MIPI Alliance Introduces MIPI Discovery and Configuration (DisCo) Base Architecture and Class Specifications

Open Source Specifications Provide Common Software Drivers for Interfacing Components in Smartphones, Automotive and IoT

PISCATAWAY, N.J., January 18, 2017 – The MIPI® Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, today introduced the MIPI Discovery and Configuration (MIPI DisCo℠) portfolio, a family of specifications that simplifies software driver development when integrating components in mobile-connected products.

MIPI Alliance is offering the solutions to its members and the open source community to encourage widespread adoption of the specifications and motivate the community to share its software development resources. Developers can learn more and access MIPI DisCo specifications here: http://bit.ly/2iZFI8c. Membership in MIPI Alliance is not needed to access the specifications, but the organization welcomes new members.

"MIPI Alliance provides building blocks for component integration and platform development, and with MIPI DisCo companies can now use software as an enabler to accelerate time-to-market for designs targeting the mobile, automotive and the IoT industries," said Joel Huloux, Chairman of the Board of MIPI Alliance.

"MIPI DisCo's software specifications reduce fragmented solutions and will help component vendors promote greater adoption of their products and technologies," said Rob Gough, chair of the MIPI Alliance Software Working Group. "By minimizing the need for custom software development, the tools will dramatically reduce complexity and ease the burden for developers."

MIPI DisCo Specifications
The new portfolio includes a software architectural framework and family of specifications covering the many types of components embedded in mobile-connected devices.

MIPI DisCo Base Specification, the base architectural framework available today, defines a uniform software architecture that can be used with a device’s host operating system to discover, enumerate and manage controllers, busses and other components that use MIPI Alliance specifications.

The MIPI DisCo architecture is based on the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), which is widely used in the PC industry to enumerate devices and functions, describe their capabilities and manage their power states. It is supported by all major operating systems.

The MIPI DisCo Base Specification is used in conjunction with other MIPI DisCo specifications, which define the capabilities of specific devices or controllers that can be managed by the MIPI DisCo architecture. MIPI DisCo Class Specifications will be released individually to cover integration of audio peripherals, batteries, camera and imaging devices, sensors and other components, as well as debug and test functions.

The first interconnect-specific specification, MIPI Discovery and Configuration for SoundWire (MIPI DisCo for SoundWire), is scheduled for release later this year and will streamline software integration of amplifiers, microphones, and audio codecs that are built into smartphones, tablets, mobile PCs, connected cars and IoT devices that use the MIPI SoundWire® interface. The solution enables developers to easily discover OS-agnostic device property definitions required by the SoundWire bus driver.

"The MIPI DisCo for SoundWire specification will help minimize the amount of device-specific code required for support in operating systems such as Microsoft Windows and Linux/Android,” said Pierre-Louis Bossart, chair of the MIPI Alliance Low-Speed Multipoint Link Working Group. “It also provides platform-level information on the bus topology and lets the system integrator customize the SoundWire subsystem without changing the operating system and drivers.”

Call for Participation in the MIPI Software Working Group
The MIPI Software Working Group works closely with other MIPI Alliance technical working groups to identify and define software integration requirements to support MIPI Alliance interfaces. The group is actively seeking members to help define software integration needs and requirements for camera, display/touch and debug specifications. All MIPI Alliance members at the Contributor level and above are welcome to participate in the working group.

Join the MIPI DisCo Webinar
Developers are invited to attend a webinar, "MIPI DisCo and ACPI: Streamlining MIPI Component Integration," on February 2, 2017, at 11:00 am ET, 8:00 am PT. For information and registration, please go to: http://bit.ly/2iWcvLF.

To discover more about MIPI Alliance and to connect with its social networks, follow its Twitter page and join its LinkedIn group. To join MIPI Alliance, use the Join MIPI link on the organization’s site.

About MIPI Alliance

MIPI Alliance (MIPI) develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries. There is at least one MIPI specification in every smartphone manufactured today. Founded in 2003, the organization has more than 285 member companies worldwide and 14 active working groups delivering specifications within the mobile ecosystem. Members of the organization include handset manufacturers, device OEMs, software providers, semiconductor companies, application processor developers, IP tool providers, test and test equipment companies, as well as camera, tablet and laptop manufacturers. For more information, please visit www.mipi.org.