OmniVision Technologies Inc. has introduced the OV7710, a 1/4-inch, single-chip VGA CMOS image sensor CameraChip with all-digital output for automotive machine vision applications such as airbag deployment, lane departure warning, collision avoidance/pedestrian detection, windshield wiper control and drowsiness detection.
The OV7710 and its black-and-white counterpart, OV7211, includes a dual dynamic overlay function that allows for a dynamic and a static visual aid layer (text or graphics) within the image. The overlay can be used for reference frames and guiding systems in backup and parking assist cameras for cars and trucks. The chips also provide a windowing feature that allows users to fine-tune fixed-position cameras by moving the sensitive area of the camera by a few pixels. The windowing feature is useful when cameras are mounted on car bumpers or other locations where views can become obstructed.
The OV7710/OV7211 can operate from -40 °C to 105 °C. The chips’ sensor technology uses algorithms to cancel fixed pattern noise (FPN), eliminate smearing, and reduce blooming. Camera functions including exposure control, gain, white balance, and windowing, are programmable through the serial camera control bus (SCCB) interface. Other features include progressive scanning, external frame sync (gen-lock) capability and support for both 10-bit raw data and 8-bit YUV/RGB outputs.