MIPI A-PHY Reaches a Significant Production Milestone

As the first SerDes standard to enter mass production with a global OEM, MIPI A-PHY is securing its standing as the leading standardized SerDes technology for high-speed connectivity.

MIPI A-PHY became the first SerDes (serializer-deserializer) standard in mass production with a global OEM. The high-speed automotive SerDes chipset from Velinktech, a MIPI Contributor member company, is now in production in the 06 Relive compact SUV model by global automotive brand Lynk & Co., as part of a joint venture between Geely Auto Group and Volvo Car Group.

Developed by the MIPI A-PHY Working Group, this specification is a long-reach (up to 15 meters) SerDes physical layer interface for automotive applications such as ADAS (advanced driver assistance system), ADS (advanced driving system), and SDV (software defined vehicles), as well as for cameras, IVI (in-vehicle infotainment) displays, and other surround-sensor applications. With built-in functional safety and security, A-PHY forms the foundation of MIPI’s Automotive SerDes Solutions (MASS) end-to-end framework, while supporting many higher layer protocols.

The High-Speed FAKRA-Mini (HFM) Coaxial Connector System from Molex provides next-generation capabilities for automotive design engineers in a compact, high-performance solution. With a remarkable 80% space savings over traditional FAKRA connectors, the HFM system is perfect for vehicles where space and weight optimization are paramount. It facilitates high-speed data transmission up to 28 Gb/s and frequencies up to 20 GHz, essential for ADAS, autonomous driving, and state-of-the-art infotainment features.

According to MIPI, the specification provides an asymmetric data link in a point-to-point or daisy-chain topology with high-speed unidirectional data, embedded bidirectional control data, and optional power delivery over a single cable. The resulting reduction of wiring, cost, and weight allows designers to optimize systems for the performance, cost, and complexity of their specific use cases. Scalability and flexibility meet a broad range of speed and design needs. A-PHY complements existing network backbones Ethernet, CAN, FlexRay, and others.

“We are at a tipping point, and reaching this milestone as the first long-reach specification to be deployed in cars is a testament to A-PHY’s clear leadership in the automotive market,” said Hezi Saar, chair of MIPI Alliance. “Increasingly, companies are recognizing A-PHY’s end-to-end interoperability, system-level efficiency, reliability, resilience, and MIPI’s long-term roadmap commitment to support the features and performance requirements of next-generation ADAS, ADS, and SDV applications.”

Rosenberger H-MTD, H-MTD+ and H-MTD are differential connector systems up to 20 GHz for high-speed data transmission of up to 56 Gb/s, contained in a compact yet robust automotive grade housing.

More than 50 companies in the MIPI A-PHY ecosystem are designing products based on the specification. “MIPI A-PHY is widely regarded by the industry as an ideal physical layer specification to meet the current and future needs of L3+ autonomous driving and immersive smart cockpits. As the world’s first open automotive SerDes standard, A-PHY enables the creation of compatible yet differentiated products by silicon vendors such as Velinktech and provides car manufacturers with greater flexibility when it comes to cost, features, and supply chain management,” said Evan Zhang, CEO, Velinktech. “Because of the maturity of the A-PHY specification, we were able to rapidly develop a reliable automotive-grade chip that meets rigorous automotive regulations and can be mass-produced and deployed in cars, which is a huge accomplishment.”

TE Connectivity’s GEMnet connector system is designed for multi-gigabit Ethernet and SerDes applications, supporting up to 56 Gb/s.

The MIPI Alliance A-PHY Compliance Program will allow automotive OEMs and system designers to validate that MIPI A-PHY devices have been tested and deemed compliant with the specification. As part of this program, the A-PHY Working Group is holding test events. Nearly a dozen companies have already participated in support of the program’s development. The next event (open to MIPI members) is planned for December 2025 in Taipei.

This culture of collaboration is a big part of the success of MIPI A-PHY. Velinktech, a fabless silicon vendor focusing on in-vehicle networking solutions, started in 2020, the same year MIPI A-PHY v.1 was released. The company’s CTO, Dr. Jikai Chen, acknowledged the benefits to the industry of moving from proprietary solutions to an open standard for better performance, lower cost, richer features, and safer supply chains, particularly in the area of high-speed links for sensing and infotainment in cars that is experiencing tremendous growth. “Earlier this year we were among seven silicon vendors who completed interoperability testing with Valens Semiconductor. Achieving end-to-end interoperability among multiple suppliers is a pivotal milestone because that is essentially the point of having an open standard. The interop testing confirmed strong product maturity for A-PHY silicon and was a key step toward fostering broad adoption of A-PHY,” said Chen

The Velinktech mass-production announcement follows previously announced A-PHY design wins by Valens Semiconductor, whose A-PHY chipsets were selected by a family of European OEMs for integration into several vehicle models with a production start in 2026. Also, Mobileye, a market leader in ADAS and autonomous systems, selected Valens’ A-PHY-compliant chipsets to provide the in-car, sensor-to-compute connectivity infrastructure for its Mobileye EyeQ6 High automated and autonomous production programs underway with a group of global automotive brands.

In addition to automotive uses, the MIPI A-PHY specification serves applications such as IoT, medical, robotics, and industrial.

Like this article? Check out our other articles on High-Speed and Standards, our Automotive Market Page, and our 2025 Article Archive. 

Subscribe to our weekly e-newsletters, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, and check out our eBook archives for more applicable, expert-informed connectivity content.