ST unveils 2Mpixel camera subsystem

STMicroelectronics has announced a 2Mpixel camera subsystem targeted at the high-volume mainstream camera-phone market.

The VS6724 is the latest in the company's camera-on-chip family, joining the successful 1.3Mpixel VS6624 and VGA-resolution VS6524 modules. It combines a high-quality multi-element lens with a 1/4-inch CMOS sensor and on-chip processing, in a tiny industry-standard package, to deliver superb UXGA-resolution (1600-by-1200pixels) images.

Competitive market
ST addresses the varied demands of the competitive camera-phone market with a range of package and mechanical options. The VS6724 is available in super-low-profile 8-by-8-by-4.5mm and in high-performance 8-by-8-by-5.5mm SmOP2 packages, with both flex-cable attach and socket options for maximum design-in flexibility, the latter being compatible with industry-standard sockets.

The camera delivers 30fps UXGA-resolution output for fast image capture, using an on-chip hardware M-JPEG encoder, or 15fps YUV output with no compression, through a fully featured Image Signal Processing pipeline. A flexible image scaling capability also provides an output for lower resolution displays; other features include image pan & tilt mode, and special effects such as sepia, negative and black & white. A highly configurable internal register set, with I?C interface, enables full customization of device behavior.

A video output stream to the ITU-R BT.656-4 standard, YUV (YCbCr) 4:2:2 with embedded sync, is provided, and an 8bit parallel video interface with external horizontal and vertical synchronization signals. Output video formats are YUV 4:2:2, RGB (444 and 565), and M-JPEG.

Ultralow power
In addition to its primary application in camera phones, the low-cost and industry-standard electrical interfaces and mechanical design make the VS6724 attractive for PDAs, gaming platforms, video conferencing and security cameras. Standby power consumption is ultralow, and the device includes an on-board PLL to support a wide range of input clock frequencies. The digital I/O can be powered from either 1.8V or 2.8V supplies.

The VS6724 is based on ST's proprietary CMOS sensor technology and will be manufactured at the company's facilities in France. Samples of the VS6724 are available today, with volume production planned this quarter.

Simple modules—not including socket or flex attach—re priced between $12 and $7.80 for volumes between 10,000 and 1,000,000 pieces, respectively.