Recommended Free Tools
Infineon announced on 11 October 2016 that it had acquired all of Innoluce BV, a Dutch semiconductor company specializing in miniature MEMS laser-scanning modules. The deal was a capability acquisition: Innoluce brought the scanning mirror and its control electronics, while Infineon aimed to combine them with its own lidar system components as part of a broader automotive-sensing strategy. The announcement and reference design do not establish that a resulting product was later commercialized or is available today.
What Infineon acquired
Infineon said it acquired 100% of Innoluce BV, a fabless semiconductor company based in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Innoluce was founded in 2010 as a spin-off from Royal Philips. The companies did not disclose the financial terms, according to EE Times’ contemporaneous report.
Innoluce’s stated specialty was miniature laser-scanning modules built around MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) mirrors, together with an ASIC that controlled the mirror. A MEMS mirror steers laser light across a scene so a lidar system can measure distances to objects. The compact, semiconductor-oriented scanning approach was presented in 2016 as an alternative to larger mechanical scanning mirrors; that period-specific comparison should not be read as a ranking of lidar designs available today.
Why lidar fit Infineon’s automotive strategy
Infineon framed the purchase as a way to extend its automotive driver-assistance and automated-driving sensor portfolio beyond radar and cameras. The aim was to develop high-performance lidar chip components and contribute to sensing systems for increasingly automated vehicles.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches#1 Best Overall
- [High Accuracy] DTOF FHL-LD19 Kit, based on DTOF LD19, which has a sampling rate of 8000 times/s. In addition, The lidar ranging distance can reach up to 12 meters Based on white objects with 70% reflectivity,so it can collect environmental information at a rather high speed and accuracy, ensure a real-time performance.
- [360 Degree 2D Scanning] The ranging core of DTOF FHL-LD19 rotates clockwise, performs 360 degree 2D omnidirectional lidar range scan on the surrounding environment, and generates an outline map. configurable scan rate from 5~13Hz, Typical 10Hz.
- [Plug and Play] With the 3 feature: Build-in Serial Port and USB Interface, Open Source SDK and Tools and Integration with ROS, Just connecting the DTOF FHL-LD19 and a computer via a micro USB cable, users can use the DTOF FHL-LD19 without any coding job. DTOF technology, which repairs electrical connection errors due to physical wear and prolong the life-span.
- [Widely Application] It can be used for home service/cleaning robot navigation and localization, general robot navigation and localization, smart toy’s localization and obstacle avoidance, environment scanning and 3D re-modeling, General simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), etc.
- [Wiki] You can find more docs by wiki.youyeetoo.com/en/Lidar/LD19.Any technical issues after purchase please contact with our forum by forum.youyeetoo.com/ or click "WayPonDEV" Store and ask a question. Or send message to monica @ youyeetoo.com
At the time, Infineon Automotive division president Peter Schiefer said, “With this acquisition, we take a big step into the lidar technology that will play an important role in the safety cocoon essential to fully automated cars,” and, “We intend to make lidar an affordable feature for every new-built car worldwide”. These were statements of company ambition reported by EE Times, not evidence that the stated goals were achieved.
How Innoluce’s technology fit into the lidar system
Infineon’s December 2016 reference-design presentation separates the contributions: it labels the MEMS mirror and mirror-control ASIC as Innoluce’s key competence, and identifies the surrounding electronics as Infineon’s contribution. The diagram includes a laser source and detector diodes as well as the following blocks:
Rank #2
- 1, Model: TF-Luna, Operating range: 0.2-8m, Distance resolution: 1cm, Power comsumption: not over 0.35W, Frame rate: 1-250Hz, Frequency: 100Hz, FOV: 2 degree, Net weight: not over 5g, Communication: UART/I2C interface, Power supply: 5V. Compatible with Raspberry Pi Pico, Pixhawk and WiFi_Lora_32 0.96" oled display transceiver module.
- 2, TF-Luna is a single-point ranging LiDAR, based on TOF principle. It is built with algorithms adapted to various application environments and adopts multiple adjustable configurations and parameters so as to offer excellent distance measurement performances in complex application fields and scenarios.
- 3, TF-Luna module comes with UART and I2C interface, default communication interface is UART, IIC can be realized by wiring pins, if you need to use I2C interface, please set it yourself. There are 3pcs cables comes with the lidar, 1.25mm-6Pin male to male connector wire, 1.25mm-6Pin male connector to male/female dupont cables, covers the cables for most scenarios, makes it easy and convenient for your connections.
- 4, TF-Luna Lidar is very light, very suitable for scenarios with strict load requirements. Main Applications: Short distance obstacle avoidance, Auxiliany focus, Elevator projection, Intrusion detection, Level measurement etc.
- 5, What you will get is: 1pc TF-Luna LiDAR Range finder sensor module, 1pc 1.25mm-6Pin male to male connector wire, 1pc 1.25mm-6Pin male connector to male dupont cable, and 1pc 1.25mm-6Pin male connector to female dupont cable. If you have any question, please contact us by click "WISHIOT" under the shopping cart and click "Ask a question" in the new page
| System element | Contribution shown in Infineon’s December 2016 reference design |
|---|---|
| MEMS mirror | Innoluce |
| Mirror-control ASIC | Innoluce |
| Amplifier | Infineon |
| System ASIC | Infineon |
| Microcontroller | Infineon |
| Power management | Infineon |
The presentation describes a reference design, not a complete production vehicle sensor or proof of a product launch. Its value in understanding the transaction is the division of expertise: Innoluce supplied the specialized scanner and mirror control, while Infineon positioned its electronics around those functions. See Infineon’s 14 December 2016 reference-design presentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 2016 performance figures mean
In its 11 October 2016 investor presentation, Infineon described Innoluce module capabilities as greater than 200 metres of range and less than 0.1° resolution. Those figures are Infineon’s 2016 presentation claims; the available materials do not independently validate them. They are not current product specifications and should not be used to compare present-day lidar sensors. The claim appears in Infineon’s acquisition presentation.
Rank #3
- Document: https://en(DOT)benewake(DOT)com/DataDownload/index.aspx?pid=20&lcid=21
- Communication level: LVTTL(3.3V), Communication interface: UART/IIC (the default is UART, you can send comment to set it to IIC ), Default baud rate: 115200
- Low-cost ranging LiDAR module with highly stable, accurate, sensitive range detection. Operating range: 0.2-8m
- Application: Traffic Monitoring, Obstacle detection, Level measurement, Smart device, Security and obstacle avoidance, Drone altitude holding and terrain following
- What you will get: 1 piece TF-Luna LiDAR Module and 3 pieces 1.25mm 6P Cable
What the acquisition does—and does not—establish
The 2016 announcements document an acquisition, its technical rationale and a proposed reference-design architecture. They do not establish whether Innoluce-derived technology later became a commercial Infineon product, what its eventual specifications were, or how widely it was deployed. The acquisition is best understood as Infineon buying specialized lidar scanning know-how to complement its automotive electronics, not as evidence that a specific lidar unit reached the market.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
