Mobile Phone Cameras Get Smaller and Smarter

STMicroelectronics has introduced market's smallest single-chip camera sensor for mobile phones. Coupling low space requirements with advanced image processing capabilities, ST's latest 2-megapixel mobile-phone camera sensor addresses consumers' appetite for full- featured imaging solutions in ever-more popular thin-profiled handsets.

ST's VD6725 is a 1/5-inch optical-format imaging sensor, with an active pixel array of 1600 x 1200 (UXGA), a high-performance image processor and camera control functions on a single chip. The market's smallest device, the VD6725 fits in phone camera modules smaller than 6 x 6 x 3.8 mm thanks to its 1.75-micron pixel design and ST's advanced sensor architecture.

ST's latest developments in pixel defect correction, adaptive noise reduction and sharpness enhancement ensure that the embedded Image Signal Processor delivers outstanding picture quality. Advanced anti-vignetting algorithms (balancing uneven illumination) and automatic white-balance control support excellent color rendition in varying light conditions.

The camera sensor is also able to identify and neutralize defective (dead) pixels that fail to sense light levels correctly.

ST's new single-chip camera sensor produces digital video streams at 15 frames per second (fps) at full UXGA resolution and 30 fps at VGA resolution. It supports fast context switching, which means that the sensor switches extremely fast from 'preview' to 'capture mode', minimizing the delay of the capture control.

Engineering samples and demo-kits are available now, with the volume production scheduled for the end of June 2008.

Posted to the site on 8th February 2008