Camera Serial Interface

CSI-1 was the original standard MIPI interface for cameras. It emerged as an architecture to define the interface between a camera and a host processor. Its successors were MIPI CSI-2 and MIPI CSI-3, two standards that are still evolving.

The MIPI CSI-2 v1.0 specification was released in 2005. It uses either D-PHY or C-PHY (Both standards are set by the MIPI Alliance) as a physical layer option. The protocol is divided into the following layers:

1. Physical Layer (C-PHY/D-PHY)
2. Lane Merger Layer.
3. Low Level Protocol Layer.
4. Pixel to Byte Conversion Layer
5. Application Layer

In April 2017, the CSI-2 v2.0 specification was released. CSI-2 v2.0 brought support for RAW-16 and RAW-20 color depth, increase virtual channels from 4 to 32, Latency Reduction and Transport Efficiency (LRTE), Differential Pulse-Code Modulation (DPCM) compression and scrambling to reduce Power Spectral Density.{{Cite web|url=https://mipi.org/node/828|title=MIPI Alliance Expands Popular CSI-2 Camera Specification Beyond Mobile|last=|first=|date=April 5, 2017|website=MIPI Alliance|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928105225/https://mipi.org/node/828|archive-date=September 28, 2019|access-date=|url-status=live}}

In September 2019, the CSI-2 v3.0 specification was released. CSI-2 v3.0 introduced Unified Serial Link (USL), Smart Region of Interest (SROI), End-of-Transmission Short Packet (EoTp) and support for RAW-24 color depth.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mipi.org/new-version-of-widely-used-camera-imaging-interface-mipi-csi-2|title=New Version of Most Widely Used Camera and Imaging Interface—MIPI CSI-2—Designed to Build Capabilities for Greater Machine Awareness|last=|first=|date=September 26, 2019|website=MIPI Alliance|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928105225/https://www.mipi.org/new-version-of-widely-used-camera-imaging-interface-mipi-csi-2|archive-date=September 28, 2019|access-date=|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.synopsys.com/vip-central|title=VIP Central > MIPI CSI-2 v3.0 is here! – The industry's First Comprehensive Solution for 5G, Imaging, Surveillance and Automotive|website=blogs.synopsys.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-28|archive-date=2019-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904213310/https://blogs.synopsys.com/vip-central/|url-status=live}}

MIPI CSI-3 is a high-speed, bidirectional protocol primarily intended for image and video transmission between cameras and hosts within a multi-layered, peer-to-peer, UniPro-based M-PHY device network. It was originally released in 2012 and got re-released in version 1.1 in 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mipi.org/specifications/csi-3 |title=MIPI Camera Serial Interface 3 (MIPI CSI-3) |access-date=2018-02-07 |archive-date=2018-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207122402/https://www.mipi.org/specifications/csi-3 |url-status=live }}

The Camera Command Set (CCS) v1.0 specification was released on November 30, 2017. CCS defines a standard set of functionalities for controlling image sensors using CSI-2.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mipi.org/node/1306|title=MIPI Alliance Releases MIPI CCS, a New Specification that Streamlines Integration of Image Sensors in Mobile Devices|last=|first=|date=November 30, 2017|website=MIPI Alliance|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928105225/https://www.mipi.org/node/1306|archive-date=September 28, 2019|access-date=|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.electronicdesign.com/embedded-revolution/interface-make-installing-image-sensors-easier|title=An Interface to Make Installing Image Sensors Easier|date=2017-11-30|website=Electronic Design|language=en|access-date=2019-09-28|archive-date=2019-09-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928105217/https://www.electronicdesign.com/embedded-revolution/interface-make-installing-image-sensors-easier|url-status=live}}

For EMI reasons the system designer can select between two different clock rates (a and b) in each of the M-PHY speed levels.{{Cite web |url=http://www.electronicdesign.com/communications/understanding-mipi-alliance-interface-specifications |title=Understanding MIPI Alliance Interface Specifications |date=April 2014 |access-date=2018-02-07 |archive-date=2023-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110053339/https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/communications/article/21799475/understanding-mipi-alliance-interface-specifications |url-status=live }}

• Display Serial Interface
• Camera Link
• USB video device class

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• [https://www.mipi.org/current-specifications MIPI Specifications]

Category:MIPI Alliance standards

Category:Serial buses

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