Mini-DVI

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Mini-DVI


The Mini-DVI plug on a 12-inch PowerBook G4

Type Digital and analogue computer video connector
Production history
Designer Apple Inc.
Manufacturer Apple Inc.
Superseded Mini-VGA
Specifications
External yes
Video signal As DVI
Pins 32
Pin out

A female mini-DVI socket
Pin 1 Dat2_P Data 2 +
Pin 2 Dat2_N Data 2 -
Pin 3 Dat1_P Data 1 +
Pin 4 Dat1_N Data 1 -
Pin 5 Dat0_P Data 0 +
Pin 6 Dat0_N Data 0 -
Pin 7 CLK_P Clock +
Pin 8 CLK_N Clock -
Pin 9 DGND
Pin 10 DGND
Pin 11 DGND
Pin 12 DGND
Pin 13 DGND
Pin 14 DGND
Pin 15 DGND
Pin 16 DGND
Pin 17 +5 V
Pin 18 DCC_DAT
Pin 19 spare
Pin 20 BLUE Analogue blue
Pin 21 not installed
Pin 22 GREEN Analogue green
Pin 23 not installed
Pin 24 RED Analogue red
Pin 25 Detect
Pin 26 DCC_CLK
Pin 27 spare
Pin 28 DGND
Pin 29 HSYNC Horizontal sync
Pin 30 DGND
Pin 31 VSYNC Vertical sync
Pin 32 DGND

The Mini-DVI connector is used on Apple computers as a digital alternative to the Mini-VGA connector. Its size is between the full-sized DVI and the tiny Micro-DVI. It is found on the 12-inch PowerBook G4, Intel-based iMac, the MacBook Intel-based laptop, and the Intel-based Xserve, but not the MacBook Air. Mini-DVI connectors on Apple hardware are capable of carrying DVI, VGA, or TV signals through the use of adapters, detected with EDID (Extended display identification data) via DDC. This connector is often used in place of a DVI connector in order to save physical space on devices. It needs a Mini-DVI Adapter to connect to another monitor. Mini-DVI does not support dual-link connections and hence cannot support resolutions higher than 1920x1200 @60Hz.

There are various types of Mini-DVI Adapter:

Apple Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter Apple part# [1](M9320G/A)
Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter Apple part# [2](M9319G/A)
Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter (DVI-D) Apple part# [3](M9321G/A)

The physical connector is similar to Mini-VGA, but is differentiated by having four rows of pins arranged in two vertically-stacked slots rather than the two rows of pins in the Mini-VGA.

To use a DVI-I connecter, you must connect a Mini-DVI to DVI-D cable to a DVI-D to DVI-I adapter.

[edit] Criticisms

There have been criticisms of Apple's introduction of Mini-DVI.[citation needed]

  • Apple's Mini-DVI to DVI-D cable does not carry the analog signal coming from the mini-DVI port on the Apple computer. This means that instead of buying a single mini-DVI cable from Apple and using a cheap DVI-to-VGA adaptor when you need VGA output, you must purchase another mini-DVI cable from Apple. This could be solved if Apple provided a mini-DVI to DVI-I cable. The purpose of DVI-I is to ensure universal compatibility.[citation needed]
  • Apple mini-DVI to DVI-D cable's package shows a DVI-I figure instead of DVI-D and does not specify that it comes with DVI-D.

[edit] External links