THine, the Japanese mixed signal specialist, has got  high-volume availability of  its MIPI CSI-2 serializer IC, THCV243.

The chip allows engineers to extend MIPI CSI-2 transmission to greater than 15 meters with a tiny 2.1mm x 2.9mm package! It also allows the reduction of a significant number of cables between the camera and processor board by aggregating the GPIO-type bidirectional control signals.

Demands for higher resolution and/or higher frame rate cameras require MIPI CSI-2 output, which are limited to a short transmission range of approximately 1 foot.

To extend this distance to 10 feet or more, the THCV243 serializes up to 4 lanes of MIPI CSI-2 signals and converts it into a single lane of V-by-One HS.

V-by-One HS technology is a high-speed digital interface protocol developed and owned by THine. It supports up to 4 Gbps per lane which can extend the transmission of 1080p60 2Mpixel uncompressed video over long distances.

THCV243’s companion chip, THCV242, deserializes the V-by-One® HS signal generated by the THCV243 back to the original MIPI CSI-2 signal.

THCV243’s small package size of 2.1 x 2.9 mm allows a small camera form factor, which is a critical requirement for medical endoscope camera applications.

The chipset supports “Sub-Link” that aggregates bidirectional low speed signals, such as GPIO. The separation of the V-by-One  HS high speed signal path and Sub-Link enables easy debugging and gives more choices for physical harnesses.