What is LVDS?

Today's LCD screens generally use LVDS interfaces. So what is LVDS?

LVDS, low-voltage differential signaling, is a new technology that meets today's high-performance data transmission applications. Because it can make the system supply voltage as low as 2V, it can also meet the needs of future applications. This technology is based on the ANSI/TIA/EIA-644 LVDS interface standard.

LVDS technology has 330mV low voltage differential signals (250mV MIN and 450mV MAX) and fast transition times. This allows products to reach high data rates from 100 Mbps to over 1 Gbps. In addition, this low voltage swing reduces power dissipation and has the advantage of differential transmission.

LVDS technology is used for simple line driver and receiver physical layer devices and more complex interface communication chipsets. The channel link chipset multiplexes and demultiplexes slow TTL signal lines to provide narrow high-speed, low-power LVDS interfaces. These chipsets can significantly reduce system cable and connector costs, and can reduce the physical space required for the connector footprint.

The LVDS solution offers designers new options for solving high-speed I/O interface problems. LVDS offers milliwatt-per-gigabit solutions for high-bandwidth data transmission applications today and in the future.

The more advanced bus LVDS (BLVDS) was developed on the basis of LVDS. Bus LVDS (BLVDS) is a new series of bus interface circuits based on LVDS technology, specifically designed for multi-point cable or backplane applications. It differs from the standard LVDS in that it provides enhanced drive current to handle the double transmission required in multipoint applications.

The BLVDS has a low voltage differential signal of about 250mV and a fast transition time. This allows the product to achieve high data transfer rates from 100 Mbps to over 1 Gbps. In addition, low voltage swings can reduce power consumption and noise to a minimum. Differential data transmission configurations provide active bus +/-1V common-mode range and hot-swappable devices.

There are two types of BLVDS products that provide optimized interface devices for all bus configurations. The two series are: line driver and receiver and serializer/deserializer chipset.

Bus LVDS can solve many of the challenges in high-speed bus designs. BLVDS does not require special terminal pull-up rails. It eliminates the need for active termination devices, utilizes common supply rails (3.3V or 5V), uses a simple terminal configuration, minimizes power consumption of interface devices, generates very little noise, and supports hot-swapping of business cards and at 100 Mbps. The rate drives heavy-duty multi-drop busses. Bus LVDS products provide designers with a new choice for solving high speed multipoint bus interface problems.