VESA Digital Flat Panel

{{Refimprove|date=March 2012}} {{Infobox connector |name=DFP |type=Digital video connector |image= |caption= |designer=Video Electronics Standards Association |design_date=February 14, 1999 |manufacturer= |production_date= |superseded=VGA connector |superseded_by=Digital Visual Interface |superseded_by_date= |external= |hotplug= |length= |width= |height= |audio_signal= |video_signal= |data_signal=PanelLink protocol Transition Minimized Differential Signaling |data_bit_width=3 bits plus clock |data_bandwidth= |data_devices=1 |data_style=PanelLink (Serial) |num_pins=20 |pinout_image=300px |pinout_caption= |pin1= |pin1_name=TMDS data 1 + |pin2= |pin2_name=TMDS data 1 – |pin3= |pin3_name=GND |pin4= |pin4_name=GND |pin5= |pin5_name=TMDS data C + |pin6= |pin6_name=TMDS data C – |pin7= |pin7_name=GND |pin8= |pin8_name=+ 5V |pin9= |pin9_name=Reserved |pin10= |pin10_name=Reserved |pin11= |pin11_name=TMDS data 2 + |pin12= |pin12_name=TMDS data 2 – |pin13= |pin13_name=GND |pin14= |pin14_name=GND |pin15= |pin15_name=TMDS data 0 + |pin16= |pin16_name=TMDS data 0 – |pin17= |pin17_name=Reserved |pin18= |pin18_name=Reserved |pin19= |pin19_name=DDC data |pin20= |pin20_name=DDC clock |pinout_notes= }}

The '''VESA Digital Flat Panel''' ('''DFP''') interface standard specifies a video connector and digital TMDS signaling for flat-panel displays.<ref name=Manchester99>{{cite report |first=Gary |last=Manchester |date=1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112151649/http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/informatik/RA/news/stack/kompendium/vortraege_99/peripherie/standards/dfp/DFPwhitepap.PDF |title=The VESA Digital Flat Panel (DFP) Standard: A White Paper |publisher=VESA Marketing Committee |url=http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/informatik/RA/news/stack/kompendium/vortraege_99/peripherie/standards/dfp/DFPwhitepap.PDF |archive-date=January 12, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It features 20 pins and uses the PanelLink protocol; the standard is based on the preceding VESA Plug and Display (P&D) standard, ratified in 1997. Unlike the later, electrically-compatible Digital Visual Interface (DVI, 1999), DFP never achieved widespread implementation.

==History== P&D combined analog and digital video with data over USB and FireWire to reduce cable clutter, but the feature creep resulted in an unpopular, expensive connector.<ref name=DVI-whitepaper>{{cite report |url=https://www.fpga4fun.com/files/WP_TMDS.pdf |title=Digital Visual Interface & TMDS Extensions |date=October 2004 |publisher=Silicon Image |access-date=31 January 2023}}</ref>{{rp|4}} Compaq described DFP as a "transition" step between the analog VGA connector and P&D: DFP was designed by a consortium including Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and ATI Technologies as a smaller, simpler connector, dropping support for analog video and data in favor of transmitting exclusively digital video signals.<ref name=Manchester99/>

The connector was used by displays such as the Compaq Presario FP400, FP500, FP700, Fp720, 5204, and 5280. It was offered on graphics cards such as the Xpert LCD,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ati.com/products/rageltpro/xpertlcd/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030721020756/http://ati.com/products/rageltpro/xpertlcd/index.html |archive-date=2003-07-21 |title=XPERT LCD}}</ref> and Rage LT Pro by ATI Technologies, and the Oxygen GVX1<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vgamuseum.info/images/doc/3dlabs/oxygengvx1_specs.pdf |title=Oxygen GVX1 AGP specs sheet}}</ref> by 3Dlabs.

==Design== DFP is compatible electrically with P&D (and by extension, DVI); DFP uses the Display Data Channel (DDC) standard level DDC2B for operation and the Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) protocol to identify the display to the host.<ref name=VESA-DFP>{{cite web |url=http://www.vesa.org/dfpfinal.pdf |title=VESA Digital Flat Panel (DFP) Standard, Version 1 |date=February 14, 1999 |publisher=Video Electronics Standards Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010602233109/http://www.vesa.org/dfpfinal.pdf |archive-date=June 2, 2001 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 31, 2023 }}</ref>{{rp|§1.2}} Like the preceding P&D, DFP uses the PanelLink TMDS protocol developed by Silicon Image for digital video signals.<ref name=DVI-whitepaper/>

The DFP standard specifies a 20-pin mini D ribbon connector;<ref name=VESA-DFP/>{{rp|§3.3}} however, as the signal protocols are identical, DFP connectors generally are compatible with devices equipped with a DVI interface by using a passive adaptor.

All DFP-compliant devices are required to support resolutions of 640×400, 720×400, and 640×480 (each at a refresh rate of 60Hz) as a minimum level of interoperability, although the resulting display may not necessarily be centered or scaled.<ref name=VESA-DFP/>{{rp|§3.7}}

DFP was superseded by DVI because DFP, like P&D, is limited to a single-link TMDS signal. In contrast, DVI is capable of higher maximum resolutions because it supports a dual-link TMDS signal; in addition, DVI also supports analog video, which makes the VGA connector redundant.<ref name=DVI-whitepaper/>

<gallery> Image:DFP_connector.jpg|male DFP connector Image:DFP_graphic_card_cutted.jpg|female DFP connector Image:Adapter_DVI_DFP.jpg|DVI-DFP adaptor </gallery>

==References==

== External links == * [http://pinouts.ru/Video/dvi_matrox_pinout.shtml DFP diagram and description of pin layout] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20041207105828/http://www.ati.com/products/rageltpro/xpertlcd/index.html DFP is mentioned in ATI's description of the Xpert LCD]

Digital flat panel