The SV4E-CPRXG MIPI C-PHY Frame Grabber is a tool for optimizing and calibrating image sensors based on the MIPI Alliance Camera Serial Interface 2 (CSI-2) protocol specification and the MIPI Alliance C-PHY physical layer specification. Major chip companies in the imaging, vision, and even radar industry are currently designing sensors based on these specifications, and the SV4E-CPRXG is fundamental to their development processes.
The new breed of CSI-2 sensors now need to be tested and validated for real-life situations involving continuous (high frame rate) captures and continuously variable stimulus conditions – not just single-frame analysis. To address this, a frame grabber is needed that supports:
– Live streaming to a host computer
– Capturing large sequences of contiguous images from a single video stream
– Dynamically controlling the sensor parameters while continuously modifying input and environmental conditions
The above requirements can all be enabled using the SV4E-CPRXG MIPI C-PHY Frame Grabber for C-PHY based CSI-2 sensors. It can be attached to any CSI-2 camera output or radar output, and it will automatically extract image data and provide for automated application firmware development, color calibration, and software regression.
Innovation and Outstanding Performance
The SV4E-CPRXG leverages many generations of hardware and software tools for MIPI, and it is optimized for the C-PHY physical layer. In terms of analog design, its unique monolithic C-PHY analog front end is the highest-performing in the industry, able to operate at 3.5 Gsps per trio. The current state of the art is only 2.5 Gsps. Additionally, the analog front-end is coupled with a highly flexible protocol layer, and this means that it can interoperate with any CSI-2 lane configuration. It also supports all CSI-2 data types and pixel formats, and it can grab non-image data such as digitized radar signals. This kind of data is critical for the development of autonomous driving applications. Finally, the SV4E-CPRXG contains integrated programmable power supplies for automating the turn-on and turn-off of sensors under test, and it has I2C and I3C masters for controlling sensors under test and providing host emulation functionality. Indeed, this compact (5.5” x 4”) is the only piece of hardware required to perform frame grabbing on any C-PHY sensor.
Impact on the Market
With the deployment of MIPI CSI-2 based sensors into a wider range of applications, there is a strong need for flexible and robust frame grabber solutions that can handle the latest physical layer characteristics of these sensors. Introspect Technology’s unique analog front-end technology means that users can achieve high-confidence sensor validation without worrying about physical attachment issues. Indeed, with the SV4E-CPRXG, Introspect Technology has become a key supplier for major chip companies, camera companies, and system companies developing with CSI-2 specifications. It is not an exaggeration to state that this tool has contributed greatly to the proliferation of C-PHY sensors in the market place. These sensors are generally more difficult to develop, and Introspect Technology’s expertise has been leveraged heavily to address this industry challenge.