Following the recent launch of the MIPI A-PHY® Compliance Program, we spoke with Tom Kopf, chair of the A-PHY Compliance Advisory Group and chief operating officer at BitifEye Digital Test Solutions GmbH, to learn more about the first compliance program for an automotive SerDes standard, what it means for the industry and what’s ahead for A‑PHY compliance and testing. BitiEye currently serves as the program's coordinator on behalf of MIPI Alliance and is also its first authorized test lab.
As the A-PHY ecosystem grew, it became apparent that developing a consistent, real-world validation process would be essential as a mark of assurance that MIPI A-PHY devices support the automotive industry’s requirements for multi-vendor integration, functional safety, EMI robustness, and reduced development time and cost. The compliance program allows member companies to validate that their MIPI A-PHY devices have been tested and deemed compliant with the relevant specifications.
Leading up to the official launch of the program, MIPI's A-PHY Working Group and Compliance Advisory Group held five successful A-PHY test events to develop the program's design and test methodologies, while also offering companies with A-PHY devices the opportunity to collaborate with test equipment vendors and receive valuable feedback about their devices.
In March 2026, the 🔒Policy and Procedures for the MIPI A-PHY Compliance Program v1.0 was published, which outlines all program components, including guidelines, workflows and processes, compliance types and retest requirements. The current scope of compliance testing focuses on physical media dependent (PMD) electrical compliance (sink and source devices), based on the current 🔒A-PHY Reference Compliance Test Suite.
Here’s a summary of the compliance workflow.
BitifEye has been involved in A-PHY from the beginning, and we’ve been instrumental in the coordination of A-PHY test events around the globe. As an authorized test lab, we are pleased to support the program’s implementation, helping companies demonstrate readiness to meet the automotive industry’s rigorous requirements for performance and reliability. We are responsible for the official testing according to the applicable compliance test suite, submitting results to the compliance administrator and providing test reports to the product vendor.
The A-PHY compliance program, the first in the industry to validate compliance of an automotive SerDes standard, is important for two principal reasons. First, by verifying that A-PHY serializers and deserializers from different manufacturers are compliant to the MIPI A-PHY specification, the program helps reduce integration issues, improves system performance and supports the reliable transmission of data between camera sensors and ECUs. This enables manufacturers to develop advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous driving technologies and connected vehicles with greater confidence. Second, a robust compliance program strengthens the MIPI A-PHY ecosystem, giving manufacturers greater supplier choice and flexibility. This drives economies of scale, helping to reduce costs and accelerate innovation.
With A-PHY already in cars on the road today, the program can help OEMs who are exploring how they can implement this technology. By establishing a trusted compliance program, we are strengthening confidence across the OEM supply chain and helping enable scalable, high-performance automotive connectivity solutions.
Upon program completion, companies can have their products added to a public MIPI registry of certified products, providing OEMs and Tier 1s with a resource of compliant products.
As mentioned, current compliance testing focuses on PMD electrical compliance. Future phases will extend coverage to link layer testing and A-PHY protocol adaptation layers (PALs), ensuring robust interoperability for higher-layer protocols operating over A-PHY links.
A MIPI on-demand webinar, “MIPI A-PHY: What’s New, What’s Next and the New Compliance Program,” outlines the program structure, processes and benefits, and explains how transmitter and receiver physical layer testing will enable reliable and scalable deployment of A-PHY-enabled devices within automotive architectures.
Additional information is also available on the MIPI A-PHY Compliance Program page. Only MIPI members may participate in the A-PHY Compliance Program, and member companies with devices under test can get started by contacting the A-PHY Compliance Administrator for participation details.