MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) is a mobile device interface standard developed by the MIPI Alliance, which was jointly founded by

ARM, Nokia, TI and other companies in 2003. Its core goal is to standardize the internal interfaces of mobile devices (such as cameras, display

screens, baseband chips, etc.), so as to reduce design complexity, improve flexibility and resolve compatibility issues. At present, MIPI has become

the mainstream interconnection solution for smartphones, automotive electronics and IoT devices, covering specifications of the physical

layer, protocol layer and application layer.

The MIPI protocol family includes a variety of dedicated interfaces: MIPI DSI (Display Serial Interface) Application: Connects the processor to display screens (LCD/OLED) for transmitting video data and control commands. Features:

Supports high resolution (4K/8K) and high refresh rate (144Hz). Adopts differential signaling (D-PHY) or three-wire system (C-PHY); the bandwidth reaches 2.5Gsym/s per lane (C-PHY v1.2). Reduces the number of wiring traces to 1/3 of traditional parallel interfaces and lowers power consumption. MIPI CSI (Camera Serial Interface) Application: Connects camera image sensors to the processor for transmitting image and video streams. Features: Supports RAW/YUV/RGB and other data formats; bandwidth up to 1.5Gbps per lane (D-PHY v1.2). Multi-lane aggregation (e.g., 4 lanes) achieves a transmission rate over 6Gbps, meeting the requirement of 4K@120fps. Built-in error detection mechanism to enhance transmission stability. Low-Speed Control Protocols MIPI I3C: Replaces the I²C bus, supporting higher bandwidth (12.5MHz) and lower power consumption, while maintaining compatibility with

I²C devices.

SLIMbus: Used for interconnection within audio subsystems (microphones/speakers). Physical Layer Technologies: D-PHY vs C-PHY

Key Advantages Low Power Consumption: The current in LP mode is only at the microampere level, ideal for battery-powered devices. Anti-Interference Capability: Differential signals suppress common-mode noise, and adaptive equalization technology further enhances

transmission stability. Flexibility: Protocol layers such as CSI-2 / DSI are decoupled from the physical layer, adapting to application requirements of multiple scenarios. Application Fields Mobile Devices Mobile phone cameras (Sony IMX989 sensor → CSI-2), AMOLED displays (Samsung E6 material → DSI). Automotive Electronics Vehicle-mounted cameras (Tesla Autopilot → CSI-2), central control screens (Qualcomm SA8155P → DSI), supporting a wide temperature range

of -40°C ~ 105°C. IoT & Industrial Applications Drone image transmission (DJI Air 3 → CSI-2), industrial cameras (Basler 3D ToF → CSI-2), AR/VR displays (Meta Quest 3 → DSI). Signal Integrity Differential pair routing requires equal length (±5mil) and impedance matching (100Ω±10%); right-angle turns are prohibited. Adopt a complete ground reference plane to reduce signal reflection. With outstanding features of low power consumption, high bandwidth and strong anti-interference performance, the MIPI interface has become

the cornerstone of interconnection for mobile and embedded systems. Its modular design consisting of protocol suites (DSI/CSI/I3C) and

physical layers (D-PHY/C-PHY) meets diverse demands in display, imaging, control and other scenarios. With the development of automotive electronics and AIoT, MIPI is making breakthroughs in long-distance and ultra-high-speed transmission

through new standards such as A-PHY, providing underlying technical support for intelligent driving and the metaverse.