There has been a significant market demand for automotive-grade cameras across various industries in recent years. It is driven by the need for safety, compliance, advanced functionalities, reliable performance in challenging environments, superior image quality, and more. As more industries adopt vision-based technologies, automotive-grade cameras will play a bigger pivotal role in helping expand the imaging possibilities of modern applications.
In this blog, you’ll understand the reasons behind the explosive growth of automotive-grade cameras before getting in-depth insights on STURDeCAM31 – a GMSL2 IP69K automotive-grade HDR camera with LFM by e-con Systems.
Why automotive-grade cameras?
- Superior performance in varying lighting conditions:Many applications, including ADAS, Automotive Mobile Robots, Agriculture vehicles, etc., operate in challenging outdoor environments where standard cameras may be less responsive to varying lighting conditions. Automotive-grade cameras are designed to operate reliably in extreme temperatures, high vibrations, and dusty or wet conditions.
- Safety and compliance:Automotive-grade cameras are designed and built to meet stringent industry standards and regulations. These cameras undergo rigorous testing to ensure their reliability, durability, and performance in challenging conditions.
- System compatibility:Automotive-grade cameras are designed to seamlessly integrate with automotive platforms and systems. These cameras often support industry-standard interfaces such as GMSL, FPD-Link, or MIPI, enabling easy integration with existing hardware and software systems.
Meet STURDeCAM31 – a GMSL2 IP69K automotive camera by e-con Systems
e-con Systems has launched the STURDeCAM31 – an IP69K Automotive Grade GMSL2 HDR Camera with LFM for ADAS. Powered by Sony® ISX031, it delivers high performance in varying lighting conditions. It also includes various certifications that fit best into automotive applications. STURDeCAM31 enables seamless connectivity with NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin™ or AGX Xavier™ platforms, integrating up to eight cameras – with a GMSL2 interface. It also comes with support for FPD-Link, GIGE, USB, and MIPI interfaces.
Small and Large sub-pixels revealed focusing on the sensor
Key highlights of STURDeCAM31
- IP69K-rated camera (based on automotive standards)
- Sony® ISX031 sensor with advanced sub-pixel technology
- High Dynamic Range (HDR) up to 120dB + LFM
- GMSL2 interface with a coaxial cable of up to 15m and a FAKRA connector
- External trigger for multi-camera synchronization
Use cases of STURDeCAM31
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
STURDeCAM31 plays a crucial role in enhancing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) by providing accurate and reliable visual data to facilitate the secure and efficient operation of large vehicles. Its GMSL2 capability allows surround view systems to position cameras on the vehicle edges, enabling long-distance support. Additionally, the integrated coaxial cables simplify the transmission of large video outputs over extended distances, which is vital for effective fleet management. Moreover, the camera’s LFM feature ensures precise image capture even with pulsed light sources like LEDs, further enhancing its utility in ADAS applications.
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)
STURDeCAM31 is designed to fulfill the intricate structural needs of various Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), such as agricultural robots, autonomous tractors, patrol robots, and delivery robots, which often operate during different times of the day. Its exceptional high dynamic range with sub-pixel technology allows it to adjust to varying lighting conditions, ensuring precise image capture in both bright and dim environments. Equipped with a high-speed serial interface, this GMSL2 camera enables the accurate perception of the surroundings for critical tasks performed by delivery robots, goods-to-person robots, patrol robots, robotic arms, and more. The camera’s rugged design also ensures reliable performance in various weather conditions.
Customer Testimonial: Minus Zero’s zPod – the revolutionary autonomous vehicle features e-con’s GMSL2 HDR NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin camera
e-con Systems is delighted to share the heart warming customer testimonial video from Minus Zero, one of our esteemed customers. They have generously appreciated our GMSL2 HDR NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin camera – NileCAM21_CUOAGX used in their recently launched revolutionary zPod autonomous vehicle. We invite you to watch the video.
Other use cases
- Smart Surveillance Systems
- Retail Kiosks
- Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)
- Sports broadcasting
- Remote Patient Monitoring
Competitive differentiators of STURDeCAM31 by e-con Systems
HDR up to 120db + LFM
STURDeCAM31, with its superior ISX031 sensor from Sony®, offers HDR up to 120db with enhanced sensitivity and low-light performance. This wide dynamic range allows it to handle extreme contrast in lighting, resulting in clear and detailed images. Its low light sensitivity and LED Flicker Mitigation features ensure reliable performance in challenging lighting conditions.
No Motion Blur – Advanced Subpixel technology
STURDeCAM31’s ISX031 sensor also incorporates advanced subpixel technology – splitting each pixel on the sensor into two sub-pixels eliminating the motion blur that is common in HDR cameras. One has a higher sensitivity to light, and the other has a lower sensitivity to light. The highlight pixel captures details in the brighter areas of the scene – with the shadow pixel capturing details in the darker areas at the same time.
Tested for Automotive Grade and IP69K Rating
STURDeCAM31 has been tested for both automotive grade and IP69K ratings. This is crucial as it confirms our camera’s reliability, durability, compliance, and safety in demanding environments. These certifications also validate STURDeCAM31’s ability to withstand harsh conditions, deliver accurate data, and maintain consistent performance. Also, it incorporates the ISX031 sensor, which is an AEC-Q100 Grade 2-qualified sensor to withstand a wider temperature range (-40°C to +105°C) commonly encountered in automotive environments. Plus, it indicates that the sensor has undergone rigorous testing for stress factors like temperature cycling, humidity, and mechanical shock.
Lens Focusing with Active Alignment
The lens in STURDeCAM31 is also aligned by using active alignment, which is a big boost for embedded vision applications that leverage synchronization and multi-camera stitching. The active alignment technique enables fine-tuning of lens position and angle, minimizing aberrations and maximizing image quality. Basically, all the cameras can deliver uniformly sharper and better-quality images – increasing the performance of the application.
Explore our HDR cameras hub page or go straight to our Camera Selector page to view our complete portfolio.
If you are looking for more information on STURDeCAM31 or need any help integrating HDR cameras, please write to us at camerasolutions@e-consystems.com.
Suresh Madhu is the product marketing manager with 16+ years of experience in embedded product design, technical architecture, SOM product design, camera solutions, and product development. He has played an integral part in helping many customers build their products by integrating the right vision technology into them.