Product category:
Optoelectronic Sensors, Switches and Receivers
News Release from: Pacer International | Subject: Foveon X3 sensor
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 07 February 2003
Quantum leap claimed in digital image
capture
The Foveon X3 sensor represents a quantum leap forward in digital image capture technology, owing to the new revolutionary structure of the array.
The Foveon X3 sensor represents a quantum leap forward in digital image capture technology, owing to the new revolutionary structure of the array Each of the pixels has three junctions buried at progressively deeper stages beneath the photosensitive surface
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 26 Dec 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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Blue photons are absorbed nearest to the surface, followed by green then red photons.
This means that mosaic effect sensors that require groups of four pixels and complex filters to generate the three primary colours are significantly less sharp in image detail than the Foveon X3.
It has also been argued that the sensor effectively trebles the pixel count of the arrays.
Each pixel gives three electrical signals out, one for each primary colour compared to the single colour output from a conventional pixel.
The range currently comprises a 10.6 million 9um photodetector array (2304 x 1536 pixel locations on each of three layers).
Some of the key advantages of the X3 are: sharpness - the Foveon X3 sensor captures twice as much green light as a mosaic image sensor (green light is responsible for defining image detail); colour detail - the X3 captures full colour at every pixel location, mosaic sensors capture only 50% of the green and 25% of the red and blue; and artefacts - the sensor does not require complex interpolation unlike a mosaic sensor (complicated interpolation introduces colour errors).
In addition, a variable pixel size capability allows the Foveon X3 sensor to switch seamlessly between the large number of small pixels required for high quality still photography and the smaller number of larger pixels required for continuous video capture.
The sensor is available now from Pacer Components following its appointment as representative for AVC, a certified value added reseller for Foveon. Request a free brochure from Pacer International ...
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