MIPI

MIPI Alliance, originally Mobile Industry Processor Interface Alliance, is an international industry association that develops standard interfaces for mobile and related devices. Its goal is to enable scalable, low-power, high-speed interconnects between components such as application processors, cameras, displays, and sensors, across a wide range of manufacturers and products. The alliance publishes specifications, reference materials, and conformance programs to promote interoperability and reduce integration risk in consumer electronics, automotive applications, and embedded systems.

Key specifications developed by MIPI cover both physical layers and protocol interfaces. CSI-2 (Camera Serial Interface 2) provides a high-speed serial link between image sensors and application processors, typically using D-PHY or C-PHY physical layers. DSI (Display Serial Interface) connects host processors to display panels, also utilizing D-PHY or C-PHY. D-PHY is a widely used physical layer offering low-power differential signaling, while C-PHY presents an alternative encoding method that can reduce pin count at high data rates. M-PHY is a versatile physical layer designed for high-speed data transfer across multiple lanes and bus types, used in various MIPI interfaces.

I3C is an upgraded, backward-compatible version of I2C that offers higher performance and power efficiency for peripheral control. RFFE (RF Front-End) provides a standardized interface for controlling RF components such as tuners and power amplifiers. For automotive needs, MIPI also supports A-PHY, a long-reach physical layer designed for robust data transfer in harsh environments.

MIPI specifications are widely adopted in smartphones, tablets, automotive systems, and other embedded devices, guiding interoperability and reducing development risk across the industry.