ICs for Automotive Multi-Displays Simplify Video Transmission

­ROHM Semiconductor announced new full-HD compatible (1980 x 1080 pixels) SerDes ICs (serializer: BU18TL82-M; deserializer: BU18RL82-M) optimized for multi-screen vehicle displays.  

Unlike typical SerDes ICs that must be connected in pairs for each video transmission, ROHM’s new BU18RL82-M deserializer can be daisy-chained to enable video transmission over multiple routes  using just a single serializer. Reducing the number of connectors and cables simplifies video transmission paths, lowering both system costs and failure risks. The new products are also capable of monitoring whether video data is correctly transmitted end-to-end (from the SoC to the displays) by comparing CRC values. This feature supports functional safety in automotive applications.

“The arrival of more and more electronic innovations in automotive applications, such as mirrors or the use of LCDs in instrument clusters, have increased the number of panels installed per vehicle, resulting in more complex video transmission paths. As this entails higher system costs and greater risk of failure, the challenge was to simplify the video transmission pathways as much as possible,” explains Stefan Drouzas, Senior Application Marketing Manager at ROHM. “At the same time, it is important to incorporate functional safety features since frozen video in electronic mirrors and tell-tale image failures in instrument clusters can lead to serious accidents,” Stefan Drouzas continues.

The new products address these challenges with daisy-chain connectivity and end-to-end data monitoring. Furthermore, the optimized transmission rate, an integrated spread spectrum function and noise peak shifting minimize power consumption and lower noise.

ROHM’s existing SerDes ICs for automotive camera applications of the BU18xMxx-C series, make them an ideal proposal for next-generation vehicle networks. Going forward, ROHM will continue to support the evolution and safety of vehicles by developing ICs that not only reduce power consumption but improve reliability as well.

Product Lineup

The new BU18xL82-M series is qualified under the AEC-Q100 standard, ensuring automotive-grade reliability. The BU18TL82-M serializer in particular supports both the OpenLDI and MIPI-DSI input interfaces, enabling suitability for a wide range of SoCs.

For more, go here.