STMicroelectronics Brings Its Global Shutter BrightSense Image Sensors to the Mass Market
Previously only available to "qualified customers," STMicro's full BrightSense family is now open to all.
STMicroelectronics is looking to make it easier to use its BrightSense global shutter image sensors for projects covering robotics, automation, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) and more — bringing the sensors to the general market for the first time, along with evaluation modules and development boards.
"Historically only offered to qualified customers, ST's cutting-edge sensor technologies are now available in a wide variety of markets through the ST BrightSense portfolio," a company spokesperson explains of the move. "Widespread access to these sensors, whose qualities are proven with over one billion units shipped on market, now lets developers bring high-performance machine vision to applications that face strict size and power constraints and challenging operating conditions."
The general availability announcement covers the four current models in the BrightSense image sensor family, all of which uses a global shutter — capturing the image in a single pass, avoiding the distortion of fast-moving objects you get with a more traditional line-by-line rolling shutter sensor.
The VD55G0 opens the range with a 0.38-megapixel monochrome sensor delivering up to 210 frames per second; the VD55G1 increases the resolution to 0.56 megapixels; the VD56G3 tops the monochrome range with a 1.5-megapizel resolution; and the VD66GY offers the same resolution but with full color capture.
In addition to the bare modules, STMicro is making evaluation modules available — integrating the image sensor with a lens holder, matched lens, and a plug-and-play flat flexible circuit (FFC) connector linking the camera module to a host device over a MIPI Camera Serial Interface 2 (CSI-2) connection. For those looking to get started as quickly as possible, the company has also announced development kits as well as desktop software for rapid development and experimentation.
More information on the BrightSense ecosystem is available on the STMicro website.