OMNIVISION announced two new additions to its industry-leading Nyxel® near-infrared (NIR) technology family: the OX02C1S, a 2.5‑megapixel (MP) RGB‑IR BSI global shutter (GS) sensor for in-cabin driver and occupant monitoring systems (DMS and OMS); and the OX01H1B, a 1.5MP mono (IR) GS sensor for driver monitoring systems (DMS). With a pixel size of just 2.2 microns (µm), both new sensors feature industry-leading NIR quantum efficiency (QE) at 36%, a significant increase in modulation transfer function (MTF) over the previous 3.0 µm FSI GS pixel design, and extremely low power consumption for the highest-performance capabilities.
“As the automotive industry rapidly mandates advanced in-cabin sensing applications to increase driver and passenger safety, OMNIVISION is expanding its product portfolio to provide automotive OEMs with more options and flexibility in their designs,” said Paul Wu, automotive product marketing manager, OMNIVISION. “Our OX02C1S and OX01H1B sensors are the newest additions to our in-cabin solutions portfolio, with the same features as the 5MP OX05B1S GS sensor that we have introduced during the Consumer Electronics Show in 2022. All three sensors share the same pixel technology, so it’s a seamless process for automotive OEMs to incorporate any combination of them as solutions in their full line-up, from high-end to mainstream vehicles.“
Colin Barnden, principal analyst at Semicast Research, commented, “The CMOS image sensor market for automotive DMS and OMS can be divided into three distinct segments: digital cockpit, automated driving and NCAP/GSR (New Car Assessment Program/General Safety Regulation) compliance. Performance requirements differ significantly for each. Designers must also consider sensor location, including rear-view mirror, steering column and center console. With the new OX02C1S and OX01H1B sensors, and existing OX05B1S, OMNIVISION provides automakers with solutions for the total market.”
Wu added, “The OX02C1S is essentially a more economical and lower resolution (2.5MP) version of the OX05B1S for DMS and OMS, while the OX01H1B is a flexible 1.5MP solution for DMS that offers the ideal price/performance for OEMs that need flexibility to place the DMS camera into different locations within the vehicle based on their unique interior design.”
Both OX02C1S and OX01H1B are small-size automotive-grade sensors with world-leading QE for excellent low-light performance. Both utilize OmniPixel®4‑GS technology which enables simultaneous image detection in all pixels to accurately reproduce rapid motion without any deformation. They have integrated ASIL‑B and cybersecurity that meet the latest industry standards. Both come in an OMNIVISION stacked a‑CSP™ package, allowing for higher-performance image sensors in tighter camera spaces, and are also available in a reconstructed wafer option for designers that want the flexibility to customize their own package. The OX02C1S sensor features 2.5MP resolution in a 1/3.52‑inch optical format, while the OX01H1B features 1.5MP resolution in a 1/4.51‑inch optical format.
Samples of the new GS sensors are available now. They will be in mass production in 2024.