Infotainment system demand for in-car transmission technology

Originally launched in 2008, the APIX platform had shipped 30 million devices by August 2015; and has now added a further 20 million units, to reach this coveted 50 million milestone in less than one year later.

APIX (Automotive Pixel Link) is a multi-channel SerDes (serialiser/deserialiser) Technology which was designed by Inova for high-resolution in-car video applications such as infotainment and safety. The latest generation, the APIX3, can establish multiple display links with a bandwidth of up to 12Gbps and supports HD and Ultra HD displays.

The 50 million figure represents the combined sales of this 'de-facto industry standard' device by all of Inova’s licensed partners, including Toshiba, Socionext, Analog Devices and Cypress Semiconductor.

“APIX’s tremendous success has been built upon a number of factors, both technological and commercial,” said Thomas Rothhaupt, Director Sales and Marketing at Inova Semiconductors. “Firstly, it is quite simply the best, most robust solution for in-car video transmission, enabling OEMs to reduce system costs by sending video, audio and data over a single cable – uncompressed and in real time, supporting 100Mbit Ethernet and other popular data protocols.”

“No less important is the fact that APIX is available as a multi-sourced technology from several leading semiconductor vendors,” continued Rothhaupt. “Inova also has established a strong ecosystem with cable and connector manufacturers, and test and measurement system vendors.”