DECEMBER 3--OmniVision Technologies Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA; www.ovt.com), an independent supplier of CMOS CameraChip solutions for high-volume imaging applications, has announced availability of its OV7640 VGA 640 x 480 resolution CameraChip for integration into mobile phones, PDAs, and PC cameras. Utilizing a patented pixel design that improves the color quality and low-light performance of the CameraChip, the OV7640 is designed for integration into mobile handsets where small size, low power, and high image quality are required.
The OV7640 CameraChip is approximately four times more sensitive than the OV7635 in low-light conditions (1 lux) and provides improved color saturation over its predecessor. Lux is a standardized measurement of ambient light. Low-light sensitivity is needed for mobile handset applications where a strobe flash is generally not integrated into cellular handsets due to the power consumption of the strobe.
The OV7640 is available as a 28-pin PLCC packaged CameraChip and will be released in early 2003 as an integrated flex cable module that incorporates the CameraChip, lens, and a custom flex circuit cable. Flex modules designed using the OV7640 will support lower-cost, lower-profile lenses allowing for integration into smaller form-factor devices. The OV7640 CameraChip will replace OmniVision's current OV7635 CameraChip currently sold in volume to cellular handset manufacturers in Asia, the USA, and Europe.
The OV7640 CameraChip is currently available in production volumes. Quantity pricing is less than US$7.
