FROM EDN EUROPE: Chip set transmits UXGA video over six-pin connection

German fabless-semiconductor supplier Inova has applied the general-purpose architecture of its GigaStar high-speed serial-digital-communications chip set to the task of routing high-resolution-bandwidth video signals over distances as long as 50m over copper or 500m over fibre (Picture). Two versions of the chip set, INDT/R (transmit/receive) 165B and 330B, handle resolutions as high as XGA or UXGA, respectively. They accept video input, perform a measure of compression by removing redundant data in the threshold/porch parts of the analogue signal, code it into an efficient digital coding scheme that is "similar" to 8b/10b coding, and transmit it over standard shielded-twisted-pair cable.

The chips support maximum reach and resolution with only three pairs (two for XGA), as opposed to the multiple pairs that standard LVDS requires. The chip set reconstructs the signal to a full video stream at the receiving end. You can also send audio, and a sideband offers a bidirectional-data feature. The device supports pixel frequency of 24 to 161 MHz. The BGA devices are multichip modules, carrying a CMOS chip for image processing and a bipolar part for line driving and receiving.

Applications include remote terminals, infotainment screens, kiosks, digital projectors, and home-cinema systems. Long-distance camera links, in-car displays, and machine-vision systems should also benefit. For devices at XGA resolution, prices are approximately €30 per chip, rising to €38 for the UXGA version (1000), and devices are now available for sampling.

Inova Semiconductors, +49 0 879 45 74 75-60, www.inova-semiconductors.com.