Sony IMX678 vs. Onsemi AR2020: Which Image Sensor Is Better for Drone Applications?
In the Sony IMX678 vs. Onsemi AR2020 question, neither image sensor is better for every drone application. The IMX678 suits 4K HDR video in difficult light, and the AR2020 suits 20MP detail and low-power payloads, so the right sensor depends on the mission. Vadzo builds cameras on both sensors.
This guide explains each sensor on its own: how it works, its main specifications, and where it is used on UAVs, drones, payloads, and photogrammetry jobs. Real-world examples show what each feature does in the field.
Sony IMX678 vs. Onsemi AR2020: which image sensor fits which drone job?
A drone payload sensor is judged on how much detail it records, how it handles bright and dark areas in one scene, how it responds to near-infrared light, how much power it draws, and how much the whole payload weighs.
Photogrammetry adds a sixth test. It builds maps and 3D models from overlapping photos, so it needs sharp, evenly exposed frames and a known ground sample distance (GSD), which is the ground size of one pixel.
1.0 µm pixel under a 5 mm lens at 50 m sees 10 mm of ground per pixel. Each sensor below gets its own worked example.
What is the Sony IMX678 and how does it work?
The Sony IMX678 is a color CMOS image sensor from Sony’s STARVIS 2 family. It has a 1/1.8-inch format, 8.4MP resolution (3856 x 2180), and 2.0 µm back-illuminated pixels. Back illumination places the wiring behind the light-sensitive layer, so more of the light reaching each pixel is collected.
In an 8MP Sony 4K HDR camera, the sensor supports 4K video. Vadzo lists up to 110 dB of HDR, which keeps highlight and shadow detail in the same frame, and enhanced NIR sensitivity at 850 nm and 940 nm for dusk and night scenes with infrared illumination.
The shutter is rolling, so the sensor reads pixel rows one after another. At 10 m/s, each millisecond of readout shifts the scene by 10 mm from the top row to the bottom row, which is half a pixel at a 20 mm GSD. A slower pass or a faster readout keeps that skew small.
Vadzo builds the Innova-678CRS on this sensor. It is an IMX678 HDR 4K color camera in Vadzo’s Sony Starvis camera range, and Vadzo positions it as a low light camera for outdoor security, smart city, and facility monitoring.
Parameter | IMX678 |
Sensor | Sony IMX678 STARVIS 2, color, rolling shutter |
Format and pixel size | 1/1.8", 2.0 µm |
Resolution | 8.4MP (3856 x 2180), 4K video |
Active area | 7.71 x 4.36 mm, 8.86 mm diagonal |
HDR | Up to 110 dB |
NIR | Enhanced at 850 nm and 940 nm |
Where is the IMX678 used on UAVs, drones, and payloads?
Vadzo recommends its IMX678 HDR 4K camera range for industrial drone and UAV work, including tethered inspection drones. The sensor’s dynamic range and low-light response suit jobs where light changes quickly during a flight.
Wind turbine inspection. A drone flies around a blade with the sun behind it. HDR keeps the bright sky and the dark blade in one frame, so a crack on the shaded side stays visible.
Power line patrol at dusk. Light falls fast, and the STARVIS 2 pixels keep noise low enough for wires and insulators to stay readable without a long exposure.
Night security patrol. An NIR enhanced camera with 850 nm or 940 nm illuminators on the aircraft can see a fence line in the dark.
Photogrammetry of a solar farm. With a 6 mm lens at 60 m, the 2.0 µm pixels give a 20 mm GSD, and each frame covers about 77 m x 44 m of ground. At 75 percent forward overlap, a photo is needed about every 11 m, which is roughly one image per second at 10 m/s.
Vadzo’s listed applications for the IMX678, including smart surveillance and smart traffic management, carry over to aerial patrol and traffic monitoring.
What is the onsemi AR2020 and how does it work?
The onsemi AR2020 is a Hyperlux LP CMOS sensor with a 1/1.8-inch format, 5120 x 3840 pixels (20MP), and 1.4 µm back-illuminated pixels. Its active area is 7.17 x 5.38 mm, with an 8.96 mm diagonal.
The is Vadzo’s AR2020 color camera, a 20 MP color camera. Vadzo also lists the AR2020 as a 20MP monochrome camera. An AR2020 monochrome camera has no color filter, so every pixel records brightness directly.
