Battle of the 2 Megapixel Image sensors – Sony Pregius IMX174 vs Starvis IMX290

Sony has continued to improve image sensors, first with the debut of the Pregius sensors and now with the low light sensitive Starvis sensors. The Starvis sensors are slowly being released by camera manufacturers and IDS Imaging is the first to release them in the new LE USB3.1 models.

These new camera sensors are being released at an astonishing rate, which is great for the imaging market, but making it harder to make decisions in identifying the best sensor for an application.

1stVision is continuing to compare Sony image sensors to help make these decisions easier!

We have put two more sensors into the boxing ring to battle it out and see how they fair in various categorizes. In this contest, we put the Sony Pregius IMX174 (and essentially its sibling, the IMX249) and the new Sony Starvis series, specifically the 2.1MP IMX290 in the ring.  

The Sony Starvis has become very interesting in applications that require very low light sensitivity and are attractive due to the back side illuminated architecture. As seen in the diagram below, the metal wiring has been set behind the photodiode and decreasing the distance light has to travel. This new pixel design lends itself to improved sensitivity.






















Diagram courtesy of Sony

The chart below compares some key attributes of the Sony Pregius IMX174 & IMX249 image sensors 

Sensor Comparison Chart



Round 1 –  Sensitivity:  Absolute sensitivity is a great way to identify low light performance.  Using the “Absolute sensitivity” figures above, we see that the IMX290 sensor takes less photons to register the smallest detectable amount of light.  In this round, we see that the IMX290 has a lower value of 8.5 vs 12.1 (less photon’s needed) lending itself to the winner in this round for best low light sensitivity.   In essence, we can start to form an image in lower light with the IMX290.  

Round 2 – Quantum efficiency (QE):  QE is the ability to turn photon’s into electrons at given wavelengths.  In this round, we see that the IMX290 has a better efficiency of 65.9% vs 59.2% in converting photons into a charge again winning the round.  This means more signal is provided for that given wavelength, creating a brighter image.  

Round 3 – Saturation Capacity:  This value is essentially the size of the pixel well measured in electrons.  The larger the well, the better is can drown out noise and not saturate quickly.  The IMX174 excelled in this round.   In turn, you see the dynamic range is higher at 73% vs 66%.  In cases where you would like to see the brights and the darks in a scene, higher dynamic range is desired.  

Conclusion:  In the end, its really a draw between the two sensors.  In the 2MP range of these sensors, it really depends on your application!

If you need low light sensativity, the Sony Starvis family of sensors excel due to the pixel architecture.  You’ll find the Sony Starvis currently in the IDS LE3.1 model cameras in the following cameras with 2 and 6 MP resolutions with more on the roadmap.

2MP – UI-3860LE
6MP – UI-3880LE  

If you need more dynamic range, the Sony Pregius IMX174 and IMX249 are the best CMOS sensors on the market today.  (As a note, the IMX174 and IMX249 are identical, but the IMX174 being a faster version and a bit more costly than the IMX249).  You’ll find these sensors in the several camera lines hosting the Sony Pregius sensors.


Interested in other sensor comparison?  Click below!

IMX174 vs CMOSIS CMV2000 – CMOS battle between 2MP Sony Pregius and CMOSIS

IMX250 vs ICX 625 – 5MP’s sensor battle between Sony’s older CCD vs new CMOS model

Interested in the EMVA1288 Data?  IDS can provide this data upon request, email me (jonc@1stvision.com) if you are interested in receiving the data for one of the cameras.  


Please do not hesitate to Contact us!  1st Vision can provide a complete solution including cameras, lenses, lighting and cables.  We have over 100 years of combined experience we can put to work for you!


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www.1stvision.com  

               

Teledyne Dalsa Nano XL-M4090 cameras – 16MP cameras are now faster, cheaper and smaller!

The Genie Nano XL-M4090 offers the On-Semi Python 16K monochrome sensor with a resolution of 4096 x 4096.  Nano XL-M4090 offers Teledyne Dalsa’s “Burst Acquisition” and “Turbo Drive” features allow for capturing images at 30 fps in 16 Megapixel resolution while maintaining good image quality.  

