The practice of connecting a VGA analog monitor to a computer is a very old practice and has been considered a standard method. Since then many new approaches and standard methods have been proposed. Thus, later on, new interfaces were created for video cards, which came to be known as DVI. Single and dual DVI. In the below sub-sections, we would see differences between.
DVI vs Dual-Link DVI
The main difference between single-link DVI and dual-link DVI is that single-link DVI supports up to a 60 Hz refresh rate with 1920*1200 resolution while dual-link DVI supports up to 2560*1600 at 60 Hz resolution. DVI dual-link supports only uncompressed video. Multiple DVI configurations can be done, such as DVI-A (analog only), DVI-D (digital only), or DVI-I (digital and analog).
Digital Visual Interface was developed by the Digital Display Working Group and its first display interface for videos with a 60Hz refresh rate. It is used in many ways such as for video display where it acts as a controller, to connect to display devices, monitors, etc. The main purpose of creating this was to transfer video content.
Doubling the data pairs is done by Dual-Link DVI, as its name suggests. It supports pixel clock resolution up to 330 Hz. dual-link DVI supports up to 2560*1600 at 60 Hz resolution. Initially, it’s designed for uncompressed digital videos. This interface is primarily designed for uncompressedThis allows for all types of cables to be used which makes it easier.
Comparison Table Between DVI and Dual-Link DVI
| Parameters of comparison | DVI | Dual-Link DVI |
| Definition | Digital Visual Interface is the first display interface that supported any digital display equipment. | Dual-Link Digital Visual Interface is also a display interface for videos but works well for higher resolution. |
| Resolutions | DVI supports only 1920*1200 at 60 Hz resolution | Dual-link DVI supports up to 2560*1600 at 60 Hz resolution. |
| Number of Pins | It uses 12 pins only. | It uses all 24 pins. |
| Cables | This allows certain types of cables only. | This allows for all types of cables to be used which makes it easier. |
| Uses | The main purpose of creating this was to transfer video content. | It’s designed for uncompressed video |
What is DVI?
This type of interface is primarily designed for the transmission of video. It supports different variations of the DVI like DVI-A (analog only), DVI-D (Digital only), or DVI-I (Digital and Analog), etc. DVI is mainly connected to the computer, but sometimes it is added to other electronic devices, in which the convenience of the consumer remains. Such as TV, DVD player, etc.
The format of DVI is mainly associated with panel links. Silicon Image created the format for the DVI Single link. It uses a high-speed serial link called TMDS, and DVI also includes the option to display data channels, which are also available in analog VGA connectors.
There is no specified length for DVI cables. It totally depends on the pixel clock frequency. If we talk about its length, then its approximate length is considered to be 4.5 meters which are limited for display resolution up to 1920×1200. Also limited to display resolution up to 1280×1024 if the cable length is 15 meters. DVI boosters are used to maintain the balance of the existing signal.
DVI links generate the difference between the data and the clock. DVI is used to balance the variation between the specification input clock. For example, DVI allows input clock variation between 25 MHz and 165 MHz. This ratio keeps on increasing and decreasing.
What is Dual-Link DVI?
Dual-link connectors support all types of data rates which makes them stand out. As reflected by its name, it doubles the number of data pairs. Supports effective pixel clock resolutions up to 330 Hz. It supports the highest resolution up to 60 Hz. This interface is primarily designed for uncompressed digital video only
If we talk about the function of the dual-link DVI, it covers the doubling power of transmission, provides good speed and effective signal quality. The number of pins available in dual-link connectors is 24 which is more than a single-link connector. The bandwidth is also increased in dual-link DVI.
It provides higher resolution with large distances without any interference. The cables of dual-link DVI are made up of copper which overcomes several challenges. It supports data up to 3.30Gbps. The copper wires of cables provide minimal insertion loss. It is lightweight and flexible by nature. The connectors are gold-plated.
It is covered with a triple-shield and also noise resistant i.e. superior noise immunity. It is green friendly i.e. RoHS compliant. The performance of these cables is very good. The lighter weight of wire increases the flexibility which is good for short-length interconnection cables.
Main Differences Between DVI and Dual-Link DVI
- Digital Visual Interface cannot support dual-link connectors whereas Dual-Link DVI is fully backward compatible with single DVI.
- DVI supports only 1920*1200 at 60 Hz resolution whereas Dual-link DVI supports up to 2560*1600 at 60 Hz resolution.
- DVI uses only 12 pins out of 24 while Dual-link DVI adds an extra 12 pins which enable for higher bandwidth approx 2Gbps
- DVI allows certain types of cables only while The cables of dual-link DVI are made up of copper which overcomes several challenges.
- The main purpose of creating this was to transfer video content whereas dual-link DVI covers the doubling power of transmission, provides good speed and effective signal quality.
Conclusion
So, here we conclude that both, DVI and Dual-link DVI are different from each other in several ways. DVI stands for digital video interface which is primarily designed for the transmission of video. It supports multiple modes such as DVI-A (analog only), DVI-D (Digital only) or DVI-I (Digital and Analog), etc. Dual-link DVI, Doubling the data pairs, as its name suggests. If we talk about the pins used in these connectors, DVI uses only 12 pins while the number of pins available in dual-link connectors is 24 which makes it support for higher resolution. The cables of dual-link DVI are made up of copper which overcomes several challenges like supporting higher bandwidth and refresh rate. It supports data up to 3.30Gbps. The copper wires of cables provide minimal insertion loss. It is lightweight and flexible by nature. The connectors are gold-plated. Dual-link DVI is better than single-link DVI.
References
- https://computerstationnation.com/difference-between-hdmi-dvi-vga-and-usb-c/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1889/1.1830222
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1546144014005511