Toshiba Announces New Camera and Display Bridge Chips for Mobile Devices

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)*, a committed leader that collaborates with technology companies to create breakthrough designs, today announced availability of three new bridge chips for use in mobile phones, a Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI®) camera serial interface (CSI) to a Mobile Display Digital Interface (MDDI) chip (part number TC358740XBG) and two MDDI-MIPI display serial interface (DSI) chips (part numbers TC358760XBG and TC358761XBG).  These products provide high-speed serial interfaces between a mobile phone's baseband or application processor and the phone's display or integrated camera and are a requirement for high-resolution displays and cameras used in smartphones, mobile internet devices, netbooks, smartbooks and other high-performance mobile devices.  They are the latest additions to Toshiba's Mobile Product Initiative product portfolio designed to help customers implement more advanced technologies in their mobile phone designs.

"Smartphones and other mobile devices have become increasingly feature rich, supporting functions like high-definition video, 3D graphics, high-resolution still image and video capture and even video conferencing," said Deepak Prakash, director, Digital Multimedia Business Development, ASSP Business Unit at TAEC.  "With their support of high-speed MIPI and MDDI interfaces, our new bridge chips will allow customers to design mobile devices that can easily handle high-bandwidth communication between the phone's display, camera and baseband or application processor, giving consumers an uncompromised video experience."

The TC358740XBG camera bridge chip provides connectivity for MIPI cameras to baseband or application processors using an MDDI interface.  The bridge chip supports MDDI 1.2 Type 2 on the Host side.  The device offers support for up to two cameras, with the primary camera using a MIPI link and the secondary camera using a MIPI link or parallel port.  The bridge enables high-speed serial interfaces on both the Host via MDDI and camera side via MIPI CSI-2 allowing support for up to 12 megapixel primary camera and up to 2 megapixel secondary camera in one handset.  It is compatible with systems using baseband processors with an MDDI interface.

The Toshiba TC358760XBG and TC358761XBG display bridges are optimized for mobile handsets using an MDDI high-speed serial digital packet host interface and provide connectivity of MIPI display panels to baseband or application processors using an MDDI interface.  They are based on the MDDI 1.2 Type 1 and MIPI DSI 1.01 interfaces, but are backward compatible with MDDI 1.1.  They support direct refresh through the MDDI link.  In addition, the TC358761XBG offers support for legacy parallel interfaces such as a MIPI DPI and an MIPI DBI on the host side or the panel side, allowing re-use or extended use of existing design and components.  These devices are compatible with systems using baseband processors with an MDDI interface.

Pricing and Availability

Engineering samples of the TC358761XBG display bridge chip and the TC358740XBG camera bridge chip are available now.  Engineering samples of the TC358760XBG display bridge will be available April, 2010.  Mass production for TC358740XBG is scheduled to begin 3^rd quarter, 2010.  Mass production for TC358760XBG and TC358761XBG is scheduled to begin 4^th quarter, 2010.  All above mentioned parts will be priced at $1.50 per unit in 10,000 unit quantities.

About Toshiba's Mobile Product Initiative

Toshiba's Mobile Product Initiative, announced in 2007, combines an expanded product portfolio, support tools (color tuning, reference designs and evaluation boards,) to help TAEC customers address tough issues facing the current and future mobile handset/portable consumer electronics designs, including system integration, emerging standards and interoperability. Additionally, TAEC provides local application and design-in support and access to a host of analog peripheral ICs from other Toshiba divisions and business units, including the Toshiba Dynastron CMOS image sensor/module family, I/O expanders, memory products and display panels.

*About TAEC

Through proven commitment, lasting relationships and advanced, reliable electronic components, Toshiba enables its customers to create market-leading designs.  Toshiba is the heartbeat within product breakthroughs from OEMs, ODMs, CMs, distributions and fabless chip companies worldwide.  A committed electronic components leader, Toshiba designs and manufactures high-quality flash memory-based storage solutions, discrete devices, displays, advanced materials, medical tubes, custom SoCs/ASICs, digital multimedia and imaging products, microcontrollers and wireless components that make possible today's leading cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, medical devices, automotive electronics and more.

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, Japan's largest semiconductor manufacturer and the world's third largest semiconductor manufacturer (Gartner, Preliminary 2009 WW Semiconductor Revenue Ranking, January 2010).  For additional company and product information, please visit http://www.toshiba.com/taec/.

Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current and believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.  Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable Toshiba product specifications.  In developing designs, please ensure that Toshiba products are used within specified operating ranges as set forth in the most recent Toshiba product specifications and the information set forth in Toshiba's "Handling Guide for Semiconductor Devices," or "Toshiba Semiconductor Reliability Handbook." This information is available at www.chips.toshiba.com, or from your TAEC representative.

MIPI is a licensed trademark of MIPI Alliance, Inc in the U.S. and other jurisdictions.  

SOURCE Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.