AI & Battery-Powered Solution Saver: Pixart Provides the World’s Lowest-Powered Image Sensors, Available In Both Global Shutter and Rolling Shutter Technologies
As one of the most renowned application-based image sensor providers in the world, PixArt never joined the competition in pursuing a high resolution. Instead, we looked deeply into the needs of the rapidly growing sensor applications and supported our customers in achieving their most edgy and wild ideas with our highly integrated and ultra-low-power sensor designs.
This article is divided into two sections that briefly explain the two technologies (i.e. Global Shutter and Rolling Shutter) which we have developed to fulfill our customers’ diversified applications. Both technologies leveraged our expertise in sophisticated built-in algorithms and ultra-low-power architecture that allows the sensors to achieve Always On capabilities without sacrificing image quality. Sounds unreal? Ready on and see how we did it.
GLOBAL SHUTTER IMAGE SENSOR
Over the years, PixArt continues to research and develop its Global Shutter Image Sensor technology, aiming to optimize product performance with the best processing architecture, power consumption rate, pixel designs, and analog/digital functional circuits possible. The related circuit improvements include image readout, correlated double sampling, multi-level adjustable amplifier circuits, analog-to-digital conversion circuits, the digital processing system of the optical image sensor, voltage generator circuits, etc.
Today, each one of our Global Shutter image sensor delivers exceptional image quality with the least power consumption rate in the market and is embedded with sensor-level built-ins such as Smart Motion Detection, Auto-Exposure and Auto-Gain Control functions to ease our customer’s further design effort. This article will briefly explain our design mindset and what you can do with our powerful Global Shutter sensors.
Design Features
The list below briefly explains what we did to make our Global Shutter products one of the best in the market, and how it enhances the product’s overall capabilities.
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What we did |
What we achieve |
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Proprietary ultra-low-power architecture |
· Provide the lowest-powered Global Shutter image sensor in the market · Making the sensor perfectly suitable to be applied on battery-powered devices |
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Built-in Smart Motion Detection |
· On-chip proprietary algorithm to autonomously trigger at motion events · Realize sensor-level motion detection capability to respond towards moving objects |
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Unique QVGA sensor solution |
· Provide the lowest cost structure and highest frame rate to enable the flexibility on selecting best image sensor solution · Replace VGA by QVGA solution to enlarge end-product competitiveness |
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Decrease dark current, improve quantum efficiency (QE) and global shutter efficiency (GSE) |
· Provide exceptional image quality for visible, near infra-red and high-speed sensing application |
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Combining all the factors above… |
· Deliver a highly integrated, powerful and low-power Global Shutter image sensor that fulfills a wide range of application requirements |
Potential Applications
With the vast development of AIoT and 5G applications, the need to have a reliable, always-on sensor that continuously gathers surrounding information for further decision-making has significantly grown. Other than being the ‘eye’ in human-machine interaction applications, a competent Global Shutter image sensor needs to maintain stable and clear image output (even at high speed) at all times because they can be applied to almost all fields and scenarios. Low-power architecture is also an essential factor for Global Shutter image sensors as it helps to realize always-on sensing for the increasing battery-driven applications.
Designed in with all the necessary features and Smart Motion Detection functionality, PixArt’s Global Shutter Image Sensor aims to serve as a core component for a wide variety of intelligent applications, including:
· AI applications (e.g. human detection, face recognition)
· Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality (AR/VR) application
· Cleaning robot and drone support (e.g. obstacle avoidance)
· 1D & 2D barcode scanning
· Optical Character Recognition (OCR) application
· Always-on smart home devices
· Any other applications that utilizes the sensor’s high-speed sensing, ultra-low-power and smart motion detection capabilities
Featured Products
PixArt has developed a series of Global Shutter Image Sensor products in response to the applications mentioned above. We provide products with resolutions ranging from QVGA, VGA to 720p to meet a wide variety of ultra-low-power application requirements, including near-infrared imaging applications. Its competitive cost structure allows the end-product designers to achieve product performance without adopting high-cost architectural solutions.
By offering different types of interfaces and packages, with optical formats range from 1/15-inches to 1/4-inches and support frame rates from 1fps to 180fps, PixArt’s Global Shutter Image Sensor product line is here to provide our customers the total flexibility in sensor selection and end-product design.
The competitive advantages of PixArt’s Global Shutter Image Sensor include:
· Proprietary ultra-low-power architecture
· On-chip proprietary Smart Motion Detection algorithm
· Built-in Auto Exposure & Gain Control
· High-quality image output
· High quantum efficiency (QE) & High global shutter efficiency (GSE)
· Unique QVGA sensor solution provides the lowest cost structure and highest frame rate to enable the flexibility on selecting best image sensor solution
