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.
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.
Anyone who has ever set up an IT monitoring station or a living room entertainment system knows that cables can be a nuisance. Luckily, hope is on the way: The WiGig Alliance and Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) are partnering to create wireless DisplayPort, which will allow users to connect high-definition display and audio systems without the use of cables.
This new technology, aimed at consumers and IT professionals, will allow users to connect devices such as PCs, handhelds, monitors, projectors and TVs without the use of wires. WiGig’s 60 GHz technology offers considerably more bandwidth than traditional 802.11n Wi-Fi, and provides bi-directional I/O capabilities to support the DisplayPort v1.2 feature set. This allows the same high-definition quality as a standard DisplayPort cord. WiGig and VESA are currently partnering to develop a certification program.
The WiGig Alliance has completed the 1.0 A/V and I/O protocol adaptation layer (PAL) specifications, which will be published early next year. The A/V PAL (WiGig Display Extension) supports wireless transmission of audio visual data, while the WiGig I/O PALs (WiGig Bus Extension and WiGig Serial Extension) define high-performance wireless implementations of widely used computer interfaces over 60 GHz. Together, these PALs enable multi-gigabit wireless connectivity between any two devices.
Wireless DisplayPort technology is expected to create a whole new class of interoperable wireless products, with the quality and performance of traditionally wired interfaces. We eagerly await the certification program, and look forward to creating a DisplayPort test for developers of new wireless display devices.
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.
Learn More:
- VESA Releases Updated Embedded DisplayPort Standard
- DisplayPort 1.2 Opens New Data Opportunities
- DisplayPort and USB 3.0 Named Among Top Technologies of 2010
- Understanding DisplayPort Compliance Testing
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.
Learn More:
- VESA Issues Internal DisplayPort Standard for Flat Panel TVs
- DisplayPort 1.2 Opens New Data Opportunities
- VESA Unveils DisplayPort v1.2
- DisplayPort and USB 3.0 Named Among Top Technologies of 2010
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.
Learn More:
- DisplayPort 1.2 Opens New Data Opportunities
- DisplayPort and USB 3.0 Named Among Top Technologies of 2010
- Understanding DisplayPort Compliance Testing
As we recently highlighted, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) formally unveiled the eagerly awaited DisplayPort v1.2 specification. This new extension offers a number of new features: in addition to doubling the data rate and providing multi-streaming capabilities, DisplayPort v1.2 has the ability to transfer audio, video, USB, Ethernet, power, and data from multi-touch panels, cameras, microphones and more. By supporting a wide range of data through a single cable, DisplayPort continues to trend toward a unified interconnect and creates opportunities for manufacturers and consumers.
DisplayPort v1.2 data-supporting capabilities create a more simplified interface while increasing performance and reducing costs. The ability to transfer USB and Ethernet data will allow users to connect their monitor via DisplayPort and utilize the same cable to carry USB signals to the display, significantly reducing cable clutter and creating a simplified user experience. DisplayPort will allow manufacturers to add features to their products while creating simpler designs.
Additionally, the increased throughput of DisplayPort 1.2, which has an aggregate data rate of 17.28 Gbps, greatly improves performance by allowing for faster refresh rates of 120 Hz and, in turn, increased color depth, higher resolutions, and support for 3D gaming. DisplayPort’s energy efficiency as well as its ability to eliminate redundant cables reduces the interface’s energy consumption and costs. In-Stat projected that DisplayPort will see 194 percent annual growth in 2010, due primarily to the growing adoption of mobile PCs and to DisplayPort’s low power consumption.
The DisplayPort standard continues to gain traction in the industry and create opportunities for application development. VESA’s executive director Bill Lempesis has called DisplayPort the “standard of choice across the industry.”
More on Displayport:
- Understanding Displayport Compliance Testing
- Displayport and USB 3.0 Named Among Top Technologies of 2010
Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has finalized the long awaited DisplayPort v1.2 specification, offering improved performance and a multitude of new features. DisplayPort v1.2, which doubles the transfer rate from the version 1.1 specification from 10.8Gbps to 21.6Gbps, is paving the way for higher performance, faster refresh rates, and 3D stereo display.
Among the new features offered by v1.2 is multi-streaming, allowing users to connect up to four 1920×1200 monitors in a daisy chain or hub configuration while supporting protected content and high performance applications. It can also support bi-directional data transfer, allowing multiple independent, uncompressed data streams, such as USB hubs, video signals, and touch screen panels, to travel over the same cable at up to 720Mbps. DisplayPort v1.2 is backward compatible with DisplayPort v1.1a systems, including existing cables and also the Mini DisplayPort connector.
