Two new VastLane High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) transmitter chips allow PC manufacturers to drive their computers’ digital outputs to PC monitors and HDTVs from a single transmitter.
The VastLane SiI1392-3 and the VastLane SiI1932-3 from Silicon Image Inc. deliver fast 340-MHz or 10.2-Gbit/s performance, letting them support monitor resolutions up to WQXGA (2560 by 1600 pixels) or HDTV resolutions up to 1440p. They can drive the largest, highest-resolution PC monitors on the market with a single-link solution.
Previous-generation HDMI chips for PCs ran at up to 165 MHz, which limited them to resolutions of UXGA (1600 by 1200 pixels), according to the company. The SiI1932-3 supports a Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) input interface from discrete graphics processing units (GPUs), while the SiI1392-3 supports Intel's SDVO interface with integrated graphics controller chipsets. Because HDMI is backward compatible with DVI, the transmitters give PC makers the maximum flexibility of being able to interface to any digital display, from existing DVI LCD monitors, HDTVs, and projectors to future low-cost all digital PC monitors with DVI or HDMI inputs. In addition, PCs integrating these transmitters can be designed to meet Windows Vista Premium requirements and to be fully compliant with the latest High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) 1.2 specification to transmit premium HD content.
The VastLane SiI1392-3 and SiI1932-3 come in 64-pin, lead-free QFNs and are currently available for sampling. Contact the company for prices. For more information, go to www.siliconimage.com.