The new Nano XL camera provides 16 MP at a fraction of the cost of older KAI-16000 image sensors with improved performance, faster frame rates, and smaller image format!

Contact us for pricing!
The new cameras are fully GigE Vision compliant with higher frame rates achievable with partial scan modes and packed with beneficial features

Features and Benefits at a glance

  • Resolution – 4096 x 4096 with 4.5um pixels
  • Speed – Using the latest global shutter CMOS technology, the new 16MP XL more than doubles the frame rate of previous 16MP CCD cameras using the KAI-16000 sensor.  Utilizing Turbodrive, and 500 MB of on-board memory; frame rates of 30 fps can be reached  (Read more about TurboDrive )
  • Cost per Pixel is dramatically reduced!  – Pricing starting below $4300 provides a substantial savings for the same resolution vs older 16 MP CCD models.  
  • Lens mount options / Pixel Pitch – On-Semi uses 4.5um pixels providing a APS-H optical format (32.6mm diagonal) while still maintaining good performance and low noise.  The XL has a M42 mount and will have a M42 to F-mount adapter available. 
  • On-board memory – 500 MB
  • Wide Temperature range – 20 deg. C to + 60 C

Applications include:

  • Machine Vision inspection
  • Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) 
  • Large scale metrology
  • Pick and Place machines
  • Motion monitoring
  • Aerial Surveillance






 On-Semi has continued to expand the image sensor line and in turn, it is available from various camera manufacturers and interfaces.  

If you do not need 16MP, the Dalsa Nano product line has become very extensive with resolutions from VGA to 25MP.  Click here NOW to see the complete portfolio

Please do not hesitate to Contact us!  1st Vision can provide a complete solution including cameras, lenses, lighting and cables.  

Ph:  978-474-0044

info@1stvision.com
www.1stvision.com  

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Fastest 12 & 9 Megapixel GigE cameras featuring Sony Pregius sensors

Teledyne DALSA has announced the addition of four new high resolution models to its high-value Genie™ Nano GigE Vision camera series. Featuring the popular Sony®Pregius’ IMX 255 and IMX 253 image sensors, the new 9 (4K HD) and 12 Megapixel cameras deliver both speed and high quality imaging. 
 
 
Nano 12 megapixels at 40 fps and 
9 megapixels at 56 fps.. Truly the fastest GigE
cameras!        
Nano GigE cameras are equipped with the patented Turbo drive allowing pixel data to be transferred at a rate in excess of 125 MB/s.  This provides frame rates beyond the normal link capacity.  
 
With the addition of these four models (M4060, M4040, C4060 and C4040) systems designers can choose from a growing number of Genie Nano cameras powered by 31 industry-leading CMOS image sensors.
 
Key Features include: 
  • TurboDrive for fast frame rates and full image quality
  • Trigger-to-Image-Reliability for easy system control and debugging
  • Small footprint / light weight: 44mm x 29mm x 21mm / 46 grams
  • Wide temperature range (-20 to 60°C) for imaging in harsh environments
  • Auto-brightness features for changing lighting environments
  • Support for Linux operating platform is also available
  • Genie Nano cameras feature a robust design backed by a 3-year warranty.
Applications include:
  • Intelligent traffic systems
  • Printed circuit board inspection
  • Metrology
  • Machine Vision & industrial inspection
View the full data sheets for the 9 MP and 12 MP cameras below:
 
 



Stay Tuned!  The ON-SEMI 16 and 25 Megapixel sensors are on the Nano roadmap!  You’ll see the new Nano M4090 and M5100 cameras coming soon!  


1st Vision  stocks all the popular Teledyne Dalsa Nano cameras!  Contact us to discuss which Nano camera is best for your application.  

   
Please do not hesitate to Contact us!  1st Vision can provide a complete solution including cameras, lenses, lighting and cables.  

Ph:  978-474-0044
info@1stvision.com
www.1stvision.com  

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Battle of the 5 Megapixel Image Sensors – Sony IMX250 Vs Sony ICX625

Sony has continued expanding the Pregius image sensor portfolio providing higher resolutions for many camera applications. These camera sensors have excellent sensitivity, signal to noise ratios and dynamic range.

