Sony Commercialises the Industry’s First High-Sensitivity CMOS Image Sensor for Automotive Cameras Delivering Simultaneous LED Flicker Mitigation and High-Quality HDR Shooting

Sony has announced the commercialisation of a new 2.45 effective megapixel CMOS image sensor for automotive cameras, the IMX390CQV type 1/2.7. Sony will begin shipping samples in May 2017.

This image sensor is equipped with an LED flicker mitigation function that reduces flickering when shooting LED signs and traffic signals, as well as an HDR function capable of 120 dB  wide dynamic range shooting. The IMX390CQV is the firstⁱ in the industry that can simultaneously mitigate LED flicker and shoot in HDR, a capability made possible by Sony’s original pixel structure and exposure method. It also offers high-sensitivity performance capable of producing high-quality colour images even in light conditions as low as 0.1 lux, which is equivalent to moonlight.

In recent years, LEDs have been widely adopted for traffic signs and signals, and also for car components such as headlights and brake lights. Another trend has been the need for automotive cameras to be able to capture high-quality images with a wide dynamic range, even in situations of dramatic contrast, such as when entering or exiting tunnels during daylight hours. This image sensor simultaneously uses both the LED flicker mitigation and HDR functions to deal with these types of situations, providing more precise recognition in the diverse real-world traffic environments that drivers encounter.

Main Features

1. Simultaneous LED flicker mitigation and HDR functions

● LED flicker mitigation function

● 120dBⁱⁱ HDR function

2. High-sensitivity 1,953mV (standard F5.6)

3. Meeting quality standards required for automotive applications