SUNNYVALE, CA — February 7, 2000 — OMNIVISION Technologies, Inc. announces the availability of two new camera chips, the OV7620 (color) and OV7120 (B&W). Both chips feature VGA resolution with real-time frame rates (30 frames/second) for video and other imaging applications.
The OV7620/7120 devices integrate all necessary camera functions on a single chip. Automatic controls include Automatic Gain Control (AGC), Automatic Exposure Control (AEC), Automatic White Balance (AWB), Gamma Correction, Automatic Level Control (ALC) and Automatic Black Level Calibration. In addition, the color chip includes on-chip color interpolation into the YUV 4:2:2 color space. These devices offer extensive power-up pin-programmability along with convenient serial SCCB (Serial Camera Control Bus) to allow interactive user modification to any camera parameter.
The OV7620 and OV7120 chips are digital imaging devices with an image array of 640 x 480 pixels (307K) in a standard 1/3″ format. These versatile devices can also provide a sub-sampled QVGA-sized image of 320 x 240 pixels (77K). Designed with square pixels, the scan method is user selectable between interlaced or progressive scan. The chips are specifically designed for computer-based and other digital applications. Two (2) on-chip 10‑bit A/D converters provide YUV or raw RGB data in digital output data streams of 8‑bit or 16‑bit widths. Output formats are 100 percent compliant with either CCIR601 or 656 specifications. Other output formats include ZV port and a RAM friendly interface. The new camera chips attain image quality levels that rival that of comparably sized CCD sensors.
“The OV7620/7120 devices, represent the optimal low power, low-cost imaging solution for a variety of computer-based and other digital video applications”, said Raymond Wu, Executive Vice President. “When combined with a USB interface device, they create the perfect low-cost, high-quality camera for all kinds of video input applications for the PC.”
Other high volume applications that can benefit from the strengths of CMOS imaging technology include portable device appliances (PDA’s and Cellular telephones), TV set-top boxes, interactive video games, automotive, biometrics, point-of-sale, quality inspection, and smart security/surveillance systems. The potential advantages of CMOS imaging are smaller size, lower cost, lower power and simplified product design resulting in faster time to market. OMNIVISION’s proprietary technology results in CMOS cameras that have a wide dynamic range with anti-blooming and virtually no smear.
“These VGA resolution CMOS camera chips, with their high quality output matching CCD image quality levels, are ready to replace CCD sensors in a variety of mass market applications” Wu added.
The OV7620 color chip is available at $17.00 each in quantities of 10,000; the OV7120 B&W; chip is priced at $15.00 each in quantities of 10,000. These CMOS camera chips are shipping now in high volume production quantities, with samples available for product design teams. A technical datasheet describing the OV7620 & OV7120 chips is available on OMNIVISION’s website at http://www.ovt.com.
About OmniVision
OmniVision Technologies, Inc., based in Sunnyvale, CA, in the heart of Silicon Valley, is the leading volume supplier of advanced, single-chip CMOS camera chips (“Video-Camera-on-a-Chip”). OmniVision has developed extensive core technologies and chip designs. Omnivision markets high quality CMOS camera chips for use by major OEMs that produce camera products and video imaging systems. OmniVision Technologies has its headquarters at 930 Thompson Place, Sunnyvale, CA 94086; Tel: 408-733-3030; Fax: 408-733-3061; http://www.ovt.com.