Omnivision and Valens offer automotive OEMs new camera solution for ADAS

11 May 2022

Companies are this week presenting joint A-PHY solution at AutoSens exhibition and conference in Detroit.

Omnivision, a developer of semiconductor solutions and display technology, and Valens Semiconductor, a provider of connectivity solutions for the automotive and audio-video markets, have partnered to bring to market a MIPI A-PHY-compliant camera solution for the automotive industry.

The companies will include Valens’ VA7000 A-PHY-compliant chipsets inside Omnivision’s Automotive Reference Design System (ARDS) camera modules. The initial camera module will also include the latter’s OX08B40 image sensor.

Since its release by the MIPI Alliance in late 2020, A-PHY, the standard for high-speed in-vehicle connectivity, has garnered significant momentum within the industry. In 2021, the IEEE standards association adopted A-PHY in its entirety as one of its own standards.

Automotive Tier-1 and Tier-2 technology suppliers, such as Omnivision, have been working to adopt the standard for their next-generation solutions for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) applications.

A-PHY-compliant camera systems

Valens Semiconductor is the first company to launch A-PHY compliant chipsets, having started shipping samples of its VA7000 product family to select customers and partners in December 2021.

The collaboration will pave the way for the development of A-PHY-compliant camera systems, allowing for smaller camera designs, reduced power consumption, lower camera cost, and interoperability with the wider A-PHY ecosystem. Both companies will demonstrate the A-PHY reference design at AutoSens in Detroit, MI, USA, between May 10-12.

Key topics being discussed at AutoSens include developments in lidar and radar, image quality, data, safe system design, advances in camera technology, in-cabin monitoring, supply chain outlook and more, says the event’s website.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Valens Semiconductor to allow our customers to easily evaluate A-PHY, a new global standard optimized for high-speed sensor-to-ECU connectivity, which we believe will present a significant business opportunity,” said Boyd Fowler, Chief Technology Officer at Omnivision.

“It is a major step that the automotive industry can now work around a connectivity standard, which is built from the ground up to deal with the specific challenges in the car while bringing significant cost savings to the ecosystem as a whole. We look forward to taking our place in this impressive new development around MIPI A-PHY.”

Gideon Kedem, SVP and Head of Automotive at Valens Semiconductor, said, “The A-PHY ecosystem continues to grow, with OEMs, Tier 1s and Tier 2s already evaluating our VA7000 chipset family for high-speed video connectivity. It is becoming crystal clear that this is going to be the leading connectivity solution for ADAS applications in cars around the world.”