Development of New Infrared Image Sensors with Flip Chip Packaging by Hamamatsu Photonics
Hamamatsu Photonics made an announcement on development of MEMs based flip chip packaging technology for creating heterojunction optoelectric devices targeted at components such as compound semiconductor photodiode arrays which are bump bonded to silicon CMOS signal processing circuitry. The first product to be manufactured base on this packaging technology will be high performance, infrared sensitive InGaAs image sensors which will become more compact and less expensive than conventional InGaAs image sensors. Read more
Development of Industry’s Lowest Current Consumption CMOS OPAMPS by ROHM
ROHM recently made an announcement on development of a new addition to its extensive lineup of CMOS opamps. The new CMOS opamp is a single-channel type featuring a current consumption of only 0.00035mA optimized for signal amplification in compact, portable applications that require lower voltage operation and reduced current consumption. The product lineups also feature ground sense and full swing types capable of operating up to either +85 or +105 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, all models have 4kV ESD resistance for greater reliability. Read more
Cybershot DSC-HX1 by Sony
Sony unveiled its new compact camera Cybershot DSC-HX1 which among multitude of features has panorama picture taking functionality. Powered by Sony’s Exmor CMOS sensor and BIONZ processor “Sweep Panorama” is a new shooting mode allowing its user to capture wide landscapes or skyscrapers with ease beyond the capability of traditional wide angle lens. Through wide and ultra wide setting and horizontal or vertical directions in sweep panorama mode the user is able to take up to 224 degree horizontal or 154 degree vertical shots. By the way this is Sony’s first CyberShot that uses the Exmor CMOS technology. Read more
Fujitsu’s CMOS based RF Transceiver Chip for automobile radar system
The precision radar systems require a high accuracy measurement of distances between two points. An ideal way to achieve this is through a high frequency waves known as the “Millimeter Band” which have a short wavelengths. One of such systems is an automotive radar system which operates at 77GHz, a spectrum band that is being used in automotive collision relaxation systems. But wide spread deployment of automotive radar system up to now was hampered by the high cost of compound semiconductors that make up the system and mounting cost as well as testing cost of this system. The compound semiconductors which are formed by using two or more elements, such as gallium-arsenide (GaAs) or indium-phosphide (InP) featuring higher electron mobility than silicon which results in faster operation are the only RF transceiver currently capable of directly processing 77GHz signals. Read more
Casio Exilim EX-FC100 and EX-FS10
It has certainly been a long road for Casio since the introduction of QV-10 digital camera back in 1995. The EX-FC100 and EX-FS10 provide an overall improvement in picture quality and speed with added lightness and slimness inspired by today’s consumer demand for digital cameras. The EX-FC100 measures only 99.8mmx58.5mmx22.6mm. It offers a 5X optical zoom lens plus a CMOS shift anti shake functionality. It features a 2.7 inch high quality super clear LCD. With its high speed capability user can enjoy a 9.1 mega pixel resolution. But this not really what EX-FC100 is all about, the EX-FC100 can take up to 30 shots per second of 6.0 mega pixel of still images and that is not all it hold up to 25 frames just before the moment that you press the shutter button, a very handy feature indeed for those who tend to miss that special moment by pressing the shutter a bit late. Read more
NEC’s 12 Mega pixel system LSI for mobile phone
It was just matter of time to see a mobile phone with a high picture quality comparable with that of digital still cameras. NEC’s new developed system LSI achieved just that. The “CE143″ which NEC is planning its sample shipping on March of this year has a basic image processing function and with incorporation of CMOS image sensor it can provide a camera capability to the mobile phones. Read more
Low noise dual operation amplifier CMOS
New Japan Radio Company has recently announced its low noise dual operation amplifier CMOS “NJU7009” with rail-to-rail outputs with characteristic of low noise, low bias current and high input impedance making it suitable for such application as acceleration or motion direction amps where combining acceleration sensor or vibration sensor and current voltage converter circuits with photo diodes. Read more
Nikon unveils its 24.5 Mega pixel Digital Camera
In an ever competitive digital camera market to gain pixel supremacy, Nikon Imaging Japan unveiled its 24.5 Mega Pixel Digital SLR camera. Nikon D3X is a successor to the Nikon D3 model which was released on 2007. D3X comes with Nikon’s FX-format 35.9×24.0mm CMOS image sensor equivalent to 35mm film. D3X comes with complete pixel optimization making sure that each pixel receives adequate amount of light plus a high S/N ratio and wide dynamic range. Read more
Ultra small Magnetic Switch AMR by Murata Manufacturing
This is really tiny as you can see from company’s own photo. This is a magnetic switch that has been commercialized to be used in mobile phones and laptops PCs as well as digital cameras for open/close detection.
Up to now, mechanical switches have been used for open/close detection of mobile phones and laptop PCs; but recently, magnetic switches and magnetic field sensors have been gaining popularity. This is due to the fact that unlike their mechanical counterparts, magnetic switches eliminate wear which is caused by contact between sensor and magnet. Read more
