IN Brief:
- GÖPEL electronic has introduced an ASA-Motion Link-capable configuration of its Video Dragon test equipment.
- The system combines a video frame grabber and generator, with plug-in interface support and sideband communication.
- Standalone, PCI Express, and PXI Express versions target laboratory validation and automated production testing.
GÖPEL electronic has introduced an ASA-Motion Link-capable configuration of its Video Dragon test system for cameras, displays, and automotive electronic control units. The equipment combines video capture and generation in a modular platform, allowing developers and production test engineers to examine incoming video and provide controlled video signals to devices under test.
The new interface capability is supplied through a plug-in module. Video Dragon also supports established automotive video links including GMSL, GVIF, FPD-Link, APIX, and MIPI A-PHY, providing options for projects that use different serializer and deserializer technologies. GÖPEL offers the equipment as a standalone laboratory device, a PCI Express card, or a PXI Express module.
Automotive cameras are frequently separated from the equipment processing their images. Video travels across a cable from a sensor to an electronic control unit, while configuration and status information may have to move in the opposite direction. Camera and display validation consequently involves both the image stream and the behaviour of the physical communication link.
ASA-Motion Link, usually abbreviated ASA-ML, is a vendor-neutral serial video communication standard supported by the Automotive SerDes Alliance. It accommodates asymmetric high-speed data movement over suitable coaxial or shielded twisted-pair connections, reflecting the different bandwidth needs of image transmission and camera control.
Testing an interface requires more than establishing that a picture appears on a monitor. A camera may send a valid stream under one operating condition yet expose timing faults, intermittent transmission problems, or unexpected behaviour when the receiving system is restarted or reconfigured. The test arrangement therefore needs to provide repeatable signals and observe the response of the connected hardware.
Video Dragon contains a frame grabber that captures video from compatible sources for examination. Its frame generator performs the complementary operation, providing image data to a receiving device so that a display or control unit can be assessed without relying on a complete installed camera system for every test.
The combined arrangement can support development in both directions of the video chain. Engineers examining a camera can inspect its transmitted frames, while those validating a display or image-processing ECU can apply a defined test signal and look for problems in the receiving or presentation process.
GÖPEL also provides flexible sideband communication. Video interfaces often need control and diagnostic information alongside high-bandwidth image data, so a test system must be able to operate those functions where required by the implementation. The company offers project-specific contact units, including pin adapters, to match the equipment to the physical connections of a particular product.
The modular interface strategy is relevant because vehicle platforms do not all use the same video standard. Manufacturers may support different technologies across camera generations, vehicle programmes, and electronic control units. Reusing a common testing platform can simplify equipment integration, although each supported interface still requires the correct module and connection hardware.
GÖPEL identifies stability during continuous operation, interface compatibility, and timing among the properties the system is designed to check. A controlled video source can make repeated measurements more consistent, but the usefulness of the test depends on how well the chosen patterns and operating conditions represent the device’s actual application.
Three hardware formats support different environments. A standalone unit can be used on a development bench without occupying a slot in a test computer. PCI Express hardware can be integrated into a compatible workstation or industrial PC, while a PXI Express module can operate alongside other instrumentation in a modular automated test setup.
The same system may therefore be incorporated into early engineering validation and subsequent production checks, with test sequences adapted to the acceptance criteria for each stage. Production tests generally place particular emphasis on repeatability and the time available per unit, whereas laboratory work may require more detailed examination of unusual faults.
GÖPEL has not published a maximum ASA-ML data rate, channel count, or supported resolution for the new configuration in its announcement. Those limits need to be confirmed for individual camera and display programmes instead of inferred from the standard or another Video Dragon model.
The ASA-ML addition extends Video Dragon’s available interface options as automotive imaging systems develop. Its practical use will depend on the selected plug-in module, compatible test connections, and the timing and image characteristics that a particular camera, display, or control unit needs to demonstrate.
