Mipi / CSI2 interfacing - how long can the cable be?

[Blarp]

I need to place a Cmos sensor (720p HD content @ 25 fps or better)
away from the processor interface. I might use the OV538 sensor.

I have no hands-on experience with mipi, I gather it is a LVDS like
serialized signal. Connections are usually made over short flexifoils.

Question: when using e.g. cat5 grade twisted pair(s), how long can I
expect a cable to be before signals are degraded and / or RFI problems
arise?

Input welcome - thanks!

[Joel Koltner]

"Blarp" <do...@bother.com> wrote in message
news:evstj6lvhinvvmip2...@4ax.com...

> Question: when using e.g. cat5 grade twisted pair(s), how long can I
> expect a cable to be before signals are degraded and / or RFI problems
> arise?

This is a completely wild-assed guess, but based on some camera I used to use
that used LVDS, you were often pushing your luck beyond about 5-10' ("desktop"
distances).

But it depends an awful lot on the data rates involved, terminations, etc.
For a sensor meant to be connected via a few inches of cable, it's a likely
safe bet the manufacturer hasn't necessarily characterized the maximum usable
cable length, but it's also probably a safe bet you can get "some feet" out of
it without much effort.

[Wolfgang F. Gaerber]

Typicalwise, the camera interface consists of a parallel bus (8lines and
more), a horizontal and vertical sync line and a pixel clock.
Additional there are I2C lines to configure the camera SoC - and
normally there is some master clock provided from the mainboard.
Masterclock - est. 13Mhz
Pixelclock + Datalines >50MHz !!! (asymmetric) with 720p/25fps

I would say 2 inch using some wiring - and 20 inch using matched
impedance flatfoil connection.
Due to the fact that there are no differential signals - using twisted
pair makes no sense.
For everything else(longer) they invented HDMI;-)))

rgds.

Wolfgang