BusinessWire: ams introduces the CSG family of image sensors for industrial vision equipment which achieves higher resolution at very high frame rates. The new CSG14K and CSG8K sensors are supplied in – respectively – a 1” or a 1/1.1” optical format.
The CSG14K is a global shutter image sensor that combines resolution of 13.8MP with high-speed operation: in 10-bit mode at full resolution, the sensor can capture images at a maximum rate of 140fps, and at 93.6fps in 12-bit mode. The CSG8K achieves even higher speeds of 231fps in 10-bit and 155fps in 12-bit mode at its full resolution of 8MP.
They are the first products to gain the benefits of a pixel design which is notable for its low noise and high sensitivity, plus HDR mode.
Peter Vandersteegen, Marketing Manager of the CMOS Image Sensors business line at ams, said: “AOI is a vital part of the quality control process in modern factories. By delivering a fast frame rate and higher resolution, the CSG image sensors provide a simple way for industrial camera manufacturers to upgrade the performance of their products, and to enable their cus-tomers to raise throughput, productivity and quality – all in a standard optical format.”
The CSG sensors feature a sub-LVDS data interface like that of the ams CMV family of image sensors. Both sensors are supplied in a 20mm x 22mm LGA package, share the same footprint and pinout, and are software-compatible. The CSG14K has a 1:1 aspect ratio, and is ideal for use in C-mount, 29mm x 29mm industrial cameras. The CSG8K has a 16:9 aspect ratio, suita-ble for video.
The CSG14K and CSG8K sensors are available for sampling.
I have this sensor on my list since 2018, but cannot remember where I've got the info. Is it possible that a flyer of this sensor was already at the ams booth at the last Vision show in Stuttgart? Nevertheless... they enter a market segment with tough competition (i have about 20 sensors on my list with similar specs). And I wonder whats their selling point to justify design in effort, in the end they will want to earn money so they cannot compete only on price. I mean... they have to compete - for example - the Gpixel GMAX family with smaller pixels and similar/higher speed and quite attractive price, the Sony Pregius in many vaiants (that are more or less compatible variants, designed in once, use many... including also more exotic niches like polarizer or swir), e2v Emerald, OnSemi XGS that offer very similar products. It seems very little industrial cameras use Emerald and XGS up to now. Additionaly I guess all but Sony use Towerjazz Pixels and foundry services. will be interesting to watch if ams can be/become successful in this niche over the next years.
ReplyDeleteAt least one of the mentioned companies use LFoundry foundry services.
DeleteCorrect, this sensor was already shown in Stuttgart. Advantage of the ams CSG sensor is the flexibilty, multiple modes supporting various use cases, binning mode, interleaved HDR, linescan mode for super high fps.
DeleteSo this is what ams has been doing with Cmosis acquisition, transforming a multi-million market leader success story into a trailing "just another" image sensor company.
ReplyDeleteOr how to crush your golden eggs by mismanagement
There is a webinar series by ATD/Macnica, ams distributor in Europe: https://www.atdelectronique.com/webinars ams will present next tuesday 2.2. 10am. I think I'll tune in to get some answers ;-)
ReplyDeleteabstract:
Pushing the Envelope of Image Sensing Applications
in Industrial, Medical and Consumer Markets
The market for CMOS image sensors is accelerating thanks to increased performance at more attractive cost levels. As an innovation powerhouse, ams is launching 7 new products across 3 families. With best in-class optical performance and power efficiency, these image sensor products are perfectly suited to drive high growth in medical, industrial and consumer
applications.
The ATD Macnica webinar series was really interesting. Its a pity that no recorded versions exist. But maybe it is due to some companies really presented products that are not yet publically visible it seems, so they maybe wanted to control who attended. It seems ams mainly presented products/infos that are also on their website, so I think it is no problem to talk about the webinar. ams part not only covered the CSG sensor family posted here but also their endoscopy sensors (Naneye) and another series of GS sensors the "Mira" with a 2.7u pixel with higher NIR sensitivity, more towards more consumer type applications. A first product is already online: https://ams.com/mira130 1.3MP, MIPI interface. And it was also posted here before: http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2020/01/ams-presents-first-fruit-of-its.html. Linescan with dragster and a few newer models under the 4LS family. Quite little real news from ams I would say, a lot of Cmosis legacy with the CMV and dragster still representing the main part of the product catalog with products that were available 5 years back. I wonder if they have next gen products in the pipeline for this market segments?
DeleteThe Naneye products to me are really impressive - you have to have such a camera in your hand to see how small it actually is. Impressive to me to pack a full camera into such a tiny head. They have 2 new models - one "Naneye XS" shrinks the camera even further to 0.7x0.7mm (i did not find this info on their website yet...) and models with more pixels (Naneye M/C) 320x320 instead of the 250x250 of the 'standard' model.