Graphin Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Techno Horizon Holdings Co., Ltd. (JASDAQ 6629), announced on March 1 the successful verification of its MIPI (TM) CSI-2 D-PHY capture board GPLAB-1000-4U model which supports the latest generation of smartphone CMOS image sensors with speeds of up to 1.3Gbps/4 lanes.  In addition, the company announced the upcoming release of its latest capture board models, the "GPLAB-1500-8U: USB 3.0" and "GPLAB-1500-8P: PCIe x 8" supporting 1.5Gbps/4 lanes x 2 channels (or 8 lanes) that will be put on sale in May 2013.

The products will be showcased at this year's MIPI Alliance Members Meeting in Bangkok, to be held on March 18-22, 2013.

Current smartphone cameras are beginning to exceed 13M pixels. Supporting high-speed continuous shooting, High Dynamic Range (HDR), and 4K Full HD moving images will require CMOS sensors with an even greater data rate than the current generation D-PHY 1Gbps/4 lanes can support, resulting in the need for 1.5Gbps/4-lane-capable hardware.

To meet the challenge, Graphin ran operational checks on the company's current capture board models "GPLAB-1000-4U: USB 3.0" and "GPLAB-1000-CLSYS: PCIe x 4" which are compatible with the MIPI (TM) CSI-2 D-PHY 1-Gbps/4-lane standard with the use of Agilent Technologies' U4421A MIPI D-PHY Protocol Exerciser/Analyzer.  The results show that both models are capable of capturing images at a maximum speed of 1.3Gbps per lane. Models of the "GPLAB-1000-4U" and "GPLAB-1000-CLSYS" with a proven maximum 1.3Gbps/lane operation can be specially ordered upon customer request.

Outline of new products

The "GPLAB-1500-8U" and "GPLAB-1500-8P" capture boards feature a redesigned circuit allowing for the connection of 2 MIPI (TM) CSI-2 D-PHY 1.5Gbps/4-lane cameras, or the attachment of custom 8-lane camera sensors.

The "GPLAB-1500-8U" model supports data transfer rates to the PC of up to 370 MBytes/sec via USB 3.0 and is the successor to the current "GPLAB-1000-4U" model.  The "GPLAB-1500-8P" incorporates a newly designed PCIe card, and a transmission cable format which supports data transfer rates to the PC of up to 12Gbps (1,500 MBytes/sec). It is also the successor to the current "GPLAB-1000-CLSYS".

Viewing of the captured images is made simple with the use of the accompanying EasyLab software. An easy-to-use GUI interface allows for quick configuration and display of the captured image. In addition, the board's camera interface connector and software development kit (API) are upward compatible with the older models for a smooth migration from the existing system.

Sales policy

- Sales target: Research and development of CMOS image sensors and camera modules, sales demonstration, and delivery inspection at manufacturing site.

- Pricing : open.

- Start of shipment: May 2013

About Graphin

Graphin Co., Ltd., was established in January 1993 with the aim of offering products combining two different technology areas -- "graphics" for image processing and "interface" for information and communication interfaces. As a member of the Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) Alliance, Graphin will continue to offer image evaluation solutions for research and development, sales promotion and manufacture of Camera Serial Interface (CSI). The company's representative director is Tomoaki Kurosawa and it is headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo.

About Agilent Technologies' U4221A

The U4421A MIPI D-PHY Protocol Exerciser/Analyzer supports the maximum 1.5Gbps/4-lane MIPI D-PHY standard and is capable of mounting trace memory of up to 16 GB. It enables designers to conduct interface analysis and prepare input signals on a real-time basis. It is compatible with both CSI-2 and DSI (Display Serial Interface). It permits designers to make comprehensive evaluation of the performance of controllers and display/camera devices.

About Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI)

The MIPI Alliance (www.mipi.org) is a nonprofit organization for the standardization of mobile equipment application interfaces, focusing on the interface with microprocessors, peripherals and software.

Source: Graphin Co., Ltd.

Contact:

Kenji Kawano

Sales Division

Graphin Co., Ltd.

Tel: +81-3-5493-1211

E-mail: sales@g-in.co.jp

URL: http://www.g-in.co.jp/english/index.html