The OS08A20 is the first 8-megapixel sensor to combine Nyxel technology with OmniVision’s PureCel® pixel architecture, which allows the sensor to capture high resolution video and images that are bright and crisp in all lighting conditions, making the OS08A20 an ideal imaging solution for professional surveillance systems.

OmniVision Technologies announced the OS08A20, the latest addition to its family of image sensors equipped with the Company’s breakthrough Nyxel near-infrared (NIR) technology. The OS08A20 is the first 8-megapixel sensor to combine Nyxel technology with OmniVision’s PureCel pixel architecture, which allows the sensor to capture high resolution video and images that are bright and crisp in all lighting conditions, making the OS08A20 an ideal imaging solution for professional surveillance systems.

Demand for surveillance cameras continues to grow, with well over 125 million such cameras expected to ship globally in 2018 , according to IHS Markit. Within this substantial market, there is an increasing need for surveillance cameras with high resolution and improved night vision to accurately capture image details while keeping power consumption low. Other applications with similar requirements, such as body-worn cameras for law enforcement, represent an additional growth opportunity.

Nyxel technology delivers significant quantum efficiency (QE) improvement at 850nm and 940nm while maintaining high-modulation transfer function, allowing the OS08A20 to monitor a larger area compared with legacy technologies. Eliminating the need for external lighting sources reduces power consumption and enables covert surveillance for improved security. The OS08A20 is also a color CMOS image sensor, employing the PureCel pixel architecture with backside illumination to capture crisp, clear color images during the daytime.

The OS08A20 supports image sizes of up to 3840x2160 (16:9 aspect ratio) to capture high-resolution video at 60 frames per second. It comes in a 2x2-micron pixel size and 1/2-inch optical format for improved sensitivity. This image sensor is currently sampling and is expected to start volume production in the second quarter of 2018.