Framos’ Sensor Tech Days, the successor event of the CCD Forums in the 1990s, got very positive feedback from both attendees and the presenting technology partners. The two-day seminar focussed on technical image sensor details and development outlooks by Sony (day one) and ON Semiconductor (day two) and was complemented by a custom-sensor deep dive by Pyxalis and lab testing results from the Framos application engineering team. More than 60 participants carefully listened to sensor comparisons with live demonstrations, architecture structures and future development outlooks and roadmaps. Three experts from Sony’s Japanese headquarters provided exclusive information about the delivery situation of CMOS sensors affected by the April earthquake and about future development plans of the leading IMX Global and Rolling Shutter series. ON Semiconductor and its three technical peers from each sensor family division presented deep performance details about their main sensor lines, flagshipped by the Python series.

The most important advantages for both attendees and suppliers were the open discussion rounds. "Normally it’s very rare to get someone from Sony Japan for reliable and direct information; I’m very satisfied with a lot of detailed information about CMOS development and the roadmap", one of the attendees stated. Unsurprisingly, Sony itself was happy too: "Receiving direct feedback and practical user experience is very valuable for us", Yutaka Kobashi summarised. According to the attendees’ feedback, the results of sensor testing provided by Fraoms’ application engineering team were one of the key benefits of the event. Engineering team members shared their deep product insights to provide better application guidelines and product recommendations to customers, and showed the portfolio and criteria of measurement services, particularly for EMVA 1288. The team around Helke Gabele followed the customers’ demand on performance tests with individual sensor settings and also provided a deep insight into finding the best sensor synergies with accessories like lenses and optics.

Axel Krepil, head of the Image Sensor business unit at Framos: "The event has been a really great success given the fact we also will have the famous Vision show in Stuttgart in November this year. I am very pleased with the quantity and quality of the attendees from all over Europe, who very much liked the detailed presentations from Sony and ON Semiconductor. We’ll continue with this format in early 2017 and will keep on bringing in original speakers and representatives of our suppliers to support the dialogue between manufacturers and customers."

Sensor Tech Days will be held again on April 25/26, 2017, and will again come up with a good balance of technical sensor news and details from the main suppliers in the market, as well as performance testing and industrial use cases and applications.