Sony says it has developed a new cable technology for use in mobile devices that can replace more than 20 individual cables with just one cable. The single wire interface is already on its way into production and is expected to enable a new class of flip phones.
Sony Single Wire Interface
If you are looking for a new cell phone, buying a flip phone may not be your first thought. We are all about big touchscreens these days, but then we also have to admit that flip phones have not shown much innovation in the past few years and have dropped to the very low end or completely out of the market. But Sony says it has a new technology that may fuel a new generation of mobile devices which have a screen that is separate from the data input unit.
A typical flip phone requires more than 20 individual cables that connect the screen with the main unit to cope with tasks such as power supply, audio and video transmission as well as control signals. The sheer number of cables that need to be wired through hinges and rotating parts limit the design flexibility of a flip phone. However, Sony claims it can replace all those cable with a single wire interface technology that can be used for both data and power transmission. The company says that the cable can “improve design flexibility, reliability and durability for mobile devices with movable mechanisms.”
According to Sony, the cable can support data transfers up to 940 Mb/s. The company said that it “aims to promptly implement this technology” in its products and is working with ROHM to develop and validate the analog portion of the test chip. In exchange, Sony will grant ROHM a license for the IP of the digital portion of this newly-developed technology “in order to advance the development of a single chip which includes both the analog and digital portions.”
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