MIPI Alliance completes A-PHY v1.0 interface for automotive applications
The specification is undergoing member review, with official adoption expected within the next 90 days. A-PHY will provide a physical layer for data transfers spanning an entire vehicle. As the first standard of its kind, it will help the automotive industry accelerate the availability of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous driving systems (ADS) and other surround-sensor applications, including cameras and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) displays.
MIPI A-PHY serves as the foundation of what will be an end-to-end system designed to simplify the integration of cameras, sensors and displays, while also incorporating functional safety and security. Higher-layer MIPI protocols, such as Camera Serial Interface (MIPI CSI-2) and Display Serial Interface (MIPI DSI-2), are already used to connect sensors and displays to domain ECUs and other onboard computers in many vehicles. They currently are transported over MIPI C-PHY or D-PHY shorter-reach physical layers and use “bridge” solutions to connect to proprietary long-reach PHYs. With the use of upcoming adaptation layers, these higher-layer protocols will run natively over A-PHY, eliminating the need for proprietary bridge ICs.
A-PHY is being developed as an asymmetric data link in a point-to-point topology, with high-speed unidirectional data, embedded bidirectional control data and optional power delivery, all over a single cable. Version 1.0 has a long reach of up to 15 meters, supports 2, 4, 8, 12 and 16 Gbps (with a roadmap to 48 Gbps and beyond) with an ultra-low 1E-18 packet error rate. For integration with existing network backbones, A-PHY complements Ethernet, CAN, FlexRay and other interfaces. Having a standard long-reach PHY will improve economies of scale, simplify in-car networks, cut costs, and save space, weight and energy consumption.
In addition, MIPI Alliance will work with other organizations to leverage native protocols through a generic data link layer included with A-PHY. MIPI will be hosting a webinar, “MIPI A-PHY: The Cornerstone of a MIPI Automotive System Solution,” on June 30 at 8:00 a.m. PDT, and again on July 1 at 3:00 p.m. JST, to accommodate attendees in multiple time zones. To learn more and to register visit: .
MIPI Alliance – www.mipi.org