| DFP | |
| Type: | Digital video connector |
| Designer: | Video Electronics Standards Association |
| Design Date: | February 14, 1999 |
| Superseded: | VGA connector |
| Superseded By: | Digital Visual Interface |
| Data Signal: | PanelLink protocol Transition Minimized Differential Signaling |
| Data Bit Width: | 3 bits plus clock |
| Data Devices: | 1 |
| Data Style: | PanelLink (Serial) |
| Num Pins: | 20 |
| Pin1 Name: | TMDS data 1 + |
| Pin2 Name: | TMDS data 1 – |
| Pin3 Name: | GND |
| Pin4 Name: | GND |
| Pin5 Name: | TMDS data C + |
| Pin6 Name: | TMDS data C – |
| Pin7 Name: | GND |
| Pin8 Name: | + 5V |
| Pin9 Name: | Reserved |
| Pin10 Name: | Reserved |
| Pin11 Name: | TMDS data 2 + |
| Pin12 Name: | TMDS data 2 – |
| Pin13 Name: | GND |
| Pin14 Name: | GND |
| Pin15 Name: | TMDS data 0 + |
| Pin16 Name: | TMDS data 0 – |
| Pin17 Name: | Reserved |
| Pin18 Name: | Reserved |
| Pin19 Name: | DDC data |
| Pin20 Name: | DDC clock |
The VESA Digital Flat Panel (DFP) interface standard specifies a video connector and digital TMDS signaling for flat-panel displays.[1] 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.
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.[2] 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.[1]
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,[3] and Rage LT Pro by ATI Technologies, and the Oxygen GVX1[4] by 3Dlabs.
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.[5] Like the preceding P&D, DFP uses the PanelLink TMDS protocol developed by Silicon Image for digital video signals.[2]
The DFP standard specifies a 20-pin mini D ribbon connector;[5] 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.[5]
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.[2]