ADAS Camera Hub Reference Design

This efficient power and signal management approach makes the design highly effective for automotive ADAS applications. 

For many automotive Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), multiple cameras are essential. This reference design addresses the need for multiple camera inputs by integrating four 1.3-megapixel imagers into two digital parallel video ports (DVP). These video ports are accessible through an external connector that can be attached to a TDA2x Evaluation Module (EVM) or a similar system-on-chip (SoC) processor. The camera hub reference design allows up to four 1.3-megapixel cameras to connect to the TDA2x SoC EVM through a single coaxial cable per camera. 

This design TIDA-00455by Texas Instruments features multiple key functionalities, including support for four camera inputs over FPD-Link III and the use of two OmniVision OV490 ISPs to generate DVP output to the TDA2x. An MSP430 microcontroller (uC) initializes and configures the video pipeline, and the system can operate with an onboard uC, without a uC, or with an external uC. This design is optimized for OmniVision OV10640 imagers and is ideal for applications such as ADAS vision systems, surround view systems, and fusion systems.

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The DS90UB964A-Q1 deserializer is a four-input component that provides an FPD-Link III interface with a high-speed forward channel and a bidirectional control channel, enabling data transmission over a single coaxial cable or differential pair. It features differential signaling for both the high-speed forward channel and bidirectional control channel, making it an efficient choice for connecting imagers and video processors within an electronic control unit (ECU). To support various power requirements, the design includes the TPS55340-Q1, a monolithic non-synchronous switching converter with an integrated 5-A, 40-V power switch. 

The TPS1H100-Q1 high-side power switch includes an integrated NMOS power FET and charge pump, allowing intelligent control of various resistive, inductive, and capacitive loads. The MSP430F2272-Q1 microcontroller family features ultra-low power consumption, a 16-bit RISC CPU, and a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) that enables fast wake-up from low-power modes. In this design, the DS90UB964-Q1 deserializer further simplifies the system by connecting each camera through a single coaxial cable. Power Over Coax (POC) filters provide power through the same connection, requiring a configurable supply voltage between 5V and 14V.

A single-bit buffer is included to monitor power rail functionality. Each buffer connects directly to the Power Good output of the TLV62160-Q1 power supplies, with an LED indicator for quick status checks—though this feature would likely be removed in a production system. High-bandwidth USB switches dynamically configure the I2C bus, offering a fast and simple implementation. The MSP430 microcontroller plays a crucial role in housekeeping and system configuration, allowing the main SoC to boot simultaneously while the SER/DES links, ISPs, and camera imagers are initialized. 

TI has tested this reference design. It comes with a bill of materials (BOM), schematics, assembly drawing, printed circuit board (PCB) layout, and more. The company’s website has additional data about the reference design. To read more about this reference design, click here.