Sony has added the new 5MP, 2/3″ IMX250 image sensors to the portfolio which has proliferated into many industrial camera designs. Sensitivity on this camera sensor has even surpassed the popular Pregius 5.86um pixel formats by 1.1X with a smaller pixel allowing the format to be reduced to a 2/3″ format.
Compared to the 5MP, 2/3″ Sony ICX625 CCD image sensor, the new Pregius IMX250, 5MP image sensor boasts ~ 5X sensitivity improvement and dynamic range of 71 db vs 56 db and incredibly low dark noise.

We know this information can be baffling so we we have put the two sensors in the ring to battle out the specifications!

From the specification standpoint, the IMX250 knocks out the ICX625 in a few rounds. The key attributes are battled out below.

Specifications















Round 1  – Saturation Capacity and Dynamic Range
Saturation capacity (aka well depth) is the amount of charge in electrons a pixel can hold, whereas dynamic range relates to the signal to noise of the temporal dark noise.  Comparing saturation capacity and dynamic range, the IMX250 knocks out the ICX625 in one punch.

 Although the pixel sizes are the same, the new CMOS pixel wells have a saturation capacity of ~ 10.3K electrons compared to 5.9K for the ICX625.  This contributes to increased dynamic range allowing images to not saturate quickly, allowing more dark and bright areas to be viewed.  

In general, the more electrons in the pixel well along with low noise provides better signal to noise ratios.  As shown in the graphic, we ideally want a lot of signal electrons vs the noise electrons.



Round 2 – Temporal Dark noise

Temporal dark noise also known as read noise is measured in electrons, in which a lower temporal dark noise provides better images.  This noise is produced within the sensor electronics and show up in the pixel well as unwanted noisy electrons.  The new IMX250 has incredibly low dark noise with only 2.3 electronics compared to the older IMX625 CCD having approximately 9 electrons.  The IMX250 clearly wins this round providing better fidelity!

Round 3 – Sensitivity & Quantum Efficiency

Sensitivity can be measured looking at the number of photons required to have a signal equal to the noise level.  A lower number of electronics are better indicating higher sensitivity.  Quantum efficiency measures the percentage of photons converted to electronics at a given wavelength.  In comparing the sensitivity thresholds, it takes ~ 4 electrons to gain a signal versus 22 comparing the IMX250 vs ICX625 making it much more sensitive.  Reviewing the quantum efficiency at 525nm, further supports this with a higher percentage of photons being converted on the new CMOS sensor with 76% vs 57%.  Its a knockout in round 3!

.. And the winner is… the Sony IMX250 CMOS sensor!  This comparison shows excellent gains in technology with this 5MP sensor!   If you are using the ICX625 sensor, the IMX250 is a drop in replacement allowing you to keep the optics, gain better performance and drop the price of your camera substantially!

Several camera manufacturers have the new Sony Pregius IMX250 5MP sensor in their lineup and more on the horizon.  Links to the current cameras as follows listed by interface. 

As a note, the IMX250 is the faster sensor vs its counterpart, the IMX264.  Both of these sensors have essentially the same performance, but speed and price are lower with the IMX264.  In many cases, you will see both sensors within a camera product line, but the IMX264 sensor will be at a lower price.

Cameras in the current lineup are as follows:  

USB3

IDS  UI-3080CP   – IMX250
IDS UI-3280CP – IMX264


GigE Vision

Teledyne Dalsa Nano 2450 – IMX250
Teledyne Dalsa Nano 2420 – IMX264

JAI GO-5100 – IMX250
JAI GO-5101 – IMX264


This is the second of our sensor battles!  See our comparison and learn how the Sony IMX174 (and its counterpart the IMX249) compare against a CMOSIS 2MP sensor!

Please do not hesitate to Contact us!  1st Vision can provide a complete solution including cameras, lenses, lighting and cables.   We are happy to discuss the differences along with pros and cons of the various sensors and cameras.

Ph:  978-474-0044
info@1stvision.com
www.1stvision.com  

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