Sony announces 127.68 MP sensor

Sony Corp. announced the upcoming release of a large-format 56.73mm diagonal CMOS image sensor “IMX661” for industrial equipment with a global shutter function and an effective pixel count of 127.68 megapixels. Color samples are due to be shipped in April 2021, followed by a black-and-white version in May.

This product features an increased pixel count that yields an optical size nearly 10 times larger than the common 1.1-type image sensor corresponded to the C mount for industrial equipment, the company said. It also features Sony’s original global shutter pixel technology “Pregius”, which enables the capture of motion distortion-free images, according to Sony.

The new product couples Sony’s “Pregius” technology with the 3.6-type (56.73mm diagonal) large optical size, delivering an increased pixel count and distortion-free motion imaging. The device configuration enables high-speed readout nearly four times faster than conventional products in full-pixel readout mode. The company says “the design delivers highly efficient imaging capturing a wide viewing angle with no motion distortion in a single imaging operation.” The high-resolution imaging improves recognition precision, says Sony, and can contribute to solutions for a variety of industrial equipment applications. Examples include inspection processes for the production of displays and electronic substrates, wide-area monitoring, and aerial photography.