ROHM’s SerDes ICs for automotive multi-displays simplify video transmission

Unlike typical SerDes ICs (serialisers and deserialisers) that must be connected in pairs for each video transmission, ROHM’s new BU18RL82-M deserialiser can be daisy-chained to enable video transmission over multiple routes – using just a single serialiser. Reducing the number of connectors and cables simplifies the video transmission paths – lowering both system costs and failure risks.

The products are also capable of monitoring whether video data is correctly transmitted end-to-end (from the SoC to the displays) by comparing CRC values. This feature supports functional safety in automotive applications.

“The arrival of more and more electronic innovations in automotive applications, such as mirrors or the use of LCDs in instrument clusters have increased the number of panels installed per vehicle, resulting in more complex video transmission paths. As this entails higher system costs and greater risk of failure, the challenge was to simplify the video transmission pathways as much as possible,” explains Stefan Drouzas, Senior Application Marketing Manager at ROHM. “At the same time, it is important to incorporate functional safety features since frozen video in electronic mirrors and tell-tale image failures in instrument clusters can lead to serious accidents,” Stefan Drouzas continues.

The products address these challenges with daisy-chain connectivity and end-to-end data monitoring. Furthermore, the optimised transmission rate, an integrated spread spectrum function and noise peak shifting minimise the power consumption and lower the noise.

On top, ROHM’s existing SerDes ICs for automotive camera applications of the BU18xMxx-C series, make them an ideal proposal for next-gen vehicle networks.

Going forward, ROHM will continue to support the evolution and safety of vehicles by developing ICs that not only reduce power consumption but improve reliability as well.

Product Lineup

• The BU18xL82-M series is qualified under the AEC-Q100 standard, ensuring automotive-grade reliability.
• The BU18TL82-M serialiser in particular supports both the OpenLDI and MIPI-DSI input interfaces, enabling suitability for a wide range of SoCs.