ON Semiconductor and Arrow Electronics offer imaging reference designs for VITA image sensors based on Cyclone FPGA

VISION 2011, STUTTGART, GERMANY: ON Semiconductor, a premier supplier of high performance silicon solutions for energy efficient electronics, and its global distributor Arrow Electronics, introduced new reference designs for a wide variety of image sensor applications.

These reference designs are built around the VITA image sensor family from ON Semiconductor and are based on Altera’s Cyclone III and Cyclone IV FPGAs. The new reference designs allow customers to rapidly start implementation of new imaging designs into an open platform and to optimize systems once operational. They address markets such as machine vision, 2D barcode, security, and Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS).

Altera’s Cyclone III and IV FPGAs implement image sensor processing modules (ISP) in combination with the NIOS II embedded processor cores on the Cyclone III development kit. These ISP modules, in combination with the VITA image sensors, allow customers to read Full HD images in 1080 pixel (p) resolution with 60 frames per second (fps). Designers can also set multiple Regions of Interest (ROI), wide dynamic range, analog and digital gain settings, along with rolling or global shutter selection.

“Arrow is committed to offering our customers the most robust solutions available,” said Jeffrey Eastman, senior VP of Global Supplier Marketing. “By combining ON Semiconductor's VITA image sensors with Altera's leading-edge Cyclone FPGA technology, designers of industrial, medical, and aerospace and defense applications have access to an entirely new suite of unparalleled capabilities.”

“We’re pleased to offer flexible, fast time-to-market reference designs for the VITA industrial image sensors,” said Vince Hopkin, VP of ON Semiconductor’s Digital, Mil/Aero and Image Sensor Products Group. “The Cyclone FPGA family is an excellent platform, offering designers the opportunity to quickly develop and test designs that bring out the full potential of the VITA sensors.”

The first reference designs, which will be based on the VITA 1300 and VITA 2000 image sensors, are available today. Designs based on the VITA 5000 and the MANO-9600 are expected towards the end of Q4 2011.