In the 21st century, the use of cameras & displays in the automotive industry is increasing. Designers are working hard to come up with appealing yet user-friendly interfaces to meet performance requirements. The wide application of MIPI (mobile industry processor interface) in IoT & multimedia applications has given enormous significance to the MIPI tester. The proven benefits of the MIPI interface, the implementation further expanded to new applications such as Advanced Driver Assistant System (ADAS), wearables, virtual reality head mount devices, and infotainment.
Starting in Mobile Applications
We all know smartphone demand is touching infinity. Every month brands are introducing new versions to make the life of customers more convenient and entertaining. But do you know from the past 10 years that MIPI CSI-2 and DSI are core interfaces to enable quality cameras & displays in smartphones? Plus, the interface allows low-latency, low power & low-cost chip-to-chip connectivity between hosts & devices. Designers have the opportunity to connect to low as well as high-resolution cameras & displays.
MIPI Interfaces in Automotive Applications
MIPI automated test equipment allows you to verify the successful implementation in automotive applications or not. Yes, the MIPI interface is also used in the automotive industry. Today’s cars have cameras installed ( front, back, and two sides). This allows drivers to have a complete 360-degree view of the surroundings. Here, the MIPI CSI-2 image sensor is attached to an image signal processor. The processor is further connected to a bridge that allows the whole module to connect to the car’s central system.
MIPI Interfaces in IoT Applications
There are many types of IoT SoCs. MIPI CSI-2 interface allows wired & wireless communication, Secure Digital Input Output (SDIO), offers specifications such as Bluetooth low energy, etc. Introduction of the advanced MIPI specification – I3C holds critical attributes of I2C and SPI. The new interface allows designers to connect a larger number of sensors while consuming low energy & thus reducing cost overall. At the same time, I3C allows manufacturers to merge various sensors to create new functionalities that support longer battery life.
MIPI Interfaces in Multimedia Applications
The virtual/augmented reality devices having high-resolution cameras & displays work on the MIPI interface. In such devices, MIPI interfaces transmit & receive multiple images from several resources, which are processed and sent to the user. Let’s understand a few examples of multimedia applications:
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High-End Multimedia Processor
Here, the processor is already processed & received. However, the image is not ready for transmission. The transmission is done through CSI-2 or DSI to camera or display.
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Multimedia Processor
A multimedia processor is used for movement recognition or a human-machine interface. The gesture is further analyzed & manipulated with the help of CSI-2 protocols. Afterward, transmitted to the application process.
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Bridge IC
There are many image inputs & outputs. The use of bridge IC allows outputs of any one application processor to split into display streams.
Summary
The use of cameras and displays are now in multiple applications such as automotive, IoT, and multimedia. Every application wants high-speed & low-power camera and display interface solutions. MIPI CSI-2 and DSI are highly implemented interfaces in the mobile industry to result in high-resolution image processing. So, make sure to get the quality MIPI tester that enables you to monitor every application that is working effectively.
