Cypress Enters Camera Phone Market With 3-Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor

(2005-07-05)

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: CY) today entered the camera phone market with a high-quality, low-cost 3.0-megapixel CMOS image sensor designed to bring digital still camera quality to camera-enabled mobile devices. The new sensor delivers high-resolution images using the 1/3-inch optical format popular for lower resolution devices, allowing manufacturers to upgrade their offerings without the cost of incorporating new optical lenses.

The new device takes advantage of Cypress's three-transistor (3T) pixel technology to dramatically improve low light sensitivity without increasing pixel transistor count or sacrificing image quality. In addition, it incorporates patented Autobrite(TM) technology, which provides superior dynamic range so both bright and dark areas within the same image appear clearly.

"Consumers are now demanding camera phones that deliver high resolution and image quality equal to that of digital still cameras," said Luc De Mey, vice president of Cypress's image sensor business unit. "Our 3.0-megapixel sensor will deliver that quality - all on a 2.0-megapixel optical format - making the device extremely attractive to designers."

The new device is Cypress's first image sensor targeted at mobile devices. It complements a stable of Cypress products for that market, including pseudo-SRAM and dual-port memories, timing chips, USB controllers for hard-drive enabled phones and PSoC(TM) mixed-signal arrays with CapSense(TM) technology for capacitive-touch sensing applications such as volume and backlighting control.

"We have strong relationships with leading mobile phone companies worldwide, due in part to offering multiple solutions as manufacturers look to streamline supply chains," said Chris Seams, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing at Cypress. "By delivering one of the first 3-Megapixel mobile sensors and offering a technically differentiated product, our goal is to expand these relationships and bolster our position as a critical supplier to this market."

Cypress's CYIWOSC3000A camera phone imager is a 1/3-inch optical format sensor with an active pixel array format of 2048 x 1536 pixels. Autobrite adaptive wide dynamic range allows the sensor to operate up to 72dB, enabling it to capture all of the detail within a scene. The device is capable of 30 frames-per-second (fps) at full resolution and 83 fps at 640 x 480. It also offers an electronic rolling shutter and onboard, 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

The sensor also offers programmable controls including frame size, frame rate, gain, exposure, electronic panning, binning of rows and columns, linear and non-linear image, black offset correction, flip and mirroring - all on-chip.

Product Availability
Cypress expects to sample the CYIWOSC3000A in the fourth quarter of 2005 with full production quantities available in the first quarter of 2006. A high-resolution image and product data sheet are available at http://www.cypress.com/3Mimager.

Cypress Image Sensors
Cypress's broad CMOS image sensor portfolio spans both the high-end and consumer mass markets. Cypress delivers high-performance sensors for custom and high-end digital photography; ultra high-speed imaging solutions for automotive safety, machine vision and motion analysis; and consumer-oriented solutions for ultra-slim digital still cameras, single-use cameras and camera-enabled mobile devices." CMOS image sensors complement Cypress's technology and market strengths. The sensors expand Cypress's existing presence in digital still cameras, where it sells a broad array of timing solutions; in the automotive sector, where it sells configurable microcontrollers and memories; and in mobile phones where it is a leader in low-power memories.

About Cypress
Cypress solutions are at the heart of any system that is built to perform: consumer, computation, data communications, automotive, industrial, and solar power. Leveraging a strong commitment to customer service and performance-based process and manufacturing expertise, Cypress's product portfolio includes a broad selection of wired and wireless USB devices, CMOS image sensors, timing solutions, network search engines, specialty memories, high-bandwidth synchronous and micropower memory products, optical solutions, and reconfigurable mixed-signal arrays. Cypress stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CY. More information about the company is available online at www.cypress.com.

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Cypress and the Cypress logo are registered trademarks and Autobrite and PSoC are trademarks of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.