• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

VESA Brings DisplayPort to New USB Type-C Connector

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 9, 2007
Messages
47,233 (7.55/day)
Location
Hyderabad, India
System Name RBMK-1000
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard ASUS ROG Strix B450-E Gaming
Cooling DeepCool Gammax L240 V2
Memory 2x 8GB G.Skill Sniper X
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GameRock
Storage Western Digital Black NVMe 512GB
Display(s) BenQ 1440p 60 Hz 27-inch
Case Corsair Carbide 100R
Audio Device(s) ASUS SupremeFX S1220A
Power Supply Cooler Master MWE Gold 650W
Mouse ASUS ROG Strix Impact
Keyboard Gamdias Hermes E2
Software Windows 11 Pro
The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), working in liaison with the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, today announced the publication of the DisplayPort Alternate Mode ("Alt Mode") on USB Type-C Standard. Using the DisplayPort Alt Mode, a USB Type-C connector and cable can deliver full DisplayPort audio/video (A/V) performance, driving monitor resolutions of 4K and beyond, SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.1) data and up to 100 watts of power--over a single cable. The DisplayPort Alt Mode can also drive adaptors that support the huge installed base of existing DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, and VGA displays.

VESA utilized the Alternate Mode functional extension of the USB Type-C specification in the development of this new Standard. The DisplayPort Alt Mode repurposes some or all of the four existing SuperSpeed USB lanes to deliver full DisplayPort performance, and uses other signaling available in the USB Type-C connector for DisplayPort's AUX channel and HPD (Hot Plug Detection) function. This enables computers, tablets, smartphones, displays, and docking stations to implement the new USB Type-C connector at both ends while using the DisplayPort Standard over USB Type-C to transmit high-resolution A/V along with USB data and power.



Devices supporting DisplayPort Alt Mode on a USB Type-C connector can also connect to an existing DisplayPort device using a reversible USB Type-C to DisplayPort converter cable. Video source devices that support DisplayPort Alt Mode on a USB Type-C connector can use an appropriate adaptor to drive an HDMI, DVI or VGA display. All adaptors and converter cables will comply with all USB Type-C characteristics, including reversible plug orientation and cable direction.

"The USB Type-C specification was developed to provide consumers with a robust connector for everything from mobile devices to PCs, and when combined with SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps and USB Power Delivery, it truly enables a single cable solution for the market," said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF President and COO. "The USB-IF is also in the process of developing joint port identification guidelines. We're working with VESA to ensure consumers can recognize when DisplayPort Alt Mode is supported on USB Type-C devices."

Like USB, DisplayPort uses a packetized data structure and differential AC-Coupled signal "lanes" that carry high speed data with an embedded clock. This allows the same electrical circuits and cables to carry either SuperSpeed USB data, at up to 10 Gbps per lane, or DisplayPort, at up to 8.1 Gbps per lane, as defined in the new DisplayPort 1.3 Standard. Early implementations of DisplayPort Alt Mode USB Type-C devices will likely use existing DisplayPort 1.2a capabilities that support up to 5.4 Gbps per lane. Using 5.4 Gbps across all four high-speed lanes will support up to 4K (4096 x 2160) display resolutions at a 60Hz frame rate with up to 30-bit color.

By leveraging USB Type-C's flexibility, the DisplayPort Alt Mode can choose to transmit on just one or two of the four available lanes, so that the other two lanes can be used for SuperSpeed USB data at the same time. In a docking station connection, for example, the use of two lanes for DisplayPort at 8.1 Gbps per lane would allow simultaneous transfer of SuperSpeed USB data (up to 10 Gbps in each direction) while also supporting a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) DisplayPort monitor. The dock can also be configured with DisplayPort protocol converters to support HDMI, VGA and/or DVI monitors. When using all four lanes for DisplayPort Alt Mode, which could drive a monitor with up to 5K (5120 x 2880) resolution, USB 2.0 data can still be carried across the USB Type-C connection using separate pins dedicated for that function.

