Augmented/Virtual Reality

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Virtual and augmented reality products connect wirelessly with other devices and to the Internet. Many devices will use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth low energy (BLE) for connectivity. Others will interconnect with and sometimes enable fast data exchange with the cellular network. In the future, 5G connectivity will allow ultra-fast transmission and reception and enable applications such as robotics to have the computing power and fast connectivity needed for multi-sensing systems.

Cameras, displays, and sensors will play significant roles in these devices, and engineers will seek methods that can conveniently interface the components to deliver the required throughput while minimizing pin count, energy consumption, and electromagnetic interference (EMI). MIPI Alliance and its working group members have developed the required specifications to enable complete interfaces and efficient connectivity in high-end SoCs.

Implementation

Designers can interconnect cameras and high-end SoCs with the MIPI Alliance Camera Serial Interface (CSI-2), which interfaces cameras in smartphones and can support a broad range of imaging solutions. Displays can be supported with the MIPI Display Serial Interface (DSI), which connects to displays in smartphones today. If a product needs routine audio features, audio sensing, or voice trigger capabilities such as a human machine interface, MIPI SoundWire can be used to support these attributes.

-Edited from Hazi Saar and Peter Lefkin’s article, “Application of MIPI specifications for interconnecting components in IoT SoCs”.