Mini-DVI

Mini-DVI

The Mini-DVI plug on a 12-inch PowerBook G4
Type	Digital and analog computer video connector
Production history
Designer	Apple Inc.
Manufacturer	Apple Inc.
Superseded	Mini-VGA
Superseded by	Mini DisplayPort (October 2008)
General 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 certain 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 (except the original 12-inch 867 MHz PowerBook G4, it used Mini-VGA), Intel-based iMac, the MacBook Intel-based laptop, the Intel-based Xserve, and the 2009 Mac mini.

In October 2008, Apple announced the company was phasing Mini-DVI out in favor of Mini DisplayPort.

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. Mini-DVI does not support dual-link connections and hence cannot support resolutions higher than 1920x1200 @60 Hz.

There are various types of Mini-DVI adapter:

Apple Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter Apple part# (M9320G/A)

Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter Apple part# (M9319G/A)

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter (DVI-D) Apple part# (M9321G/B)

A non-OEM Mini-DVI to HDMI Adapter is also available on certain online stores such as eBay and Amazon, and from some retail stores, but not from Apple.

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.

Connecting to a DVI-I connector requires a Mini-DVI to DVI-D cable plus a DVI-D to DVI-I adapter.

Criticisms

• 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 it is not possible to use this cable with an inexpensive DVI-to-VGA adapter for VGA output; Apple's mini-DVI to VGA cable must be used instead. This could be avoided if Apple provided a mini-DVI to DVI-I cable. The purpose of DVI-I is to ensure universal compatibility.^[1][2]

• The 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 only DVI-D.

Compatibility

As Mini-DVI is pin-compatible with DVI, it supports both DVI and VGA through adapters. However, since Apple has moved on to Mini Displayport, there has been a scarcity of available options for users looking to connect to Displayport displays, such as Apple's own Cinema Display.

See also

• DVI
• Micro-DVI
• Mini DisplayPort

External links

• 12-inch PowerBook G4 Developer Note: External Display Port

References

1. ^ "Blog explaining the difference". http://bitguru.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/mini-dvi-to-dvi-adapters-and-anagolg-signals/. Retrieved 2009-10-11. 
2. ^ "Image showing the difference". http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/6c/bf/01e0228348a0b3483ebe0110.L.jpg. Retrieved 2009-10-11.