Mixel, a specialist provider of mixed-signal intellectual property (IP), and Compound Photonics U.S. Corporation (Compound Photonics), a leading provider of compact high-resolution microdisplay solutions for Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) applications, announced Mixel’s MIPI® IP has been successfully integrated into the Compound Photonics CP1080p26 series of microdisplays.
The CP1080p26 displays feature an industry-leading pixel pitch measuring at 3.015μm. Developers can now take advantage of the high resolution and small form factor of the CP1080p26 to create innovative products such as AR and MR smart glasses and automotive holographic heads-up displays (HUD).
Mixel provided Compound Photonics with the MIPI C-PHYSM/D-PHYSMcombo and controller IP. Compound Photonics achieved first-time silicon success with this IP and is now in full production. The MIPI solution includes two IP products delivered fully integrated and validated: Mixel’s C-PHY/D-PHY receiver and a 64-bit MIPI DSI-2SM Peripheral Controller Core.
The DSI-2 Peripheral Controller Core is developed by Northwest Logic, a Rambus company and active participant in Mixel’s MIPI Central Ecosystem Partnership, which brings together best-in-class MIPI ecosystem stakeholders. By leveraging Mixel’s C/D-PHY multi-standard combo solution, the CP1080p26 has the flexibility to support interfaces for both the camera and display, with enhanced bandwidth and capacity of C-PHY as needed.
The D-PHY link can operate with 1 to 4 lanes at 2.5Gbps per lane and the C-PHY link supports 1 to 3 lanes, each lane running at 2.5Gsps, which is equivalent to 5.7Gbps. The result is an aggregated data rate of 10Gbps in D-PHY mode and 17.1Gbps in C-PHY mode. Both C-PHY and D-PHY modes support lane and polarity swapping. This differentiating feature gives the user the ability and flexibility to interface to different data sources with one single solution.
This IP was optimized to meet Compound Photonics’ strict area and power requirements. The IP not only shares the serial interface pins, but Mixel’s design also reuses all MIPI D-PHY functional blocks for the C-PHY, minimizing area and leakage power.
“Mixel’s differentiated PHY IP features, long successful track record and leadership in MIPI PHY were the main reasons we selected Mixel to be our MIPI partner,” said Compound Photonics VP of Engineering, Ian Kyles. “The bring up effort went exceptionally smoothly, was completed in record time, and we achieved first time-success, all thanks to Mixel robust design, comprehensive documentation, and outstanding support through the design cycle.”
Mixel MIPI PHY IP has been silicon-proven at nine different nodes and eight different foundries with more processes under active development, giving Mixel the widest coverage in the industry.
“Historically, most of earlier C-PHY use-cases were for camera applications, so it is exciting to see the C-PHY/D-PHY combo PHY gaining wider adoption in display applications,” said Ashraf Takla, Mixel’s President and CEO. “We anticipate increasing adoption of C-PHY and multi-standard PHY as display applications continue to require higher bandwidth and more design flexibility.”
Hordon Kim, International Editor, hordon@powerelectronics.co.kr
