Inova Semiconductors released two new APIX3 SerDes TWIN transmitters, each with two independent transmission channels. APIX (Automotive Pixel Link) is a multi-channel SerDes technology developed for high-resolution video applications in motor vehicles. The latest APIX3 generation can host multiple display connections with bandwidths of up to 12 Gbps and supports HD and Ultra HD displays. 

The latest additions to the APIX3 family are the INAP562TAQ transmitters with HDMI 1.4a (with 3D support) and DSI 1.2 video interface and the INAP564TAQ with two DSI 1.2 video interfaces. Each of these transmitters can provide two APIX3 links via STP or coaxial cable with the INAP562R receiver already available. The devices support various EMC-friendly operating modes with fixed bandwidths of 1.5; 3 or 6 Gbps in single-lane mode, with a fixed back channel of 187.5 Mbps.

Available DSI interfaces also allow the transmission of DSC compressed video data with a future-proof available video bandwidth of up to 28.8 Gbps. The chips enable the simultaneous transmission of up to eight audio channels, with a media-independent interface (MII, RMII, RGMII) for 100 Mbit Ethernet according to the IEEE standard. An SPI interface is also available. 

The APIX3 devices are backward compatible with the APIX2 predecessor family and, like these, offer compensation functions for cable aging and temperature fluctuations. A new feature of APIX3 is the link training of the APIX3 link to the cable medium used. APIX3 supports safety-related applications and meets the requirements of the automotive industry with regard to electromagnetic immunity and resistance.

The chips are qualified to AEC-Q100, operate in a wide temperature range from -40 °C to +105 °C and are supplied by Inova in a 151-pin aQFN package. They are pin-compatible with the already available single-channel APIX3 transmitters INAP563TAQ and INAP565TAQ. The devices are also available as variants with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection). The APIX3 technology has been licensed to Socionext by Inova.

For more information, please visit www.inova-semiconductors.de.