Automotive 1 Gbit/s Link opens New Century in Car HMI and Driver Assistance Systems

Abstract

Car Telematics systems are becoming the mobile communications platform of choice for cars and trucks. The availability of brilliant, high-resolution TFT-LCD displays, up to 1280x480 pixels and realtime camera systems up to VGA at 60 fps are providing increased capabilities for navigation, office-like tasks and communication, and automated driving options i.e. lane departure warning, obstacle detection, sign recognition, blind spot detection or parking assistance. APIX, Inova Semiconductors’ new automotive Pixel link, is uniquely designed to overcome the bandwidth-distance limitations of the physical layers of today’s automotive multimedia links. The new 1 Gbit/s link just needs two copper wires (or four wires for bidirectional functionality) to connect displays or cameras with their respective processing units up to 15 m or more. Thus the new link has the potential to enable new driver assistance systems to increase the throughput and to reduce connectivity cost, cable weight and cable diameter.