VESA Endorses Copper-Cable Alternative

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) DisplayPort Task Force announced that its new DisplayPort 1.1 standard has enabled hybrid devices such as fiber-optic transceivers to be recognized and used as an alternative to copper cables to connect PCs to flat-panel displays and in other applications. The task force and subgroups, led by silicon photonics developer Luxtera Inc. of Carlsbad, Calif., and other member companies, unanimously approved the addition to the specification. This is the first time the industry has recognized and approved high-performance optical video interconnect technology with the broad-based support of the PC industry, VESA said. For major PC and display manufacturers, a product must have a logo to be considered for sale. Silicon photonics developer Luxtera Inc. of Carlsbad, Calif., who leads the task force and subgroups with other member companies, said the revised standard eliminates one of the biggest barriers to widespread adoption of optical video interconnect technology, such as its CMOS photonics platform.