Camera Sensor Enhances Automotive and Surveillance Safety

Melexis Launches MLX75411 “Avocet” 154dB High Dynamic Range Image Sensor.

Melexis announces the launch of the MLX75411 “Avocet” High Dynamic Range image sensor. Originally designed for automotive driver assistance and night vision applications, this camera sensor chip will also be beneficial for security/surveillance cameras, fleet safety cameras, truck blind spot cameras, transportation/heavy vehicle cameras, and other outdoor and all weather cameras.

Benefits of High Dynamic Range

The Avocet image sensor is a wide-VGA sensor with a 1024x512 pixels resolution. It features an extended high dynamic range of up to 154dB in every single frame at a full frame speed of 60fps. This offers tremendous picture quality benefits during day time and night time and thus enhances safety offered by driver assistance systems.

Cliff De Locht, product line manager at Melexis comments: “In specific daytime automotive conditions like when sunlight shines directly into the lens, or when driving in or out tunnels or garages, the “Avocet” image sensor is able to give a crisp picture with maximum picture details in the very bright areas of the frame and the dark areas of the frame simultaneously”.

“Also for surveillance camera’s the high dynamic range offering is very important. For example day/night surveillance cameras that guard entry doors will want to see a very good exposure of the people’s faces on the inside and on the outside of the door opening simultaneously. Technically speaking, this requires high dynamic range, so the Avocet imager is at its best in these conditions.”

Kids Transportation Safety Act (U.S.)

Although the “Avocet” image sensor was originally designed for automotive front-view applications, the current demand for higher quality rear-view and surround view systems will also benefit from this high dynamic range. We refer to the recently proposed NHTSA rule based on the “Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act”. This rule mandates the timeline for adding rearview cameras in automobiles sold in the US beginning in 2012.

Cliff De Locht: “We believe the “Avocet” HDR Image Sensor is best in class for high dynamic range and will be the best choice, for example, to detect children right behind the car when you are backing up from your garage. During the night, the combined offer of high sensitivity and high dynamic range results in an excellent detection of pedestrians. High dynamic range is required especially when the pedestrians are located near the headlights of oncoming cars.”.

Total Cost of Ownership

The development of the “Avocet” image sensor aims not only at offering a high quality imager at a competitive price, it also targets lowering our customer’s total cost of ownership.

The Avocet’s unique Glass-BGA package features an optical area fully shielded against contamination, moisture (Moisture Sensitivity Level – MSL1) and potentially lowers active lens focus costs by providing very high x,y,z and rotation accuracies by construction.

Samples
The MLX75411 “Avocet” image sensor is available in 4 versions: monochrome, color RGBG, color RGBi and RCCC.