IC Media Announces New Highly Integrated, Color VGA, Single-Chip Camera for Cell Phone/PDA Markets.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 2002 IC Media Corporation today announced it has expanded its single-chip camera portfolio with the addition of a new single-chip camera, targeted at the video cellular phone and personal digital assistant (PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). ) markets. The new single-chip camera integrates a VGA-resolution (640 x 480 sensor array) CMOS image sensor A CMOS-based chip that records the intensities of light as variable charges similar to a CCD chip. Although initially used in less expensive digital cameras, the quality of CMOS sensors has improved steadily. CMOS sensors have advantages over CCDs. with a state-of-the-art, color-processing engine. IC Media developed its new camera to mirror the cellular telephone industry's migration from CIF- to VGA-resolution technology. "We are delighted to announce our newest product so closely on the heels of our recent 2.0 megapixel CMOS camera sensor. These announcements reflect our broad spectrum of technical achievements and our dedication to providing our customers with a wide range of complete visual communications solutions, regardless of application," said Dr. Ben Wu, president and chief executive officer of IC Media. As cell phone cameras become more and more familiar to the public, quality and resolution become critical. VGA (Video Graphics Array) The display standard for the PC. All PC display adapters support VGA, and Windows machines boot up in "VGA mode" before switching to higher resolutions. resolution provides faster frame-per-second functionality, enabling clearer and faster imaging. IC Media's new cell phone camera, the ICM-205B, is designed for such specific requirements. More on the ICM-205B VGA Single-Chip Camera IC Media's ICM-205B is a highly integrated single-chip camera. Unique to IC Media's 205B integrated technology is an on-chip, color-processing, proprietary digital signal processor A digital signal processor (DSP) is a specialized microprocessor designed specifically for digital signal processing, generally in real-time computing. Characteristics of typical Digital Signal Processors
The ICM-205B operates at 30 frames per second in a progressive manner. Produced in 0.35-micron CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. technology, the device uses a 1/4" optical system. Pixel size is 6.0-micron x 6.0-micron, giving a sensor area of 5.1 mm x 3.8 mm. The chip includes an on-chip, nine-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC (1) See A/D converter. (2) (Apple Display Connector) A peripheral connector from Apple that combines digital video display, USB and power in one cable. ) performing correlated double sampling to improve image quality. The on-chip DSP coverts the sensor output and automatically adjusts exposure time as well as color settings. The ICM-205B also enables the output of different formats (including 8/16-bit YUV The color encoding system used for analog television worldwide (NTSC, PAL and SECAM). The YUV color space (color model) differs from RGB, which is what the camera captures and what humans view. or YCbCr, 16-bit or 24-bit RGB (Red Green Blue) The computer's native color space, which is the color system for capturing and displaying images. RGB was derived from our own perception of color because human eyes are sensitive to red, green and blue (see trichromaticity). and 8-bit raw data) for the best suitable interface with a cell phone or PDA controller for either embedded or accessory cameras. IC Media offers a complete line of tools for the ICM-205B, including demo boards and recommended circuit information. Pricing and Availability The ICM-205B is currently available in shrunk plastic LCC (11.43 mm x 11.43 mm) packages. Pricing for the ICM-205B is $12.00 in 100,000-unit quantities. OEMs may contact IC Media at 408-451-8838 or sales@IC-Media.com. About IC Media Corporation IC Media Corporation designs, develops and markets System-On-Chip (SOC) solutions for image communication devices. Target applications include PC cameras, digital still cameras, toys with vision, surveillance systems, video (cellular) phones, set top boxes, PDAs and environmental monitors. IC Media provides complete system solutions, including schematic, Gerber file, BOM (bill of material) and software drivers to shorten customers' time-to-market. IC Media consists of a team of outstanding technologists in digital and mixed-signal IC design, as well as software and system development. Headquartered at 545 E. Brokaw Road, San Jose, California San Jose (IPA: /ˌsænhoʊˈzeɪ/) is the third-largest city in California, and the tenth-largest in the United States. It is the county seat of Santa Clara County. 95112, phone 408-451-8838, IC Media has sales channels throughout the world. Visit IC Media at www.ic-media.com. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion