Aptina commences production on 8MP backlit CMOS sensors
updated 10:03 am EST, Fri December 21, 2012
New image sensors create oversampled 6MP video at 60fps
Camera sensor manufacturer Aptina has started production on two 8-megapixel sensors designed for high-speed video. The AR0835 and AR0835HS are both backlit CMOS image sensors capable of recording at 60 frames per second using a full-width 16:9 HD video window, while also allowing for 6-megapixel still images to be taken without interrupting the video recording.
The sensor is able to record at full resolution without pixel binning or cropping the field of view, while the 6-megapixel data stream oversamples the target image by three times, to keep images as sharp as possible. On-chip binning can be enabled, allowing for a 720p video to be recorded at 120fps, and the optional on-chip scaler can be used to reduce data transmission rates in order to work with other image coprocessors. End users can also use the sensor for HDR still images and video scenes, and for slow-motion playback of footage.
The AR0835 with a 4-lane MIPI interface is in mass production now, and could be incorporated in smartphones and mobile devices by mid-2013. The AR0835HS, using a faster 32-lane HiSPi data interface, is being made as samples, but will be put into mass production by the first quarter of 2013.
