The developer of semiconductor solutions, advanced digital imaging, analog and touch & display technology, OMNIVISION has entered into a definite agreement with Valens Semiconductor (NYSE: VLN), a provider of high-speed connectivity solutions for the automotive and audio-video markets, to introduce a MIPI A-PHY-compliant camera solutions for the automotive industry. As per the deal, OMNIVISION’s Automotive Reference Design Systems (ARDS) camera modules will have Valens Semiconductor’s new VA7000 A-PHY-compliant chipsets. The initial camera module will also include the OXO8B40 image sensor from OMNIVISION.
The standard for high-speed in-vehicle connectivity, A-PHY was released by the MIPI Alliance in late 2020, and in 2021, the IEEE standards association adopted it in its entirety as one of its own standards. Valens Semiconductor is the first company to launch A-PHY compliant chipsets.
The new agreement between OMNIVISION and Valens will enable the development of A-PHY-compliant camera systems, allowing for smaller camera designs, reduced power consumption, lower camera cost, and interoperability with the wider A-PHY ecosystem.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Valens Semiconductor to allow our customers to easily evaluate A-PHY, a new global standard optimized for high-speed sensor-to-ECU connectivity, which we believe will present a significant business opportunity for our company,” said Boyd Fowler, Chief Technology Officer at OMNIVISION. “It is a major step that the automotive industry can now work around a connectivity standard, which is built from the ground up to deal with the specific challenges in the car while bringing significant cost savings to 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 adopting cutting edge technologies with their sensor solutions, which is why it’s no surprise that they’re forging ahead with A-PHY,” said Gideon Kedem, SVP and Head of Automotive at Valens Semiconductor. “The A-PHY ecosystem continues to grow, with OEMs, Tier 1s and Tier 2s already evaluating our VA7000 chipset family for high-speed video connectivity. It is becoming crystal clear that this is going to be the leading connectivity solution for ADAS applications in cars around the world.”
