High quality automotive micro camera unveiled

03 June 2020 | David Young

One of world's smallest cameras - CameraCubeChip™ will provide 'best-in-class' imaging performance in total darkness

High quality automotive micro camera unveiled

OmniVision Technologies, developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, has announced the OVM9284 CameraCubeChip™ module—the world's first automotive-grade, wafer-level camera. This one megapixel module has a compact size of 6.5 x 6.5 mm to provide driver monitoring system (DMS) designers with maximum flexibility on placement within the cabin while remaining hidden from view. Additionally, it has the lowest power consumption among automotive camera modules—over 50% lower than the nearest competitor—which enables it to run continuously in the tightest of spaces and at the lowest possible temperatures for maximum image quality.

The CameraCubeChip™ unit will produce the highest quality driver images in near or total darkness. The integrated OmniVision image sensor has a 3 micron pixel and a 1/4" optical format, along with 1280 x 800 resolution.

"The accelerated market drive for DMS is expected to generate a 43% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2019 and 2025," asserted Pierre Cambou, Principal Analyst, Imaging from Yole Développement. "DMS is probably the next growth story for ADAS cameras as driver distraction is becoming a major issue and has brought regulator attention."

"Most existing DMS cameras use glass lenses, which are large and difficult to hide from drivers to avoid distraction, and are too expensive for most car models," said Aaron Chiang, marketing director at OmniVision. "Our OVM9284CameraCubeChip™ module is the world's first to provide automotive designers with the small size, low power consumption and reflowable form factor of wafer-level optics."

The OVM9284's integration of OmniVision's image sensor, signal processor and wafer-level optics in a single compact package reduces the complexity of dealing with multiple vendors, and increases supply reliability while speeding development time. Furthermore, unlike traditional cameras, all CameraCubeChip™ modules are reflowable. This means they can be mounted to a printed circuit board simultaneously with other components using automated surface-mount assembly equipment, which increases quality while reducing assembly costs.

More information: www.ovt.com