NEC Electronics ships 8MP camera phone chip

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by Jan Harris

NEC Electronics Corp has started to ship samples of CE131, an image processing LSI for use in camera phones, which is capable of capturing 8MP images.

This is 1.6 times the resolution of the current market version of the LSI, which captures 5MP.

The LSI sits between the CMOS sensor and application processor in a mobile phone. It displays signals from the sensor on the device’s screen and makes the signals printable.

The CE131 has an interface for a 512Mbit external memory, allowing for the processing of much larger image data than the existing model.

The new 8MP CE131 LSI also uses an innovative noise-reduction method to help improve picture quality from the CMOS sensor. It also features image stabilisation technology.

The sample price of the LSI is around $33 each. Volume production of the chip will start in October.

NEC expects to produce 1 million units per month.