DisplayPort

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DisplayPort

Type	Digital audio/video connector
Production history
Designer	VESA
Designed	May 2006; 17 years ago (2006-05)
Manufacturer	Various
Produced	2008–present
Superseded	DVI, VGA, SCART, RGB Component
Superseded by	None
General specifications
Length	Various
Hot pluggable	Yes
External	Yes
Audio signal	Optional; 1–8 channels, 16 or 24-bit linear PCM; 32–192 kHz sampling rate; maximum bitrate 36,864 kbit/s (4,608 kB/s)
Video signal	Optional, maximum resolution limited by available bandwidth
Pins	20 pins for external connectors on desktops, notebooks, graphics cards, monitors, etc. and 30/20 pins for internal connections between graphics engines and built-in flat panels.
Data
Data signal	Yes
Bitrate	1.62, 2.7, 5.4, 8.1, or 20 Gbit/s data rate per lane; 1, 2, or 4 lanes; (effective total 5.184, 8.64, 17.28, 25.92, or 77.37 Gbit/s for 4-lane link); 2 or 720 Mbit/s (effectively 1 or 576 Mbit/s) for the auxiliary channel.
Protocol	Micro-packet
Pinout
External connector (source-side) on PCB
Pin 1	ML_Lane 0 (p)[a]	Lane 0 (+)
Pin 2	GND	Ground
Pin 3	ML_Lane 0 (n)[a]	Lane 0 (−)
Pin 4	ML_Lane 1 (p)[a]	Lane 1 (+)
Pin 5	GND	Ground
Pin 6	ML_Lane 1 (n)[a]	Lane 1 (−)
Pin 7	ML_Lane 2 (p)[a]	Lane 2 (+)
Pin 8	GND	Ground
Pin 9	ML_Lane 2 (n)[a]	Lane 2 (−)
Pin 10	ML_Lane 3 (p)[a]	Lane 3 (+)
Pin 11	GND	Ground
Pin 12	ML_Lane 3 (n)[a]	Lane 3 (−)
Pin 13	CONFIG1	Connected to ground[b]
Pin 14	CONFIG2	Connected to ground[b]
Pin 15	AUX CH (p)	Auxiliary channel (+)
Pin 16	GND	Ground
Pin 17	AUX CH (n)	Auxiliary channel (−)
Pin 18	Hot plug	Hot plug detect
Pin 19	Return	Return for power
Pin 20	DP_PWR	Power for connector (3.3 V 500 mA)
^ a b c d e f g h This is the pinout for source-side connector, the sink-side connector pinout will have lanes 0–3 reversed in order; i.e., lane 3 will be on pin 1(n) and 3(p) while lane 0 will be on pin 10(n) and 12(p). ^ a b Pins 13 and 14 may either be directly connected to ground or connected to ground through a pulldown device.

DisplayPort (DP) is a proprietary^[a] digital display interface developed by a consortium of PC and chip manufacturers and standardized by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). It is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor. It can also carry audio, USB, and other forms of data.^[1]

DisplayPort was designed to replace VGA, FPD-Link, and Digital Visual Interface (DVI). It is backward compatible with other interfaces, such as DVI and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), through the use of either active or passive adapters.^[2]

It is the first display interface to rely on packetized data transmission, a form of digital communication found in technologies such as Ethernet, USB, and PCI Express. It permits the use of internal and external display connections. Unlike legacy standards that transmit a clock signal with each output, its protocol is based on small data packets known as micro packets, which can embed the clock signal in the data stream, allowing higher resolution using fewer pins.^[3] The use of data packets also makes it extensible, meaning more features can be added over time without significant changes to the physical interface.^[4]

DisplayPort is able to transmit audio and video simultaneously, although each can be transmitted without the other. The video signal path can range from six to sixteen bits per color channel, and the audio path can have up to eight channels of 24-bit, 192 kHz uncompressed PCM audio.^[1] A bidirectional, half-duplex auxiliary channel carries device management and device control data for the Main Link, such as VESA EDID, MCCS, and DPMS standards. The interface is also capable of carrying bidirectional USB signals.^[5]

The interface uses a differential signal that is not compatible with DVI or HDMI. However, dual-mode DisplayPort ports are designed to transmit a single-link DVI or HDMI protocol (TMDS) across the interface through the use of an external passive adapter, enabling compatibility mode and converting the signal from 3.3 to 5 volts. For analog VGA/YPbPr and dual-link DVI, a powered active adapter is required for compatibility and does not rely on dual mode. Active VGA adapters are powered directly by the DisplayPort connector, while active dual-link DVI adapters typically rely on an external power source such as USB.

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