Simplifying In-Car Connectivity for High-Definition Video Over USB Type-C® and DisplayPort™

By Eric Lan, HPI/High Speed Media and Product Marketing Manager

Can you guess when the first production car with a touch screen was launched?

Amazingly, it is as far back as 1986, when the Buick Riviera featured a 9-inch screen[1]. It was way ahead of its time, and the technology of the day meant it relied on a monochrome cathode ray tube (CRT). It would be decades before touch screens became common in cars, pioneered by Tesla’s Model S in 2012[2].

Today, our vehicles are full of technology, with touch screens the norm, and connectivity linking up our phones, tablets, and other gadgets. According to Coherent Market Insights, the global automotive infotainment market was valued at US$27.5Bn in 2022 and is forecast to nearly double by 2030, reaching US$48.7Bn[3].

A modern car can provide audio and video content playback and management, satellite navigation such as GPS, and rear-seat entertainment, such as music, video, games, and internet access.

Consumers have high expectations, and automotive manufacturers are under pressure to provide high-definition screens for streaming video, games, or video calls. This means high bandwidth is needed, with reliable connections that provide excellent signal integrity. And systems must fit into compact spaces, while keeping power consumption to a minimum.

To address this demand for in-car connectivity, Diodes Incorporated has introduced the PI3USB31532Q, an automotive-compliant crossbar switch for high-bandwidth video. The crossbar switch is aimed at use in rear-seat entertainment systems and smart cockpits which require large, high-definition displays.

The switch is designed for routing and multiplexing video signals (conforming to the USB 3.2 and DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR10 standards) through a USB Type-C connector. For maximum flexibility, it can be configured to handle a single lane of USB 3.2 Gen 2 to the USB Type-C connector, or to connect one lane of USB 3.2 Gen 2 and two channels of DisplayPort (DP) 2.1, or to connect four channels of DP 2.1.

To ensure excellent signal integrity, even at the highest data rate, the switch has a low insertion loss of -1.7dB at 10Gbps, as well as low return loss and crosstalk. This means that the power lost due to its usage is kept low, and signal attenuation is minimized.

The crossbar switch provides 8.3GHz bandwidth, which ensures full data rate support for both USB 3.2 and DP 2.1. It is qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 2, to enable it to be used in automotive applications with wide temperature ranges.

As the demand for high-definition video in our cars continues to grow, the PI3USB31532Q crossbar switch provides the bandwidth, signal integrity, power efficiency, environmental compliance, and compact form factor that designers require.

Whether fully autonomous driving is just around the corner or many years away, the new switch helps enable the video transmission needed for advanced rear-seat entertainment systems and smart cockpits.

[1] https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/heres-how-car-screens-have-grown-through-history#

[2] https://automotivehistory.org/the-first-car-with-a-touchscreen-is-from-1986/

[3] https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/automotive-infotainment-market-3302

Automotive-compliant - AEC qualified, manufactured in IATF 16949 certified sites supporting PPAP documentation.

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Posted in Automotive Applications, Technology; Tagged Analog Products, Automotive, Crossbar Switches, Displays; Posted 2 months ago by Eric Lan | HPI/High Speed Media and Product Marketing Manager