Download MIPI DisCo℠ for Imaging

Enables developers to easily discover and use MIPI CSI-2 connected devices

Adopted in December 2022, MIPI DisCo℠ for Imaging v1.0 enables system developers to easily discover and use cameras and other devices that are connected via MIPI Camera Serial Interface 2 (MIPI CSI-2®), the high-speed protocol for transmission of still and video images from image sensors to application processors.

DisCo for Imaging is both vendor- and hardware-independent, eliminating the need to develop, implement and maintain support for vendor-specific firmware definitions and conveying potentially dramatic reductions in both time to market and development cost for system vendors. It is based on the MIPI Discovery and Configuration (MIPI DisCo℠) base specification.

DisCo for Imaging uses a set of structured properties in the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) firmware, which is widely used—especially in the PC industry—to enumerate devices and functions, describe their capabilities and manage their power states. DisCo for Imaging leverages both ACPI _DSD property and data extensions, as well as the ACPI 6.4_CRS generic serial bus connection descriptor for the CSI-2 bus, to define what information is conveyed from the ACPI firmware to the operating system (OS) related to image sensors and how that information is formatted.

Implementation

Implementation of MIPI DisCo for Imaging is intended to allow for simplification of software driver stacks and allow platform firmware to describe camera components in an OS-agnostic manner. The common, architecturally defined form of DisCo for Imaging is designed to be recognized by most major OSs, including Android, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows and Linux.

MIPI Alliance welcomes contributions to the specification. If you would like to contribute, please contact the MIPI Software Working Group at software@mipi.org.