epc611/epc635/epc660 Time-of-Flight (TOF) Chips

ESPROS' epc635, epc660, and epc611 are fully-integrated 3D-TOF imagers with resolutions of 160 x 60 (half-QQVGA), 320 x 240 (QVGA), and 8 x 8, respectively. These system-on-chip (SoC) devices contain the complete control logic next to the CCD pixel-field to operate the device. The output of the chip is 12-bit DCS distance data per pixel which is accessible through a high-speed digital 8-bit (epc635) or 12-bit (epc660) parallel video interface. The epc611 chip is a general-purpose, monolithic photoelectric CMOS device for optical distance measurements and object detection.

A complete 3D camera can be generated with a few additional components. Depending on illumination power and optical design, a resolution in the millimeter range for distances up to dozens of meters is feasible. Up to 512 (epc635) and 158 (epc660) full-frame TOF images are delivered in rolling-mode. The extremely high sensitivity of the chip allows for a reduced illumination power and reduced overall power consumption compared to other TOF imagers. The epc635 and epc660 are based on the same technology and instruction set. An evaluation kit for these imagers is available with hardware and software examples and a comprehensive manual to speed up system integration.