Automotive pixel link

APIX is a serial high speed Gigabit Multichannel link to interconnect displays, cameras and control units over one single cable targeting automotive applications. APIX2 transmits up to two independent HR real time video channels plus bidirectional protected data communication like Ethernet, SPI, I2C including 8 channels for audio.

APIX, APIX2 and APIX3 were designed by Inova Semiconductors in Munich, Germany. Inova Semiconductors provides its own chips and licences the IP to other semiconductor suppliers like Fujitsu Semiconductors and Analog Devices.

Popularity

The standard[1] is used by a growing number of car OEMs especially in the infotainment area.

It was licensed in 2008 by Fujitsu [2] for use in their automotive controllers. There are also Commercial off-the-shelf boards available from e.g. Congatec. There are also implementations as IP block for Xilinx FPGAs.

Specifications

APIX allows [3] for:

  • Two-or Four-Wire Full Duplex Link
  • Up to 1 GBit/s Downstream Link
  • Up to 62.5 MBit/s max Upstream Link
  • Low EMI,
  • Wide spread spectrum pixel clock
  • More than 15 m distance with low profile STP cables
  • 10/12/18/24 bit pixel Interface

APIX2,[4][5] allows for higher link speeds and more flexibility:

  • it can mix various data streams, including SPI, I2C or Ethernet
  • 500 Mbit/s, 1 Gbit/s and 3 Gbit/s sustained downstream link bandwidth
  • 187.5 Mbit/s upstream link bandwidth
  • Single/dual channel LVDS 18 or 24 bit
  • Video resolution up to 1280x720x24bit (720p) / 2 x 1280x720x18 bit / 1600x600x24 bit @ 60 Hz

APIX3,[6] adds higher link speeds:

  • support STP (shielded twisted pair) QTP (quad twisted pair) and co-axial
  • link bandwidth of 6 Gbit/s over STP and 12Gbit/s over QTP
  • Video resolution up to HD and Ultra HD

Products based on APIX3 will take at least until Q3 2016 to arrive

Notes

  1. ↑ VDI-Buch Advanced Microsystems for Automotive Applications 2008
  2. ↑ Fact sheet of APIX deployment in Fujitsu silicon
  3. ↑ Inova APIX product flyer Archived March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ APIX2 page
  5. ↑ Elektronik-Praxis article
  6. ↑ EDN-Europe article on APIX3


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