Omnivision Announces 16MP, 45fps-fast Sesnor with 1.3um PureCel Plus-S Pixel

PRNewswire: OmniVision announces the OV16860, a new 16MP PureCel Plus-S image sensor. Compared to previous generation OmniVision 16MP sensors, the OV16860 delivers improved low-light performance and faster readout architecture with a larger 1.3um pixel. The sensor also features HDR, PDAF, and slow motion video recording.

"Industry reports forecast continued growth in the 13‑ to 16‑megapixel resolution segment in 2016 and beyond, attributable to what is expected to be rapid adoption of 16-megapixel resolution in high-end smartphones starting in 2016. The action camera segment with similar camera resolution is also expected to grow quickly through 20191," said James Liu, senior technical marketing manager at OmniVision. "The OV16860's faster frame rate aligns perfectly with the feature set requirement of high-end smartphones and rugged action cameras for operating in high resolution and high frame rate modes."

The OV16860 is the first image sensor built on OmniVision's new PureCel Plus-S architecture. This architecture features a larger pixel size and offers a number of pixel performance improvements over traditional 1.12um 16MPsensors. The performance benefits of this new technology include a 33% improvement in full-well capacity, a 40% improvement in low light performance and dramatically reduced pixel crosstalk. Additionally, the OV16860 enables a nominal operating digital voltage (DVDD) spec of 1.0V, and thus requires 40% less power than the previous generation OV16825.

The 1/2.4-inch OV16860 supports high-quality slow motion video capture with full FOV. The sensor capture 16MP images and video at 45fps, 4K2K video at 60fps, and 1080p at 120fps via high speed D-PHY and C-PHY interfaces.

The OV16860 can fit into a 10.5 x 10.5 mm module with a low z-height of 5.8 mm. The sensor is currently available for sampling, and is expected to enter volume production in Q4 2015.