VCSEL Flood Illuminator High IR Illumination For In-Cabin Sensing

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It combines VCSEL and optical packaging technologies to provide a high optical power output and narrow spectral bandwidth

Ideal for optical In-Cabin Sensing (ICS) systems, the TARA2000-AUT family of VCSEL (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser) flood illuminators by ams are based on 2D NIR imaging or 3D Time-of-Flight sensing, which supports the next generation of assisted and autonomous driving technologies in vehicles. 

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Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) track whether the driver is alert and attentive while driving. TARA2000-AUT’s high optical power distributed over the whole Field of Illumination (FoI) can replace multiple lower-power emitters. This offers automotive OEMs savings in space, component count and cost. With peak optical output of 940nm and a very narrow spectrum, the TARA2000-AUT also makes it easy for automotive OEMs to achieve high immunity to interference by sunlight, improving the monitoring system’s performance and reliability. 

The TARA2000-AUT is available with an ultra-wide FoI to give excellent responsiveness in gesture-sensing applications for use by both the driver and passengers. It is also suitable for interior monitoring systems, for instance for the detection of passengers who should be wearing a seat belt, or for detection of baby seats and child passengers for automatic airbag adjustment. These systems also help detect children, pets, or objects left behind inside parked cars, a potential cause of serious harm which can be prevented by the implementation of optical interior monitoring.

The TARA2000-AUT is a combination of a VCSEL emitter designed and manufactured in-house by ams, and an optical diffusor made with proprietary ams micro-lens array technology, all integrated into a single module. Matching the micro-optics to suit the characteristics of the VCSEL emitter, the illuminator produces a uniform beam with edge-to-edge high-power illumination over a rectangular field. This tightly controlled illumination profile and FoI match the field of view of the IR image sensors used in 2D and 3D systems, increasing the strength and integrity of the reflected optical signal. 

The TARA2000-AUT family of illuminators offers two wavelength options: 

• 850nm for systems requiring maximum sensitivity at the CMOS image sensors
• 940nm to avoid visible red glow and interference from sunlight