Products of the Week: January 29, 2024

Jan. 29, 2024

Here's this week's selection of some of the most interesting new products that have been launched of late.

Four-Channel Automotive Video Decoder Serves Surround-View Applications

Enabling automotive manufacturers to deliver high-definition video over low-cost cables and connectors, Renesas Electronics’ RAA279974 4-channel AHL video decoder processes four inputs simultaneously, making it a cost-effective solution for surround-view and multi-camera applications. AHL technology uses a modulated analog signal to transmit video at a frequency 10X lower than digital transmission solutions currently available (~37 MHz vs. >3 GHz), This makes it resistant against noise while enabling longer transmission distances of up to 20 to 30 m with unshielded twisted-pair cables and standard connectors.

The RAA279974 is part of the AHL family, which consists of the RAA279971 and the RAA279972 single-channel AHL video decoder. AHL can be paired with R-Car Automotive SoCs, RH850 MCUs, automotive PMICs, and analog components to cost-effectively implement numerous safety features in virtually any vehicle. Renesas’ Winning Combinations integrate these components in pre-tested video designs. It supports resolutions from VGA up to 720p/60 or 1080p/30 for non-standard vertical resolutions, with MIPI-CSI2, BT656, and DVP inputs and outputs to support a variety of image sensors. AHL doesn't require compression like that of an Ethernet system, so it has no latency, and only requires a 27-MHz crystal clock, with internal PLLs able to generate the necessary clock frequencies for higher resolutions. A MIPI-CSI2 output with Virtual Channel allows four channels of video to be sent over a single data bus interface to the SoC.

Alix Paultre | Editor-at-Large, Microwaves & RF

Alix is Editor-at-Large for Microwaves & RF.

An Army veteran, Alix Paultre was a signals intelligence soldier on the East/West German border in the early ‘80s, and eventually wound up helping launch and run a publication on consumer electronics for the U.S. military stationed in Europe. Alix first began in this industry in 1998 at Electronic Products magazine, and since then has worked for a variety of publications, most recently as Editor-in-Chief of Power Systems Design.

Alix currently lives in Wiesbaden, Germany.