STMicroelectronics has introduced the ST SafeSense VD56GA, a 1.1-MP automotive image sensor designed for infrared in-cabin sensing and driver and occupant monitoring.
The sensor uses a backside-illuminated pixel architecture called ST DeepNIR, which is optimized for infrared imaging. The architecture provides 35% higher modulation transfer function sharpness and nearly 60% higher quantum efficiency than the previous generation.
VD56GA is designed to support driver and occupant monitoring while reducing camera-module complexity. Its imaging performance can allow the use of lower-cost optics, simplified infrared illumination, and less demanding optical filtering, while integrated image-processing functions can reduce the need for external processing hardware.
The sensor is housed in a 3.7 × 3.2 mm chip-scale package for space-constrained automotive camera modules. Embedded processing functions include mirror, crop, dark calibration, auto exposure, and piecewise-linear processing.
VD56GA supports RAW and YUV output formats, giving OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers flexibility across different electronic architectures and software environments.
The device is intended for in-cabin sensing applications where infrared sensitivity, compact integration, and embedded processing are important to camera-system design. ST manufactures the sensor’s front end at its Crolles, France, facility, with packaging completed in Asia.
Filed Under: Sensors, Technology News