KAWASAKI, JAPAN -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (“Toshiba”) has launched “TCD2400DG,” a lens-reduction type[1] CCD[2] linear image sensor developed expressly for line scan cameras[3] used in visual inspections. Shipments start today.

Image inspection equipment that integrates line scan cameras, including color sorters, is used in diverse applications, among them sorting and grading foodstuffs, recognizing and removing foreign objects, identifying types of recycled plastics, and detecting scratches or stains on industrial products.

TCD2400DG is a color CCD linear image sensor with 4096 picture elements in a three-line array, with a 7μm pitch between elements. Each line functions independently to recognize red, green and blue (RGB). The line rate, the number of lines captured per second, 22.7kHz, is faster than that of the 10.5kHz TCD2564DG, Toshiba’s current product for image inspection equipment.

Image inspection equipment rapidly processes massive volumes of image data to precisely and accurately identify objects passing in front of the equipment at high speed. By approximately doubling the readout speed of TCD2564DG, TCD2400DG will contribute to equipment with improved processing speeds.

The sensor acquires high-resolution color images, with no need for the color interpolation processing[4] required by Bayer element arrays. This performance makes it highly suited to color line scan camera applications that require immediate judgment.

The sensor incorporates other improvements. The timing generator circuit[5] and CCD driver[6], both externally mounted in Toshiba’s current products, are integrated into the sensor, which reduces the number of signal lines required to drive the CCD and renders an external CCD driver unnecessary. It also eliminates the need for strict timing adjustment between signals, simplifying wiring work and streamlining system development process. The reduction of external wiring helps suppress electromagnetic interference that occurs during high-speed operation.

Toshiba will continue to expand its product lineup and promote advances in imaging and sensing technology that supports applications such as scanners for multifunction devices and inspection equipment.

Notes:
[1] The method of reducing an image with optical lenses and projecting onto a CCD or CMOS image sensor.
[2] Charge Coupled Device
[3] A camera that generates an image by scanning the subject one line at a time. Unlike an existing area camera that captures an entire “surface” at once, a line scan camera continuously captures “lines” and constructs a complete image as the subject moves.
[4] A mechanism in which R, G, and B filters are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Missing color information in each element of the array is supplemented from its surrounding elements to generate a color image.
[5] A circuit for generating signals necessary to drive a linear image sensor.
[6] A circuit for amplifying the drive signals of a linear image sensor.