Spectra7 announces DreamWeVR product line for VR and AR

March 15, 2016 – Spectra7 Microsystems Inc. (Spectra7) announced the launch of DreamWeVR, an extensive product line targeted at next generation Ultra-HD and 5K resolution virtual reality and augmented reality platforms.

The product line includes four new chips, new VR-specific connectors and three new head-mounted display (HMD) interconnect configurations to support high-bandwidth, low-latency VR HMDs and AR glasses. According to the company, when used together, the products deliver a more realistic, immersive, comfortable and excitingVR experience for consumers.

These next generation systems require low latency interconnect technology that is faster, yet thinner and lighter in order to meet industrial design and performance goals. Performance is improved by adopting 4K and 5K mobile display technology as it can be fed with ultra thin wearable interconnects. Spectra7’s new products achieve these requirements across the multiple display and interconnect protocols shown below:

• VR8181 – HDMI 2.0 Embedded Cable Processor
  – Delivers HDMI bandwidth of up to 18Gbps at 4K resolution;
• VR8200 – DisplayPort HBR2 Embedded Cable Processor
  – Delivers DisplayPort bandwidth of up to 21.6Gbps at 4K resolution;
• VR8300 – DisplayPort HBR3 Embedded Cable Processor
  – Delivers HDMI bandwidth of up to 32.4Gbps at 5K resolution for stunning 15 million pixel cinema grade video; and
• VR8050 – USB 3.1 Gen 2 Embedded Cable Processor
  – Delivers up to 10Gbps of sensor/camera data for positional tracking, and gesture recognition.

The Company’s new display chips allow VR and AR OEMs to deliver content over ultra-thin, low-latency cables at up to 100% higher bandwidth than first generation systems for greater VR immersion through higher resolution, color depth and frame rates.

VR / AR CONNECTORS

Spectra7 also announced its new MicroChroma VR/AR connectors, which are designed specifically for the VR/AR market, and according to the company, as many as four discreet connectors would be required to deliver what Spectra7’s MicroChroma connector provides in a single, latching consumer connector for next-generation HMDs.

Measuring just 3.2mm high by 15.7mm wide, the 46-pin MicroChroma connector is ideally suited for thin, light, high-performance consumer VR interconnects. It has an extensive feature set for high speed signal integrity, low cost and high reliability.

Furthermore, Spectra7 also announced three DreamWeVR purpose-built interconnects for VR and AR applications: the VR9-Dx, VR10-Dx and VR11-Dx. These new products are engineered specifically for VR and AR applications where high speed, thinness, low latency, light weight and reliability are critical.

These products support HMD systems that connect to either standard or proprietary hosts such as game consoles, mobile phones, laptops or the new generation of PocketConsole Graphic Processing Units (GPU’s).

“The race for the most immersive wearable experience is on – across both the VR and AR market segments – and display resolution, weight and latency are the key differentiators”, said Tony Stelliga, CEO of Spectra7. “Our new DreamWeVR products provide these burgeoning markets with what we believe to be best-in-class performance in these categories. These new products deliver resolution and speed improvements of up to 100% – across interconnect systems that are up to 50% thinner and lighter – made possible from the constant innovation and scalability of our patented technology.”

The Company expects that the DreamWeVR product configurations will be available to the Company’s growing list of Active Cable Manufacturing Partners and Active Cable OEM Partners in the second quarter of 2016.

Image credit: Spectra7