"DisplayPort has played a vital role in advancing display performance and connectivity for platforms that are increasingly integrated and compact," said Craig Wiley, Senior Director of Marketing at Parade Technologies, VESA Board member, and VESA Marketing Task Group Chair. "In addition to the dedicated DisplayPort connector, the DisplayPort Standard has become an important ingredient in other wired interfaces, such as ThunderBolt, DockPort, MyDP, and Embedded DisplayPort. The opportunity to utilize the USB Type-C specification to develop the DisplayPort Alternate Mode helps further VESA's vision of common-place high performance video interfaces."

View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 
Joined
Dec 23, 2012
Messages
1,715 (0.39/day)
Location
Somewhere Over There!
System Name Gen2
Processor Ryzen R9 5950X
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair Viii Hero Wifi
Cooling Lian Li 360 Galahad
Memory G.Skill Trident Z RGB 64gb @ 3600 Mhz CL14-13-13-24 1T @ 1.45V
Video Card(s) Sapphire RX 6900 XT Nitro+
Storage Seagate 520 1TB + Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB + lots of HDD's
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G7
Case Lian Li PC-O11D XL White
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply Super Flower Leadex SE Platinum 1000W
Mouse Xenics Titan GX Air Wireless
Keyboard Kemove Snowfox 61
Software Main: Gentoo+Arch + Windows 11
Benchmark Scores Have tried but can't beat the leaders :)
interesting
 
Joined
Jun 9, 2014
Messages
72 (0.02/day)
System Name Trashbox Pro
Processor Intel Core i7 4770K
Motherboard Gigabyte Z87X-UD7-TH
Memory G.Skill 2400MHz 32GB
Video Card(s) MSI Gaming R9 280x 6GB (2x)
Storage Samsung Evo 840 1TB
Case Fractal Design Arc Midi
Power Supply Corsair AX 850
So Intel is trying to merge USB and Thunderbolt specs now?
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
7,526 (1.77/day)
So Intel is trying to merge USB and Thunderbolt specs now?
Where does it say that Intel is looking to do so, besides they have a vested interest in TB so not sure why they'd be looking to kill their own proprietary tech :confused:
 
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
480 (0.06/day)
System Name Blackbird
Processor AMD Threadripper 3960X 24-core
Motherboard Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Master
Cooling Full custom-loop water cooling, mostly Aqua Computer and EKWB stuff!
Memory 4x 16GB G.Skill Trident-Z RGB @3733-CL14
Video Card(s) Nvidia RTX 3090 FE
Storage Samsung 950PRO 512GB, Crusial P5 2TB, Samsung 850PRO 1TB
Display(s) LG 38GN950-B 38" IPS TFT, Dell U3011 30" IPS TFT
Case CaseLabs TH10A
Audio Device(s) Edifier S1000DB
Power Supply ASUS ROG Thor 1200W (SeaSonic)
Mouse Logitech MX Master
Keyboard SteelSeries Apex M800
Software MS Windows 10 Pro for Workstation
Benchmark Scores A lot.
the cool thing is, no one needs thunderbolt anymore when this comes out... :)
 
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
3,548 (0.56/day)
Location
Terra
System Name :)
Processor Intel 13700k
Motherboard Gigabyte z790 UD AC
Cooling Noctua NH-D15
Memory 64GB GSKILL DDR5
Video Card(s) Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
Storage 960GB Optane 905P U.2 SSD + 4TB PCIe4 U.2 SSD
Display(s) Alienware AW3423DW 175Hz QD-OLED + Nixeus 27" IPS 1440p 144Hz
Case Fractal Design Torrent
Audio Device(s) MOTU M4 - JBL 305P MKII w/2x JL Audio 10 Sealed --- X-Fi Titanium HD - Presonus Eris E5 - JBL 4412
Power Supply Silverstone 1000W
Mouse Roccat Kain 122 AIMO
Keyboard KBD67 Lite / Mammoth75
VR HMD Reverb G2 V2
Software Win 11 Pro
the cool thing is, no one needs thunderbolt anymore when this comes out... :)

