Sony produces car camera sensor for images in near darkness

Sony has announced a camera sensor for the automotive market with a very high light sensitivity. According to the company, this is the 1/3-image sensor for HD images with the highest light sensitivity to date.

Sony claims that the IMX224MQV sensor can shoot 1.27-megapixel photos in color in lighting conditions with just 0.005 lux. The company said those conditions correspond to a moonless night, where the illuminance would be less than that of a star-filled sky.

Among other things, Sony has made the diodes for converting light into electrons more efficient, while electronic circuits have been used to convert those electrons into voltage more efficiently. In addition, the sensor supports a WDR system that allows longer exposure times than regular systems in combination with an ISP. A pixel structure has also been applied that is more sensitive to infrared light and is intended to improve object recognition in poor lighting conditions.

At the same time, the IMX224MQV would be the first sensor to meet the AEC-Q100 requirements of automotive use. Cameras for the automotive market have to be very durable and the Automotive Electronics Council monitors this with the Q100 stress test. Sony has high hopes for the car camera market. The sensors can be used for parking applications and automatic braking, among other things.

Sony will start sample production in November and mass production of the sensor should start in December. The price for manufacturers is 1500 Japanese yen, converted 11 euros.

IMX224MQV: F1.4, 16.7 msec exposure time, 72 dB max gain, at 0.005 lux