Sony Unveils 25MP IMX925 Sensor, Boosts Imaging 4x
Sony Semiconductor recently introduced the IMX925, a 25.5-megapixel image sensor with a global shutter speed of 394 frames per second, designed to enable high-speed industrial automation. This stacked CMOS image sensor features a back-illuminated pixel structure optimized for imaging in industrial equipment.
Advancements in the circuit design have significantly enhanced the sensor's performance, with improvements to the A/D converter enabling pixel readout and sensor drive speeds approximately four times faster than previous models. This redesign also doubles energy efficiency and enhances signal processing, resulting in higher frame rates.
In addition to the IMX925, Sony plans to release three additional models with varying sensor sizes and frame rates in May 2025, targeting applications such as identification and inspection tasks in industrial settings. The compact design of the IMX925 makes it compatible with the C-mount interface, a widely used standard in machine vision cameras. Its ability to capture more images within a given timeframe reduces measurement and inspection durations, contributing to energy savings and enabling advanced applications such as 3D inspections using multiple image data sets.
The IMX925 incorporates Sony's proprietary Pregius S global shutter technology, which combines a back-illuminated pixel structure and stacked architecture. This design achieves high sensitivity and saturation in compact 2.74 μm pixels, delivering 25.5 effective megapixels within a 1.2-inch sensor size compatible with C-mount interfaces. The structure ensures distortion-free capture of fast-moving objects, making the sensor ideal for compact, high-resolution machine vision cameras that can be seamlessly integrated into devices and production lines.
The sensor also utilizes Sony's embedded clock SLVS-EC high-speed interface, supporting data rates of up to 12.5 Gbps per channel. This advancement allows high-resolution image data to be transmitted over fewer data channels, expanding FPGA options and facilitating the development of high-precision, high-speed cameras.
