News THine Announces New Solution of Extending MIPI® CSI-2 Interface

2019.01.15 Release

-Providing long-distance data transmission from image sensor-

 
TOKYO (January 15, 2019) – THine Electronics, Inc. (“THine”), the global leading semiconductor company focusing on high-speed serial interfaces and image signal processing today announces that it has started delivering samples of its new high-speed interface receiver product, THCV242, suitable to use with THCV241 which can be directly connected to MIPI® CSI-2 interface*1, and will start its mass production from the first quarter, 2019.

A demonstration of six-channel camera system with THCV241 and THCV242 based on platforms of nVidia® JetsonTM, jointly developed by Hawyang Semiconductor and Appro Photoelectron, will be exhibited at Aimmet Industrial Co., Ltd.’s booth (E40-11) in the 11th Automotive World, held from January 16th to 18th, 2019 at Tokyo Big Site in Tokyo, Japan.


Nowadays, performance of image sensors has improved in terms of higher-definition and adaptation to HDR*2, and they are widely used for camera functions of mobile phones as well as various applications such as in-vehicle camera and security camera. While MIPI® CSI-2 interface is commonly adopted for image sensors that output large volume of image data, distance of transmission of image data is limited according to the specification of MIPI® CSI-2 interface. Therefore, there has been a problem that layout of an image sensor in an application is limited.
 
THine has started delivering samples of the V-by-One® HS new product THCV242. The chip set of THCV241 and THCV242 can extend the data transmitting length up to 15m since image data with MIPI® CSI-2 interface can be converted to V-by-One® HS interface by THCV241 at the transmitting boards and converted again to MIPI® CSI-2 interface by THCV242 at the receiving boards.

Typically, image data of 8Mpixel 30fps at the maximum (or image data of 8Mpixel 60fps at the maximum) can be transmitted by THCV241 with only one pair of shielded twisted pair wire or one coaxial wire (or one shielded twisted quad cable) and attenuated signal can be appropriately converted to MIPI® CSI-2 interface by THCV242.

Accordingly, it is possible to provide a solution to limitation on transmission distance, which is a disadvantage of image sensors incorporating MIPI® CSI-2 interface, as well as to make transmission lines for large volume of image data with less number of cables. Moreover, since THCV241 and THCV242 include bridge function of GPIO/UART/two wire serial interface for controlling image sensors, it is possible to control operation of the image sensor of image data origin from the processer of image data transmission target. Furthermore, it is also possible to supply power with the same cable.
 
THCV242 can be used as a solution to allow free layouts and to reduce the weight by reduced number of cables to meet increasing requirements to incorporate increasing applications with multiple camera use cases. In addition, this new product can handle large volume of image data output from an image sensor with HDR function and can receive data of 2Mpixel 60fps by V-by-One® HS 1lane. Moreover, since the V-by-One® HS technology is non-data-compression high-speed transmission system, time required for data compression and decompression is not necessary.  Therefore, it is possible to realize transmission of high-definition HDR image and reduction in transmission delay loss.
 
“Since world’s camera needs increase significantly and typically automotive cameras are expected to 100-million-unit markets soon as well as surveillance cameras and endoscopic/laparoscopic cameras, THine has delivered new solution through samples of THCV242 with THCV241 and supported our customers’ development,” says Yasuhiro Takada, President and CEO of THine Electronics. “With mass-production of THCV241 and THCV242, THine aims to contribute to improvement of added value of products of customers and to develop products that reflect needs of customers,”
 
Characteristics of THCV242
 - V-by-One® HS input (1/2lane, 4Gbps/lane), MIPI® CSI-2 output (1/2/4lane, 1.2Gbps/lane),
 - Capable of receiving image data of 8Mpixel (4K2K) 60fps at the maximum (in case of V-by-One® HS 2lane)
 - Control signal bridge function of GPIO/UART/2 wire serial interface
 - Error detection function including CRC (image data transmission path)
- Package: QFN 64 pins (9mm x 9mm, 0.5mm pitch, Exposed Pad)
 
 * “V-by-One” is a registered trademark of THine Electronics, Inc.
 * “MIPI” is a registered trademark of MIPI Alliance, Inc.
 
 *1 MIPI® CSI-2 (Mobile Industry Processor Interface Camera Serial Interface - 2)
Specification of camera interface in mobile devices developed by MIPI Alliance, Inc.  Physical layer specification “D-PHY” developed in 2008 is source synchronization type, and is mainly used for connecting video signals in mobile phones.  While it can achieve low power consumption and high-speed serial transmission by defining signal amplitude to±200mV, it is difficult to transmit data for long distance.
 
 *2 HDR (High-dynamic-range rendering)
Method for rendering image to convert image with wide dynamic-range (ratio of light between the brightest part and the darkest part) to image with reduced contrast.
 
About Hawyang Semiconductor
Hawyang Semiconductor is a professional IC value-added reselling and technical service partners. With a proven record helping local and global IC design houses expanding markets by providing end-users timely and professional technical support,Hawyang strives to empower suppliers best customer service and marketing effect with minimally possible labor and financial costs. Hawyang is honored having this opportunity to work with ApproPho in developing six-channel camera system, and again successfully catalyzed the adoption of THine and Aimmet technology.
 
About Appro Photoelectron
Appro Photoelectron Inc. was founded on October 5 , 1999. As a professional solution design house dedicated to the photo-electronic research, ApproPho provides clients customized services in video and image processing, software and hardware development as well as system integration, and has been a publicly traded company at Taipei Exchange (TPEx) since January, 2017.
 
About THine Electronics
THine Electronics Incorporated is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer that provides innovative mixed signal LSI and analog technologies. The technologies provided include V-by-One® HS, LVDS, other high-speed data signaling, ISP, timing controller, analog-to-digital converter, power management, and drivers for LEDs/motors as well as IoT/M2M solution through Cathay Tri-Tech, Inc.
THine is headquartered in Tokyo, and has subsidiaries in Taipei, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Santa Clara. THine is listed on JASDAQ of Tokyo Stock Exchange under the security code of 6769.  For more information, visit https://www.thine.co.jp/en/.

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