Quick Facts
- Define flows and mechanisms for higher-layer MIPI and approved third-party protocols to be carried across MIPI A-PHY
- Allow automotive designers to leverage existing de facto higher-layer protocols for connecting in-vehicle cameras, displays and other components.
- Part of MIPI Automotive SerDes Solutions (MASS) that support advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous driving systems (ADS), in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) and other surround-sensor applications
- Simplify in-vehicle networks and reduce costs and development time for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators
- Allow integration of future protocol innovations using a standardized connectivity framework
- Map higher-layer protocols to MIPI A-PHY’s A-Packet format for transmission and reception over long reach A-PHY SerDes interfaces
- Robust family of MIPI PAL specifications developed for most common in-vehicle protocols
- Help enable end-to-end interoperable SerDes solutions
- Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
- Autonomous driving systems (ADS)
- In-vehicle infotainment (IVI)
Industries
Overview
MIPI Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) specifications define the flows and mechanisms for various widely adopted higher-layer protocols to be carried across the MIPI A-PHY℠ long-reach serializer-deserializer (SerDes) physical layer interface for automotive applications. MIPI PALs define the adaptations necessary to carry proven MIPI and approved third-party protocols over a MIPI A-PHY link to connect cameras and displays to their associated electronic control units (ECUs). The MIPI PALs map those approved higher-layer protocols to MIPI A-PHY's A-Packet format, acting as a conduit to and from A-PHY’s generic data link layer. In this way, the PALs enable the higher-layer protocols to operate seamlessly over MIPI A-PHY physical links.
MIPI is developing multiple PAL specifications to simplify the integration of A-PHY to a variety of upper-layer protocols. PALs for I²C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) and GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) interfaces are available now, while PALs for MIPI Camera Serial Interface (CSI-2®) and MIPI Display Serial Interface (DSI-2℠) will be released in early 2021. Additional PALs for lower-bandwidth interfaces such as, I²S and Ethernet are in development and are also planned for release in 2021.
MIPI also is working with third-party organizations to create PALs to support additional approved protocols. For example, MIPI has extended its liaison with the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA®) to develop a PAL specification for use with both the DisplayPort™ and Embedded DisplayPort standards.
MIPI Protocol Adaptation Layers
- MIPI PAL℠/GPIO (released January 2021)
- MIPI PAL℠/I²C (released January 2021)
- MIPI PAL℠/CSI-2® (in adoption)
- MIPI PAL℠/DSI-2℠ (in adoption)
- MIPI PAL℠/eDP-DP (in adoption)
- MIPI PAL℠/I²S (in development)
- MIPI PAL℠/Ethernet (in development)
- MIPI PAL℠/I3C® (slated for development)
MIPI PALs are available to MIPI Alliance members. For information about becoming a member, see Join MIPI.