unless you've already invested. lol
 
Joined
Nov 4, 2005
Messages
11,980 (1.72/day)
System Name Compy 386
Processor 7800X3D
Motherboard Asus
Cooling Air for now.....
Memory 64 GB DDR5 6400Mhz
Video Card(s) 7900XTX 310 Merc
Storage Samsung 990 2TB, 2 SP 2TB SSDs, 24TB Enterprise drives
Display(s) 55" Samsung 4K HDR
Audio Device(s) ATI HDMI
Mouse Logitech MX518
Keyboard Razer
Software A lot.
Benchmark Scores Its fast. Enough.
More universal than thunderbolt.


Plus with 100W of power you could power the monitor, run the display, your keyboard, mouse, controller, charge your phone, and still have power left over. How about a USB Blu-ray drive so the PC case is smaller, or....
 
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
480 (0.06/day)
System Name Blackbird
Processor AMD Threadripper 3960X 24-core
Motherboard Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Master
Cooling Full custom-loop water cooling, mostly Aqua Computer and EKWB stuff!
Memory 4x 16GB G.Skill Trident-Z RGB @3733-CL14
Video Card(s) Nvidia RTX 3090 FE
Storage Samsung 950PRO 512GB, Crusial P5 2TB, Samsung 850PRO 1TB
Display(s) LG 38GN950-B 38" IPS TFT, Dell U3011 30" IPS TFT
Case CaseLabs TH10A
Audio Device(s) Edifier S1000DB
Power Supply ASUS ROG Thor 1200W (SeaSonic)
Mouse Logitech MX Master
Keyboard SteelSeries Apex M800
Software MS Windows 10 Pro for Workstation
Benchmark Scores A lot.
unless you've already invested. lol
If you are a Mac user, that I guess you don't have to worry, TB will stay for a while. I'm assuming Intel has made some kind of a deal with Apple and that's why it's very hard to get TB even working on the PC, apart from the fact that there are next to none existing solutions (e.g. interface cards) you can actually buy.
If you are a PC user than, well, support for TB couldn't get much worse than it is today, so nothing is lost there either... ;)
 

Aquinus

Resident Wat-man
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Messages
13,169 (2.81/day)
Location
Concord, NH, USA
System Name Apollo
Processor Intel Core i9 9880H
Motherboard Some proprietary Apple thing.
Memory 64GB DDR4-2667
Video Card(s) AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, 8GB HBM2
Storage 1TB Apple NVMe, 4TB External
Display(s) Laptop @ 3072x1920 + 2x LG 5k Ultrafine TB3 displays
Case MacBook Pro (16", 2019)
Audio Device(s) AirPods Pro, Sennheiser HD 380s w/ FIIO Alpen 2, or Logitech 2.1 Speakers
Power Supply 96w Power Adapter
Mouse Logitech MX Master 3
Keyboard Logitech G915, GL Clicky
Software MacOS 12.1
If you are a Mac user, that I guess you don't have to worry, TB will stay for a while. I'm assuming Intel has made some kind of a deal with Apple and that's why it's very hard to get TB even working on the PC, apart from the fact that there are next to none existing solutions (e.g. interface cards) you can actually buy.
If you are a PC user than, well, support for TB couldn't get much worse than it is today, so nothing is lost there either... ;)


I when I was a sysadmin of an Apple shop, I can't tell you how many times I used Thunderbolt to image a Macbook Airs, not only that but when you're imaging with it to and from an SSD, it seriously takes no longer than 5 minutes, usually 2 minutes to write the image, 2 minutes to verify, and that isn't even saturating ThunderBolt. So at least I've seen where it is useful, unfortunately it's usefulness ends just about there which what I've done with it.
 
Top