Camera systems have become an important automotive safety component, typically combining multiple camera modules with advanced image analysis to help drivers monitor road conditions, detect hazards and avoid collisions. These cameras need to be controlled with as less as possible delay and the transmitted data has to be checked for safety and security reasons, so fast and reliable connections are mandatory.
A real-time, bidirectional control channel for driver-assist video cameras is one of the features of National Semiconductor’s family of automotive-grade serializer and deserializer (SerDes) chipsets »FPD-Link III«. It delivers clock, data and real-time I2C bidirectional control continuously over a single differential pair.The serializer »DS90UB901Q« and the deserializer »DS90UB902Q« are designed for automotive camera systems with 14-bit colour depth. The chipset employs cyclical redundancy check (CRC) to validate and monitor data integrity and eliminates the need for an additional control wire to the camera module. Unlike alternatives that relegate control data into the blanking periods or small gaps between video frames, National’s back-channel technology is supposed to deliver continuous, real-time communication between several remote camera heads and the ECU. Real-time communication provides the immediate control needed to synchronize multiple sideview and rearview cameras, enabling image stitching that delivers a ‘birds-eye’ view to assist drivers with blind spots, lane departure, collision avoidance and parking.
(source: National Semiconductor)
Other members of the FPD-Link III family are the serializer »DS90UB903Q« and the deserializer »DS90UB904Q« which support 18-bit colour depth needed for in-vehicle infotainment systems. The SerDes chipset connects the graphics host processor with central information displays, rear seat entertainment displays and navigation displays. The SerDes’ integrated real-time control channel potentially speeds up response times for touch screen displays and eliminates the need for external control cables and connectors.
Both chipsets serially route video content over distances in excess of 10 meters and support continuous pixel clock ranges from 10 MHz to 43 MHz and display resolutions up to SVGA . They are AEC-Q100 Grade-2 qualified for operation between -40°C and 105°C, and are powered by a 1.8 V supply. They also feature a built-in self-test (BIST) mode for factory test, system start up and diagnostics.
To protect adjacent circuitry from electromagnetic interference (EMI), the chipsets generate a spread-spectrum clock to modulate the deserializer output to minimize harmonic peaking. The SerDes’ EMI performance ensures that infotainment and driver assist high-speed data links can meet rigorous automotive requirements.
Other members of the FPD-Link III family are the serializer »DS90UB903Q« and the deserializer »DS90UB904Q« which support 18-bit colour depth needed for in-vehicle infotainment systems. The SerDes chipset connects the graphics host processor with central information displays, rear seat entertainment displays and navigation displays. The SerDes’ integrated real-time control channel potentially speeds up response times for touch screen displays and eliminates the need for external control cables and connectors.
Both chipsets serially route video content over distances in excess of 10 meters and support continuous pixel clock ranges from 10 MHz to 43 MHz and display resolutions up to SVGA . They are AEC-Q100 Grade-2 qualified for operation between -40°C and 105°C, and are powered by a 1.8 V supply. They also feature a built-in self-test (BIST) mode for factory test, system start up and diagnostics.
To protect adjacent circuitry from electromagnetic interference (EMI), the chipsets generate a spread-spectrum clock to modulate the deserializer output to minimize harmonic peaking. The SerDes’ EMI performance ensures that infotainment and driver assist high-speed data links can meet rigorous automotive requirements.
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