Standard Program Recent Update (2): UPnP and DisplayPort

UPnP List Allion as Independent Certification Vendor for UPnP Pre-Certification Testing

For those seeking for UPnP Pre-Certification Testing, UPnP Forum has officially listed Allion as its Independent Certification Vendors (ICVs). Allion is also the only ICV to be listed on the website. Members can feel free to contact Allion for pre-certification testing services and obtain the test logs for further submission. Please go to the resources page of UPnP website for the announcement.

Top Leading Industry Standards (2): HDMI, DisplayPort and SATA

In the second article, we will continue introducing the next three industry standards: HDMI, DisplayPort and SATA.

4. HDMI

＊HDMI Logo

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital interface standard for connecting all HD components. HDMI supports all video/audio formats by one single cable. The CEC allows HDMI devices to control each other when necessary and allows the user to operate multiple devices with one remote control handset. HDMI technology is promoted by HDMI, LLC. According to HDMI Testing Policies, each Adopter must submit the first product of each Licensed Product type (i.e. source, sink, repeater, or cable) to an HDMI Authorized Testing Center (ATC) for testing. Once an Adopter product of each type has passed testing, it is not required to submit to the ATC subsequent products of that type. However, to help ensure HDMI interoperability, we encourage Adopters to use the ATCs.

New DisplayPort Cable Adapter Certification Program

The Video Electronics Standards Associate (VESA) recently introduced a new certification testing and DisplayPort Certified Logo for Dual-mode DisplayPort cable adaptors. These dual-mode cable adaptors allow for seamless interoperability between a Dual-mode DisplayPort PC or graphics card and a DVI monitor or HDMI TV. The certification program was designed to help customers identify cable adaptors that have been thoroughly tested and certified for proper functionality with other DisplayPort products through the use of a distinctive logo and product packaging.

The DisplayPort standard, developed as a replacement for digital (DVI) and analog component video (VGA) connectors, uses simple adaptors to provide interoperability with DVI, HDMI and VGA displays. When plugged into a Dual-mode DisplayPort PC or graphics card, these adaptors can output either Single Link DVI or HDMI signaling. Almost all DisplayPort PCs with integrated graphics or discrete Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have Dual-mode DisplayPort capabilities.

Certification testing is available for both DisplayPort-to-HDMI and DisplayPort-to-DVI Dual-mode cable adaptors. Dual-mode DisplayPort cable adaptor certification and testing follow the DisplayPort Interoperability Guideline Adaptor Checklist. The checklist was designed to help developers ensure display interoperability and achieve adapter certification. Allion Testing Labs in Taiwan is certified to offer Dual-mode DisplayPort adapter certification testing for both VESA members and non-members for a nominal fee. Once a product passes certification testing, a logo license agreement is available through VESA at no cost for VESA member companies and for $1500 USD for non-members.

For engineers, this certification program represents a new opportunity to distinguish your product. Thorough testing and validation, such as industry standard certification, helps ensure product quality; this can save manufacturers from the high cost and headache of managing customer complaints and merchandise returns. And by choosing a certified testing lab with full engineering support and services, developers can produce the highest quality product while significantly reducing cost and time-to-market.

VESA Releases Updated Embedded DisplayPort Standard

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has issued the latest version of the Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) standard. eDP version 1.2 offers several enhancements to the original standard release, including increased simplicity and improved performance capabilities. Notebook PCs using the new eDP standard will begin production the first half of 2011.

Major updates in the eDP standard include cable simplification, reduced system power consumption, new display capabilities, 5.4Gbps link rate option and simplified PC chip integration. By lowering the number of required internal cables and interconnect signals, the eDP notebook panels offer simplified internal cabling and significantly reduced power consumption. A bidirectional AUX Channel further reduces the wire count while adding new LCD panel control and backlight capabilities, including dynamic backlight control, dithering, modulation frequency control and more. Data bandwidth for video data channels has also been doubled with support for the 5.4Gbps link rate defined by DisplayPort v1.2. This increased link rate allows for either fewer wires or full HD resolution of higher performance 2D or stereo 3D displays. Finally, eDP’s use of low-voltage, AC-coupled signaling is compatible with today’s sub-micron chip processes, simplifying overall design and reducing the required number of device pins.

eDP v1.2 is another step towards eDP’s eventual replacement of the Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS). Notebooks featuring the eDP v1 interface, which began entering the market this year, will account for 11 percent of the 2010 PC market. eDP is projected to largely replace LVDS by 2013.

The eDP v1.2 standard is free of charge to VESA member companies. Non-member companies can purchase the standard through the VESA website.

VESA Issues Internal DisplayPort Standard for Flat Panel TVs

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) recently issued the Internal DisplayPort (iDP) interface standard to enhance inside-the-box connectivity for flat panel TVs. Based on the DisplayPort 1.2 standard, iDP is designed to replace Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) by using a simpler and higher-performing connectivity technology.

The VESA iDP standard addresses the connection between a TV controller system-on-chip (SOC) and a TV panel Timing Controller (TCON) within a TV chassis. With only 17 signals, eight differential pairs and one Hot Plug Detect (HPD) signal, the iDP link transports Full HD 240Hz at 10 bits per color, compared to the 96 signal requirement of LVDS. It provides optimizations specific for internal flat panel TV applications, similar to the VESA Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) interface standard used for the internal displays within notebooks and other PC devices.

The standard’s scalability allows iDP to support future design needs. For example, an iDP 1080p 3D implementation requires only two banks of 16 differential pairs and one HPD for 65 signals, compared to the 192 differential pairs that an LVDS implementation would require. iDP also eliminates the many LVDS printed circuit board traces and device pins, reducing system form factor and cost as well as lowering the shielding requirement by reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI). The standard is fully open and royalty-free, allowing for healthy competition among component suppliers, encouraging innovation with manufacturers and reducing costs for consumers.

“Today’s flat panel TV manufacturers are in a constant race to provide better picture quality, more realistic animation, and even 3D video. This continues to push refresh rates higher and has created the need for a new high-speed panel interface standard. VESA’s iDP standard meets that need while also helping control costs,” said VESA Executive Director Bill Lempesis in VESA’s May press release.