Inova Semiconductors licenses APIX3 to Socionext

Langen / Germany -- September 15, 2016 --- Socionext is pleased to announce that it is the first licensee for Inova Semiconductors latest APIX3 technology.

APIX3 is the latest generation of Inova’s well-established APIX SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer) technology for in-vehicle video and data communications. It supports transmission rates of up to 12 Gbps, quadrupling the speed of the present APIX2 generation, making it an ideal fit for next-generation HD and ultra HD infotainment, and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) – the pre-requisite for autonomous driving. APIX3 features different operation modes of 1.5 Gbps, 3 Gbps, 6 Gbps and up to 12 Gbps bandwidth, fully supporting HD and UHD displays with touch or gesture control. Besides the well-established HSD connectors and Q(uad)STP cables from APIX and APIX2, APIX3 now also supports STP and Coax Cable.

“APIX has proved itself to be a truly reliable, sophisticated transmission technology spanning multiple generations. We now look forward to taking advantage of the latest APIX3 features to create highly integrated single-chip display solutions that will meet the increasing demands for video and data in the automotive industry,” said Koichi Yamashita, Senior Vice-President of Socionext IoT and Graphics Solutions Business Units. “The high flexibility of the cable systems in combination with the high scalability of the bandwidth up to 12 Gbps will enable us to cover a variety of uses in the car starting from cost sensitive low-end information displays, to demanding Infotainment systems and safety critical instrument clusters and right up to ADAS applications.

Socionext is the first licensee for Inova Semiconductors latest APIX3 technology. (view larger image)

“With more than 50 Million units sold together with our license partners Socionext, Analog Devices, Toshiba and Cypress, we have created a de-facto standard in the market” said Robert Kraus, CEO of Inova Semiconductors. “Standards for all the emerging networking and data communication needs in today’s cars are no longer created by standardization bodies. It is innovative technologies which fully meet the system needs and are openly licensed to form an attractive product portfolio the customer can choose from. Together with fully complementary products of other partners, it forms a true ecosystem providing a complete end-toend solution. This is exactly what we take care of at Inova and explains why APIX, now in its 3rd generation - is so successful.”

APIX3 features the uncompressed, real-time transmission of multiple video channels over a single cable connection. This enables modern domain architectures for Infotainment and camera-radar-based ADAS systems, as well as data communication between multiple head unit domains. In order to support the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL)-requirements for safe data transmission in upcoming autonomously driven cars, APIX3 is not only designed as a true Automotive product with built-in extended test coverage, but it also provides advanced diagnosis feature such as a permanent surveillance of the entire link. This way cable degradation by mechanical damage, aging or other influences can be detected early and, to a certain extent, even be compensated.

About Socionext Inc.

Socionext is a new, innovative enterprise that designs, develops and delivers System-on-Chip products to customers worldwide. The company is focused on imaging, networking and other dynamic technologies that drive today’s leading-edge applications. Socionext combines world-class expertise, experience, and an extensive IP portfolio to provide exceptional solutions and ensure a better quality of experience for customers. Founded in 2015, Socionext Inc. is headquartered in Yokohama, and has offices in Japan, Asia, United States and Europe to lead its product development and sales activities. For more information, please visit socionext.com.

About Socionext Europe GmbH

Socionext Europe GmbH (SNEU) plays a major role in the worldwide activities of Socionext Inc. Founded in 2015, Socionext Europe is headquartered in Langen, near Frankfurt, with other locations in Munich, Braunschweig, Maidenhead (UK) and Linz (Austria).

For more information, please visit eu.socionext.com.

About Inova

Inova Semiconductors is a fabless semiconductor company who has developed APIX, the Automotive Pixel Link: a serial high speed Gigabit multichannel link for interconnecting displays, cameras and control units over a single cable. Inova specializes in developing state-of-the-art APIX products for serial data communications, with a clear focus on the automotive segment but also for transportation, medical and industrial applications. Based in Munich, Germany, Inova was founded in 1999. Today, APIX is used by ten of the leading automotive manufacturers and more than 30 OEMs and tier 1 suppliers. For more information, please visit http://www.inova-semiconductors.com.