RFMIPI C-PHY vs. MIPI D-PHY: Key Differences Explained
mipi
c-phy
d-phy
mobile communication
interface
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This article breaks down the key differences between MIPI C-PHY and MIPI D-PHY, two essential physical layers defined by the Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) alliance. MIPI aims to standardize interfaces for connecting components like cameras, displays, and chips within mobile devices. It encompasses various physical layers including M-PHY, C-PHY, and D-PHY, facilitating communication between:
- Application processors and cameras
- Application processors and displays
- Baseband and RF ICs
Let’s dive into a comparison of MIPI C-PHY V1.0 and MIPI D-PHY V1.2, highlighting their specifications and functionalities.
- Both C-PHY and D-PHY are efficient uni-directional streaming interfaces.
- Both support low-speed in-band reverse channels.
MIPI C-PHY vs. D-PHY: A Detailed Comparison
| Specifications | MIPI C-PHY | MIPI D-PHY |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | C stands for CSI (Camera Serial Interface) | D stands for DSI (Display Serial Interface) |
| Function | Specifies a serial interface between a processor and a camera module. | Specifies a serial interface between a processor and a display module. |
| Clock Mechanism | Uses embedded clock | Uses DDR source-synchronous clock |
| Equalization/Encoding | Channel equalization encoding to reduce data toggle rate | Data skew control relative to clock |
| Configurations | 1 lane (trio), simplex, 3 pins | 1 lane plus clock, simplex, 4 pins |
| Max. Transmitter Swing Amplitude | LP: 1300 mV (peak), HS: 425 mV (peak) | LP: 1300 mV (peak), HS: 360mV (peak) |
| HS (Data Rate Per Lane) | 80 Msym/sec to 2.5 Gsym/sec times 2.28 bit/sym OR 5.7 Gbps (MAX) | 80 Mbps to approximately 2.5 Gbps (Aggregate) |
| LS (Data Rate Per Lane) | < 10 Mbps | < 10 Mbps |
| BW per Port (3 or 4 Lanes) | Approx. 17.1 Gbps per 3 lane port (Aggregate) (Maximum) | Approx. 10 Gbps per 4 lane port (Aggregate) (Maximum) |
| Typical Pins Per Port (3 or 4 Lanes) | 9 (3 lanes) | 10 (4 lanes, 1 lane clock) |
