VESA
Encyclopedia
VESA is an international standards body for computer graphics
founded in 1989 by NEC Home Electronics and eight other video display adapter manufacturers.
VESA's initial goal was to produce a standard for 800×600 SVGA resolution video displays. Since then VESA has issued a number of standards, mostly relating to the function of video peripheral
s in personal computers.
In November 2010, VESA announced a cooperative agreement with the Wireless Gigabit Alliance
(WiGig) for sharing technology expertise and specifications to develop multi-gigabit wireless DisplayPort
capabilities. DisplayPort is a VESA technology that provides digital display connectivity.
, JEDEC
, DVI
, and HDMI
(through HDMI 1.3a).
At the time DisplayPort
was announced, VESA was criticized for developing the specification in secret and having a track record of developing unsuccessful digital interface standards, including Plug & Display and DFP
.
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
founded in 1989 by NEC Home Electronics and eight other video display adapter manufacturers.
VESA's initial goal was to produce a standard for 800×600 SVGA resolution video displays. Since then VESA has issued a number of standards, mostly relating to the function of video peripheral
Peripheral
A peripheral is a device attached to a host computer, but not part of it, and is more or less dependent on the host. It expands the host's capabilities, but does not form part of the core computer architecture....
s in personal computers.
In November 2010, VESA announced a cooperative agreement with the Wireless Gigabit Alliance
Wireless Gigabit Alliance
The Wireless Gigabit Alliance is an organization promoting the adoption of multi-gigabit speed wireless communications technology operating over the unlicensed 60 GHz frequency band....
(WiGig) for sharing technology expertise and specifications to develop multi-gigabit wireless DisplayPort
DisplayPort
DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard produced by the Video Electronics Standards Association . The specification defines a royalty-free digital interconnect for audio and video. The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor...
capabilities. DisplayPort is a VESA technology that provides digital display connectivity.
Standards
- VESA Feature Connector (VFC), obsolete connector that was often present on older videocards, used as an 8-bit video bus to other devices
- VESA Advanced Feature ConnectorFeature connectorThe Feature connector was an internal connector found mostly in some older VESA Local Bus, ISA and PCI graphics cards, but also on some early AGP ones....
(VAFC), newer version of the above VFC that widens the 8-bit bus to either a 16-bit or 32-bit bus - VESA Local BusVESA Local BusThe VESA Local Bus was mostly used in personal computers. VESA Local Bus worked alongside the ISA bus; it acted as a high-speed conduit for memory-mapped I/O and DMA, while the ISA bus handled interrupts and port-mapped I/O.-Historical overview:In the early 1990s, the I/O bandwidth of...
(VLB), once used as a fast video bus (akin to the more recent AGPAccelerated Graphics PortThe Accelerated Graphics Port is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a video card to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics. Since 2004 AGP has been progressively phased out in favor of PCI Express...
) - VESA BIOS ExtensionsVESA BIOS ExtensionsVESA BIOS Extensions is a VESA standard, currently at version 3, that defines the interface that can be used by software to access compliant video boards at high resolutions and bit depths...
(VBE), used for enabling standard support for advanced video modes (at high resolutions and color depths) - Display Data ChannelDisplay Data ChannelThe Display Data Channel or DDC is a collection of digital communication protocols between a computer display and a graphics adapter that enables the display to communicate its supported display modes to the adapter and to enable the computer host to adjust monitor parameters, such as brightness...
(DDC), a data link protocol which allows a host device to control an attached display and communicate EDID, DPMS, MCCS and similar messages - E-EDIDExtended display identification dataExtended display identification data is a data structure provided by a digital display to describe its capabilities to a video source . It is what enables a modern personal computer to know what kinds of monitors are connected to it. EDID is defined by a standard published by the Video...
, a data format for display identification data that defines supported resolutions and video timings - Monitor Control Command SetMonitor Control Command SetVESA Monitor Command Control Set or MCCS is a computer standard developed by Video Electronics Standards Association. It defines a binary protocol for controlling the properties of computer monitors from a host device such as PC, set-top box, etc....
(MCCS), a message protocol for controlling display parameters such as brightness, contrast, display orientation from the host device - DisplayIDDisplayIDDisplayID is a VESA standard designed to replace E-EDID standard and EDID structure v1.4. The current version 1.1 was released in March, 2009.DisplayID features variable-length structures which encompass all existing EDID extensions as well as new extensions for 3D displays and embedded displays...
