VESA Readies DisplayPort Ultra-High Bit Rate Device & Cable Certification

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has announced a new certification program for video source, display and cable products supporting DisplayPort UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate), which are the higher data link rates supported by the DisplayPort standard version 2.0.

Through the DisplayPort UHBR Certification Program, device and cable manufacturers can send new products to DisplayPort authorized test centres (ATCs) for testing and certification. The higher bandwidths enabled by UHBR support a variety of use cases such as uncompressed 8K 60 Hz HDR, 4K 240 Hz HDR, two 4K 120 Hz HDR or four 4K 60 Hz HDR displays through a single cable.

Now, that’s all good and well, and word for word how the press release reads. However, these standards companies have a bit of a rocky history for this kind of thing. Certification seems to crop up on cables that are below standards more often these days. Big companies push out smaller ones with their expensive certifications, and standards can often shift later down the line to reduce costs. Hopefully, this isn’t the case, but I’ll wait to see the final rollout for sure.

DisplayPort Ultra-High Bit Rat

VESA has also announced the introduction of VESA certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables, which guarantee display connectivity and operation at the highest performance levels introduced with DisplayPort 2.0. VESA certified DP40 cables must support up to the UHBR10 link rate of 10 Gbps defined by DisplayPort 2.0. These support the full four-lane operation, providing a maximum throughput of 40 Gbps.

Multiple video source and display products are undergoing testing in the DisplayPort UHBR Certification Program now, and should complete early certification soon. Several DP40 and DP80 cables using improved full-sized DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort connectors have already passed certification and are in production. Vendors currently offering VESA certified DP40 and DP80 cables include Accell, BizLink, and WIZEN, with more cables undergoing certification and expected to arrive to market soon.” – VESA

VESA certified DP80 cables must support up to the UHBR20 link rate of 20 Gbps defined by DisplayPort 2.0, with four lanes, providing a maximum throughput of 80 Gbps. VESA certified DP80 cables will also support the UHBR13.5 link rate (13.5 Gbps), which is also defined by DisplayPort 2.0.

“The ultra high bit rates supported with the DisplayPort 2.0 specification bring a whole new level of display performance and experience to the consumer,” stated James Choate, compliance program manager for VESA. “By establishing the UHBR Certification Program, we hope to speed adoption of higher-performance video and display products across the ecosystem. We expect results from this program to be similar to the success achieved with other VESA certification programs, including those that have enabled widespread ecosystem adoption of products supporting DisplayPort HBR3 bit rates, as well as the DisplayPort Alt Mode and DisplayHDR specifications and standards.”

Choate added, “No matter how high the performance of your graphics card and monitor are, the resulting image quality can still be limited by the cable used to connect those devices. Thanks to improvements in both the DisplayPort connector and cable design, the new VESA certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables enable consumers to get the highest performance possible from their VESA certified devices. These new cables are backed by VESA’s UHBR Certification Program, which provides added assurance that if your cable has the DP40 or DP80 logo from VESA, it will meet the specs for the highest data rates supported by current and future products certified by VESA.”

Availability

DP40 and DP80 cables are available in both full-size and Mini DisplayPort cable configurations, and are fully backward compatible with devices supporting DisplayPort link rates previously defined and currently in use, including RBR (Reduced Bit Rate), HBR (High Bit Rate), HBR2, and HBR3. For DisplayPort Alt Mode (DisplayPort over the USB Type-C connector), full-featured passive USB-C cables already support UHBR bit rate speeds, while USB Type-C to DisplayPort converter cables are certified by VESA to meet UHBR speed requirements will soon become available.

UHBR product testing is now available at DisplayPort ATCs, including Allion Labs and Granite River Labs (GRL).