VESA Begins Development of micro-DisplayPort Connector Standard

Video Electronics Standards Association To Define Next-Generation Video Connector for Smartphones, Tablets, Ultra-thin Notebooks and Mobile Systems

NEWARK, CA -- October 23, 2013 -- Responding to the growth of portable and ultra-thin computing devices, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA®) today announced that it is defining a micro-DisplayPort connector standard. Designed to be physically smaller than VESA’s existing DisplayPort and mini-DisplayPort connectors, the new micro-DisplayPort connector will target smartphones, tablets, ultra-thin notebooks and other mobile systems that require an extremely compact connector to drive external video displays.

“Market demand for slim, mobile systems is growing rapidly,” said Jim Hunkins, System Architect, Display Technology for VESA member AMD, and Lead of VESA’s DisplayPort Connectivity Subgroup. “Imagine sharing videos, photos, presentations and other visual content directly from your tablet or smartphone on a 4K-UHD display. An elegant, micro-sized video connector is essential to enable next-generation mobile systems to interact with the ever expanding array of external display options.”

New Global Standard will Drive Even Larger Displays through an Even Smaller Connector

The new micro-DisplayPort connector will be significantly smaller than the mini-DisplayPort connector, which already measures a rather svelte 5.4mm x 8.3mm. Designed to support data rates for future display bandwidths beyond today’s 4K resolutions, the micro-DisplayPort standard will define the mechanical and electrical specifications for the receptacle, plug, cable and docking connector.

In evaluating various technical solutions, VESA will require backward compatibility with existing DisplayPort devices, as well as the ability to support anticipated future DisplayPort capabilities. One objective for the new micro-DisplayPort connector, which is undergoing discussion within the VESA working group assigned to this project, is to support the use of a passive cable with lengths up to 1.5m, without the use of repeaters or other active components. VESA expects to finalize the micro-DisplayPort standard by 2Q 2014.

“As with other VESA standards, our goal for the micro-DisplayPort connector is to create a robust, extensible standard that can be widely adopted by the industry to develop attractive, cost-effective, and flawlessly interoperable products,” said Craig Wiley, Sr. Director of Marketing for VESA member Parade Technologies, and Chair of the VESA Board of Directors. “We welcome technical input and proposals from both member and non-member companies worldwide as we continue the process of analyzing and defining this new connector standard.”

For more information on VESA, please visit http://www.vesa.org/. For more information about DisplayPort, please visit http://www.displayport.org