Keeping up with the 3D bandwagon, v1.2 has improved support for Full HD 3D Stereoscopic displays. It can display life-like HD motion at up to 240 frames per second in full HD (120 frames per second for each eye) in a variety of 3D formats. Its new audio enhancements include support for high def audio formats and video synchronization, as well as the Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) copy protection and category codes.
“DisplayPort is a truly open, flexible, extensible multimedia interconnect standard that is ubiquitous in the PC, notebook and display markets and is rapidly gaining traction in consumer electronics applications. DisplayPort Version v1.2 offers a complete set of benefits and capabilities that no other standard can provide,” said VESA Executive Director Bill Lempesis, in VESA’s January press release.
More on Displayport:
- Understanding Displayport Compliance Testing
- Displayport and USB 3.0 Named Among Top Technologies of 201o
Earlier this quarter, Maximum PC compiled a list of top technologies in 2010. We think this list is worth sharing as it gives some insight into where the industry is headed which will influence the test, validation and certification ecosystem. Several technologies we regularly cover on the Blog including USB, PCI, SATA and DisplayPort are listed. We think this is a good indication that many emerging technologies are poised to make a big splash both within the industry and with consumers next year.
Maximum PC’s full list of top 2010 technologies includes:
- Intel Core i7 chip going mainstream – Intel’s new series of CPUs are affordable yet appealing to power users
- AMD Orochi chip – the next generation chip can be built on the 32nm processor, rather than the current 45 mn process. This processor will feature more than four cores, over 8 MB of L3 cache and a DDR3 integrated memory controller.
- PCI Express 3.0 – significantly increases bandwidth and efficiency over the existing PCIe 2.0.
- Graphics - graphics chips from industry leaders such as NVIDIA and AMD will be fast and functional
- Storage - hard drives will continue to become more spacious, fast and affordable
- As we mentioned earlier this month, SATA Revision 3.0 (SATA 6 Gb/s) will give SSDs the throughput they need to optimize speed.
- Mobile Broadband – WiMAX is a 4G solution for handheld devices and notebooks and will help bring broadband to rural area. Another 4G technology is LTE (long term evolution), an IP-based, low latency network with bandwidth 2-3x what WiMAX offers.
- SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) - up to 10x faster than USB 2.0, backward compatible with Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) and optimized for power. Need we say more? We’re looking forward to testing SuperSpeed products as adoption becomes widespread.
- DisplayPort – this digital display connection has been gaining momentum and will continue to grow in 2010. It is a DVI replacement and is significant as the connector is small and easy to use. DisplayPort provides more data per wire than DVI, and supports HDCP content protection. Allion is the leading independent test lab accredited by VESA for DisplayPort testing and plans to continue DisplayPort compliance and logo program testing as adoption for the standard expands next year.
- Multi-touch – From gaming systems to computers to handheld devices, advanced touch technology will continue to be sought after in 2010.
- Multiscreen – AMD has a high-end graphics card that can support up to six DisplayPort connectors. In a California test lab, each connector was attached to a 30-inch display, and the six monitors were configured as a single monitor.
While the list is extensive it is certainly not exhaustive, so which technologies do you think will generate the most buzz in 2010? Let us know in the comments.
The Mini DisplayPort interface is a smaller version of the traditional DisplayPort plug and connector, and was first publicly announced by Apple in 2008. Apple products featuring the Mini DisplayPort connector include the MacBook family of laptops, the iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Pro and the entire Apple Cinema line of displays. The user-friendly Mini DisplayPort connector links the Mac to an LED display, and offers both video and audio support, significantly reducing the number of cables associated with incorporating an external display and speakers.
Mini-DVI vs. Mini DisplayPort
Unlike Mini-DVI and Micro-DVI predecessors, the Mini DisplayPort is capable of displaying the high resolutions commonly associated with 30 inch and larger displays. Large displays are becoming more common as DisplayPort integrators Dell and Apple recently released 30 inch product offerings. Laptops with a Mini DisplayPort can connect a computer with to an external display or projector with a VGA or DVI interface by using an adapter.
In early 2009, VESA announced that it would include Mini DisplayPort in the DisplayPort 1.2 specification.
DisplayPort Testing
Working with an independent test lab for DisplayPort testing will help developers build properly functioning DisplayPort products. DisplayPort test categories include:
- Physical Layer Test
- Link Layer Test
- Electrical Test
- HDCP Test
The DisplayPort compliance & logo program ensures that products comply with DisplayPort standard guidelines. The DisplayPort Certified Logo ensures that certified products are of high quality and that they will work together seamlessly.
