Texas Instruments (TI) today introduced advanced specialized semiconductors using ultrasonic lens cleaning (ULC) technology, enabling camera systems to quickly detect and use tiny vibrations to remove dirt, ice and water.
Previously, removing contaminants from camera lenses required manual cleaning, which could lead to system downtime or require the use of a variety of mechanical devices that could fail. of vibration to quickly remove contaminants on its own for rapid debris removal, thereby improving system accuracy and reducing maintenance requirements. The chipset provides designers with a compact and cost-effective way to use ULC in a variety of applications and different camera sizes.
ULC can make the widespread use of self-cleaning cameras and sensors a reality,” said Avi Yashar, TI product marketing engineer. Existing cleaning methods are costly and impractical, requiring complex mechanics, expensive electronics and a lot of processing to detect contaminants and perform cleaning. As applications ranging from automotive and traffic cameras to smart cities and manufacturing continue to evolve, where the number of cameras proliferates, there is an urgent need for a simple and cost-effective way to implement self-cleaning cameras.”
The ULC1001 controller includes proprietary algorithms for automatic sensing, cleaning, temperature and fault detection without any image processing, making the ULC technology ultra-adaptable for a wide range of camera lens designs. The chipset’s small form factor makes it possible to improve machine vision and sensing in a variety of applications, i.e., anywhere a camera or sensor might get dirty.
The use of TI’s ULC chipset eliminates the need for complex mechanical devices in lens cleaning systems and eliminates the need for manual intervention. Using proprietary algorithms, the ULC1001 ultrasonic cleaning DSP integrates a pulse-width modulator, current and voltage detection amplifiers, and an analog-to-digital converter. ti’s chipset, used with the DRV2901 piezoelectric transducer driver as a companion amplifier, enables ULC in a compact package with printed circuit board dimensions of less than 25mm x 15mm, reducing the bill of materials while providing more functionality than discrete implementations.
The ULC1001 DSP is in volume production and available on TI.com and through authorized distributors in a 4.5mm x 4.5mm, 32-pin HotRod Quad Flat No-Lead (QFN) package. and other channels.
