OmniVision and Valens Semiconductor Partner Offer Automotive Solution for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems Applications

OhmniVisionthe world’s leading developer of semiconductor solutions, advanced digital imaging, analog, touch and display technologies, and Semiconductor Valens, a leading provider of high-speed connectivity solutions for the automotive and audio-video markets, has teamed up to bring to market the MIPI A-PHY-compatible camera solution for the automotive industry. The companies will include new A-PHY-compatible Valens Semiconductor VA7000 chipsets in the OmniVision Automotive Reference Design System (ARDS) camera module. The original camera module will also include an OX08B40 image sensor from OmniVision.

Since its release by the MIPI Alliance in late 2020, the A-PHY, the standard for high-speed in-car connectivity, has gained significant momentum in the industry. In 2021, the IEEE Standards Association adopted A-PHY entirely as one of its own standards. Tier-1 and Tier-2 automotive vendors, such as OmniVision, are working to adopt a standard for their next-generation solutions for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) applications. Valens Semiconductor is the first company to release A-PHY-compatible chipsets, starting to send samples of its VA7000 family of products to select customers and partners in December 2021.

The collaboration between Valens Semiconductor and OmniVision will pave the way for the development of A-PHY-compatible camera systems that will create smaller camera designs, reduce power consumption, lower camera costs and compatibility with the wider A-PHY ecosystem. Both companies will be showcasing the A-PHY benchmark design at AutoSens Detroit (May 10-12, 2022).

“We are excited to work with Valens Semiconductor to allow our customers to easily evaluate A-PHY, a new global standard optimized for high-speed sensor-ECU connectivity that we believe will provide significant business opportunities for our company,” Boyd Fowler said. , Chief Technology Officer of OmniVision. “The main step is that the automotive industry can now bypass the connectivity standard that was created from scratch to deal with specific vehicle problems while providing significant cost savings for the ecosystem as a whole. We look forward to taking our place in this impressive new development around MIPI A-PHY. ”

“OmniVision has always been a pioneer in the use of cutting-edge technology in its touch solutions, so it’s no surprise that they are moving forward with A-PHY,” said Gideon Kedem, senior vice president and head of automotive Valens Semiconductor. “The A-PHY ecosystem continues to grow, and OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 are already evaluating our VA7000 family of chipsets for high-speed video connectivity. It is becoming crystal clear that this will be the leading solution for connecting to ADAS applications in cars around the world. ”