Now, ToF has also been used in many fields such as smart phone rear camera, VR/AR gesture interaction, automotive electronics, security monitoring and new retail. The application prospect is very broad.
At the recently held 2018 MWC Shanghai station, STMicroelectronics also brought its latest VL53L1X sensor as one of the first manufacturers to enter this market. According to Zhang Chengyi, technical marketing manager of STMicroelectronics Imaging Products, France Semiconductor is trying to extend this technology to more areas and launch new products into the in-vehicle camera market. So, what is the future plan for STMicroelectronics?
The TOF market is hot and hot
As the leading ToF solution on the market, ST's FlightSense has grown to the third generation.
It is understood that the VL53L1X is based on the new silicon patented technology and module-level architecture. It is the first to introduce optical lenses on the module. The addition of the lens can improve the performance of the sensor core, and at the same time open many new functions, including multi-object detection, long-distance glass cover crosstalk Noise and programmable multi-zone scanning.
The new optical lens system enhances the photon detection rate and improves the module's ranging performance. The internal microcontroller manages all ranging functions and runs innovative digital algorithms to minimize main processor overhead and system power consumption. The battery life of mobile devices is maximized.
Compared with the second-generation product 'VL53LOX', the VL53L1X extends the TOF ranging length to 4 meters. The measurement speed is faster than the previous generation, and the ranging time is only 5ms.
Compared to other ranging sensor technologies, ST's new patented algorithms and direct time-of-flight architecture can withstand longer crosstalk, making the VL53L1 fully compatible with more glass cover materials and design styles. The I2C-based VL53L1 module is equipped with a complete set of software drivers and technical documentation.
In addition, the VL53L1 can detect multiple targets in the same scene, and allows device manufacturers to subdivide the SPAD sensor array into several sub-areas, providing dual-camera stereo vision calculations and simple for these small sensing area customer applications. Spatial ranging information required for depth map applications.
It can be said that these advanced features take the performance of sensors such as robots, user detection, drones, Internet of Things, and wearable devices to a new level.
According to Zhang Chengyi, ST's solution advantages are mainly in the following aspects: First, shipments and product quality in the mobile and non-mobile applications market; Second, ready-made use cases and solutions for different application development; The third is the product development plan that leads the industry's technology development trend.
Double route, the first in-vehicle camera system
On the other hand, STMicroelectronics is still trying to enter a new market.
In March and April of this year, STMicroelectronics introduced a car camera sensor solution with HDR and anti-flicker functions, which can be used in driving recorders, ADAS ring fields, mirrors, etc., and is expected to be used in electronic rear view in the future. mirror.
In Zhang Chengyi's view, with the development of smart connected electronic systems in the car becoming the mainstream trend, cars have changed from simple transportation tools to complex technology centers. Among them, HDR and no flicker are the goals pursued by car cameras.
You should know that when driving, it is impossible to click on the screen pattern while driving. This may cause the bright place to be too bright, and the dark place to be too dark. This mobile phone technology is used for driving recorders, and the effect is not good. So the first key indicator in the car is the ability of HDR, the width between the darkest and the brightest.
On the other hand, if the resolution of the driving recorder is high enough, you can see the flicker of the LED, etc. If the resolution is low, you will see that the halo is large and repeats the stacking exposure.
How to solve these two problems?
To this end, STMicroelectronics has introduced a combination scheme based on a special dual-level process: VG6768 (image sensor) + STV0971 (image processor). The VG6768 (image sensor) is 145 dB HDR; previously the industry was generally 120 dB Left and right, there is a relatively high-end is 130dB.
At present, the automotive sensor market has been occupied by several major manufacturers, including manufacturers such as ON Semiconductor, Omnivision, and Sony. The market for other companies is not much. STMicroelectronics, as a latecomer, must have its own uniqueness. It is possible to occupy a place.
Zhang Chengyi believes that with a broad product portfolio and solutions, leading technology and years of good partnership with automotive suppliers, STMicroelectronics will be among the forefront of the smart driving market, providing drivers and passengers safer, more environmentally friendly and more Zhilian's driving experience.