KD, a fabless semiconductor company, has announced the successful integration of its 10GBASE-AU KD7251 optical transceiver into a next-generation optical automotive multigigabit camera—LI-VENUS-ISX031-BASE-AU—developed by Leopard Imaging, a global leader in embedded vision and AI camera solutions.
As part of this collaboration, Corning Incorporated, renowned for its innovations in materials science, has engineered a hybrid cable and connector system featuring automotive-grade optical cables and connectors to support the new system.
This upgrade replaces the conventional GMSL2 copper interface with a fiber-based 10GBASE-AU optical link, fully compliant with IEEE 802.3cz standards. The result is a high-performance, scalable data communication system capable of up to 10 Gb/s, designed to meet the increasing data demands of modern automotive applications—including autonomous driving, ADAS, digital video recording, and machine vision.
Together, KD, Leopard Imaging, and Corning are enabling a future-ready ecosystem for high-speed, reliable, and scalable automotive vision systems.
David Sánchez, Hardware Designer at KD and project lead on the collaboration, emphasized the innovation behind the joint solution: “We’ve successfully embedded our KD7251 optical transceiver into Leopard Imaging’s LI-VENUS-ISX031-BASE-AU camera—demonstrating its capability to function within compact automotive camera modules (under 20×20 mm PCB) while supporting extended link distances of up to 40 meters.
By utilizing glass optical fiber, we’ve addressed key industry challenges: eliminating Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) issues, reducing cable weight, and enabling asymmetric link speeds for improved power efficiency. This breakthrough is a major step forward for next-generation in-vehicle networks that demand high bandwidth, low latency, and robust, interference-free communication.”
Unlimited vision with Optical Camera Technology
Leopard Imaging’s LI-VENUS-ISX031-BASE-AU camera now features a cutting-edge optical link, enabling significantly higher data transmission, improved resolution, and enhanced image depth. By replacing the traditional copper interface with KD’s KD7251 optical transceiver, the system boosts in-vehicle connectivity speeds from 3 Gb/s to an impressive 10 Gb/s.
Weighing just 162 grams, the compact camera is powered by the Sony ISX031 CMOS image sensor (Diagonal 7.45 mm, Type 1/2.42) and is ideal for use in surround view systems. With Corning’s advanced cable and connector system, the camera can now be installed in tight, complex locations—such as inside side mirrors—while supporting cable lengths up to 40 meters with no signal degradation.
This next-gen solution redefines automotive vision, offering unmatched clarity, flexibility, and performance.
