Reference design brings VR support to gaming laptops

Virtual reality (VR) support can be realised in gaming laptops, using the Analogix Semiconductor VirtualLink reference design.

The reference design enables VirtualLink directly on the motherboard of high-performance gaming notebooks, allowing them to support VR over the USB-C connector. External accessories can also leverage the reference design to interface legacy graphics processing units (GPUs) to future VirtualLink-enabled VR head-

Introduced by a consortium led by Nvidia, Oculus, Valve, AMD, and Microsoft, the VirtualLink Alternate Mode of USB Type-C was designed to deliver the power, display, and data required to power VR headsets through a single USB Type-C connector, eliminating the need for multiple cables. It leverages the USB Type-C connector’s capabilities to deliver high-definition video at high frame rates, high-speed 10Gbits per second USB-C data for camera and sensor communication back to the VR source, and up to 27W power delivery to the VR headset.

The Analogix VirtualLink reference design system consists of a four-lane DisplayPort 1.4 and one-lane USB 3.2 Gen2 for input and USB-C with power delivery and support for DisplayPort Alt Mode and VirtualLink Alternate Mode for output. The reference design also includes the ANX7440 – USB-C Mux with active re-timer, which complies with USB 3.2 and DisplayPort 1.4 specifications. It has insertion loss compensation to recover up to 23dB channel loss for USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbits per second and up to 27dB for DisplayPort 8.1G.

A fast centre switch, the ANX7428, switches between USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 signals at 10G for DisplayPort Alt Mode and VirtualLink applications. The ANX7430 USB 3.2 Gen2 active re-timer is for dedicated high-speed USB data path and the ANX7411 is a USB-C port controller with USB power delivery (PD) 3.0.

Analogix is demonstrating the reference design, VirtualLink and VR support at Computex, in Taipei (28 May to 1 June ) at the Grand Hyatt Taipei exhibition suite 1105 and 1106.

http://www.analogix.com

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