, display identification data format, which is a replacement for E-EDID. - VESA Display Power Management SignalingVESA Display Power Management SignalingVESA Display Power Management Signaling is a standard from the VESA consortium for managing the power supply of video monitors for computers through the graphics card e.g.; shut off the monitor after the computer has been unused for some time , to save power.- History :DPMS 1.0 was issued by VESA...
(DPMS), which allows monitors to be queried on the types of power saving modes they support - Digital Packet Video LinkDigital Packet Video LinkDigital Packet Video Link is a video standard released by VESA in 2004. Unlike previous technologies, in order to save bandwidth, only portions of the screen that are modified are sent via this link. DPVL also introduces metadata video attributes support....
(DPVL), a display link standard that allows to update only portions of the screen - VESA StereoVESA StereoVESA Stereo is a liquid crystal shutter glasses interface standard by the Video Electronics Standards Association for stereoscopic 3D displays...
, a standard 3-pin connector for synchronization of stereoscopicStereoscopyStereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
images with LC shutter glasses - Flat Panel Display Interface (FPDI), logical and electrical standard for flat panel display interfacing
- Flat Display Mounting InterfaceFlat Display Mounting InterfaceThe Flat Display Mounting Interface , also known as VESA Mounting Interface Standard or colloquially as VESA mount, is a family of standards defined by the Video Electronics Standards Association for mounting flat panel monitors, TVs, and other displays to stands or wall mounts...
(FDMI), which defines "VESA mounts" - Generalized Timing FormulaGeneralized Timing FormulaGeneralized Timing Formula is a standard by VESA which defines exact parameters of the component video signal for analog VGA display interface....
(GTF), video timings standard - Coordinated Video TimingsCoordinated Video TimingsCoordinated Video Timings is a standard by VESA which defines the timings of the component video signal. Initially intended for use by computer monitors and video cards, the standard made its way into consumer televisions....
(CVT), a replacement for GTF - Display Monitor Timing (DMT), lists standard display timings for various resolutions and screen sizes
- VESA Video Interface Port (VIP), a digital video interface standard
- DisplayPortDisplayPortDisplayPort is a digital display interface standard produced by the Video Electronics Standards Association . The specification defines a royalty-free digital interconnect for audio and video. The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor...
Standard, a digital video interface standard - VESA Enhanced Video ConnectorVESA Enhanced Video ConnectorThe VESA Enhanced Video Connector is a VESA standard intended to reduce the number of cables around a computer by incorporating video, audio, FireWire and USB into a single cable system. The intention of the system was to make the monitor the central point of connection...
, an obsolete standard for reducing the number of cables around computers.
Criticisms
VESA has been criticized for their policy of charging for published standards. VESA charges non-members for some, but not all, of their published standards. Some people believe the practice of charging for specifications has undermined the purpose of the VESA organization. According to Kendall Bennett, developer of the VBE/AF standard, the VESA Software Standards Committee was closed down due to a lack of interest resulting from charging high prices for specifications. At that time no VESA standards were available for free. Although VESA now hosts some free standards documents, the free collection does not include newly developed standards. Even for obsolete standards, the free collection is incomplete. As of 2010, current standards documents from VESA cost hundreds, or thousands, of dollars each. Some older standards are not available for free, or for purchase. As of 2010, the free downloads require mandatory registration. While not all standards bodies provide specifications freely available for download, many do, including: ITUItu
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, JEDEC
JEDEC
The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, formerly known as the Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council , is an independent semiconductor engineering trade organization and standardization body...
, DVI
Digital Visual Interface
The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors...
, and HDMI
HDMI
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
(through HDMI 1.3a).
At the time DisplayPort
DisplayPort
DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard produced by the Video Electronics Standards Association . The specification defines a royalty-free digital interconnect for audio and video. The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor...
was announced, VESA was criticized for developing the specification in secret and having a track record of developing unsuccessful digital interface standards, including Plug & Display and DFP
DFP
DFP may stand for:*Department of Finance and Personnel* Daily Free Press* Data Facility Storage Management Subsystem Data Facility Product * Davidon-Fletcher-Powell: Mathematics...
.