Spectral ALS Sensors from ams enable unprecedented light-source detection and AWB improvement, by utilizing spectrometer-like light source detection capabilities and included flicker detection. Even in situations with extreme color contrast or under non-ideal/mixed light source conditions.
The power of the AS7341 to upgrade color measurement performance is demonstrated by the introduction of the Spectro 1™ portable colorimeter from Variable (www.variableinc.com). In the Spectro 1, Variable has used the AS7341 to provide professional color measurement for solid colors at a consumer price point. The product provides highly repeatable spectral curve data in 10nm increments across the visible light spectrum from 400nm to 700nm – a capability previously only available in professional spectrophotometers costing more than ten times as much as the portable Spectro 1.
Applications in color analysis, automatic white balancing and color matching benefit from improved performance and value thanks to the ams AS7341’s combination of multi-channel measurement capability, flicker detection, high sensitivity and small size profile.
The AS7341 marks a breakthrough in the category of spectral sensors in a small package suitable for mounting in a mobile phone or consumer device. It is the smallest such device to offer 11 measurement channels, and also offers higher light sensitivity than any other multi-channel spectral sensor aimed at the consumer market. In mobile phones or accessories, the new AS7341 from ams produces more precise spectral measurements in a wider range of lighting conditions than competing sensors. The new sensor’s small dimensions also mean that it is easier to accommodate it in mobile phones and other portable devices.
The technology more accurately reproduces colors and minimizes distortion of ambient light sources, resulting in sharper, clearer and more true-to-color photographs. The consumer-level benefits of the AS7341 include improved performance in mobile phone cameras, as the chip’s accurate spectral measurements enable superior automatic white balancing, more reliable light source identification and integrated flicker detection. The AS7341 also enables consumers to use their mobile devices to match the colors of objects such as fabrics through using color references like the PANTONE® Color System.
The ams AS7341 is a miniature 11-channel spectral sensor chip that brings a laboratory-grade multi-channel color analysis capability to portable and mobile devices. The spectral response is defined in the wavelengths from approximately 350nm to 1000nm. 6 channels can be processed in parallel by independent ADCs while the other channels are accessible via a multiplexer. 8 optical channels cover the visible spectrum, one channel can be used to measure near infra-red light and one channel is a photo diode without filter (“clear”). The device also integrates a dedicated channel to detect 50Hz or 60Hz ambient light flicker. The flicker detection engine can also buffer data for calculating other flicker frequencies externally. The NIR channel in combination with the other VIS channel may provide information of surrounding ambient light conditions (light source detection).The device can also be synchronized to external signals via pin GPIO.
AS7341 integrates filters into standard CMOS silicon via Nano-optic deposited interference filter technology and its package provides a built-in aperture to control the light entering the sensor array. Control and Spectral data access is implemented through a serial I²C interface. The device is available in an ultra-low profile package with dimensions of 3.1mm x 2mm x 1mm.
The AS7341 was designed for the following applications:
o Color matching and skin tone measurement
o Enhanced Artificial Intelligence: Search and shop by color (eCommerce boost)
o Flicker compensated camera operation and image optimization (AWB automatic white balancing)
o Light source detection and improved AWB
o CRI measurement for improved post-processing of images