Widescreen image sensor targets professional security market
The SC500AI widescreen smart image sensor offers a 1620P 16:9 5MP video output in the same form factor. In doing so, says the company, it addresses the shortcoming of most 5MP security camera sensors, which offer a 4:3 aspect ratio that is not optimized for the widescreen format of modern LCD displays.
SmartClarity Technology in the SC500AI increases the number of pixels by 20% compared to many 5MP products on the market — leveraging the full resolution of the sensor rather than cropping a 5MP 4:3 image down to 4MP to fit a 16:9 aspect ratio. This effectively reduces dark edges and distortion on both sides of the image due to uneven scaling while achieving a true 16:9 aspect ratio that includes an additional 10% of horizontal viewing area.
The SC500AI, says the company, achieves this crucial upgrade to match the majority of LCD displays on the market in applications such as security video and surveillance, which benefit from the sensor’s low dark current under high-temperature conditions, enhancing sensitivity, and reducing read noise. In a side-by-side comparison with the company’s previous-generation sensor, the SC500AI reduces the dark current from 389 e- at 80°C to 210 e-; the total RN, or Read Noise, is reduced from 0.75e- to 0.63e-; and the sensitivity level also shows a noticeable improvement, growing from 2800 mV/lux-sec to 3680 mV/lux-sec.
These improvements, says the company, are made possible by its SFCPixel technology, which takes advantage of the close proximity between the source follower and the photodiodes to increase the sensitivity level, producing high-quality night-vision images. The company’s proprietary PixGain technology additionally enables the sensor to achieve “excellent” HDR performance even under glaring sunlight.
The SC500AI is compatible with 1/3-inch 5MP lenses in a wide array for professional security products. It is available for testing immediately.
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