Laptop display method [Embedded DisplayPort]

[Mr1991]

This is just something I wanted to know for personal reasons, after looking into old graphics output methods (VGA, DVI) etc, and analogue vs digital, it made me wonder what kind of method do laptops use, to output signal from the graphics card to the screen, assuming maybe Chief would be clued up on this and it would be interesting to understand

[Chief Blur Buster]

Moving to Area 51, as this is a Display Engineering Question.

This is just something I wanted to know for personal reasons, after looking into old graphics output methods (VGA, DVI) etc, and analogue vs digital, it made me wonder what kind of method do laptops use, to output signal from the graphics card to the screen, assuming maybe Chief would be clued up on this and it would be interesting to understand

It varies a lot from panel to panel.

One common method is eDP (Embedded Displayport). That's why some laptop LCDs can be hacked to be connected by an external signal, but you may need to know how to do surface-mount soldering, as you may need to convert voltage values, etc. But it is much easier than it used to be, because eDP is just simply DisplayPort used internally!

Other method is LVDS which is more proprietary, and manufacturer specific.

However, for common LCDs, embedded DisplayPort is now extremely common, and very standardized, for many panels that are off-the-shelf. This allows generic panels from Alibaba/etc to be interfaced to more variety of projects.

For more information:
www.google.com/search?q=embedded+displayport

Currently, eDP is at Version 1.5
www.vesa.org/featured-articles/vesa-publishes-embedded-displayport-standard-version-1-5/

Tweakers have been using generic panels and interfacing them to random projects
www.google.com/search?q=hacking+embedded+displayport

Such as connecting a standalone iPad/laptop screen to a PC. It works! Make sure you have intermediate Arduino/soldering skillz.

[Mr1991]

Moving to Area 51, as this is a Display Engineering Question.

This is just something I wanted to know for personal reasons, after looking into old graphics output methods (VGA, DVI) etc, and analogue vs digital, it made me wonder what kind of method do laptops use, to output signal from the graphics card to the screen, assuming maybe Chief would be clued up on this and it would be interesting to understand

It varies a lot from panel to panel.

One common method is eDP (Embedded Displayport). That's why some laptop LCDs can be hacked to be connected by an external signal, but you may need to know how to do surface-mount soldering, as you may need to convert voltage values, etc. But it is much easier than it used to be, because eDP is just simply DisplayPort used internally!

Other method is LVDS which is more proprietary, and manufacturer specific.

However, for common LCDs, embedded DisplayPort is now extremely common, and very standardized, for many panels that are off-the-shelf. This allows generic panels from Alibaba/etc to be interfaced to more variety of projects.

For more information:
www.google.com/search?q=embedded+displayport

Currently, eDP is at Version 1.5
www.vesa.org/featured-articles/vesa-publishes-embedded-displayport-standard-version-1-5/

Tweakers have been using generic panels and interfacing them to random projects
www.google.com/search?q=hacking+embedded+displayport

Such as connecting a standalone iPad/laptop screen to a PC. It works! Make sure you have intermediate Arduino/soldering skillz.

Thank you, quick question while you’re here, was wondering if these are any different to HDMI cabled output, or does it work exactly the same, just cutting out the cable? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OGYMupf3S ... BwYw%3D%3D

(Plugging it directly into the monitor ofc), was wondering if that would avoid a small latency penalty

[Chief Blur Buster]

Thank you, quick question while you’re here, was wondering if these are any different to HDMI cabled output, or does it work exactly the same, just cutting out the cable? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OGYMupf3S ... BwYw%3D%3D

Don't forget DisplayPort and HDMI is not the same cable method.

But DisplayPort and eDP is pretty much the same.

You can't use HDMI with eDP, unless you want to do an adaptor (HDMI->DP), and adaptors can in some cases add lag.

(Plugging it directly into the monitor ofc), was wondering if that would avoid a small latency penalty

Doubtful.

The existing reduced feature-sets of common embedded screens (lack of overdrive, lower refresh rates, slower pixel response, etc) probably adds gigantically more latency penalty than any sub-1ms latency differences of DisplayPort versus eDP, in my opinion. Or the use of HDMI->DisplayPort->eDP adaptoring.