MIPI UniPro 2.0 for Higher Data Rate Transmissions

MIPI specifications are widely used across the Mobile and IoT industries, mainly for applications like cameras, sensors, modems, storage, audio, displays and other peripherals. In the last few years, the Automotive industry has also started to adopt many of these protocols. Growing adoptability of these protocols to these different markets is driving quicker enhancements to these MIPI specifications. 

MIPI UniPro (Unified Protocol) is one such protocol which is seeing growing adoptability. UniPro is a high-speed interface, driven by JEDEC UFS application layer and relying on MIPI MPHY for serial interface. UniPro is aimed at providing high-speed data transmission (Gigabits) with minimal interface pins and low power consumption. 

Recently, MIPI has released UniPro 2.0 specification with some major enhancements:  

1. Removal of legacy Low-Speed modes (except PWM-G1) 
2. Doubling the data transfer rate in High-Speed mode (HS-G5) 
3. Smaller changes like Credit Threshold increase, L2 Buffer extension ext. 

With the latest specification version, UniPro allows Link Startup in High Speed mode. Option to choose Link Startup in Low-Speed mode or High-Speed mode is provided at reset stage itself. UniPro also defines a fall back mechanism to continue Link Up process in Low-Speed if the High-Speed link up fails. 

UniPro 2.0 is compatible with MPHY 5.0, including backward compatibility to previous version, which defines the rate of data transmission. 

The following chart depicts the upgradation in data rates over the different versions of UniPro specifications. 

With the availability of the Cadence Verification IP for MIPI Unipro 2.0, MIPI MPHY 5.0, and JEDEC UFS 4.0, early adopters can start working with the provisional specification immediately, ensuring compliance with the standard and achieving the fastest path to IP and SoC verification closure.  

More information on Cadence VIP is available on the Cadence VIP Website.