Vadzo lists line-interleaved HDR up to 100 dB and an eDR mode that delivers 73 dB in single-exposure operation. Its NIR response is enhanced at 850 nm and 940 nm, which makes the Falcon-2020CRS an NIR enhanced camera for scenes lit by infrared illuminators. Electronic rolling shutter (ERS) and global reset release (GRR) modes are supported, and on-chip lens shading correction compensates for vignetting.
Parameter | AR2020 |
Sensor | onsemi Hyperlux LP, color or monochrome |
Format and pixel size | 1/1.8", 1.4 µm |
Resolution | 20MP (5120 x 3840) |
Active area | 7.17 x 5.38 mm, 8.96 mm diagonal |
HDR | Line-interleaved up to 100 dB, eDR 73 dB |
NIR | Enhanced at 850 nm and 940 nm |
Shutter | Rolling (ERS), GRR mode |
How do the AR2020 features work in practice?
Feature | What it does | Real-time example |
Wake-on-Motion | Captures only when activity is detected, which cuts power use | A parked UAV station camera wakes when a vehicle crosses the perimeter, then sleeps again |
Dynamic ROI | Reads a chosen window at full detail and skips the rest, so less data moves | A payload crops one insulator at full detail while the wide view stays small |
2x2 binning | Combines four pixels into one: 20MP becomes about 5MP (2560 x 1920) with 2.8 µm effective pixels | A dusk survey bins 2x2 to gather more light per pixel |
Small pixel size | 1.4 µm pixels pack 20MP into a 1/1.8-inch sensor, which gives fine detail but less light per pixel | A mapping flight at 60 m with a 6 mm lens resolves 14 mm of ground per pixel |
Low light | Back-illuminated pixels and enhanced NIR response at 850 nm and 940 nm | A dawn inspection lit by infrared illuminators on the aircraft |
Binning trades resolution for light and speed, so a survey can capture at full 20MP on a bright day and switch to 2x2 binning at dusk.
How is the AR2020 used in UAVs, drones, and payloads?
Within the Sony IMX678 vs. Onsemi AR2020 pairing, the AR2020 is the sensor for detail-led, low-power payloads. The Falcon-2020CRS weighs 18 g without lens, runs on USB power, and operates from -30 to +85 °C.
Corridor mapping. With a 6 mm lens at 60 m, the 1.4 µm pixels give a 14 mm GSD, and one frame covers about 72 m x 54 m. At 75 percent forward overlap, a photo is needed about every 13 m, or about one image every 1.3 seconds at 10 m/s.
Rooftop and facade inspection. With the same lens, a drone at 14 m gets about 3 mm per pixel, enough to read equipment labels and see cracks about 1 cm wide.
Perimeter watch on battery. Wake-on-Motion keeps the sensor idle until something moves, so a parked UAV spends less battery between events.
Rolling readout needs the same care here: at 10 m/s, each millisecond shifts the scene by 10 mm, about 0.7 pixel at a 14 mm, and many photogrammetry tools offer rolling shutter correction.
Where else is the AR2020 used?
Barcode reading. On a parcel line, a high-resolution monochrome camera reads many labels in one frame. Vadzo’s Dexter-1000-GigE decodes the codes inside the camera on this sensor.
Medical and field labs. A portable lab reader photographs a test cartridge in a clinic with no mains power. Small size, low power, and fine detail count for more than a wide field.
Fundus imaging. A fundus camera photographs the retina at the back of the eye through a small pupil, so it needs fine detail and sensitivity at low light levels.
Meibography. This test images the oil glands in the eyelid under infrared light to check for dry eye, and it relies on the sensor’s NIR response.
Blood and tissue imaging. A camera on a microscope captures blood smears or tissue slides, where 20MP shows the shape of individual cells.
Which sensor suits which job?
Start from the job, then pick the sensor that provides it.
Requirement | Sensor and camera |
4K HDR video with sun and shade in one frame | IMX678 (Innova-678CRS) |
Dusk or night views with 850 nm or 940 nm illumination | IMX678 or AR2020 |
20MP detail for mapping and inspection | AR2020 (Falcon-2020CRS) |
Low-power payload that wakes on motion | AR2020 (Falcon-2020CRS) |
Full-detail crop from a wide view | AR2020 (dynamic ROI) |
Monochrome 20MP imaging | AR2020 monochrome versions |
Before flight, check payload weight against the aircraft limit, GSD against the smallest feature to detect, overlap against flight speed, lighting and any infrared illumination, and rolling shutter skew at the planned speed.
