Toshiba announced the further expansion of its Dynastron CMOS image sensor product line with the addition of a new 3.2-megapixel CMOS image sensor chip. Designated ET8E99-AS, the new chip has a small 2.7-micron (um) pixel pitch with a 1/2.6-inch optical format and incorporates an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. Combining superb picture quality with low-power consumption, it is targeted at high-end camera-enabled mobile handset applications.

The ET8E99-AS CMOS image sensor is an area color image sensor that incorporates an A/D converter in non-diced wafer form. It achieves approximately 3.2 megapixels of array resolution in a small 1/2.6-inch optical format with reduced pixel pitch of 2.7um and a pixel size sufficient to record detailed, high-resolution images. It also offers low-power consumption, smearless imaging and high-speed operation.

Other features include the following:

• In video mode, capable of a high-speed frame rate of 15 frames per second (fps) at QXGA output and 30fps at 3-to-1 vertical pixel binning
• To support simplified design of an optimized camera system, incorporates automatic blemish correction and detection, gain control and lens shading compensation
• To support a flexible input clock, incorporates a phase locked loop circuit
• Can use with a companion Toshiba image signal processor (ISP) chip that provides YUV or JPEG encoded data or employ another suitable external ISP chip 

Samples of the ET8E99-AS are currently available with mass production planned for the end of 2005.