Samsung’s new 16MP camera sensor is ‘ plug and play’ ready
Samsung Electronics, a leader in advanced semiconductor technology, introduced a new 16MP ISOCELL Slim 3P9 image sensor along with a Plug and Play solution, a pre- optimised turnkey camera module made up of an ISOCELL image sensor and preferred partner components to help expedite time- to- market.
“Samsung’s ISOCELL image sensors take advantage of various technologies to deliver innovative imaging experiences in mobile devices,” said
Ben K. Hur, vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “The ISOCELL Plug and Play solution will help reduce time- to- market for set makers and offer a qualityassured camera solution to end- users.”
The Samsung ISOCELL Slim 3P9 is a 1.0μm 16MP image sensor with Tetracell technology that allows bright and vivid pictures in today’s sleekly designed smartphones. With Tetracell, a technology that merges four neighboring pixels, the 3P9 can function as a 2.0μm image sensor for front- facing cameras that can take brighter pictures in low- lit environments.
For faster auto- focusing, the 3P9 adopted an advanced phase detection auto- focus ( PDAF) with doubled auto- focus agent density than that of
conventional PDAF sensors. In addition, the sensor significantly stabilises pictures and videos taken while in motion with a gyro- synchronizer that syncs frame exposure time from the sensor with movement data from the device’s gyroscope. Once the data is synced, the mobile processor can simply adjust the frames based on movement rather than rigorously analysing each frame to detect and compensate for angular movement.
For easier camera optimisation while accelerating time- to- market, Samsung also offers an ISOCELL Plug and Play solution for the 3P9 in a rear camera module. Optimising a camera module, made up of parts from different providers, with the mobile processor can be an arduous and lengthy task for smartphone makers. Samsung’s ISOCELL Plug and Play solution simplifies the process by offering a t u r nkey ISOCELL s e n s o r m o d u l e tuned for V a l u e d C a m e r a eXperience ( VC X ) - g r a d e image quality, along with other components, including lenses and actuators from preferred partners.
Since the optimisation and reliability tests are done beforehand at the module- level rather than on the sensor alone, manufacturers can simply plug the camera module onto their device, saving up to four months of development time.