Nov 8, 2010 06:26 GMT  ·  By

As cars are getting smarter with every new generation, the need for video surveillance solutions that will act as “eyes” for the vehicle's “brain” becomes more dire, and that's exactly the type of product OmniVision and INOVA Semiconductors have jointly developed, namely the first-ever APIX Link-based megapixel high dynamic range (HDR) automotive camera system. As the two companies inform us, the APIX Link camera system allows cameras to transmit uncompressed video with full duplex communication over one simple cable in real time, an arrangement that gives the central processing unit complete control over the cameras at all times, even between single frames, while the cameras are continuously transmitting images over the link. The APIX Link leverages the features provided by the OV10630 sensor from OmniVision, capable of transmitting high-quality, fully processed color HDR video data at 30 frames per second in megapixel resolution and using an 80 – 96 MHz output clock for its 8 – 10 bit wide digital video port. The APIX Link chipset can achieve a zero bit error rate (BER) over a distance greater than 10 meters while supporting the OV10630's clock speed, control and safety features. "Because we see the number of cameras in cars increasing, most of which are now designed to support multiple applications such as park distance control, surround view, collision avoidance and scene recognition functions, it is critical to exchange video and control data reliably with the central processing unit in real time," explained Thomas Rothhaupt, Director of Sales & Marketing at INOVA Semiconductors. "Through our collaboration with OmniVision, we can now offer the automotive industry a high-bandwidth link with low latency and high-transmission quality for the next generation of advanced driver assistance systems," added Mr. Rothhaupt. "Our new generation of automotive CMOS sensors enables high-quality imaging and sensing applications," commented Dr. Mario Heid, automotive technical marketing manager at OmniVision. "Our collaboration with INOVA focused on the development of optimized imaging and connectivity functions that allows driver assistance systems to take full advantage of the image quality and information content as made possible by the new generation of digital CMOS sensors such as OmniVision's new OV10630,” concluded OmniVision's rep, without providing, however, any details regarding the availability of future products built on this platform.