CCT and illuminance measurements that closely match the human eye's response

ams announced the release of the new TCS3430, a true color sensor IC using the XYZ tri-stimulus method that supports a small footprint suitable for devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

The ultra-compact TCS3430 can be used for display management, automatic white balance, or color adjustment functions because it provides digital measurements of illuminance and chromaticity that match the XYZ values of the CIE 1931 Standard Observer to enable true color functionality.

The CIE 1931 standard observer is an industry standard that quantifies the light perceived by humans on average. If OEMs use the cost-effective TCS3430 instead of RGB color sensors, they can provide mobile device users with benefits such as high-quality display calibration and distortion-free color representation.

The TCS3430 utilizes ams's technology for directly depositing interference optical filters onto a wafer. The interference filters can be fabricated using the spectral characteristics of the human eye's XYZ spectral response model. The filter provides a total of five channels, consisting of X, Y, and Z channels, and two infrared (IR) channels. The IR channels are used for light source detection. The response characteristics of the Y channel to the green region of the visible light band can be used for illuminance calculation, so it can also be utilized as an illuminance sensor.

The TCS3430 is supplied as a packaged IC measuring 2.41mm x 1.75mm x 1.00mm. It is recommended to cover the sensor aperture with an achromatic diffuser. Due to its high sensitivity and wide measurement range, the TCS3430 can be mounted behind dark or clear glass. This product operates on a 1.8V supply voltage and provides an I2C interface to the host processor.

Kevin Jensen, Senior Marketing Manager for Color Sensors at ams, stated, “The TCS3430 is the smallest true color sensor currently on the market. By utilizing this product, color and brightness measurement performance in consumer products can be improved in accordance with ambient light conditions and true color images.”