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Friday, October 02, 2015

Socionext ISP Supports HDR, PDAF

PRNewswire: Socionext, the company created by merging of Fujitsu and Panasonic semiconductor businesses, announces a volume production of MB86S29, a 'camera front engine' specialized for Bayer data processing with new functions supporting the latest image sensors.

The MB86S29 is the newest Milbeaut Image Processor for smartphones. By accommodating new functionalities of the latest image sensors, the MB86S29 lets module makers implement these functions without replacing their application processors.

Recently, it is common to find cameras in smartphones or other mobile devices that are configured with application processors (AP) equipped with built-in ISP functionalities. These APs can directly process output from image sensors, and help reduce the footprint and cost of camera modules. The MB86S29 supports this trend as a "Camera Front Engine" that replaces conventional ISPs. Connected in between an image sensor and an AP, it is specialized for Bayer data processing, so users can configure their APs with the same interface directory connected to image sensors, and to make full use of PDAF and HDR.

The MB86S29 has 4 lanes each of 2.1Gbps MIPI Rx / Tx. It can process 16MP images at 30 fps. It is also applicable for noise reduction, shading correction, and 3A (AE / AF / AWB) detection. It is available in the smallest package of any member of the Milbeaut series, at 4mm x 4mm.

The MB86S29 has been designed to utilize "Hybrid AF", which combines the accuracy of contrast AF and the speed of phase detect AF, enabling maximum 4x faster AF, in comparison with the previous Milbeaut products. Low power consumption is just 310mW when processing phase detect AF.


The MB86S29 also supports Sensor HDR. Conventional HDR imaging, which generates a picture from multiple frames taken with different exposures, has disadvantages, such as image blurs caused by the difference between the frames, and time needed to take those multiple frames. The MB86S29 can process data with different exposure settings within one image so it can process the HDR images with higher visibility in 16MP, at the speed of 30 fps.


MB86S29 Specifications

  • 16MP at 30fps, Bayer Output
  • Compatible with PDAF Sensors
  • Compatible with Sensor HDR
  • Defective Pixel Correction (including pixels for PDAF)
  • Shading Correction
  • Package: 4mm x 4mm
  • MIPI-Rx: 4 lanes (2.1Gbps) + 2 lanes (1.5Gbps)
  • MIPI-Tx: 4 lans (2.1Gbps)
  • Dual ARM processor Core

The new MB86S29 is available for $3.00 each when purchased in volume quantities of 5 Million pieces or more.

3 comments:

  1. What kind of HDR is supported, Interlaced or staggered?

    I understood interlaced is the most common, but staggered is becoming more available, thanks to much better quality (no horizontal resolution decrease).

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  2. Based on this comment "so it can process the HDR images with higher visibility in 16MP" I believe it to be interlaced (alternate row). The biggest staggered (DOL) sensor is 8M.

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  3. This is complete nonsense and old school propaganda. Multi frame interlaced HDR is being provided without merge, tonemap or movement artifacts, plus it can provide a much broader EV range than sensor based multi-readout. I have seen it. It exists. The example image is not even being close to a high contrast situation and the HDR output looks close to being only about 12 EV. There are at least two companies that have solutions to solve at a minimum of 19EV. "multiple frames taken with different exposures, has disadvantages, such as image blurs caused by the difference between the frames, and time needed to take those multiple frames"

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