Analogix Semiconductor revealed three new entries to the company’s SlimPort DP to Quad MIPI-DSI display controllers that enable device makers to use 120Hz displays in smartphones, mobile VR devices, and AR smartglasses, or 4K 60Hz panels in mobile devices. 

Analogix Semiconductor’s new SlimPort family includes three options for hardware designers to choose from. The ANX7530 mobile receiver is designed for VR headsets that have two displays. It can handle 16 MIPI lanes (eight per eye) and supports panel resolutions up to 1920x2160 per eye and 120Hz, or a single panel 4096x2160 at 60Hz.

“Virtual reality systems are defined by their display quality in terms of the pixel density and responsiveness to head movement,” said Andre Bouwer, vice president of marketing for Analogix. “A fluid virtual experience can only be achieved if the video is updated faster than the brain can process it, and with pixels smaller than the optical receptors in the retina. This drives video resolutions and refresh rates ever higher. The ANX7530 can process video at up to 120 frames per second.”

Analogix’s SlimPort ANX7533 mobile receiver is also designed for dual screen systems, but its resolution support cuts off at 1920x1440 per eye. ANX7533’s resolution support is lower because it has half as many MIPI lanes as ANX7530. The ANX7533 controller also supports 4096x2160p at 60Hz.

Analogix also has a solution for smartphones, which are limited to a single display for VR experiences, and headsets that employ a single panel. The SlimPort ANX7580 mobile receiver supports 8 MIPI lanes, like the ANX7530 receiver, but because its limited to one display panel, it supports higher per-panel resolutions. ANX7580 can handle split displays on panels up to 2560x1600 pixels at 120Hz, or 4096x2160p at 60Hz. 

All three Analogix Semiconductor ANX75XX SlimPort controllers offer support for DisplayPort 1.4, HDCP 2.2 and 1.4, and Adaptive Equalization on the Display Port input. Analogix said that device makers could optimize the chips for their purposes, be it gaming, 360-degree video playback, or augmented reality applications. 

Analogix Semiconductor plans to hit mass production of the AND75XX SlimPort controllers by Q2 2017. The company plans to test sample runs throughout Q1.