Better Mobile Device Images and Video Quality Thanks to MIPI Alliance

The University of New Hampshire’s Interoperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) and Agilent Technologies joined forces to host the MIPI Test Corner at Mobile World Congress.

The MIPI Alliance, which consists of companies from all over the mobile ecosystem, crafts interface standards for mobile devices. These hardware and software standards drive the development of new technology and enable faster time-to-market for new features and services.

Agilent and the UNH-IOL focused their MIPI Test Corner on D-PHY, which is a standard for physical layer signaling in display interfaces and camera applications.

Agilent contributed its Infiniium MSO9404A oscilloscope to the testing as a way to capture and to analyze D-PHY signaling. The oscilloscope tested mobile components like the DesignWare MIPI D-PHY IP solution from Synopsys.

Testing at the UNH-IOL improves mobile manufacturers’ chances that their devices will operate well for their customers. MIPI specifications simplify the interconnection of different suppliers’ mobile components.

As a result, handset manufacturers can improve their video delivery, cut design costs and reduce power consumption on their devices. Testing through UNH-IOL helps vendors identify interoperability issues early so that they know their components will integrate effortless with the many players in the mobile ecosystem.

MIPI Alliance members can perform testing at UNH-IOL or conduct testing in-house, depending on their needs. Whatever the venue, test results remain confidential and secure. The UNH-IOL Test Consortium services chip, mobile display and mobile camera companies.

“Standard interfaces will yield greatly improved interoperability between peripherals, application processors and system-on-a-chip products from multiple vendors,” said MIPI Alliance when discussing its purpose.

“Development time and effort will be reduced for all companies in the value chain because less time and effort will be redundantly invested in proprietary solutions.”

Current MIPI board members include Toshiba, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, Samsung, Nokia and Intel. IEEE-ISTO provides administration for the MIPI Alliance.