Microsemi has launched interface IP and a reference design for the latest Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) camera serial interface (CSI-2), writes Nick Flaherty.This allows designers to use the low power, highly secure IGLOO2 field programmable gate array (FPGA) and SmartFusion2 system-on-chip (SoC) FPGA capabilities in CSI-2-based camera systems.
“This new addition to our imaging/video solution allows us to expand our customer base amongst those who design CSI-2 cameras, and allows customers to use our lowest power FPGAs in their designs, enabling significant benefits such as the use of smaller batteries and lower system costs,” said Ted Marena, director of SoC FPGA marketing at Microsemi. “Also customers who are concerned about their intellectual property (IP) can now use the most secure FPGAs to protect their IP.”
The MIPI CSI-2 standard continues to expand within numerous types of image sensors in the embedded market, says Microsemi. The IP can be easily reused across multiple platforms using Libero SoC Design Suite, a comprehensive, easy to learn, easy to adopt development toolset for designing with Microsemi's power efficient FPGAs and SoC FPGAs.
“We have seen significant growth in MIPI CSI-2 cameras and this growth is not limited to mobile consumer devices, but for numerous other applications. The broad market is leveraging the quality of MIPI CSI-2 image sensors for medical, machine vision, surveillance, drones, heads up displays and more,” said Joel Huloux, chairman of the board of MIPI Alliance. “Devices such as Microsemi’s FPGAs which interface to the MIPI CSI-2 will be attractive to a wide application space where low power, attractive performance and security are important.”
In addition to speeding the adoption of Microsemi FPGAs and SoCs in CSI-2 camera designs, the IP can be used for applications across medical, industrial, aviation and prosumer markets, including thermal imaging cameras, machine vision cameras, medical cameras, hand-held displays, drones and detection cameras.
The imaging/video IP suite is available now in the company’s Libero SoC IP vault.