 pixels effective pixels, 40μm × 40μm pixel size
The pixel array section, the column circuit CDS, horizontal shift register, the vertical shift register, timing
Constituted by the analog circuitry
Applications
Industry and care, such as the medical field, the robot operation is highly recognized people and obstacles
In the field of security, the PIN peek at bank ATM, in a crowded escalator
Operation control of security in the report, such as public toilets
Development and a wide range of applications in the field of gesture that recognizes the amusement

Area type (S11963-01CR)
(168 × 128 pixels Number of total pixels)
160 × 120 pixels Number of effective pixels, 30μm × 30μm pixel size
The pixel array, column gain amplifier, horizontal shift register, the vertical shift register, Thailand Timing circuit composed
By column gain amplifier to improve the accuracy of distance to reduce the influence of noise
Non-destructive readout capabilities, high dynamic range and low noise
Applications
Compared to the 11962-01CR, for applications that require higher resolution

Main Features:

1. Built-in anti-saturated stable operation even under sunlight
This product, the effect of background light such as a large (approximately 100 000 lux) was the weakness of conventional solar
We are built-saturation measures to reduce. Day or night, indoors or outdoors, small malfunction
Rather than to achieve a high sensitivity measurement can detect a weak signal light, stability can be used.

2. non-destructive readout capability to extend the dynamic range
S11963-01CR linear type and type of area, charge accumulation time is greater when the background light
Short time, when the weak signal that the charge accumulation time is longer when using the
In, we built a non-destructive readout capability to extend the dynamic range to long distances at close range