SmartSens releases SC038HGS area array CMOS image sensor for industrial machine vision

January 25, 2024, Shanghai, China - SmartSens (Shanghai) Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. announced the launch of a new 0.3MP high frame rate industrial area array CMOS image sensor - SC038HGS . This back-illuminated global shutter image sensor adopts advanced SmartGS®-2 Plus technology and relies on SmartSens' excellent analog circuit design. It combines four performance advantages of high sensitivity, low noise, high frame rate and low power consumption. It can enable diversified application scenarios such as industrial machine vision cameras, drone/sweeper obstacle avoidance systems, AR/VR 6DoF systems, etc.

Advanced SmartGS®-2 Plus technology enables more reliable visual inspection applications with enhanced performance

With highly accurate measurement and real-time image acquisition capabilities, global shutter sensors are widely used in many industrial machine vision application scenarios, such as detection, recognition, and sorting. Their excellent performance significantly improves image quality, especially in eliminating motion blur. Therefore, global shutter sensors have become the first choice for industrial machine vision applications.

SC038HGS adopts SmartGS®-2 Plus technology independently developed by SmartSens. It is based on global shutter (GS) technology and back-illuminated pixel structure (BSI) design, which brings better quantum efficiency (QE) and higher full well electrons (FWC). It also adopts High Density MIM (HD MIM) process to significantly reduce random noise and improve image quality.

The SC038HGS image sensor, which has the three characteristics of high sensitivity, low noise and low power consumption, can greatly improve the accuracy and clarity of visual information, achieve high-quality image capture in low-light environments, and thus provide a more realistic and clearer virtual experience.

High photosensitivity

With the support of SmartGS®-2 Plus advanced technology, the peak quantum efficiency (peak QE) and FWC of SC038HGS are as high as 90% and 12.4ke- respectively. Even in a dark industrial environment, the high photosensitivity of SC038HGS can still help industrial machine vision cameras accurately detect and measure targets, and efficiently solve the problem of visual information collection in automated assembly lines.

Low noise

With SmartSens' innovative ultra-low noise peripheral readout circuit technology, SC038HGS achieves better noise suppression and further improves the product's imaging performance at high temperatures. The chip's dark current (DC) is as low as 247e-/s at 80°C, providing clean, detailed, low-noise imaging effects, while significantly optimizing imaging performance in high temperature environments.

Low power consumption

With SmartSens' excellent low-power design, the power consumption of SC038HGS can be as low as 48.6mW, which significantly improves the working efficiency of equipment in industrial environments. For applications such as drone/sweeper obstacle avoidance systems and AR/VR 6DoF, low power consumption can also significantly extend the battery life and effectively increase the working time of battery products.

Supports 240fps ultra-high frame rate, providing smoother and more accurate image capture and display

The frame rate of industrial cameras determines the measurement efficiency of the equipment. Therefore, in order to make industrial production more convenient and efficient, the demand for high frame rate image sensors has been rising. With the support of SmartGS®-2 Plus advanced technology and high frame rate design, SC038HGS has excellent shutter efficiency (PLS increased to >30000) and supports frame rates up to 240fps, which greatly improves the acquisition speed and stability of image sensors, helps image acquisition systems achieve real-time monitoring and analysis in industrial machine vision applications, and ensures the quality, production capacity and precision of factory production line products with high speed and high precision.

Diverse interface options provide solutions with excellent flexibility

Compared with similar products on the market, the SC038HGS launched by SmartSens not only supports MIPI D-PHY interface, but also supports LVDS and DVP interfaces. These diverse interface options provide greater flexibility for industrial machine vision applications, drone/sweeper obstacle avoidance systems, AR/VR 6DoF systems, etc., enabling them to choose the appropriate interface according to different scenarios and needs. This flexibility helps meet user needs in terms of image data transmission speed, stability, and cost-effectiveness, allowing it to better function in high-speed and complex environments.

Currently, SC038HGS is accepting samples and is expected to be put into mass production in Q2 2024.