KD has announced a first implementation of its 10GBASE-AU KD7251 optical transceiver in collaboration with Leopard Imaging and Corning Inc., claiming the first 10GBASE-AU optical camera for automotive applications. Leopard’s 10GBASE-AU optical multi-gigabit automotive camera combines KD’s KD7251 transceiver with Corning’s automotive-grade hybrid connector and cable system, yielding higher data transmission, higher resolution, and greater image depth.
“The goal was to reuse and adapt high-volume data-center-grade optical technology into one of the most demanding environments: compact, thermally constrained, and EMC-sensitive automotive modules,” said Pablo Blázquez, KD business development manager for Europe. “This required a fundamental rethinking of optical transceiver design, with three core priorities in mind: miniaturization, robustness, and scalability.”
By upgrading the existing wide-angle camera system from a traditional GMSL2 copper interface to an optical-fiber-based 10GBASE-AU link compliant with IEEE 802.3cz, the new system delivers scalable data communications up to 10 Gbits/s, a future-enabling solution to meet network requirements of automotive applications such as autonomous driving, advanced driver-assistance systems, digital video recording, and machine vision.
“The key challenge was to deliver 10-Gbits/s optical performance within the extremely limited space available in small-form-factor automotive cameras without compromising power consumption or ruggedness,” Blázquez said. “Most existing solutions were either too large, too hot, or too sensitive to EMC [electromagnetic compatibility].
“In parallel, we had to meet rigorous automotive standards in temperature range, mechanical shock, and long-term reliability requirements that go far beyond those in datacom,” he added. “Our development process was closely aligned with Tier 1 validation pipelines, which helped us anticipate and overcome these hurdles.”
And these requirements all were met at the low budgets required for automotive applications, he added.
The new solution was developed from the ground up for automotive and closely aligned with the IEEE 802.3cz standard to ensure that the resulting technology met real-world automotive requirements in terms of safety, reliability, and cost, Blázquez said. “By tightly integrating photonics and electronics into a compact, thermally efficient form factor tailored for camera modules and ECUs [electronic control units], we delivered on all fronts simultaneously and pioneered proprietary approaches to optical packaging, passive alignment, and thermal management.”
Leopard Imaging implemented KD’s KD7251 transceiver in the LI-VENUS-ISX031-BASE-AU automotive camera with Corning’s automotive-grade hybrid connector and harness. (Source: KD)
The KD7251 multi-gigabit solution is a single optical chip module transmitting over glass optical fiber (GOF), targeting automotive in-vehicle communications applications. The single-chip solution features an on-chip optical interface that supports 2.5, 5, and 10 Gbits/s and includes bridging capabilities to enable the connectivity of MIPI sensors in the vehicle. It enables 40 meters with four inline connector links over standard duplex OM3 fiber at 10 Gbits/s over the full temperature range. The cable and connectors may be reused for higher future bitrates (25 and 50 Gbits/s).
The transceiver achieves the highest component-level EMC compliance without the need for any external components, according to the company. This results in a port with a small PCB area and a reduced bill of materials, eliminating the need for ESD protection, common-mode chokes, EMI filters, and DC blocks.
The integration of the KD7251 optical transceiver into the LI-VENUS-ISX031-BASE-AU camera from Leopard Imaging demonstrates the transceiver’s ability to operate within compact automotive camera modules (sub-20 × 20-mm PCB) and extend link distances up to 40 meters. The use of GOF eliminates EMC challenges, reduces cable weight, and supports asymmetric link speeds to optimize power consumption, all critical for next-generation in-vehicle networks that require high bandwidth, low latency, and interference-free data links.
The LI-VENUS-ISX031-BASE-AU camera from Leopard supports higher data transmission, higher resolution, and greater image depth. With the use of the optical KD7251 transceiver versus the copper interface, in-vehicle connectivity has increased from 3 Gbits/s to up to 10 Gbits/s. The camera weighs only 162 grams and is equipped with the Sony diagonal 7.45-mm (Type 1/2.42) ISX031 CMOS image sensor and can be used in a surround-view system. Incorporating Corning’s cable and connector system allowed for improved access in complex positions including the inside of a side mirror.
When asked if there were any surprises when working on this solution, Blázquez explained that one unexpected advantage was the ease with which existing camera architectures could be adapted to integrate KD’s transceiver.
“Because the KD7251 is optimized for minimal footprint and passive optical alignment, OEMs and Tier 1s found it surprisingly straightforward to implement without extensive redesign, confirming our hypothesis that optical connectivity can scale in automotive more easily than previously assumed,” he continued. “Another surprise was how much the industry wanted a future-proven path for the ever-growing data rate demands of their sensor roadmaps. Optical was the solution to their concerns.”
The KD7251 transceiver supports MACsec, ASIL-B FuSa (functional safety), TSN, wake-up and sleep, OAM, and dependability functions. It enables new use cases with optical technology, including the multi-gigabit Ethernet backbone, zonal gateway connectivity, smart antenna link, and connectivity for radars, cameras, LiDAR, displays, and high-performance computing units.
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