Vibration and motion shape the setup as much as the sensor. Mount the camera on a vibration-isolated plate, keep exposure short to limit blur, and test the rolling shutter at the planned flight speed, since airframe vibration shows up as wobble in row-by-row readout. Fix the lens focus after mounting, and re-check it after temperature swings.
Key takeaways
Neither sensor is better for every drone job: the IMX678 suits 4K HDR and low-light work, and the AR2020 suits 20MP, low-power payloads.
GSD = pixel size x altitude / focal length: 20 mm for the IMX678 and 14 mm for the AR2020 with a 6 mm lens at 60 m.
The IMX678 offers up to 110 dB HDR and enhanced NIR response for inspection at dusk and night.
The AR2020 adds Wake-on-Motion, dynamic ROI, and binning to save power and data in 20MP payloads.
Both sensors use a rolling shutter, so check skew at the planned flight speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do the Sony IMX678 and onsemi AR2020 each perform in image quality?
In the Sony IMX678 vs. Onsemi AR2020 pairing, each sensor is built for a different quality target. The IMX678 is an 8.4MP back-illuminated sensor with up to 110 dB HDR, which keeps detail in high-contrast scenes. The AR2020 is a 20MP sensor with 1.4 µm pixels, line-interleaved HDR up to 100 dB, and enhanced NIR response.
How does each sensor perform in low light for industrial applications?
The IMX678 uses STARVIS 2 back-illuminated 2.0 µm pixels and enhanced NIR sensitivity at 850 nm and 940 nm. The AR2020 uses 1.4 µm back-illuminated pixels with the same NIR bands, and Vadzo lists excellent low-light performance for it. Both can use infrared illumination.
Which Vadzo cameras use the Sony IMX678?
The Innova-678CRS is an IMX678 HDR 4K color camera, and the Innova-678CRE is listed with an electro-mechanical auto IR-cut filter. Both use the 8.4MP sensor.
Which IMX678 specifications count for drone and UAV payloads?
The 8.4MP resolution (3856 x 2180), 2.0 µm back-illuminated pixels, up to 110 dB HDR, and enhanced NIR response at 850 nm and 940 nm decide how it handles sun, shade, dusk, and night. Vadzo recommends IMX678 cameras for industrial drone and UAV work.
Which Vadzo cameras use the onsemi AR2020?
The Falcon-2020CRS, Bolt-2020CRS, Innova-2020CRS is the AR2020 color camera. Vadzo also lists AR2020 color and monochrome cameras on other interfaces, and the Dexter-1000-GigE, an AR2020 barcode camera with on-board decoding.
Does the AR2020 camera support NIR imaging?
Yes. The Falcon-2020CRS lists enhanced NIR response at 850 nm and 940 nm, and it has an auto IR-cut filter for day and night imaging. As an NIR enhanced camera, it suits scenes lit by infrared illuminators.
How do Wake-on-Motion, dynamic ROI, and 2x2 binning help a UAV payload?
Wake-on-Motion cuts power by capturing only on activity. Dynamic ROI reads a chosen window at full detail so less data moves. A 2x2 binning mode turns 20MP into about 5MP with 2.8 µm effective pixels for dusk work and higher frame rates.
What ground sample distance do the sensors give for photogrammetry?
With a 6 mm lens at 60 m, the IMX678 gives 20 mm per pixel over about 77 m x 44 m, and the AR2020 gives 14 mm per pixel over about 72 m x 54 m.
Where can these cameras be bought, and is there a minimum order?
Both cameras are ordered from their Vadzo product pages, and the Falcon-2020CRS page lists volume price tiers, with lens and cable not included. Minimum order quantities and volume pricing are confirmed through Vadzo sales.
Why choose Vadzo Imaging for an OEM camera project?
Vadzo Imaging develops OEM embedded camera solutions on both sensors. Customization listed for the Falcon-2020CRS includes board redesigns, firmware changes, NIR and color LED array boards, ToF, mmWave radar, and IMU integration, lens holder changes, and IP-rated or non-IP-rated enclosures.
